Dacht dat er tussen MJ en Prince wel wederzijds respect was...
Ze zouden "Bad" toch ook samen gaan opnemen?
edit:
holy shit, Bruce Swedien post hier:
http://gearslutz.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=82Over Bad"Isn't it terrible how the press just can't tell the whole story???
I was there for a couple of the meetings with Prince and Michael, Quincy and all. Personaly I think that after meeting with Michael, Quincy, Fredy DeMann and his team, Prince realized that he couldn't win this duet/duel with MJ, artistically or other wise... And pulled out... He left the building, so to speak...
As far as I am concerned. I want to say that I love Prince's music...
Bruce Swedien"
"Before Michael wrote the lyric for "BAD", the working title for "
BAD" was "
PEE"...
Bruce"
Rest van de posts ook ff doorgespit:
"Man In The Mirror"....As far as I'm concerned, the song, "Man In The Mirror" is the centerpiece, musically speaking, of the Michael Jackson album “BAD”.
I recorded the Andre Crouch choir on 'Man In The Mirror' with only two microphones. I used my favorite pair of Neumann M-49’s in the classic “Blumlein Pair” method. One of my unquestionably favorite true, stereophonic microphone techniques.
This is perhaps the best known of all single point stereo microphone techniques.
What is the effect on the choir in “Man In The Mirror”?
In my lectures and seminars, around the world, I have often been asked, “What is the effect that you used on the choir on “Man In The Mirror”? Isn’t that something?
There is NO effect on the choir on “Man In The Mirror”. Or very, very little!!! And Yes Boris, there is a little taste of my EMT 250 on the choir.
I try to explaining by saying that the recording of the choir on “Man In The Mirror”, is a classic,(But simple) stereo microphone technique! Of course, in addition, you have the best gospel choir in the world, in one of the best studios in world! (Westlake Audio’s gorgeous, Studio ‘D’, in Hollywood)
This wonderful piece of music has a graceful, natural sounding, dynamic curve to it. From the transparent, burnished brass synthesized bells in the intro, to the Andre Crouch choir that comes in at the modulation and, of course, the music climaxes with the huge ending.
Bruce Swedien
Re-issuesWhen we did the re-issues of "Off-The-Wall" and "Thriller" I was present at the mastering sessions with my old pal Bernie Grundman. The re-issue masters were made with my original mixes from the origiinal 1/2" master tapes. I think they sound rather good...
Isn't it amazing how people like to take "POT SHOTS" at Michael, and our music as well???
I do think the re-issue CD's reflect what I had in mind originally with my mixes better than the original releases on 12 inch vinyl....
Bruce Swedien
Thriller Track sheethttp://gearslutz.com/board/attachment.php?attachmentid=24241&stc=1&d=1158662673Schijnt bijzonder te zijn, dat alles in stereo is
Setup voor Thriller:
http://gearslutz.com/board/attachment.php?attachmentid=24155&stc=1&d=1158440160"Here is a photo of the two-24 track tape machine setup for "Thriller"...
Now you've seen it!!! Don't let anyone B--- S--- you! Two 3M M79's. Dolby's all around!!! Those tape machines were so quiet that you could record a fly pissing on a blotter with them!!!
When we were do'in "Thriller" the tech staff at Westlake Audio Studios on Beverly Boulevard had those studios SCREAMIN' for me!! Dave Harrison called me every friday and asked, "Bruce, is there anything that you need!!!" Holy Cow!! Makes me cry to think of that kind of dedication...
"Thriller" is NOT AT ALL UNPLEASANT TO THE EAR THOUGH!!!
Bruce"
She's Out Of My LifeI have been working with Michael Jackson since 1977....
“The WIZ, the Movie”
The year is 1977. Bea and I were living in the Chicago area at the time. Quincy called me one night and asked, "Want to go to New York, and do a musical movie?". I said "Absolutely!". Any musical project with my old pal ‘Q’ is guaranteed to be alot of fun. So off we went to the “Big Apple” to do "The Wiz", the movie. While we were there, working on the “Wiz”, we met this young, 18 year-old kid by the name of Michael Jackson.(Michael played the 'scarecrow' in the 'Wiz', the movie) Tom Bahler was there with us doing vocal backgrounds and arrangements for the film. We were at A&R studios, on 52d Street. Bea (my wife) had come to New York to visit me.
One day Quincy and I were in the control room working on something, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye, that Tom Bahler was at the piano in the studio, playing and singing a song for Bea. She was obviously very interested in it. The song Tom was playing and singing for Bea was‚ “She's Out of My Life”.
The following year, when we were working on Michael’s Solo Album “Off The Wall”, we recorded it with Michael. How Michael could do such a sincere interpretation of the lyric has always puzzled me, because I know it was an experience he had never even thought about. It's a very mature emotion, and Michael was only 19 years old at the time.
When we were recording Michael´s vocal, he broke down and cried at the end of every take. We recorded about six or seven takes. At the end of each take Michael was sobbing, actually crying. I know he was sincere, because when we finished the last take, Michael was too embarassed to come in the control room. He just tippy-toed out the back door of the studio, got in his car, and left the studio building. Quincy said to me, "Hey... that's supposed to be, leave it on there, leave it there.”
We didn’t see Michael again until a day or two later! I don't know how Michael was relating to the subject, “She's Out of My Life”. He´d never had that kind of grown-up relationship with anybody, I don´t think so, anyway...
Bruce Swedien
Every sound is different on ThrillerYou must remember that when Quincy, Rod and I were doing these incredible songs, every song was done as a separate piece of music, and treated as such, In other words, every sound on each song is entirely differect from the sounds on all the others.
