| kmidd 01.06.2010 00:37 |
Hello All, im wondering if anyone has a high resolution, or even just a good sized image of the interior gatefold from "Jazz," with the band taking a break in the live room of Mountain Studio...Im trying to figure out which microphones the band relied on in the studio...Ive only seen a handful of shots with a mic in them ("One Vision" behind the scenes film, Freddie's in front of a AKG 414 EB, Neumann U87's are on Rog's kit, Freddie live with his ever-present Shure Unisphere, "Somebody To Love" video harmonies in front of a Neumann U67 Or U87), and, as a musician/recording engineer, it's an extremely interesting topic!! Thanks for your time and any help TC |
| FriedChicken 01.06.2010 18:47 |
I'm also saddened by the fact that there is so little known about Queen working in the studio. For a couple of years I've been playing with the idea of writing a book. Or at least a couple of intersting articles about it. They also rarely seemed to talk about their music in interviews. |
| Sebastian 01.06.2010 21:14 |
@kmidd: Would you care to take a look at my website? It hasn't got the answer you're looking for but maybe you can spot mistakes and make some valuable additions. @Niek: Why don't you go ahead with the book project? It'd surely be interesting. |
| Togg 02.06.2010 08:05 |
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| Sebastian 02.06.2010 09:33 |
Thanks Togg, that was great. Which sessions are those? |
| kmidd 02.06.2010 11:07 |
@Sebastian- Excellent site! If you have any shots from the band's recording sessions, i have a pretty good eye for picking out expensive recording equipment! @Togg- Is that a Peter Hince shot from the Jazz era? |
| Jazz 78 02.06.2010 12:44 |
Hey Fried Chicken, I think it would be a great undertaking to write a book about Queen in the studio!!! Back in the late 80's Mark Lewishon (sp) got into the entire Beatles catalog and did an extremely detailed book on their years at Abbey Road. Day's, times, the recordings, mixdowns, alternate takes etc. VERY detailed! I'd love to be part of a book like this regarding Queen's history in the studio! If you're up for it let me know! |
| Penetration_Guru 02.06.2010 15:13 |
You'd need Greg for that. Or at least Greg-like levels of access. |
| Sebastian 03.06.2010 06:13 |
A lot can be done without Greg. If there are one-legged people who can dance way better than most two-legged people, and armless people who can paint (with either mouth or feet) way better than most four-limbed people, then it's also possible for a non-archivist to write an excellent book on the subject matter. Would it have everything? No Would it have as much as if Niek (in this case) had access to master tapes? No Would it have way more than nothing? Yes |
| FriedChicken 03.06.2010 16:47 |
i have this great Day-to-day book by the Beach Boys which was great. It had a lot of information about what they recorded, when they recorded, who was on the recording. And even had scanned sheets with personel and what they got paid and so on. This is not really something I'd like to do with Queen, because it is not possible when you don't have access to their database., as PG pointed out. I'd like to write about the music. How they recorded it, stories about the studio per song or per album. How stuff progressed, how and why they took musical or productional decisions and so on. |
| FriedChicken 03.06.2010 16:50 |
I do wonder if a book like that would be interesting. I'm a real fanatic when it comes to writing about composition and production, but I wonder if it's something that a casual fan would like to read? Anyone? And Jazz 78, if you're really interested and you think you could help me out. Send me an e-mail: info@nieklucassen.com |
| Togg 04.06.2010 08:00 |
Hi Don't know what happened there...text went in, then.... gone Anyway, yes it's from the Peter Hince photos taken during the Jazz gatefold photo sessions That's all I know, but I do love the shots |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 10:54 |
Indeed, it's a very difficult (but very admirable!) task to write such a book when so little is known about the band's adventures in the studio. We know a few stories here and there, and we have some clues from demos and multi-tracks that leaked, some of which led to much discussion. For instance, about News Of The World.. we know about Sleeping On The Sidewalk largely being from take 1 (with just a few vocal overdubs from Brian added on later), Silver Salmon and Feelings are unreleased songs from those same sessions in 1977, there were extra vocal and guitar parts on Get Down Make Love that didn't make the final mix, etc. It'd be amazing to get all of the existing knowledge into one place. Here are a few pictures that I hope can help out. This first one is from 1973. Is that John Anthony with the band? Or who? |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 10:54 |
Here's another, either from the Opera or Races sessions.. |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 10:55 |
Probably from the ANATO sessions. |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 11:00 |
(edit... not from Long Away) |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 11:21 |
(edit.. also not from Long Away) |
| Sebastian 04.06.2010 11:57 |
