Abubilla Music

This Week in the Studio: 10.10.23

Written by Jimmy

A very busy day, focused around only one song.  Where do the hours go?   Any way, short and sweet report back (from a BA Lounge somewhere in Terminal 5 awaiting a trip to US)…The Music

• For us, songs are characters in a big musical play.     Some characters arrive perfectly formed.  Some take years to develop.  Sat out the 15th was a perfect example of a song that went thru about 8 different lives before finally appearing on Misery Marmalade and Other Spanish Jams.    Starin’ at My Shoes is another ‘8 lifer.’     This song started during Christmas break 2009 as a Jimmy vocal country twang thing, evolved into an Andy vocal disco beat romp thru the Jungle, moved to a swingin’ acoustic number with Gus, and today was reborn as a bluesy little number sung by Charlotte.   The boys decided to go with a very bizarre time signature (Ed’s e mail on the topic:  ‘Mainly 7/4, with occasional hints of 3/4 and 5/4 thrown in there too…brain still hurting’)    This was a challenge for Ed, Rob and Mike to get right, but they sat and counted to each other and go thru it – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2,…  But then we brought Charlotte in, who had reversed the Gus version and found herself completely befuddled by the MIT/PHD timing of the thing.  Not her fault – the boys had pulled a number (7 different numbers to be exact, none where they were supposed to be).   So it took a while to get vocals down.   But Charlotte was a good sport and her voice worked very well.  We then had Hannah do some great backing vocals.  But, memo to Band, we must let Hannah warm up and invite her to sing BEFORE pizza.
• We then stared hard at Pretty Bad Agents.   Andy was in seriously grumpy, negative, cynical, energy sapping, destructive mode, so we quickly closed the file.  Enough said.
• Michael Arrived with two songs:  we recruited another young artist who brought over two songs.  We will record these and two others in December and release mini-EP.  Then he has to gig ’til his fingers bleed – or something like that.  Watch this space.

Everything Else

• Final Stage for Birdie:   We agreed the liner notes, cover, song order for Birdie and had long discussions on how to include origami birds in CD version.   Concluded that young Hannah will now need to fold 3,500 origami owls as part of our marketing campaign.  Some discussions of ‘resigning’, but we brought her ’round.   Morgan and Hannah worked hard to take picture of stupid pets with Birdie masks on.  Didn’t really work.  Another very good Jimmy idea to rival Ed’s Water Trick.
• Singing Wells:    Vicki came over and we worked out the final bits and pieces for the fund raising brochure and the various websites.     We designed a ‘notes from the hole’ logo.   hmmmm
• Bodybuilding:    Band abused Jimmy, joining multiple friends leaving e mails and phone message, about the Evening Standard article on ‘The Swiss Ball Thing.’      And for the record:  a) the ball WAS guaranteed for 1,000 kgs but yes Jimmy was idiot for lifting 80 kilos on a balloon, b) the law suit was brought by Westminster City Council against Virgin Active and all fines paid went to Council NOT Jimmy and c) it REALLY hurt!