Jamie Jo’s new single, “U Turn Me On” featuring Barry Gibb, is now available at iTunes and Amazon.  I mixed the “album edit version” with Herbert Waltl some time ago.  This single is available as a download only for now.  I believe the complete album, which we also mixed, will be titled “In Violet,” and it should be out soon.

Went to see Willy Porter at McCabe’s on Friday night.  Hadn’t seen him in a while so I thought I’d drop in.

What a show.  What a great guitar player.  What a great songwriter.  Go buy all of his records you cheap bastards and hear what real folk-rock is all about.  After personally having a real shitty week in the music biz, it was great to hear some live music expertly performed.  No tricks, just talent.  And the opening act Raining Jane was great as well.  

I DO BELIEVE!  YES I STILL BELIEVE!!!!  Promise.

I know this is late, but…

One of the top 3 reasons why I decided to pursue a career making records:  Dark Side of the Moon, and specifically the track “Us and Them.”  

I remember my older brother bringing the record home.  I think I was about 9 years old.  He had a pair of shitty Koss headphones which were all the rage.  I’d sneak in listens while he was away and dream of making records in England.  

A few years ago a surround version on SACD was released.  At the time I was also mixing a lot of music in surround for SACD, so I had a surround set up in the studio, ready to go.  What a wake up call.  35 years later and the quality of the songwriting, the production, the recording is still better than 99% of the shit being released today.  I remember just saying to myself, “WTF, how do you top that?”  

Sometimes it makes me want to quit the biz, to give up on an art that has been both best friend and nemesis since I can remember, mostly because I feel I am just fighting the wrong fight.  But then I have a night like last night, when I pop that disc in and “Us and Them” surrounds my head.  When Rick Wright’s AMAZING melodies and textures fill my studio, I feel like that 9 year old again.  I plug in the mics, I move the faders, and aspire to match one of the greatest works in the history of recorded music.  

Thank you Rick Wright.

Recording and mixing songs for Liz Phair’s upcoming new release.  Stay Tuned!!!!