Recording
You Boyz Make Big Noize was recorded at Wessex studios in London, Portland Studios, Redan Studios and Music Works.
The album's title came after a Wessex studios tea-lady named Betty commented on Slade with the statement "you boys make big noise".
Don Powell was interviewed in early 1987 for the magazine of the Slade International Fan Club about the album, just after it had finished being recorded. "We finished the album yesterday, actually. We spent yesterday piecing it together and sorting out the running order. We know exactly which tracks will be on the album - all of which is new material. The new single 'Still the same' is also on it as well. The title of the album is 'You boyz make big noize'. When we were recording with Roy Thomas Baker in Wessex studios, the tea lady there made the comment 'You boys make big noise' and I think we've sort of kept it from then. I don't know when the album is coming out yet as we are still deciding on the cover design. RCA will probably wait to see how the single does. The album has taken us a long time to record, especially the tracks that John Punter and Roy produced. We spent the first two days with Roy just trying to get the drum sound as he wanted it. He had forty odd mikes over my kit, and it sounded like thunder in the studios. The album is more of a sing-a-long one, as opposed to a heavy metal album. On most of the album it is Nod singing, though on one track Jim sings the first part with Nod joining in later."
For the September–December 1986 Slade fan club magazine, Lea was interviewed with one question speaking about the use of producer Roy Thomas Baker on the new upcoming album and how it meant that the whole recording and mixing process has become far more technical than ever before. Lea replied "Normally, most bands record on a 24 track machine, or occasionally on 48 track by putting two machines together, but with Roy we were working on 88 track. The only way that you can hear all 88 tracks going simultaneously is in a studio in America - so we are ahead of technology. We’ve just recorded the drum track for one of the songs, and Roy had 22 microphones over Don’s kit. I can’t wait to hear how his stuff turns out. I was out with Roy one night, and he got serious for one moment, and said ‘The only reason I’m here with you lot is because right now in America all the young bands, certainly in Los Angeles, are searching for the formula that Slade created - commercial songs with that edge, and that sound where it all comes out as one’. Roy Thomas Baker was the one who put the word ‘producer’ on the modern map of production - it was a great compliment from him."
For the September–December 1986 Slade fan club magazine, Lea was interviewed with one question relating to Slade’s unreleased demos. The question wrote "As Slade have demoed quite a few songs for the new album, there will probably be some that will never get released in vinyl form. On the batch of recordings for the ‘Rogues Gallery’ album, for example, there was track called ‘Love Is’, which was never released. We asked Jim if these outtakes are kept by Slade and used at a later date." Lea replied "That’s a good point that is, I had forgotten about ‘Love Is’. I always thought that was a good tune and thought it would be a single, but the record company weren’t that keen. It was a funny track that we had a problem recording. Nod and I demoed about eighteen tracks in the end for this album, Dave did four, plus one that we haven’t written, so there is a lot of material lying around."
Lea spoke of the album at the time of release "When I listened to 'You Boyz Make Big Noize', which is the last thing I did, I thought 'this really stands up, I can put this on and be proud of it'."
In a mid-1986 interview with Noddy Holder, American Slade fan Matt Shaughnessy asked if the band had any special plans for their anniversary, where Holder replied "We don't have any special plans, other than the new album. We've finally got it finished and feel we have some of the best songs we've ever written."
Aside from the album tracks and b-sides, there were a further five or six songs written by Holder and Lea which were demoed. Hill also demoed four of his own songs.
It was confirmed that a demo track titled "Love Is..." was recorded for the album although it has never been released. In an early 1990 fan club interview, Lea stated the song had a "Coz I Luv You" feel, Slade's first number one hit in 1971 which featured the use of electric violin.
Read more about this topic: You Boyz Make Big Noize
Famous quotes containing the word recording:
“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)
“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)
“I didn’t have to think up so much as a comma or a semicolon; it was all given, straight from the celestial recording room. Weary, I would beg for a break, an intermission, time enough, let’s say, to go to the toilet or take a breath of fresh air on the balcony. Nothing doing!”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)