Red Pump Special 40Th Anniversary Edition
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Red Pump Special 40th Anniversary Edition In 2013 Stephy and I enjoyed a multi-faceted road-trip in the southern states of USA. One of our stops, for a few days, was Nashville, Tennessee. Part of the reason for going there, my first visit to the city since 1973, was to acknowledge the 40th anniversary of the recording of Red Pump Special. The studio, then, was Quadrafonic, now known as Quad, situated on Grand Avenue, in the heart of Music Row. In 1972 I made an album for A&M Records with Bob Johnston as producer. The man at the helm at A&M in the UK was Larry Yaskiel. Sometime around the turn of the year Larry became head of the British arm of Warner Brothers Records. He took me with him and plans commenced for my first album for WB. At the time I learned the Warner contract was confirmed I was touring in Belgium with Robin McKidd. Here’s a drawing of Robin and me by Josh MacRae which was done from a photograph taken there. In the early ’70s record companies like WB had, shall we say, quite a bit of money alongside an accommodating attitude towards their artists’ needs and desires. I fancied making a record in Nashville with another American producer. By chance Elliot Mazer was in London and someone mentioned this fact. My ears perked up immediately as he had produced the Neil Young album ‘Harvest’, in Nashville, and I did like the sound of that record. We met, got on well, and Elliot went off with demos and previous releases to listen to and before long we were planning where and how we do this. Larry Yaskiel was very accommodating, in the way big wealthy labels, and the accompanying big personalities, were back then. Nashville was agreed upon, and it all began. Here’s a note from Larry Yaskiel. As an A&R man I was attracted to Rab Noakes The flight to USA was from Heathrow on TWA. as both a singer and a songwriter. He had It was one of the early Boeing 747 Jumbo jets. inherited a strain in his voice from a country They look wee now but they were unusually Bluesman who had emigrated to the Highlands. large looking then. They couldn’t make it all I had signed Stealers Wheel to A&M Records the way on a tankful though and a fuel stop in 1970 after hearing a track on Gerry Rafferty’s had to take place in Winnipeg. I was met at first solo album album called Can I have My San Francisco Airport by Elliot’s sister Bonnie Money Back? The song is called Mary Skeffington, in her black, 10-year old Impala convertible. a Rafferty composition recorded as a duo, with Rab backing him on vocals and guitar. I stayed with Elliot on Skyline Boulevard just south of San Francisco. He was in the process Rab left Stealers Wheel before the first LP of mixing the Neil Young live album ‘Time was released and I signed him to A&M as a Fades Away’ at CBS studios in San Francisco. solo artist. Three years later I was appointed He took a place there as it was near Neil’s to head international A&R by Warner Brothers ranch. He had a girlfriend over in Marin County and Rab was among my first signings. The which is where he was that night so Bonnie result was his Red Pump Special with the dropped me off and I made myself at home. superb song Branch as a single, which should have been a smash hit, but just did not make My first full day in the USA was pretty exciting. it, despite excellent radio coverage. Rab I was awakened by Sandy Mazzeo, who had Noakes remains one those highly talented arrived in a silver Corvette Stingray convertible singersongwriters who were deserving of to drop something off. He invited me to fame but somehow could not make it into the spend the day with him and he drove me to charts I believed in his ability as did his A&M Pescadero on Highway One, which gave me producer Bob Johnston who produced Bob my first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean. Dylan at the time, and Elliott Mazer on WB who produced Neil Young. The route was through La Honda and Sandy pointed out the landmarks, including Tim © Geoffrey Tyrell Good luck, Larry Yaskiel Leary’s house of experimentation. While staying at Elliot’s up on Skyline I finished Nashville institution, we had John Christopher, the songs, visited the city and learned to play who co-wrote ‘Always on my mind’. Tommy 8-ball pool in the local bar which was called Jackson, who had played with Bob Wills and The Red Pump. It also provided the album’s yes, Hank Williams, joined us on fiddle one title. I hung about San Francisco. I enjoyed day. The dobro/steel guitar was contributed by getting to know the USA. At one point I stayed Area Code 615 alumnus Weldon Myrick. The for a while in the, then brand-new, Hyatt engineer was Gene Eichelberger, assisted by Regency in the Embacadero Centre. It was all Denny Purcell. In later years Denny became a really exciting and, in a fresh way, quite loose. in-demand mastering engineer I do remember that ‘Wrong joke again’ was the first song we Stephy and I visited the USA’s west coast got down successfully. Live in the studio, just in 2002 and we drove around Skyline as it is on the record. We actually drove the Boulevard and Woodside.The Red Pump was multi-tracks to Memphis one day to record the by then called The Mountain House but the famed Memphis Horns on three or four tracks. eponymous implement still had pride of place in the courtyard. Here’s some period trivia. Whilst in Nashville our rental car of choice was the Chevy Back to ‘73, there were two trips from the west Monte Carlo and we stayed at Roger Miller’s coast to Nashville to record the album live with celebrated King of the Road motel on the some fabulous musicians. I was excited about edge of east Nashville. working with drummer Kenny Buttrey, who worked on the Bob Dylan Nashville records. Some overdubbing, Harmonica and Backing There were a number of other interesting Vocals, followed by mixing was done at CBS players including guitar player Teddy Irwin and Studios in Whitfield Street London. Another pianist Dr John Harris. There was also a clutch fledgling career was present on these of players from Memphis who had moved to sessions as our tape-op was a young Simon Nashville including Reggie Young on guitars Humphrey. The album was done and delivered plus Tommy Cogbill, veteran of Aretha Franklin around the end of 1973. sessions, on bass. On second acoustic guitar, a Elliot Mazer: mixing when it was separate from the board and carried in like a keyboard instrument. Red I came across Rab because my lawyer and Pump was the second album to use that thing, Rab’s manager knew each other. I think that first in the UK. I had mixed Neil Young’s Time the head of Warner Records UK was also Fades Away on it. It was helpful and it was involved in the introductions. I believe I heard a pain since it required constant technical some demos and I went to see him play live support. We could have mixed Red Pump one night with Lindisfarne on the bill. manually and achieved the same results. I think he has a wonderful way of communicating Never Too Late was very different from Red through his songs. He writes amazing and unique Pump. The songs were different and the melodies and his stories are very interesting. musicians and studio were different. I had built a studio in SF and was creating something We got on when we met and Nashville was of a house-band with Chrissie Stewart & chosen for recording. I was left to fix the Denny Seiwell. We worked with them on Rab’s sessions and was able to find a great collection album alongside musicians from Nashville and of musicians. I had worked with many of them Memphis. Teddy Irwin and John Harris were the previously. Kenny Buttrey and Teddy Irwin common link with the previous album. were the musicians that were most involved with helping Rab shape the arrangements. The Rab and I were re-united a few years ago at entire band was great. They all loved his music a Radio Academy Conference. We have both and loved the way he performed the songs in moved into the radio world. I was sitting in my the studio. Rab drove the songs. company’s booth. I looked across the room and saw Rab’s eyes… We had a great laugh. I believe we were in London to add some additional parts and it was convenient to mix I’m working with a company that does technology there. I had worked at Whitfield Street before for the entertainment industries and occasionally, and I knew the studio. It was mixed using the I work in the studio with my wife, Diana Reid Compumix – the first version of computer Haig. She makes demos of her songs and we do DVD-Audio versions of cool albums. I’ve enjoyed recordings of the vinyl 45s. Neon may look meeting Rab again and it’s good for me to see at packaging and releasing Never Too Late these albums coming out on CD.