This is due mainly to Quincys production technique. If I were asked to use one unique label for describing Quincy’s approach to his music, I would have to use the term “Kaleidoscopic”. I would say that the terms “Fluid” and “Buoyant”, also come to my mind when I think of the music that we have recorded together.
The REAL Story on Billy Jean en "Smelly"Recording and Mixing "Billie Jean"....
The year is 1982. The song is "Billie Jean". The sonic image of Michael Jacksons' "Billie Jean" is a perfect example of what happened, when I sat around dreaming awhile, about combining different recording techniques to produce a unique musical canvas with a tremendous 'sonic personality'.
Of course I was comfortably ensconsed in Westlake Audio’s beautiful new Studio ‘A’ on Beverly Boulevard, with my good friends Quincy Jones, Micheal Jackson and Rod Temperton. We were doing our favorite thing... We were making music!!! We had just started recording Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller”...
We were recording Michael’s song “Billie Jean”.....
I recorded the drums,(played by the fantastic drummer, N'Dugu) with as tight, and powerful a drum sound as I could come up with. Of course I put N'Dugus' drum set on my plywood drum platform. Also at this time, I had a special kick drum cover made that covers the whole front of the kick drum. There's a slot with a zipper in it that the mike fits through. When the kick drum mike is in place, in the slot in my drum cover, I zip the opening tightly shut around the mike.
I brought in my old pal George Massenburgs' spectacular sounding, portable, 12 channel recording console and used it to record the rhythm section. With it I recorded the bass, drums and guitars on my analogue 16 track, with no noise reduction equipment in the way of that fantastic sound!
In my estimation, the the result of the song “Billie Jean”, is a perfect example of what I call “Sonic Personality”. I don’t think there are many recordings, where all you need to hear is the first few drums beats, and you instantly know what song it is.
Great albums always start with great songs....
"Billie Jean" is just such a superb song! Of course, Michael wrote "Billie Jean"..
Quincy says that the lyric that Michael wrote is highly personal. I’m sure that’s true. Michael told us... it was about a girl, that climbed over the wall at Michael’s house, and was lounging out there, by the swimming pool.... she was laying out there, near the pool , lounging... hangin’ out... with shades on, her bathing suit on. One morning she just showed up! Kind of like a stalker, almost. She had accused Michael of being the father of ONE of her twins... Is that possible? I don’t think so....
When it came time for me to mix "Billie Jean", it was business as usual... When I am working with Michael, Quincy, Rod, Jennifer, Sergio and so on..... I am allowed total ceative freedom with the sonics of the music... In other words, I am always left to myself when it is time to mix. My mixes can take hours, days or even weeks.... I firmly believe that a mix is not finished, until it is on a Record for sale at Tower....
So I had been mixing "Billie Jean" for a day or two. I’d do a mix. ..... Say I was up to mix number 2.... (At that time I was mixing onto 1/2” analogue.) I thought it was killer!!!
I called MJ, Quincy and Rod into the control room and played mix 2 for them. They loved it!!! They were all dancing and carrying on like crazy!!! Smiles all around! Then Michael slipped out of the control room, turned around and motioned to me to follow him... Then he whispered to me, “Please Bruce, it’s perfect, but turn the Bass up just a tiny bit, and do one more mix, please....” I said to him...”OK Smelly, no problem”...
(When we were recording “Off The Wall”, Quincy gave Michael the nickname of “Smelly” because when Michael liked a groove, he’d call it “Smelly Jelly.” Also Michael doesn’t curse, and when MJ wants to say a bad word he’ll simply call it “Smelly”... The name has stuck...)
Then I went back into the control room to add Michael’s tiny bit of bass to my mix... Quincy pulled me over into the corner and said “Please Svensk... “(Svensk is Quincy’s nickname for me. It means “Swedish Man” in Swedish... When you have a genuine Quincy Jones nickname like ‘Svensk” - You are truly honored....) Q said to me.... “Add a little garlic salt to the snare and the kick. Just a squirt!!!”) so I went back into the control room and added a little garlic salt to the snare and the kick. Just a squirt!!! Now I was up to mix 20 on "Billie Jean".
Well, this went on for about a week. Soon I was up to mix 91!!! I had a stack of 1/2 inch tapes almost to the ceiling!!! I would do a few mixes, we’d listen... Then do a few more. We had it PERFECT!!! We thought we had a really ‘HOT’ mix on “Billie Jean”. I played Mix 91 for the boys... Everybody smiled... but Quincy had one of his funny looks on his face...
I thought.... Hmmmm.... Oh, Oh....
Quincy said “You know Svensk, just for the fun of it, can we listen to one of your earlier mixes???” My heart jumped because I knew that my earlier mixes were dynamite!!! Then Quincy said, “Let’s hear mix number 2!!!” Oh WOW!!!! Hallelujah!!! I love mix 2!!!!
We listened to mix 2... IT WAS SLAMMIN’!!! EVERYONE IN THE STUDIO WAS GROOVIN’ AND DANCIN’ and HAPPY, and actin’ IGNORANT!!!!
Well, here’s the deal. When “Thriller” was released to the Whole World by Epic Records, on Tuesday, November 30, 1982, it went to Tower Records with MIX 2 OF "Billie Jean" on it!!! AND, when the single of "Billie Jean" came out it was MIX 2!!!
The REAL Story of "Billie Jean"...
Bruce Swedien
enListen to "Billie Jean" again and think this thought... "Billie Jean" was recorded before the days of Drum and Percussion prerecorded "Samplers and Loops"!!! N'Dugu's drums on "Billie Jean" are one single 'Take' from beginning to end!!!
Hmmmmmm.....
Bruce
[ Bericht 49% gewijzigd door matthijst op 18-02-2007 13:27:38 ]