[kj] ]KJ[ Brittania Row Studios Sessions : The Full Report Of 3 Days With Killing Joke in London November 2009

[Frenchy Frenzy]

Hi All,

 

Kindly invited by Big Paul to rejoin them “towards the end” of the new
recording (which was scheduled from 7th till 20th nov 2009) I decided to
arrive on the 19th and feel the atmosphere of a recording studio what I
never had the opportunity to go in.

 

I just had the recommendation not to pass this information on.

 

It’s always a bit frustrating to know and not to share but I hadn’t the
choice.

 

So it was funny and a kind of “deliverance” when Youth mentioned the name of
the studios on his MySpace’s blog.

 

When I said it to Big Paul he couldn’t believe it but Youth only mentioned
the name of the studio, the one where the Wall of the Pink Floyd was
recorded.

 

1st Day : Thursday 19th nov 2009

 

Just arrived from Lyon at the Gatwick airport, I just noticed a kind of
puddle around my luggage at the baggages claim
.

 

In fact, one of the 4 bottles of wine had broken and there was just an high
smell of Pouilly Fuissé (white wine) around me that began to attract the
looking of ALL the passengers ;o)))

 

It took me 20 mins to “clean“ it and by chance my clothes were in a second
luggage

 

During the 30 mins travel from Gatwick to Victoria, everybody thought I was
a drunk man because you can’t manage to evaporate the smell of a wine

 

That’s the power of the French wines but
.

 

Arrived at the Wandsworth rail station, the famous gatherer called Antoni
Adamiak met me and after leaving my affairs at the Brewers Inn (a typical
English pub with about 15 rooms upstairs : unusual for an hotel but all the
wood in the pub and breakfast room gave an attractive impression) we went to
the studios.

 

After a 20 mins walk we arrived at the “famous“ place where Brittania Row is
simply inscribed on the wall

 

In fact, from the outside no one can detect that the most awesome group is
currently recording his new album in this ground and 1st floor building.

 

As you might know, with the Joke, it’s always better not to expect something
and simply let the things happen.

 

Arrived on the 1st floor, first met was Big Paul and then immediately Jaz.

 

As ever, we were warmly welcomed with big hugs and would you simply imagine
on second to have tea served by your favourite singer ha ha ha ?

 

Matt Tibbits just arrived after us and immediately Big Paul thought I had
broken the silence, giving every gatherers the address of the studio ;o)))

 

In fact, I just said Youth had given the famous “indication “ on his blog.

 

That made Jaz and Paul laugh a lot about his discretion !!!

 

Geordie came just after and we had some discussions about the spontaneous
and collegial ideas during the recording sessions and the use of others
guitars with the “Golden” one.

 

He found funny all the discussions about this on internet and simply just
play.

 

Youth was on the ground floor where the main studio is situated and
introduced us to the sound engineers Davide (from Italy) and Michael (his
assistant) and Clive (the mix man)

 

All of them are very nice guys and very welcoming.

 

Antoni brought his old Propaganda fanzine and showed it to the guys who
found it very interesting especially Youth and Jaz.

 

Antoni and Matt were taking pictures of him reading while I was filming the
whole scene: 3 Paparazzis in the same room ;o))

 

The funny thing was Michael (one of the engineers) who “discovered” they had
been young like him 30 years ago while watching all the pictures of these
“young” guys.

 

When my telephone rang, they all felt surprised that my Ringtone was Love
Like Blood’s intro and laughed at it : by chance it was a good call for the
business ;o))

 

At this time, Geordie was working with Youth on a riff that immediately
remembered me Geordie’s demos (I’ve checked and it’s track 5 but not from
the 2009’ ones : it was from the previous batch

 

So, interesting things began : as the studio with the main desk is not very
wide we were just 2 meters from them in the corridor listening to this
majestuous riff

 

In fact, the end of the afternoon was a special moment because it was about
recording one of the highlights of the coming album :

 

A song dedicated to a man with a excellent (and English should I say) sense
of humour everybody remembers: Paul Raven

 

Name of this song : “The Raven King”

 

Intro with Keyboards and an heavy guitar riff + basslines à la “Sex Pistols”
or “Are You Receiving? (style Capital Radio 30.1.80)

 

I would say : simple and fluid and catchy tune very melodic

 

Big Paul of course was behind his drumkit in the main recording room, but
all the three others have always played in the control room surrounded by
the engineers and behind the door three happy gatherers with a large smile.

