| Adam Baboolal 14.03.2007 07:42 |
Hey, been reading about the wotw reconstruction for a re-release 2 years ago and read this... "Greg Brooks, who's the War Of The Worlds archivist, listened through all 75 multitracks with me. We made track sheets, because there were none in existence any more, and from them we started deducing which we thought were the masters and slaves. Because it was a 48-track production, we had to find out which tapes were the masters and which tapes were the slaves, and which tapes were actually relevant to the double album and which weren't, because there was all sorts — there were out-takes, there were foreign-language versions, there was everything in those 75 multitracks." Is it the same Greg? Adam. |
| FriedChicken 14.03.2007 08:10 |
yes |
| FriedChicken 14.03.2007 08:10 |
That article is from Sound on Sound isn't it? |
| Adam Baboolal 14.03.2007 08:13 |
tis indeed. Sounds like a helluva lot of work was involved all-round. Adam. |
| FriedChicken 14.03.2007 08:17 |
Indeed, I remember reading that article last year. Great one! |
| Mr Faron Hyte 14.03.2007 15:50 |
I wonder if he goes on message boards and verbally abuses H. G. Wells fans? |
| Wilki Amieva 15.03.2007 00:53 |
Yes, he is ...property of WAR OF THE WORLDS Productions. |
| Adam Baboolal 15.03.2007 07:49 |
I wondered how long it would be before the hatred would return. Listen, he's not here and he's not posting, so why say that stuff? Do you want people to know how you feel? As far as I'm concerned, I could care less what GB says or has said here. And I really don't want to hear about any of those things from some disgruntled fan. I posted this because I found this usage of Greg Brooks outside the Queen camp as interesting. It's a shame that people can't look past the person and see the work. That's really sad. Adam. |
| FriedChicken 15.03.2007 08:06 |
I agree with Adam |
| Queen Archivist 19.03.2007 09:25 |
Adam, I have just returned to QZ for an hour, in between work stuff - as I do from time to time, and I saw your posting. Part of what you said is why I, and others in the Q camp, generally steer clear of QZ. There are some very intelligent, interesting and greatly informative threads and observations on this site, sometimes, but equally often they are accompanied by nasty personal views which are irrelevant to the main thrust of the piece, but which cannot be resisted by the writer who has a GB axe to grind... STILL!!!!!! r whom has a personal issue with others on this site. They just can't be fair or balanced, and they let their personal views influence constructive comment. This has all been noted by me and others MILLIONS of times in the past here. Whenever anyone on QZ, like you, mentions my name, it is only a matter of time before there comes the predictable inevitable 'usual standard stuff'. It is really tedious and utterly utterly predictable, but that is QZ for you. It brings out the BAD and NASTY in everyone... including me, that's true. It oes NOT happen elsewhere anywhere like the scale it does here. Fortunately there are several other sites where the general 'feel' and atmosphere and mentality is friendly and calm and chilled and generally nicer and more pleasant. Hence the migration of several QZ-ers in recent months. Mike Preston springs to mind. He mentioned to me recently that the decline on QZ has been significant and relentless, and sadly I cannot argue with him. MP talks MUCH sense. I don't know why the bad feeling is ever present here with such bitterness and resentment and vehemency (can someone please tell Crezchi what that means... even if i have mis-spelled it). However, I do look over this site ocassionally because I do see the odd thing of interest which I chase up... such as Sydney 85 footage and other items which actually made it onto DVD as bonus material. Those things are worth my time on here, and of course there are some great people here too (though fewer these days) - some of whom have become friends, whom email me privately. The rest, the dickheads who have nothing constructive or balanced to say, I steer clear of, or wind-up and watch them fly off in fury. Anyway... yes it was me who listened thru all the Jeff Wayne multitracks and out-takes. I worked with Jeff for 7 years, and was his Archivist. In fact, I was the only person in 30 years to hear all that stuff and I remain the person to have heard every WOTW session and out-take. I also logged every single tape - many hundreds of them! Similar to what I do for Queen. I put together the rare items on that 6-CD COLLECTOR'S EDITION boxed set, and the pieced together (with Gaetan Schurrer, an Engineer) the never before heard Richard Burton narrative which never made the final master (familiar LP). I also wrote all those sleeve notes. 30,000 words I think it was. Jeff Wayne leaves near to me in Herts, coincidentally, so it worked well. I took some time off from Queen work at that time... before some smart-arse comments on that. I listened thru the multitrack masters in order that Gaetan (and Gary Langan, Producer, who also worked on Queen's A NIGHT AT THE OPERA in 75, as a young Tape Op) could re-construct what they needed for the 5.1 Surround Sound mix. Working with Gary on that was good fun. He's a VERY knowledgable guy, and..... he produced Spandau Ballet's THROUGH THE BARRICADES.. which is one of the most fabulous and beautiful recordings ever created - one of my desert island discs. He told me about how they recorded it and it was totally fascinating. He also told me about working on ANATO with Queen, and setting up piano mics for Freddie. Wonderful stuff. By the way...... the 5.1 mix of THE WAR OF THE WORLDS is exceptional, and worth checking out. Gary did a top drawer job. Thanks for most of what you said Adam!!! Regards |
