Sarah and I were blessed with the opportunity to go with Buddy and Kay down to Charlotte, NC to see him record his new CD of Noah's Ark songs. We have been wanting to go with them the past couple of times, but our schedules never worked out. I have always wanted to see behind-the-scenes of music recording, and it certainly wasn't a let down!
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Mom drove us (and the luggage, although we didn't over-pack this time!) down to B & K's and we left their house at 8:00am. They have a little Subaru station wagon, and with the four of us, luggage and some instruments, we were pretty loaded down. We made a quick stop at a Tim Horton's in Zanesville. After that, we only made one stop, and that was in Beckley, West Virginia. They had a squished penny machine in the plaza, so Sarah and I each got one with the WV capitol building pressed into it! Sarah and I had packed veggie burgers and Goldfish crackers to eat in the car, so we didn't even have to get food out.
Drove for a couple hours on the turnpike, so it wasn't really built up. Actually, the lack of traffic was pretty amazing. The trip from Knox County to WV was beautiful and we hardly had any other vehicles on the rode. While on the turnpike, we went through two huge tunnels that go under mountains. At the end of the second was the Virginia border. Sarah and I absolutely LOVE WV and VA. They are such beautiful states that you can really understand the pride of Virginians during the Civil War. We drove through a small section of Jefferson National Forest, and you have never seen anything like it! Just green tree tops for as far as you can see! Simply breathtaking! Once in North Carolina, the scenery/greenery became somewhat flat and scrubby. Rather dull really. We arrived at the hotel at 4pm and decided to unpack and wait a bit before heading to dinner. The hotel was really nice! Much better than either of us had expected. It the Staybridge Suites (Arrowwood) in Charlotte at Exit 3 of I-77.
We were at the way back corner of one wing on the second floor. Right across from the back stairway, way far from the elevator (Yay!). You entered into the living area which had a kitchen with a full-size fridge/freezer, a dishwasher, mini sink, two-burner stovetop, convection & microwave ovens, cabinets and real dishes; dining area with a four-seat table; and a living room area with a couch, armchair, and an entertainment center with a TV and DVD/VCR unit. To the right was a room with a king bed, closet, TV, conference table, dresser and a full bath (B & K got this one). To the left was our room with two double beds, dresser, TV, closet, and another full bath! Really swell.
We unpacked before heading out to dinner. There was a Ruby Tuesday right down the street and Buddy had been thinking of ribs all day, so that was chosen. Sarah and I had salad bar and sides of onion rings and french fries. Usually sides of those are teeny-tiny servings. Man, were we surprised when we got huge platters full of them! We ended up taking a bunch back to the hotel for later. We sat around in the living area for a while, talking about Buddy's family and his cousin, etc. Went to bed a bit after 9pm and Sarah and I plugged our little travel DVD player into the screen and watched about half an hour of an Audie Murphy western before hitting the snooze den.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Due to the strange beds and excitement, Sarah and I were up before 6am. We all went to the lobby for breakfast. A really nice continental breakfast. The typical juice, coffee, bagels, English muffins, pastries, and fruit, but they also had hot stuff. Bacon, eggs, grits, oatmeal, and waffles! Really nice. Didn't have to be at the studio until 10am, so we went back to the room and We talked to Mom for a while. Buddy wanted to take doughnuts to the studio, so we searched for a doughnut shop, eventually finding a Dunkin' Donuts. We got to the studio on the dot and settled in. The musicians started arriving after we did and by 10:30 they began recording. Mark, the bass guitarist, came from Nashville, TN. Danny, the pianist, came from SC, and Tony, the drummer, and David (who plays everything else) were from NC.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Mom drove us (and the luggage, although we didn't over-pack this time!) down to B & K's and we left their house at 8:00am. They have a little Subaru station wagon, and with the four of us, luggage and some instruments, we were pretty loaded down. We made a quick stop at a Tim Horton's in Zanesville. After that, we only made one stop, and that was in Beckley, West Virginia. They had a squished penny machine in the plaza, so Sarah and I each got one with the WV capitol building pressed into it! Sarah and I had packed veggie burgers and Goldfish crackers to eat in the car, so we didn't even have to get food out.