Great pix Bob. Some comments: - The one in '73 is with Mike Stone - Fred at the Bechstein (you can actually read the 'Bechstein' mark in golden letters on top of some strings) is from Opera - The last two ones aren't from Long Away: they're from Opera sessions, Brian at a six-string Burns Bison. The Double-Six is green. There's a pic somewhere of Brian with his guitar collection, including both Burns'. |
| pittrek 04.06.2010 12:02 |
There are some nice pics in Mick Rock's books |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 12:26 |
Sebastian wrote: "The last two ones aren't from Long Away: they're from Opera sessions, Brian at a six-string Burns Bison. The Double-Six is green. There's a pic somewhere of Brian with his guitar collection, including both Burns'." You mean this one I've attached here? So if Brian is playing a Bison in the '75 pic, what song were they recording? But again, the picture wasn't necessarily taken while recording a take.. |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 12:28 |
What about this one? It must be from 75 or earlier, as it's a Trident mic. |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 12:28 |
Four more pics, from 1988 |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 12:28 |
b |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 12:29 |
c |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 12:29 |
d |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 13:00 |
Sebastian, you certainly may be right about those pics being from the ANATO sessions. I just spent some time looking through my pic archives, and found these pics labeled as "BoRhap sessions"... look: |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 13:00 |
Another.. |
| The Real Wizard 04.06.2010 13:01 |
Ha... and from the same day, taking a break to play pool. Clearly I collected these pics many years ago when I had much more time on my hands! |
| Sebastian 04.06.2010 22:44 |
Regarding the Bison: No idea. See the 'Electric Guitars (Ultimate List)' for my thoughts on the matter. He could've been doing anything: rehearsing, jamming, recording... in the latter case it could be an outtake, a demo, an unreleased track, or something that wound up on the album, in which case it could be anything from 'Two Legs' to 'Bo Rhap'. Trident mic: I think it's from Queen II, judging by Fred's hair and shirt. Most vocals for Sheer Heart Attack were done at Wessex. The one with Mike Moran: It's probably from Barcelona / Shove It rather than The Miracle though I'm not positive. Bob, do you happen to have info on the photographers for those ones? If you've got time, please look at my web, I've got many pics on the album pages, some of which are still uncredited. Roger at the Tele: In the background you can see an Atari 16/32. John, Rog and Fred: Ditto. I suppose, at some point, sessions for Barcelona, Miracle, Back to the Light and Shove It may have overlapped. It'd be nice to know more about that. John and Bri: Had never seen that. It's great. Bri with the stack of guitars: There are loads of RS copies, a Strat, a Vox, two Danelectro basses, something I can't quite recognise (may be a white SG but I may be way off). Next to Brian, the Burns Bison (the one he's playing on the NATO pic), and behind the Burns Bison, the Double-Six. Behind the Double-Six there's another 12-string which may be virtually anything. Reportedly, Rog had a 12-string Ricken, but there's nothing to suggest this is it. |
| The Real Wizard 07.06.2010 18:59 |
Sebastian wrote: "Bob, do you happen to have info on the photographers for those ones? If you've got time, please look at my web, I've got many pics on the album pages, some of which are still uncredited." Nope, sorry... I haven't got a clue who took any of these pictures. Great post above. Thanks for all the info. A slight note here about your website - you have the pic of Brian on the bottom of the ADATR page (the one from the Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy video) labeled as 1976 when it's 1977. An incredible site you have, needless to say. It's undoubtedly the best analysis of Queen's studio work available anywhere. Sure, plenty of people have contributed, but you're still the brains behind the operation and that's what counts most in the end. |
| FlametopFred 12.04.2012 15:35 |
Regarding that Queen Jazz gatefold, as a teen obsessed with records I used to clamp headphones to my head, listen to the record and study the album notes and photos. In that particular gatefold I remember early on noticing that the photo is a splice of several photos. These days you'd do that in Photo Shop. Back then it was true cut and paste. I forget exactly where the cuts are now .. but if you look you can find things like a microphone cable that is disguising the overlap of two photos. The entire gatefold is a composite of a few photos. Another splice is noticeable up over the drums, etc. |
| Sebastian 13.04.2012 05:38 |
Very interesting observation. |
| Sebastian 13.04.2012 05:38 |
Very interesting observation. |
| Planetgurl 13.04.2012 08:32 |
I remember reading an interview with Brian in '74/early '75 where he was talking about the SHA recording sessions. They all had personal cassette recorders and had a riotous time running up behind each other and leaving obscene messages on them. I think I remember that Roger was currently winning n that front... I believe the journo asked what he thought of the album and he said something like, "It's not bad, Neddy" - a catchphrase that had entered into the studio which I think came from RTB... |