Production History
After finishing their initial touring behind Zoot Suit Riot in late 1997, the Daddies started production on Soul Caddy in as early as February 1998. During these recording sessions, the band had recorded tracks for upwards of sixteen songs, much of which was heavily ska and Mod-influenced. In the following months, however, "Zoot Suit Riot" unexpectedly emerged as a hit single on modern rock radio, rocketing the album to the top of Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart and launching the Daddies to the forefront of the burgeoning swing revival movement. Mojo insisted the band leave the studio and immediately begin touring, a tour which ultimately lasted for over a year.
When the Daddies finally returned to the studio in the fall of 1999, Perry felt the previous recordings had become "stale", and the band began to re-write much of the album's material. Perry, who had become burnt out on the media's typecasting of the Daddies as a "swing band", started writing more diverse musical textures into the album to make it more representative of the band's eclectic spectrum of sounds rather than returning to an overtly swing-based style. In interviews, he expressed a desire to create an album which could bridge the gaps between their swing-oriented fanbase and their non-swing music. "We don't want to disappoint people", he told ABC News, "Hopefully, now we can give a sense of what they want but still be able to be ourselves. The ultimate thing would be to be popular and have a lot of people know what you're really like and like you for it."
To help lend a vintage authenticity to the sound of the album, Perry brought in several notable guest musicians and producers. "Diamond Light Boogie" was recorded under the production supervision of legendary glam rock producer Tony Visconti, while former Turtles and Mothers of Invention vocalist Mark Volman provided backing vocals. Noted backing vocalists Paulette McWilliams (Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones) and Ada Dyer (Motown artist) appeared on several songs, free jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman played on "The Saddest Thing I Know" and percussionist Carol Steele (Eric Clapton, Brian Wilson) performed on "Stay (Don't Just Stay)". Lee Jeffries, steel guitarist for western swing band Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, allegedly performed on a song which didn't make it onto the album.
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