Wednesday, July 07, 2010

IT'S BEEN A BUSY MONTH AND IT'S ONLY THE 7TH!

STEVIE AND DAVE - JULY, 2010... SO FAR.

The Breakdown: This month alone, we've seen recording artist Jessie Malakouti posting on Twitter about Stevie recording in the Studio next door to her at Village Recorder in LA... Next thing we know, she's tweeting about sitting next to Stevie listening to a new track titled "Italian Summer".

Next up, Dave Stewart sends out a message that Waddy Wachtel, Mike Rowe, Mike Bradford and Steve Ferrone are all the studio for the last day of recording.

Next, Dave Stewart, once again feeding the frenzy, sends out photos of Stevie during the recording sessions for her new CD holding or playing a tambourine...

We then see David Wild, writer for Rolling Stone Magazine, sending out a message via Twitter that he's going to visit Stevie in the studio on this last night of recording. He later tweets about half a dozen times with his first reaction to what he's seen and heard using words and phrases like "WOW" and "Ghosts, Vampires on upcoming album, but mostly stunning songs." and "powerful","deeply personal" with "There's blood on these tracks." and saying that "between Dave Stewart and Waddy Wachtel on guitars, the new material rocks on a number of levels."

Next up Dave Stewart again sends out another photo of Stevie sitting there "listening intently to the rough mixes to take home" the finished music they've recorded.

Dave later states he's directing a movie of his whole experience collaborating with Stevie and wants to give real insight into how and why she is a true legend, a unique talent. It's not revealed if this is just an idea, or if it's actually happening right now.. or who is filming?

It's later revealed by Dave that Glen Ballard (Dave's producing partner) is in fact producing the new CD along with Dave. Dave saying he co-wrote 6 songs (but indicated on July 1st that 7 songs were complete and sounding EPIC!). The extra complete song could be one he didn't take part in writing. Now, with 6 or 7 songs complete musically, Dave said lead vocals and harmonies are the next step. So with these 6 or 7 songs finished, which has been the number that's been bounced around for the last month or two, it seems that there must be more tracks to be recorded by Dave and Glen. That part I'm not clear on. But in any case, other then the vocals being added... If 6-7 songs deep into the album is as far as they've gotten,that's about half way as far as I'm concerned and a pretty good pace!

Prior to all this, or during... Mick Fleetwood on June 30th is reported by ethrill.net as a player during the recording sessions... Also, one other player surfaces that's been connected to Stevie over the last few years. Ricky Peterson, who has toured with Stevie on her last couple of solo tours playing keyboards was in LA in late June recording with Stevie and Dave laying down some keyboard tracks. Ricky stated on his facebook page that "the new CD will be killin." and that "it sounds really good!" Ricky also confirmed that he'll be on tour with Stevie for her run of August shows saying it's a short tour. You can visit his facebook page for a couple of photos he's posted on his wall of him and Dave Stewart recording in the studio.

So from all this, here is what we know:

  • Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballard producing
  • 6 (or 7) songs are complete without lead and harmony vocals
  • Dave Stewart, Mike Cambell and Waddy Wachtel - guitar parts
  • Mick Fleetwood and Steve Ferrone - Drum parts
  • Ricky Peterson and Mike Rowe - keyboard parts
  • Mike Bradford - Bass parts
  • Ann Marie Calhoun contributed Violin

To surely be continued...

STEVIE NICKS: FOCUSED... LISTENING INTENTLY TO ROUGH MIXES

After a hard day's night in the studio , Stevie Nick's still focused and listening intently to the rough mixes to take home , music all finished next step harmonies and some killer lead vocals
Photo by: Dave Stewart

Work your magic Stevie!!

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

WITH QUOTES LIKE THIS YOU CAN'T HELP BUT GET EXCITED!!

David Wild (Wildaboutmusic): "Stevie collaborates with some old friends in new ways. The result so far is powerful & deeply personal. There's blood on these tracks."

