Fab File - Provisional Masterpiece
Album details
One day, through a friend at work, I met a young chap who was in Berlin to study music and who played GTR. We sat down together, I didn’t need much time listening to him play when I came to the conclusion that he was indeed very talented. At this point in time I still owned an Atari Falcon, which had all the capabilities to record audio material and handle MIDI plus it presented minimal technical problems, there just wasn't any software on the market for it, only Cubase. Any and all FX came from a Yamaha Pro1 mixer I had. Anyway, I said to the young Paul Schöne GTR player, "Lets write a couple of songs together and sell them on a CD at my workplace" (a very large and well known CD retailer right, slap bang in the center of Berlin), "Good idea" he replied. So we started. I was in a hurry to get it all done and sewn up and he was too, at first....
I had been farting around with my Falcon for over two years trying to make things sound good, but sadly with no help, technically and musically it was proving to be hard and at times a fruitless experience. Before I bought the Falcon and periphery to start the “Vegetable Market” home studio, my acquaintance with technical stuff was limited to an Alesis MIDI Verb and drum machine, yes the stuff we used to use! With the Falcon, my learning curve heaved upward, more extreme than a "Wild Dick" after lights out in a girl’s school. I decided to keep the whole recording with Paul Schöne, the mad GTR genius, to a four-headed-band scenario minimum. In other words, lead/rhythm GTR Paul, keys and vocal by me, bass GTR by Biff Simpleton, and programed drums. Anything else would be left out. So we started, he sat in front of me and played some chords and stuff, and I instantly edited him by saying, "yes that, no not that", etc. He liked the decisions and the next time he came to the “VM” home studio, I had already made the songs. We then made some chop’s and changes, a bit here and there, then I recorded him playing the damn thing through again from beginning to end perfectly to the new arrangement and then a solo or two on top! Hey presto! A hit! We carried on to the next one and the next. In the third session Paul was getting edgy. Well understandably I suppose, he wanted to have more say in the way I was choosing instrument sounds and he also wanted to write more lyrics. He had the idea of “Who is you…” to which I insisted the sentence would be classed a big mistake when heard by anyone who could understand English. I also expressed that, to get the songs finished, onto a CD and into my workplace, we’d have to be quick. Herr Schöne got upset and left in a huff. We did see each other again and even tried getting a band together which indeed nearly happened, but we couldn’t find a drummer who wasn’t on drugs.
In the space of three months, we sold sixty copies.
Francis 16.01.02
Francis Symons used, Cubase Audio, AKG Microphones and unforgettable drum samples by the Godlike Michael Botts, courtesy of Ilios Double Platinum Drums. Some other rather interesting Loops courtesy of Spectronics Liquid Grooves were enlisted and not forgetting the wild and wacky Mr Tony Mason for his unending commitment. Meanwhile, Paul Schöne entertained you all with Fender and Ibanez guitars, loud Mesa Boogie amplification, Boss effects and an original Crybaby. Suzi & Rika, otherwise known as the “Blood Clots” are to be deeply thanked for their vocal efforts on “Custody”. Mr Jez Green, co-writer of “Inside” was not responsible for anything else on this occasion.
- Our Love
- Who Are You?
- Inside
- How the Rains Do Fall
- Custody