THE THORNS 03 - Recording

We're joined by some heavy hitters. Plus, Records Revisited Podcast!

Before I get into the post I wanted to let you know that I was a guest on Records Revisited Podcast. I nerded out about Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever with hosts Ben and Wayne.

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Twenty years ago this month saw the release of the self-titled album from The Thorns on Aware/Columbia Records. This is part three of five. Read part one HERE. Read part two HERE.

After months of writing, it was time to make the record. We chose Atlanta’s Southern Tracks Recording as it was our producer Brendan O’Brien’s hometown studio of choice. Brendan and I had previously made three albums in the George Ausberger-designed studio. Check out my video tour of Southern Tracks HERE.

Before convening at Southern Tracks, Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins and I hunkered down in a smaller studio called Southern Living at its Finest. There we would take one more stab at demoing new songs. I remember recording a fresh Matthew number called “Get Off My Back,” which did not make the album. We also recorded the demo for “Now I Know.” The album version was built off of the baritone ukulele from that demo recorded by engineer Alex Lowe.

After a few days of demoing, we moved to Southern Tracks and settled into our new digs. For basic tracking, we flew in legendary session drummer Jim Keltner. I pinched myself as I looked across the studio floor to see him behind the kit in his trademark Aviator shades. Playing with Jim was a dream come true, and I savored every moment.

One highlight came when we played Jim one of our demos. He asked, “Who played drums on this? It feels great.” It made my day to be able to tell him it was me.

Later I asked him for an informal drum lesson. He illustrated the Moeller Method, a technique of striking a drum that uses a whipping motion to help increase speed, efficiency and power. The most important takeaway from the lesson was less about technique and more philosophical. He encouraged me to stick with my unconventional way of playing. His advice?

“Don’t worry about learning the language of drummers. Keep doing your own thing.”

Another high point of working with Jim was spending time with him in the studio lounge. The stories were priceless. Tales of working on John Lennon’s Imagine album and touring with Bob Dylan during the gospel years were among the standouts. When I asked him when he first started playing on records, he told me his first hit record was Gary Lewis and the Playboys’ single “She’s Just My Style” in 1965.

On our last day of basic tracking, we concluded early, and Brendan told Jim he was all done. Jim replied that he was happy to hear that. He had some friends in town he was hoping to see that night. I asked who his friends were. Turned out his friends were a little band called The Rolling Stones. He asked if I’d be interested in hanging out, and in a nanosecond, I replied, “Absolutely!” I gave him my number, and he said he’d call if anything was happening. I spent the evening huddled over my phone.

At 11 pm, my phone rang. It was Jim, “I’m here with Ronny in his room. He’d love to meet you guys if you want to come by.” Matthew and I visited them at The Ritz Carlton Hotel and caught the show the next night, but that’s another story for another time. Stay tuned next week for that.

Jim was not the only legend to contribute to the album. Multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz is all over the record. He flew in from Los Angeles with a boatload of stringed instruments. Mandola, mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel, 12-string electric guitar and electric dulcimer were all brought to life with his masterful chops. It was a joy watching Greg work.

For the song “No Blue Sky,” we were blessed with two more world-class session cats to help flesh the song out. First up, a string arrangement by Paul Buckmaster. Paul was responsible for the strings on David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and all the early Elton John records, including those classic arrangements on the Madman Across the Water album. His discography does not end there, though. He worked with The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis and The Grateful Dead, to name just a few.

Paul’s score was written for a 22-piece string section. We recorded in Nashville with members of The Nashville Symphony. To get to the session, we chartered a private jet to fly us up from Atlanta. Talk about an expensive day! It was a total thrill to hear one of my songs get the deluxe string treatment.

The Thorns with Roy Bittan. 2002.

The other legendary musician on “No Blue Sky” was E-Street Band keyboardist Roy Bittan. There was a lot going on in the arrangement by the time Roy was invited to contribute. But if anyone knows how to find his place in a big arrangement, it’s Roy. His instincts were great, and his part slotted into the track perfectly. His feel was impeccable. I suggested to Brendan that we compress the snot out of the piano. He obliged, and it sounded fantastic. Check out the album version here:

To hear a wonderful rendition of “No Blue Sky” by Glen Phillips, go HERE.

I still think the powers that be at the label were nuts not to release “No Blue Sky” as a single. When the record came out, I received more glowing comments on that song than any other. To my ear, it sounded like an undeniable hit. But maybe I was just a tad biased.

At the time of its release, I thought the record was overproduced. Brendan was at the helm and had a vision for the record that did not align with mine. I would have liked the album to sound more like it could have been released in 1972. I felt that the songs would have been better served with a more natural, dare I say, ‘organic’ sound. In any event, lots of people love the record as it is, and it sold well, so I guess I should not have been so nit-picky about it. Hearing the record now, I think it sounds great. I’m especially proud of the vocal blend that Matthew, Shawn and I achieved.

There are two more posts to complete the saga. Stay tuned.

Peace & Love Songs,

Pete