| Queen Archivist 19.03.2007 09:26 |
I meant to say Jeff Wayne lives, not leaves!!!! |
| Mr Mercury 19.03.2007 11:14 |
Greg, I realise that this might a long shot in asking this, but do you have any idea if Jeff plans to use the newly pieced together Richard Burton narrative in his up and coming shows? And also, what was he (Jeff) like to work for in comparison to the guys from Queen? Thanks in advance, Dave |
| Queen Archivist 19.03.2007 14:15 |
Mr Mercury, I am quite sure the show WON'T feature the new bits. Only the familiar usual Burton narrative. Various good reasons for that, but using unheard/unfamiliar stuff would be great, and it is precisely the kind of idea I would have suggested had I been around still. Working with Jeff was great for the first 6-7 years. He had a great sense of humour and a brilliant team of people around him. But then they slowly left one by one - very key people who were among the best and sharpest people in this business. But then when another person came in late on, the JW boat was severely rocked and was never the same again. The great working environment became one of a court room litigation atmosphere most days, and certain people, no names, had all the personal/people skills of Messrs Stalin and Hitler... no idea of how to communicate with people whatsoever. Clueless in all aspects of the music industry and the people within it. No experience or training for such a key job was only ever going to be a bad idea. It was a HUGE shame and enormous pity to watch that lovely atmosphere and creativity be so completely and thoroughly undermined. Once it was great, gradually it became a feat of endurance to be there with this other person around. Everyone told Jeff, in their own ways, but he ignored it. Nepatism rules still!!!!!! That can happen in this business - to the massive detriment of all that predated it. Thats just MY opinion. But several of those great people left Jeff and I hope now he looks back and can finally see the common link to all that bad feeling, which, by the way, NEVER EVER existed before the appearance of..... persons unnamed. Jeff is a greatly creative man, and used to be good fun. It has been many years since we saw that old Jeff. I hope he will return one day. It was different to working with Queen because emphatically Queen DO listen to those around them. They would never allow one person to come in and upset a decade's worth of great rapport and creativity, and an entire team of studio people who know exactly what they are doing. They care a great deal about working atmosphere and about people and individuals. I work with brian mostly, and it is very different, in various ways, to working with Jeff. I do not regret the WOTW days at all. Jeff was great during those times. Everybody changes. Me too. I told Jeff in early 2005 I didn't want to be his Archivist any more, that I could not work in the new 'set up', that it was no longer fun, that it was suddenly very stifling. He was not too pleased and I think I did overstep the mark in telling him EXACTLY what I thought of how things had changed, what i truly thought of his new MD, and various other personal issues which had arisen. He perceived it as me letting him down, strangely, but never ever saw the MASSIVE obstacle of this other person which remained right under his nose. He just couldn't see it, so after COLLECTORS EDITION we parted company. I'm VERY happy to be working with Queen and i hope that NEVER changes. |
| Mr Mercury 19.03.2007 15:10 |
Thanks for the very informative reply Greg. I was curious to know how it would be working with Jeff having watched all the extra bits on the live DVD. He came across as a man who knows what he wants and likes to get it right very much like I assume the guys from Queen do. I also think that he doesnt seem to suffer fools gladly - the clip about the guys who did the video backdrop comes to mind especially when Jeff told the camera's to stop shooting that bit. He looked furious there!! He also seemed like a guy who could only work with people he could trust. Its a pity that the extra narrative stuff might not be used - but then I suppose I can see the point in not using largely unfamiliar work. Real fans might enjoy it but I would guess that the casual fan might be left scratching their heads. Still its a pity that you felt you had to quit being Jeff's archivist all because of one (or more) bad apples, but hey thats life. Keep up the good work!! Dave |
| Eviltwin 19.03.2007 15:17 |
Oh! I have Jeff Waynes, War of the Worlds. I think it's awesome. I like to listen to it in the summertime as I'm falling asleep at night. I'm gonna have to go home and see if I can spot Greggy Pooh is in the credits. And he only comes to QZ cuz he's stalking me. I thought everyone knew that. |
| Adam Baboolal 20.03.2007 21:54 |
Very interesting GB. Thanks for the words. Adam. |