Abubilla Music

This Week in the Studio: 10.04.10

Written by Jimmy

Sophie loses it again (but at least waits for a song about a funeral), Ed in chord heaven without Andy to wind him in, and in Lou’s absence, Hannah takes charge of the studio — the Queen is Dead (in a play), Long Live the Queen.

So let’s focus this summary on four simple things – 2 new songs, Hannah’s job as Assistant, and ‘antics.’  We can make this quick, because we were unusually productive and therefore, focused…

1. Box of Yellow Roses:    We filled out the track written by Jimmy and Andy on Wednesday night, A Box of Yellow Roses.   Soft, acoustic number that we wanted to fill out at the end.  Rob laid done his magical bass in about 8 minutes and then sat back for the Sophie and Hannah show, which was directed by Ed.    We started with Hannah, laying down a very nice two track cello harmony.  Given it was a funeral song, Sophie spent most of the time laughing throughout, getting what she refers to as the ‘cello giggles’.  Ultimately, it means that all of us need to avoid all eye contact to get her thru her tracks.    Now Hannah has learned to deal with Sophie’s ‘cello giggles’ by using the acoustic vocals shield to hide behind.   She now refers to this as the Sophie Shield.   She needed to hide from Sophie (you might rememeber that Hannah’s blog on the ‘Scary band’ was actually a blog about Sophie), because Hannah needed to sing a wonderful harmony line on the chorus.  Which she did well, forever displacing our poor Lou from the studio.  Well, not really.  We’ll ask Lou to sing whenever Hannah needs to bring us tea.
2. 1963:    After lunch, Ed introduced the band to his new song, which was a wonderful Chord-vest, which caused all of us to ‘tap our feet.’   Ed played Keys  and lead vox (guide for Gus), Rob continued on the magical bass (but broke down trying to do ‘that Monkees’ thing),  Mike took charge of percussion, and Martyn and Michael (a friend wanted to see a ‘studio’ in action and surprised by the large number of annimals) shared lead guitar.  Martyn came for his normal 8 minutes forty seconds before heading off to some other mansion of some other friend of his.    But at least the little people get over eight minutes of Martyn!   It is a great Ed track and we’re looking forward to seeing if Gus will take lead vox.
3. Hannah:   So the only one actually doing an honest day’s work anymore is poor Hannah, who had to sort out tickets to Spain, Tickets to the Real Thing, Tickets to Ping Pong, Voices, and ‘the blue book.’   She also has to write a blog on all this saying how much fun she is having with us.  The only good news is Michael helped with the blue book and to deliver tea.   Now that she is also lead female vocalists the boys did agree we would stop asking for personalised gourmet tea blends on the hour.  Every other hour was fine.
4. Antics:  Actually, very little to say.   It was frighteningly all about the music.  Martyn used his eight minutes with the little people to eat pizza and tell us about his failed gig as a punk rocker in 1980.   Mike told us about a foursome that was the inspiration for Big Knees (he’ll explain).   And the dogs were idiots.  the cat was angry.   And that was that.

Laters.   Jimmy