Drove for a couple hours on the turnpike, so it wasn't really built up. Actually, the lack of traffic was pretty amazing. The trip from Knox County to WV was beautiful and we hardly had any other vehicles on the rode. While on the turnpike, we went through two huge tunnels that go under mountains. At the end of the second was the Virginia border. Sarah and I absolutely LOVE WV and VA. They are such beautiful states that you can really understand the pride of Virginians during the Civil War. We drove through a small section of Jefferson National Forest, and you have never seen anything like it! Just green tree tops for as far as you can see! Simply breathtaking! Once in North Carolina, the scenery/greenery became somewhat flat and scrubby. Rather dull really. We arrived at the hotel at 4pm and decided to unpack and wait a bit before heading to dinner. The hotel was really nice! Much better than either of us had expected. It the Staybridge Suites (Arrowwood) in Charlotte at Exit 3 of I-77.
We were at the way back corner of one wing on the second floor. Right across from the back stairway, way far from the elevator (Yay!). You entered into the living area which had a kitchen with a full-size fridge/freezer, a dishwasher, mini sink, two-burner stovetop, convection & microwave ovens, cabinets and real dishes; dining area with a four-seat table; and a living room area with a couch, armchair, and an entertainment center with a TV and DVD/VCR unit. To the right was a room with a king bed, closet, TV, conference table, dresser and a full bath (B & K got this one). To the left was our room with two double beds, dresser, TV, closet, and another full bath! Really swell.
We unpacked before heading out to dinner. There was a Ruby Tuesday right down the street and Buddy had been thinking of ribs all day, so that was chosen. Sarah and I had salad bar and sides of onion rings and french fries. Usually sides of those are teeny-tiny servings. Man, were we surprised when we got huge platters full of them! We ended up taking a bunch back to the hotel for later. We sat around in the living area for a while, talking about Buddy's family and his cousin, etc. Went to bed a bit after 9pm and Sarah and I plugged our little travel DVD player into the screen and watched about half an hour of an Audie Murphy western before hitting the snooze den.
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Due to the strange beds and excitement, Sarah and I were up before 6am. We all went to the lobby for breakfast. A really nice continental breakfast. The typical juice, coffee, bagels, English muffins, pastries, and fruit, but they also had hot stuff. Bacon, eggs, grits, oatmeal, and waffles! Really nice. Didn't have to be at the studio until 10am, so we went back to the room and We talked to Mom for a while. Buddy wanted to take doughnuts to the studio, so we searched for a doughnut shop, eventually finding a Dunkin' Donuts. We got to the studio on the dot and settled in. The musicians started arriving after we did and by 10:30 they began recording. Mark, the bass guitarist, came from Nashville, TN. Danny, the pianist, came from SC, and Tony, the drummer, and David (who plays everything else) were from NC.
Musicians:
Danny Crawford (Piano and Keyboard)
Tony Creasman (Drums)
Tony Creasman (Drums)
David Johnson (Guitar, Various Acoustic Instruments)
Buddy Davis (Vocals)
Mark Fain (Bass Guitar)
Buddy Davis (Vocals)
Mark Fain (Bass Guitar)
Buddy wanted this CD to have the 50s/60/70s Country style sound, so they would listen to the demo of each song and then decided what particular style they would do each song in. They started recording at 10:30 and didn't stop until lunch break at 2pm.
We sat in the room with the sound guys. There is a listening area in front of the sound boards and a huge glass window that showed the entire recording room. Tony and Mark sat in the room together. Mark's guitars were plugged directly into the board, so all you heard if you were sitting in the room was the sound of the metal string. Tony's drums were surrounded by a dozen microphones. There are two little sound booths in the two far corners of the room. The left had the grand piano and that is where Danny played. The right is where David played. He is amazing. On this CD alone he plays Acoustic, electric, and steel guitar; dobro; harmonica; violin; mandolin; octave mandolin; and dulcimer! Right next to the sofa in the sound room where we sat is a little sound booth where Buddy sang. While the guys recorded all the tracks, Buddy sang a scratch vocals, but the real vocals were not recorded.
