The Quest
Volume 3 Book 7 Part 13 of
Living in the Bonus Round

[ Book 3-6 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ]
[ Pt 5 ]   [ Pt 6 ]  [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ] [ Pt 9 ]
[ Pt 10 ] [ Pt 11 ] [ Pt 12 ] [ Pt 13 ]
[ Pt 14 ] [ Pt 15 ] [ Pt 16 ]

February 19, 2004.
Making The Record.

I was kind of nervous going into the session today because there are so many ways in which something like this can go wrong. For one thing, I knew the cast here wasn't experienced in the studio. That's not necessarily a bad thing, you understand. But sometimes, unless you're used to the studio environment, it's easy to get what they call "red light fever." I used to get it horribly when I was just starting out. As soon as the red light came on (indicating that we were recording) my palms would start to sweat, my mouth would go dry and I would just freeze up knowing that whatever I was about to sing was "forever."

I needn't have worried. The studio set us up in a similar configuration to how we are on stage (except I'm turned toward the others rather than facing "stage front"), and we made the decision to just do the songs as if we were doing the show. Thanks to the comfortable atmosphere set by our engineer, Corey, I felt we got a beautifully accurate and emotionally charged recording.

Corey the engineer.

We had several friends of the production join us in the studio helping us stay loose and happy.

Stephanie and Charles.
Charles (Yeager) donated the funds to make this CD.

Mark and two friends whose names suddenly escape me.
(I'm terrible with names. That's Jimmy's job.)

Big smiles in the studio.

Julie Powers & Tasha Strahan.

Jon Lambert.

BigHead.

The big test came the next day when we did the mixdown and mastering. Would it sound as good the next day? Well, all I can tell you is that I was thrilled with the results. This recording is as good as any, maybe better in some ways, than many of the other recordings we've done of these songs. Perhaps it was because we were all so comfortable together or because we had been doing the show, but it honestly sounds fantastic.

Also, in keeping with my own policy of wanting the most honest performances possible, we did not do "punch-ins". What you will hear on this CD are honest single-take performances. (No recording things one verse at a time). So the emotional arc of each song is honest and true.

These are the songs we recorded:

Preacher and the Nurse
Somebody's Friend
Going It alone
Singer and the Song
Connected

And also I've added a bonus track of a song that was cut from The Last Session, "The Faces In The Music." (It's a recording I made last month).

We are only making about a hundred CDs. They will be a benefit album for Theatre On The Square. If anyone wants to reserve one, let me know immediately and I'll forward your request to the theatre after they've been manufactured. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED.

[ Book 3-6 ] -- [ Pt 1 ] [ Pt 2 ] [ Pt 3 ] [ Pt 4 ]
[ Pt 5 ]   [ Pt 6 ]  [ Pt 7 ] [ Pt 8 ] [ Pt 9 ]
[ Pt 10 ] [ Pt 11 ] [ Pt 12 ] [ Pt 13 ]
[ Pt 14 ] [ Pt 15 ] [ Pt 16 ]

© 1996-2004 by Steve Schalchlin. You have permission to print from this diary and distribute for use in support groups, schools, or to just give to a friend. You do not have permission to sell it.