 

It would a big mistake not to mention the presence of Raven in the studio:
not only for his spirit but on the top of the right speaker situated in the
control room there was an urn in a garnet pouch containing the ashes of Paul
Raven



 

It should be the 1st album with the five historical members


 

Only the Guitar + Bass Guitar and Drums were recorded live while Jaz was
singing above them and encouraged them to improve their riffs in a very
spontaneous and positive attitude.

 

They spent a long time to adjust everything and fine the best tone for the
bass and you could feel the energy coming out of this tune in a
communicative emulation.

 

I am sure that Jaz wanted to do it as perfect as ever to celebrate the
memory of his lost brother, friend and partner and sang like an epileptic
man at the end !!!!

 

Then Eddie (a long term friend from Geordie) rejoigned us and the Cheese
Party began


 

I had 2 wicker trays with fresh leaves from the wood on which I put several
excellent cheeses that delighted us

 

For example this one was 18 months old ant got a real success

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comt%C3%A9_(cheese)

 

Theses ones : everybody loved them  : it’s special because you have to turn
the girolle to get “shavings” of the MonkHead (I had brought 2 plastic
devices in order that everybody could use them: very friendly)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%AAte_de_Moine

 

Without forgetting this one which is only available for a few months in the
year : very tasty with fresh French baguettes.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacherin_(cheese)

 

Of course, we drank adapted wines like:

 

http://www.viswiki.com/en/Mouton_Cadet

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pouilly-Fuiss%C3%A9

 

I still do not understand how a bottle of wine broke in my luggage when just
close to it, I had 12 wine glasses which stayed intact.

 

For the 1st time I brought some saucissons too and they got a real success
too except for Paul who is vegetarian

 

http://saucissonsec.net/

 

Eddie who spent around 40 months in the French Foreign Legion (and
apparently some of them in jail ha ha ha !!!) was so excited to eat again
some cheeses and drink some tasty wines, began to sing the French Hymn “La
Marseillaise”, would I say in his “own particular style” that is often the
one of the guys in the Foreign Legion who come from everywhere in the world
to begin a “new life”

 

Eddie is a very nice guy who could have easily played in the movie : “ Lock,
Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”  ha ha ha 

 

Matt filmed this sequence and put it on line and it reflects exactly the
good vibes at this moment in the kitchen of the studios ;o)))

 

We decided that this 19th tracks should be on the coming album too ;o))

 

Very simple but great moments when we shared good foods and drinks as they
shared with us good music.

 

I am sure that Matt and Antoni will be on the same opinion.

 

After the cheese feast, we went down with Antoni seating in the back of the
recording desk behind the engineers and they let us listening to many new
tunes under construction and especially one with a cavalcade of drums and a
very rhythmic guitar (in all likelihood  “The Great Call”)

 

The one named “Honour The Fire” contains many changes of rhythm and I could
add that guitar is the locomotive, more than ever and you could notice
Geordie shaking his head while listening to the track

Directly in the sprit from his previous demos (without the lady “singing ?”
of course )

 

“End Games” is more heavy and hard to describe.

 

But “Feast Of Fools” is a very powerful, melodic and killer one and Jaz
literally exploded of joy and excitement while listening to it with us in
the desk room.

 

We were all suffering from a sudden virus that led us to headbanging
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Jaz was almost playing air guitar and air drums and at this moment you could
really feel the incredible excitement of the creative process they were
onto.

 

Jaz asked me if I liked the tune: just answered no : I adored it ;o)))

 

Let me describe you the atmosphere : very very cool and relaxed with Jaz on
my side and Big Paul seated on the side of Antoni.

 

Quite the Paradize after all; Big Paul said to the both engineers his now
famous “You have your instructions: make me sound like God ;o))”

 

After this, Davide and Michael left their places for the mixer man Clive and
we went on listening and listening and listening to “The Feast Of Fools” so
he could arrange and improve details and details

 

The software they used for recording and mixing is called “LOGIC PRO” 

 

Around midnight the work was finished and Jaz sent congratulations to Clive
for his job.