Some of the songs were finished in twenty minutes! The guys were really amazing. At 2pm, they broke for lunch and we all went to an Italian restaurant called Villa Antonio which looked nice, but was super expensive, had terrible service and every single thing had meat! Definitely not the place for vegetarians. So we ate a really poor salad bar. It was nice to get to talk to the guys though. Turns out that Tony, the drummer, has always dreamed of going to Monaco to see the Auto Rally. We were telling him about stamps and stuff and he was so interested. I am going to send him some of my extra Monaco stamps.
They recorded 13 songs, in the order they will appear on the CD. They did seven before lunch and then the other six. They ended up working solidly until 8:30pm. The four of us were really tired and didn't feel like going out to dinner, so we ordered pizza into the room. Sarah and I ate some more of our onion rings, too! :o)
Friday, 15 June 2012
Got up early on Friday. We all ate breakfast in the lobby again. Sarah and I had oatmeal and waffles. Then we took some juice and a bagel and english muffin back to the room and hung around for a bit. We were all a bit tired, so Sarah and I finished watching Ride Clear of Diablo. Got to the studio at 10am and were back in the same room. We spread out in the viewing area and Buddy got into the little sound booth. Buddy recorded all the songs in reverse order, because he thought that the last two were going to be the hardest to sing. He only got surprised when the second to last (second on the cd) was in a different key than he thought and was really low for him.
Kay was lyric police and watched to make sure he said everything correctly. Sarah and I were the 'peanut gallery' and gave our opinions as well. Wade, one of the interns and the two of us had a great time. All in all, Buddy doesn't really make many mistakes. One song he did, he only did one take with no punch-ins! His voice all day was really good and each song sounds wonderful! He actually finished at 5:30, so it wasn't even too late.
For dinner, we drove right over the border into South Carolina and went to a Cracker Barrel which was right across from the entrance to CaroWinds amusement park. It was really fun. We each had a salad and shared pancakes and biscuits. We also bought a couple things in the store. A little plate with a fish on it for Dad, and a repro bendable Gumbie, like Mom and Dad have always had! Back at the hotewl, Sarah and I packed everything except what we would need. Kay wanted to leave at 6:30am, so that really means 6:00.
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Sarah andI woke up at 5:25am! (Yikes!) So we got dressed and finished packing. We did have a bit of trouble closing one suitcase. I had Sarah push down on the lid and I pressed the two latches in and she let go and . . . Bingo! The lid popped open and the clothes fell right out onto the floor! However, with a bot of clever rearranging we managed to pack everything in a way that it would arrive home. Sarah and I loaded the car. Kay was busy on facebook, so we figured we would get the loading done. It was funny, the hotel lobby was still dark ad only a couple staff members were there. They didn't start breakfast until 7am, and Kay wanted to leave, so Sarah and I figured we'd eat peanut butter sandwiches in the car. We left a bit before 6:30 and stopped at a Starbucks across the street so Buddy and Kay could get the first coffee of the day. Buddy also bought a Johnny Cash cd, so we listened to that on the way.
The ride back was pretty uneventful. I took a few naps throughout the day. We stopped at a travel plaza in West Virginia, and while Buddy and Kay hunted up coffee and milkshakes, Sarah and I bought some postcards and two really nice quartz pieces. A purple one, and one that is green and looks like a raw emerald. We also got a big iced tea at Burger King. Yum!
Made it back to Buddy and Kay's house earlier than we thought. Only seven and a half hours home. Must have had a tailwind! Mom and Dad came to pick us up about twenty minutes later and then we headed home for dinner and some rest!
So, to close, it was a wonderful experience and a pretty fun trip. The hotel was lovely, the recording was fabulous and the drive was beautiful. Could you ask for anything more?
