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 I
Don't Love You
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Billy
writes:
Now
that my Nashville recording sessions are over, and I've had the chance
to reflect,
I think
I know why it was so completely satisfying and enjoyable.
It
began with Steve Haggard and his wife Gail, and the way I was treated like
family.
It continued with the top-notch production staff and recording facilities
where
we tracked. And it didn't stop there. Wild Oats Records surrounded me with
consummate professional players whose attention to detail and professional
attitude assured me a quality production that I was more than satisfied
with... and one that
I would
gladly do again.
I
suppose I should start from the beginning. (I think that Joe Friday said that
somewhere along the line.) Anyway, it was late one night and I'd been
doing web
search
that was now in its third week. I was going from site to site, trying
to find
the right
indie label... Then it happened. I stumbled across the Wild Oats Records
website... I hit it and checked it out. And you know what ?
It seemed
to good to be true.
What
I found was an indie label that put tours together, actually pushed their
artists
and their product... An indie label with a philosophy that matched mine:
"Work hard,
but make time for the three-hour lunch. I was floored ! Over the
next couple
of days, I hit the website again and again. I checked it out in depth,
then sent
them an e-mail.
Within
24 hours, I had heard back from Glen Edwards, one of the two "Head
Honchos"
at Wild Oats Records. I sent them my CD, and before you know it
they'd
asked me if I wanted to be part of their upcoming blues CD series.The
other names
involved in the series seemed slightly unbelievable... like Eddie
Kirkland
(the guitarist who helped John Lee Hooker forge his seminal boogie
sound)
and Mark Naftalin (keyboard player for The Paul Butterfield Blues
Band back
in the days when "Butter" led the late 60's blues revival). I was
shocked
and said to myself, "Billy, there's gotta be a catch."
I
asked hard questions. I asked for a contract. I had guys in the biz check
out their
website, review their correspondence and go over the contract. And
you know
what ? Their shit checked out ! So I decided to take the plunge.
Soon
I was in touch with producer Steve Haggard, the other "Head Honcho" at
Oat Central.
He and I discussed recording philosophy, the approach we'd use during tracking,
and the tunes we would be recording. We chatted on the phone or traded
e-
mails on
a daily basis as we got ready for the sessions. I changed the oil in my
van, rotated the tires and headed to Nashville.
When
I arrived, Steve, his lovely wife Gail and their dog Otis were waiting
for me
with barbecue
tongs in hand and a big glass of wine. That night, I think I slept about
a foot
off the bed... I was just a tad nervous. I gotta tell you, I've been in
recording
studios
before and am no stranger to the whole process, but the thought of
being in
a studio
in a town like Nashville where the players are killer, was
just a bit daunting.
Waiting
for us at the studio the next morning was engineer Randall Merryman,
who has
worked with the likes of The Marshall Tucker Band and Keb Mo. The
session
players set up. Steve discussed arrangement ideas. The musicians made
their charts.
I heard terms like "birdseye" and "diamonds," Nashville recording
terms I
was completely ignorant of. Steve asked, "Are there any questions
?"
There were
none. He pointed me towards the vocal booth and said, "get ready
to sing."
I took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped in.
By
the time I had sung the first verse I realized how much fun I was having.
The players were killer. It was like driving a Cadillac on cruise control.
Kathy Burkly on drums was riding shotgun on this stagecoach, Supe Granda
on bass was great, John Kearns' guitar and slide playing was stellar...
All I had to do was sing the tune. The band did the rest.
It was too much!! I was in heaven!!
As
we worked, I continued to relax and then a funny thing started to happen.
Each
time everyone was in the control room listening to playbacks, I noticed
the players
were boppin'
to what they were hearing. Before long they were all suggesting ways
to help
make the tunes even better. It was pretty heady stuffto see seasoned pros
groovin' to tunes that I had written.
On
days two and three, we recorded my final vocals. Steve and I spent time
discussing
the vocal approach, phrasing and timing, and he worked with me to get
things
just right. Within a couple of takes we usually found one we could work
with
and polish.
We pushed and pulled the words as we worked, verse by verse, until we
got what
we wanted vocal-wise... and Steve and Randall hadn't killed me yet!!
If
you are ready to take that proverbial "next step" in your music career,
Wild Oats
Records will help you take it... If you are ready to experience
recording
in
a truly professional setting, with a great production team and players
who'll help
you sound
your best, Oat Central is the place to record.
I would urge everyone,
no
matter
what your chosen profession is -- Doctor, Lawyer or Indian
Chief -- to go
where people
practice that profession at a high level and throw yourself into that
mix and
see how you stack up. It's a reality check that is invaluable as we go
down
our chosen
path. Wild Oats Records afforded me that opportunity, and I'm glad that
I took
it.
-Billy
F. Otis (contact Billy at billyfotis@thecvb.com)
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