 

Antoni and I left the studio with our heads filled of images and sounds from
the day.

 

Awesome, unusual, powerful, melodic and brand new in an 80’ style renewed
would be the words of the day without forgetting friendship and simplicity
and Feast of Cheeses of course.

 

 

2nd Day Friday 20th Nov 2009 :

 

Unfortunately, for different reasons, my 2 partners Antoni and Matt couldn’t
come back so I’ll try to give an objective point of view about the events.

 

The afternoon was first dedicated to Geordie’s riffs under the control of
Youth.

 

He played alternatively with his Golden Harps (from 1952 and 1956) and a red
GIBSON SG à la Angus Young

 

Paul was recording cymbals and you could really understand that a track is
like a puzzle made of hundreds of parts.

 

A long and laborious work still under the control of Youth who compared the
cheese party to an experience of humanity like a leaf growing from the
concrete after 2 weeks.

 

I know that the 1st two days have been hard and mostly used for preparing
the instruments.

 

After 2 weeks it was easy to understand that they were all tired.

 

When listening for the x times, it was nice to see Geordie throwing
encouragements to Youth with the thumb up in the air and funny to see
Geordie encouraging me to film Youth upturned like an orchestra conductor.

 

In fact, that reveals the common work of all the members happy to work again
together like a real group and which everybody has his own place and full
part.

 

Simply the joy to record and create together.

 

They all felt concerned with the upcoming album (maybe for Christmas 09, but
maybe only 
.)

 

Jaz wasn’t happy with the keyboards intro of “The Raven King” and let it
know to the engineers in his own style would I say : shouting loud at them,
they tried to avoid the gaze of the man.

 

It was quite funny because Jaz always knows when I’m filming and plays
always his role perfectly : a perfect customer for the camera would I say.

 

Finally, it took him only one take to record the perfect way and he played
only with 3 fingers in a “kind of improvisation” and got the congratulations
of Youth 

 

Immediately when he left the room certainly very proud of his effect on the
young troops, we all had a big laugh and the engineers could breathe again.

 

Youth asked me if I had filmed the sequence, said Yes and one second after
Jaz came back in the desk room and wanted to change one note again
. but
finally his 1st play was perfect

 

The artist in action
ha ha ha !!!

 

In this moments, I can easily understand why they are “unmanageable” like
other groups.

 

On the other side of the studio, Paul was trying to focus on the lyrics
writing on notebooks sharing his ideas with Jaz in the corridor

 

So began another long series of Geordie’s riffs with the red Gibson and a
lot of distorsions and echoes to get a freaky sound.

 

Then maybe the most unexpected and original moment of the whole recording :
he wanted to get a bottleneck effect so Youth provided Geordie his Iphone
and as the result sounded well we got maybe the first Iphone‘s riff 



Jaz shouted “Fucking great” and that was really it ;o))

 

Of course, I’ve filmed the whole sequence
..

 

After this, it was time for “The New Feudalism” a very speedy rhythm with
great cymbals.

 

It simply shows how easy it’s to play guitar when you are Geordie and a
perfect rhythm for “pogos” in the pit during the coming gigs 

 

The next song “Point Of Singularity” had got a very heavy riff with unusual
guitar and bass “à la Rage Against The Machine meets Black Sabbath” and
strong drums

 

It think it’s directly inspired from the Track 4 of the 2009 demos but on a
more energetic and speedy rhythm

 

And now the evening: the “Gary Jam”

 

Geordie began to taste the Saint Joseph

http://www.vins-saint-desirat.com/

 

and then the Chateauneuf Du Pape (red wines) 

 

 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teauneuf-du-Pape>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teauneuf-du-Pape

 

http://www.chateauneuf.com/english/index.html

 

while Youth was on the last Pouilly Fuissé bottle and Jaz rolling his
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    joint ha ha ha !!!!

 

and they began to play live an instrumental song that immediately stays in
your mind.

