Last month I headed back to Abbey Road Studio One to record a 48-piece orchestra on a couple projects I’ve been working on. One of them is Kevin Gilbert’s “A Long Day’s Life” – that will appear this spring as one of several bonus tracks for the re-release and re-mastered “Shaming of the True” – a rock opera written and performed by Gilbert. Kevin (for those of you that don’t know) was a principle figure in “Giraffe”, “Toy Matinee” and one of the original “Tuesday Night Music Club” musicians/co-writers from the 1993 Sheryl Crow album of the same name. “Shaming” was originally left unfinished following his untimely demise in 1996. For those of you that are familiar with “Shaming”, to say that it sounds amazing to hear a full orchestra on Kevin’s masterpiece would be understatement.
I also recorded orchestra, piano and vocals for Kat Bowser’s new “Hollywood and Broad” album. Designed to be a review of popular songs from Hollywood films and Broadway musicals, this album is due out in the fall and will tour several theaters and performing arts centers in 2012. One of the really cool things about this project (aside from Kat being an amazing vocalist) is that the production style runs the gauntlet of musical generations. While one song will sound like a piece from a 1920s speakeasy, the next will bring you right back to modern day. To say Kat is diverse is an understatement, and this album will showcase that.
After Nick D’Virgilio and I re-did the Genesis album “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” a couple years ago, I just couldn’t resist the temptation to put the full orchestra on “In The Cage”-the biggest song on the record (yes, I used the word “record’). Both Nick and John Hinchey were on hand for the experience-and what a cool experience it was! The bottom end in Studio One is just amazing, and this new version of the song certainly showcases that. Rewiring Genesis: “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” will also be re-released this year with the new version of “In The Cage” and some live cuts from the show in Whittier, CA back in 2009. Nick, as some of you may know, was also instrumental in finishing Kevin Gilbert’s “Shaming of the True”. So to have him there for that part of the sessions was really cool for both of us.
Check out the photo gallery on my links page and on Facebook. As always, Erick Anderson is the man for capturing such great photos!
