Recording
In 1980, Jim Lea was interviewed for the Slade fan club newsletter. He spoke of the band first recording the album. "This was our first major crack at making a record, so it was all important now to let it slip. So we did "Roach Daddy", "Mad Dog Cole" and "Genesis" out of total fear."
Lea was asked how the cover versions of numerous tracks ended up being recorded. "They were all numbers that we were doing live on stage at the time. We had started to move away from the Flower Power thing then, but we were still doing unusual numbers. You can see by all the writers of the songs, they are all big names now, but at the time they were unheard of. Frank Zappa - he was totally unknown, he had only recorded one album, but we recorded his "Ain't Got No Heart".
Lea was also asked how "Pity The Mother" was written. "It was another one of the songs that Bavistock "forced" us to write. We wrote it in Nod's parents' kitchen, the day before we went down to do some recording in the studio. Louise (Lea's wife) was there, and she helped me and Nod write the song."
Originally, the band were introduced and recorded with producer Irving Martin through their London Booking Agent Roger Allen. The band and Martin recorded "Journey To The Centre of Your Mind" and "Mad Dog Cole". Bavistock heard the demos and thought "Mad Dog Cole" was great, and insisted if the group wanted a contract they would have to write more of their own material. Out of total fear, and realising this would be the big chance, they sat down and wrote "Roach Daddy", "Pity The Mother" and "Genesis" within days of Bavistock's request. Bavistock and Co. were suitably impressed with the results and, together with a suggested name change to Ambrose Slade, a contract was agreed upon.
Read more about this topic: Beginnings (Ambrose Slade Album)
Famous quotes containing the word recording:
“Self-expression is not enough; experiment is not enough; the recording of special moments or cases is not enough. All of the arts have broken faith or lost connection with their origin and function. They have ceased to be concerned with the legitimate and permanent material of art.”
—Jane Heap (c. 1880–1964)
“Too many photographers try too hard. They try to lift photography into the realm of Art, because they have an inferiority complex about their Craft. You and I would see more interesting photography if they would stop worrying, and instead, apply horse-sense to the problem of recording the look and feel of their own era.”
—Jessie Tarbox Beals (1870–1942)
“He shall not die, by G—, cried my uncle Toby.
MThe ACCUSING SPIRIT which flew up to heaven’s chancery with the oath, blush’d as he gave it in;—and the RECORDING ANGEL as he wrote it down, dropp’d a tear upon the word, and blotted it out for ever.”
—Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)