 

But for the rhythm very very unusual but so enjoyable as if The “Sparks were
meeting Grace Jones” (my own opinion)

 

It’s really a catchy tune in a 70’ style with saturated guitar.

 

Before getting the perfect harmony Jaz really shouted at the engineers and
said them this “historical “ sentence concerning Geordie

 

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM ? DON’T MAKE HIM SOUND LIKE A TRIBUTE BAND
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Real funny for me but certainly not for the engineers who really were
looking at their shoes during these moments with Master Jaz ;o))

 

I must say that he was ALWAYS right about the best matching between bass and
guitar and that he can be stoned but still have the perfect ear.

 

I wasn’t expecting them to record such a track but the rhythm is so
dynamic
.

 

We decided to have a good Guiness (after all these wines ) at the pub around
the corner with Paul and his sister, Reza, Youth and an a very nice “old
man” 


When he went away, Youth spoke to me about him and I realized it was his


father.

 

The man named Allen was shaking his body during the jam session and Youth
told me that he was in better shape while listening to their music as he was
told to be dead soon several times apparently.

 

We went back to the studio and had some big laughs upstairs with Paul,
Eddie, Jaz and Reza who will be on the next tour and is looking forward to
the Apollo Hammersmith because a few years ago he was working there and said
“ one day I’ll play on this stage “;o))

 

 

 

3rd Day 21th nov 2009

 

Jaz had a meeting about business at the studio with Matt Luxon and a young
lady.

 

During the last 2 days I really really really tried to negociate with
everybody (Jaz Paul Youth and all the people in the studio) to get one of
the new tracks on an USB key but as these were “work in progress tracks and
quite unfinished “ I couldn’t get any of them :o((

 

But the last afternoon was my time !!!!

 

I have spent quite 50 mins in the control room with one guy (who will
recognize himself) and by chance (after some threats on his family ha ha ha
) he let me listening to quite all the tracks 

.

 

“ The Raven King “  certainly the masterpiece of the album

 

“The New Feudalism”     (incredible guitar rhythm that “lead” everything :
Geordie in his highest form with a lot of different breaks)

 

“Point Of Singularity”    (with a bass line à la Steve Harris and guitar
breaks à la Pantera) very different from the others and much more heavier

 

and even let me alone in the control room during one complete track :

 

“A Sixth Son (Holy Mountain)”    (major guitar riff and cool bass lines very
groovy à la “Wire”)

 

This was a very special privilege and couldn’t help filming myself at the
mixing desk doing stupid things like Angus Young’s duck walk in a real
moment of complete euphoria submerged by the music

 

Jaz insisted to introduce me to the young lady seen upstairs as the daughter
of a good friend of him

 

Her name is Yasmin Kerr, daughter of Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) and Jim
Kerr (Simple Minds)

Quite a good name for the music business
.

 

She’s now working for the management.

 

Jaz said to Matt Luxon that it would be a good idea to use all my footages
during the recording sessions for an EPK and I gave my emails to Miss Kerr

 

Matt Luxon said there were discussions for filming the Apollo Hammersmith’s
gig in 2010 but the Saturday 17th should be a day off.

 

There are discussions for them to play some festivals in summer 2010 like
this year too.

 

Concerning the footages of 16 gigs they got from me, the new contract with
Universal prevent them for releasing a DVD with this footages for about 12
/18 months

 

Jaz was supposed to record some vocal parts during the afternoon and I had
the feeling they needed some privacy for the recording with Youth.

 

In fact, they were looking for some other studios to record the vocals for
different tracks too !!!

 

As it was time to leave and take the taxi to Victoria and train to Gatwick
and Plane to Lyon, we said goodbye till next time, thanked them for the
invitation, they both thanked me for the cheeses and Jaz said that Youth was
driving him mad and Youth answered “You mean to Sanity man !!

 

 

 

Stephane “Frenchy Frenzy” very excited about the new album, who spent 3
memorable days in London

 

 

PS : names of others tracks should be “I Am War”  and “Absolut Descent” 

 

PS 2 : Nothing of this would have been possible without Big Paul (the
invitation at the studios)  whose drumming is awesome too and so dynamic

 

PS 3 :There is a  project of a Serge Gainsbourg tribute which Jaz might
contribute to

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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