Today was sessioneer holiday catch-up from midday with Bob in Boston, then Jeff in Kent, Ohio, and then Indiana Brian, songs, mixes, demos, real records, mastering, all kinds of musical investigations. Sessioneers Abby and Nick happened to be driving back from hanging with sessioneers Paul and Rachel in New Orleans on their way to Santa Fe, and they were coming through Dallas and staying the night, so dinner with them and a spiffing sessioneer day, all seven hours of it.
I’d been in all day and when dinner was suggested, I was keen to go out and get it instead of waiting for it to be delivered. I wanted to see the sky, feel the air, see cars and people, bright lights, more Christmas decorations, and sit in queues at traffic lights. The Thai was busy, but our food was ready, “Where’s Olivia?” they asked. They always want to see Olivia. Haha.
Abby and Nick arrived with Leica, their lovely, soft, black labrador, who immediately knew that I was an ear scratcher and demanded that I did it.
Somewhere in between all this, I spoke to Andreas in Sweden about the project mixes, finalising this year’s projects before we start on next year’s projects. We will be in the studio from January 1st, more or less till the end of February, more about that as we get in there and start working.
Sarah dropped by with the clean washing (thank you) and the debut Aldous Harding album (2014). I’ve been looking for this album for ages. I missed it when it first came out. It was a classic case of if you don’t get it when they release it, you might not get it at all, but all of a sudden it seems to have appeared and when I look on Discogs, it’s available, hm. All that matters is that I finally have it, great album, a must.
Music today has been that great Rod Stewart album, Never A Dull Moment (1972). What a sound it has, and it really showcases Ronnie Wood’s great guitar playing. The other Faces (Kenney Jones/Ronnie Lane/Ian McLagan) play on the album here and there, but it’s mainly Micky Waller on drums. Martin Quittenton from Steamhammer plays acoustic guitar and co-wrote the classic You Wear It Well, a UK No. 1 single (Quittenton also co-wrote Maggie May). Other luminaries appear – Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne on mandolin, Pete Sears on piano, and Dick Powell on violin.