We sat in the room with the sound guys. There is a listening area in front of the sound boards and a huge glass window that showed the entire recording room. Tony and Mark sat in the room together. Mark's guitars were plugged directly into the board, so all you heard if you were sitting in the room was the sound of the metal string. Tony's drums were surrounded by a dozen microphones. There are two little sound booths in the two far corners of the room. The left had the grand piano and that is where Danny played. The right is where David played. He is amazing. On this CD alone he plays Acoustic, electric, and steel guitar; dobro; harmonica; violin; mandolin; octave mandolin; and dulcimer! Right next to the sofa in the sound room where we sat is a little sound booth where Buddy sang. While the guys recorded all the tracks, Buddy sang a scratch vocals, but the real vocals were not recorded.
Some of the songs were finished in twenty minutes! The guys were really amazing. At 2pm, they broke for lunch and we all went to an Italian restaurant called Villa Antonio which looked nice, but was super expensive, had terrible service and every single thing had meat! Definitely not the place for vegetarians. So we ate a really poor salad bar. It was nice to get to talk to the guys though. Turns out that Tony, the drummer, has always dreamed of going to Monaco to see the Auto Rally. We were telling him about stamps and stuff and he was so interested. I am going to send him some of my extra Monaco stamps.
They recorded 13 songs, in the order they will appear on the CD. They did seven before lunch and then the other six. They ended up working solidly until 8:30pm. The four of us were really tired and didn't feel like going out to dinner, so we ordered pizza into the room. Sarah and I ate some more of our onion rings, too! :o)
Friday, 15 June 2012
Got up early on Friday. We all ate breakfast in the lobby again. Sarah and I had oatmeal and waffles. Then we took some juice and a bagel and english muffin back to the room and hung around for a bit. We were all a bit tired, so Sarah and I finished watching Ride Clear of Diablo. Got to the studio at 10am and were back in the same room. We spread out in the viewing area and Buddy got into the little sound booth. Buddy recorded all the songs in reverse order, because he thought that the last two were going to be the hardest to sing. He only got surprised when the second to last (second on the cd) was in a different key than he thought and was really low for him.
Kay was lyric police and watched to make sure he said everything correctly. Sarah and I were the 'peanut gallery' and gave our opinions as well. Wade, one of the interns and the two of us had a great time. All in all, Buddy doesn't really make many mistakes. One song he did, he only did one take with no punch-ins! His voice all day was really good and each song sounds wonderful! He actually finished at 5:30, so it wasn't even too late.
For dinner, we drove right over the border into South Carolina and went to a Cracker Barrel which was right across from the entrance to CaroWinds amusement park. It was really fun. We each had a salad and shared pancakes and biscuits. We also bought a couple things in the store. A little plate with a fish on it for Dad, and a repro bendable Gumbie, like Mom and Dad have always had! Back at the hotewl, Sarah and I packed everything except what we would need. Kay wanted to leave at 6:30am, so that really means 6:00.
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Sarah andI woke up at 5:25am! (Yikes!) So we got dressed and finished packing. We did have a bit of trouble closing one suitcase. I had Sarah push down on the lid and I pressed the two latches in and she let go and . . . Bingo! The lid popped open and the clothes fell right out onto the floor!
The ride back was pretty uneventful. I took a few naps throughout the day. We stopped at a travel plaza in West Virginia, and while Buddy and Kay hunted up coffee and milkshakes, Sarah and I bought some postcards and two really nice quartz pieces. A purple one, and one that is green and looks like a raw emerald. We also got a big iced tea at Burger King. Yum!
Made it back to Buddy and Kay's house earlier than we thought. Only seven and a half hours home. Must have had a tailwind! Mom and Dad came to pick us up about twenty minutes later and then we headed home for dinner and some rest!So, to close, it was a wonderful experience and a pretty fun trip. The hotel was lovely, the recording was fabulous and the drive was beautiful. Could you ask for anything more?
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