Photo from the Final show by Bailey Brennan.I have ten killer recordings to put on The Staxx Brothers‘ last record. I am not sure if they will all make it. But these are outstanding songs that just took a little more time. I note where we recorded basic tracks.
Most of these songs could have been on Hot Chocolate. But that album had its own story to tell. For one reason or another each of these songs was in the vault. Or rather…up my sleeve. Now that the party is over, I can work with my hero Mell Dettmer, to finish this glorious final cycle.
Natural – Mell Dettmer’s
White Sugar – Mell Dettmer’s
Game of Love – Rec Room
Casino Road – Robert Lang
If It Falls Apart – Robert Lang
Ice Man – WSU
The Operator – Robert lang
Run Through The Jungle – rec room
When Night Falls – Mell Dettmer’s
Slick Willie – Northwest Sound, Bellingham
WARM NOTES & RECOLLECTIONS:
☆ I am tempted to use these two covers we recorded at Chip Butter’s place, The Rec Room. He produced and helped put together our debut, The 12th St Blues, which is a favorite for many, which is fine by me. I insisted before we hit Robert Lang Studios with Justin Armstrong that we cut a few covers as a warm up at Chip’s new place in Everett where we wrote and / or arranged much of Hot Chocolate.
When I first met Chip in 2006, he had resurrected the Columbia City Theater from squatter’s den to dual vaudeville era theater and world class recording studio. He convinced us to comprise over a third of the album of tracks he recorded at our first show there. Andy Coe‘s virtuoso guitar playing soared on those LIVE tracks, we dubbed over a bit with folks we wished we had on the gig like Joe Doria.
These Rec Room recordings were a test of a new rhythm section that had never recorded together. We cut tracks without headphones and the sound bled everywhere, which captured the essence of why were a killer LIVE band that made good studio albums.
☆ I do need a little more brass magic from our Queen Bee, Tracy Ferrara. God damn I love these ladies. Collaborating with brilliant women on new music is something a clever boy should strive to do. They just know what is sexy AF, and girls are on average more musical; less tone deaf, better coordinated naturally from mind, to body, to that intuitive spirit that judges art by pure gut. They get songs stuck in their head significantly more than boys, which makes them better judges of which songs are HITS.
☆ The secret to the Brothers has always been the sisters, and my secret Feminist agenda of encouraging equality. I am not talking down to women on my songs, I am talking them up…or just being brutally honest, which is the essence of equality.
– Musician and writer Davin Michael Stedman has many ventures, such as the AMAZING blog, 100milesofmusic.com. In the spring of 2018 he spent weeks networking in and reporting from Kingston, Jamaica. He will return there soon for more recording. His single with British band Sherlock Soul is available here.