"Okay since my tennis game was rained out: there are lots of ghosts, vampires on Stevie Nicks' upcoming album, but mostly stunning songs."


I'm a bit perplexed by the "collaborates with some old friends in new ways". What's the "new ways" mean?... Dave Stewart mentioned they were recording in a "new way" as well back a couple of months ago...

MORE:

"Between @DaveStewart and Waddy Wachtel on guitars, the new Stevie Nicks material rocks, on a number of levels."


"Last Stevie Nicks update d'jour: The album's still being made. It'll come out exactly . . . when it comes out. And it will be GREAT."

Monday, July 05, 2010

STEVIE NICKS IN THE STUDIO PLAYING TAMBOURINE.. PHOTO BY @DaveStewart

STEVIE NICKS IN THE STUDIO
JULY 5, 2010
Photo by: DAVE STEWART

Dave just sent out a live shot via Twitter of Stevie playing tambourine in the recording studio.  Waddy Wachtel, Mike Rowe, Mike Bradford & Steve Ferrone are also there.  Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild also dropped by this night.

This is Dave's last day in the Studio with Stevie, he's off to Nashville to start work on his own album.  Not sure if his work is done here with Stevie or if he comes back to the project after Nashville.  If not, then it appears the initial recording of the material is finished and what's left to be done is the mixing, mastering and all that other fun stuff I know nothing about - but know can take months to finish.  
She looks amazing!


The Magic Lucky Photo that Stevie put on the mixing desk....
Photo by: DAVE STEWART

LIVE IN THE STUDIO WITH FLEETWOOD MAC 35TH ANNIVERSARY

Live In The Studio with Redbeard
This week's show:
FLEETWOOD MAC
35th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RELEASE OF "FLEETWOOD MAC". 
(July 11, 1975)

U.S. Syndicated radio show InTheStudio celebrates the 35th anniversary of one of rock's most pivotal album's the 1975 FLEETWOOD MAC album. Show producer and host Redbeard speaks to Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks about the first Fleetwood Mac album featuring Buckingham/ Nicks and how this line-up change along with a new producer transformed Fleetwood Mac forever. This show airs broadcast week of July 5th. To find out where to listen or to LISTEN online visit: www.inthestudio.net
You can hear a snip-it of the interview on the In The Studio site. It's not a new interview with the band members - it's archival footage from previous interviews. Still... I'm a sucker for any interviews.... I've got stacks of them on discs...
In The Studio will eventually have the interview up on their site to stream after its traditional radio run, which is all this week... If you don't manage to catch it on your local radio station keep checking their site for updates.

One website that you can stream live in the US and outside is: WKTG (link). They'll be broadcasting this show on Sunday July 11, 2010 at 9am local time. The station is located in Madisonville, KY

DAVID WILD PAYS STEVIE NICKS A VISIT IN THE STUDIO

Well this is kinda interesting! A little earlier today David Wild posted on Twitter that he was going into the studio today to see Stevie Nicks and that he'd ask her the best question sent in to him... There were a few responses... But the interesting part is...what's he up too? Is David just paying Stevie a friendly visit, or is he putting together a piece on Stevie to appear either on the Huffington Post?... Or in the pages of Rollingstone?

We'll have to wait and see.

[update]
After David returned from his visit, he sent out a tweet: "Just back from a wild night in the studio with the great Stevie Nicks & @DaveStewart. First reaction to this work in progress: WOW.

"I will elaborate and share details soon. But for tonight, I'll stand by that WOW. And a good wow too."

David is a Contributing Editor for Rolling Stone, writes for the Huffington Post and also is Producer of The Chris Isaak Hour on the Bio Channel that Stevie appeared on early in 2009. One of David's connections to Fleetwood Mac is he wrote the foreword in the liner notes of 2002 Very Best Of CD.

Photo by: Dave Stewart (July 5th)