Marc Newson. Works

September 9th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

We were fortunate to be the guests of Nick Wood last night at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills for a cocktail reception for superhuman (and) designer Marc Newson CBE.

We were also thrilled to meet Sir Jonathon Ive of Apple Inc, who neglected to tell their own P.R. staff about his knighthood, who is a huge fan of Marc’s!

Marc Newson spent the last six years documenting his catalogue of unbelievable designs for the encyclopedia De Newson; now available from Taschen!

Marc Newson. Works

Marc Newson, Kimberly Crain & John Jones at Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA

 

 

Alan Frew & Glass Tiger’s new album

September 6th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

EMI Canada has remastered Glass Tiger’s hits from the 1980s along with Alan Frew’s from the 90s for a new release;

Then ..NOW ..Next

The album includes two songs I produced in Hollywood with Alan in 1994; Healing Hands (with Micky Dolenz), and So Blind (written by me & Alan). Both songs were on Alan’s solo album Hold On

The great surprise to me in this new collection is the inclusion of an unreleased third song we also did in the tree house; You’ve Got To Hide your Love Away

That track started as a demo recording I did on Christmas eve 1993. I was alone, more than a little heart sick, and I needed to sing the right song, and You’ve Got To Hide your Love Away was it! My demo is on the Victor Japan version of my first album; One Moment in Time

For Alan’s version we added Mick Fleetwood’s drums, Phil Parlapiano’s multi-instruments, and Alan’s lead vocal to the original demo. I think!

John Jones, Rich Gelles, and Alan Frew in the treehouse, Hollywood Dell, 1994

 

Happy Birthday Steve Postell

September 4th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

A short notice get together in Venice to wish Steve Postell well on his birthday was enjoyed by all last evening!

The Birthday boy Steve Postell and John Jones

 

Iron Mountain-top for Paramount’s 100th

September 3rd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Iron Mountain helped celebrate Paramount’s Birthday Sunday night with a reception on their roof in Hollywood before the awesome show at the Bowl.

Iron Mountain Rooftop in Hollywood for Paramount 100th Birthday

What a view!

 

Second Stand – My First 2″ multi-track recording

August 31st, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Produced and Engineered by Steve Vaughan and recorded at Toronto Sound Studios back in the day, my song; Second Stand.

Terry Brown liked the song when I played it to him on the upright in his office, and he said to go ahead and record it with Steve. Wow! The thrill of my life! Steve had been 2nd engineer to Glyn Johns at Olympic during the Beatles sessions in 1969.

We started by recording my piano part along with a metronome. I had already recorded at home on my reel to reel with a metronome, so it wasn’t new to me. We did a quick vocal guide after the piano.

Then Steve played drums, and then guitar, while I ran the Studer!

The song had time changes in it, which made it difficult.

Next we roped in Cameron Hawkins to play bass. cello. and sing! I sang the answer vocals in the outro through the telephones on each side of the Neve console.

John Jones and Jack Pepall at Mosport - photo by Richard Bastien

 

Duran Duran at the Orange County Fair

August 23rd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

A great show by the boys at the Pacific Amphitheatre earlier in August.

Duran Duran August 11, 2012 at the O.C. Fair - photo by j jones

Duran Duran August 11, 2012 at the O.C. Fair - photo by j jones

Forgetting to un-zoom...

Olympic Games Sound

July 28th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Dennis Baxter, the official sound engineer for the Olympic Games, explains what he has been doing to the sound of live sport in this audio interview from NPR.

They play clips of what the Summer Games sounded like before and after Baxter took over in 1996.

Would you ever have imagined what he has done for Rowing?

Making the Olympics Sound Right. From a “Swoosh” To A “Splash” – click on the audio

Here is another interview with Dennis from Audio Pro International on the same subject:

2012 Olympics: Interview with audio consultant Dennis Baxter

Great Stuff!

Olympic Flame and Jones at LA84

July 27th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Occasionally I sneak a couple of hours at the LA84 Foundation Library in Los Angeles for my history research. Today was the perfect day to visit, with the Olympics starting in my birth town of London, England. Symmetry.

LA84 Foundation are funded by surplus funds from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. They use the money to keep youth sports alive, through grants, replacing the money that no longer comes from Federal, State, and City coffers. Their library is outstanding, and one of the best sports libraries in the world. Don’t miss it when you visit Los Angeles.

The library also has numerous torches on display from over 100 years of the Olympic Games. The actual Olymic Flame from 1984 still burns in the garden of the foundation on West Adams street in Los Angeles. I understand that all of the flames in the world are all related! I never neglect to touch the flame as I enter and as leave, on every visit. It’s a wonderful feeling. I just wish the Olympic Games were still the high ground of amateur sportsmanship that they were meant to be. Oh well.

Here I am, taking my own candid shot with the flame, this afternoon!

The 1984 Olympic Games flame, and John Jones, July 27, 2012 in Los Angeles.

 

Today’s Music: Too Loud and Too Bland?

July 26th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

This is a fantastic study about the changes in recorded music over the past 50 years.

Update the instruments, modify the chords, and don’t forget to make it louder!

Measuring the Evolution of Contemporary Western Popular Music

Faux Pas – Jones & Wood

July 26th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Continuing our tradition of having a pint and a bite:

John Jones and Nick Wood at Faux Pas Bistro in Los Angeles