Just Another Day at the Office... 1983
Mixing Tracks for The Animals' "ARK" Album.
Just Another Day at the Office... 1983
Mixing Tracks for The Animals' "ARK" Album.
In 1983 I was twenty. I was working as a freelance sound engineer in London, based mainly at Maison Rouge Studios, in Fulham Broadway, under the guidance of its studio manager, Tony Taverner.
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Like many twenty-year-olds, I was from time to time slightly late for work and at least slightly hungover. On arrival I would attempt to disarm and distract my boss usually by simply just talking too much, like nothing had happened, trying to be charming, and making a joke.
Tony (my boss), was totally wise to this, however very cool with me. He didn’t give me a hard time, usually just a mildly disapproving glance, and then let me dig myself deeper into my own nonsense.
I remember one day coming through the studio’s main entrance mid-morning, maybe ten or fifteen minutes late, and immediately seeing my boss, Tony off to my right sitting in the bar area, at a small table talking with someone. I went straight over, positioning myself so he could see me, and when he looked up (and at his watch) and acknowledged I was there I started babbling… a brief apology (for being late), followed very rapidly (to prevent focus on the being late-bit) by an enthusiastic “What am I working on today, Tony?” type-question.
Tony casually said, “You’re working with Tony Visconti.”
I was almost speechless — however, unfortunately, I wasn’t…
“What, you mean THE Tony Visconti? T.Rex and “Young Americans” Tony Visconti?
“Yep!”
“Wow! You know that he produced my friend Hazel’s album, “Breaking Glass”?
“No, I didn’t know that, Nic.”
Perhaps my boss hadn’t heard of Tony Visconti or Hazel O’Connor? It was a bit of a push for me to describe Hazel as a friend because I’d only recently met her. But anyway, I continued to fill Tony, my boss, in a bit about Haze and THE Tony Visconti…
“You know Hazel O’Connor? She had that big hit with that song about drinking coffee, you know, “Will You”, with that big sax solo? Visconti produced it. Man, he’s a fucking amazing producer. He’s done sooo many things with David Bowie. He even played bass for him! I can’t believe I’m going to be working with THE Tony Visconti! I can’t wait! When is he coming in?”
“He’s here already.” And Tony, grinning, gestured with his head and gaze towards the man sitting opposite him at the table…
“Beam me up, Scotty…” (Me, under my breath.)
I don’t remember exactly what we worked on that day, I think it was some Modern Romance tracks, doing some multitrack editing and general sorting out, maybe an overdub or two. Tony Visconti had his own studio in Soho, Good Earth, however that day or week his studio was either busy on another project or had some maintenance going on. Hence he booked a day or two at Maison Rouge.
On another occasion, I was more like thirty or forty minutes late for work, and the recording session had already started.
I was supposed to have been at the studio early to assist the more than competent producer/engineer Steve Levine set up for recording a Japanese Whisky (I think, could have been just straightforward Sake) commercial. Because I was late my boss, Tony Taverner, had stepped in to help Steve.
Now I had to somehow join the session as seamlessly as possible, without causing any disruption for the client. At this point, still hungover, I wasn’t sure who the client was, I just knew the producer was Steve Levine.
My solution was very English. I decided to go to the client lounge, make a huge pot of tea, and take it in to the studio control room on a tray full of mugs, milk, sugar and biscuits as nonchalantly as I could.
Tray in hand, I sneaked through the studio control room door. I instantly recognised the client and the song that was being modified for this Japanese commercial. It was Culture Club, and their hit song “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me”.
As casually as I could, trying my hardest just to blend in, I stooped to put the tray down on a low table next to the sofa at the back of the control room.
Suddenly the music stopped. Total silence.
I looked up.
My boss, Tony, was looking at me very disapprovingly. Steve Levine was also looking at me, he was not pleased.
Everybody else in the room was looking at me, in particular Boy George, staring, mouth all pouty, totally dressed up to the nines, with the hat, the hairband, the long hair, the plaits, the colourful top, baggy trousers etc etc.
I gave it my best shot, tried to gloss over my very late entrance, and confidently addressed everybody in the room with my question “Anybody want a cup of tea?”
To which Boy George like lightning very loudly responded, “Only if you stir it with your dick!” And burst into fits of giggly laughter, along with everyone else (just not so giggly)…
I wasn’t happy. Cheeky big-pouty-mouthed fucker! Anyway, already, less than a minute into the session, through the haze of my hangover, I saw red, and seriously contemplated decking the client, which probably would not be the most professional of responses. So I bit my lip instead, and laughed it off. But, lesson learned! Don’t be late! However, just imagine that situation happening today, in 2024… Basically, I don’t think it could! Not without litigation over sexual harassment in the workplace. Back then in 1983… it was just another day at the office.
Mixing Tracks for The Animals' "ARK" Album.
That’s quite often how my work day would begin (not sexual harassment). I’d come to work, not quite sure who I’d be working with, and my boss, Tony Taverner would tell me.
And that is how my week mixing tracks for The Animals’ album “ARK” began.
“Today you’re working with The Animals, Nic. You’ll be finishing off and mixing some album tracks for them.”
“Ok, who’s the producer?”
“The band produced all the tracks, but you’ll be doing everything, you’ll be working with them, overseeing the overdubs, and you’ll be overseeing all the mixes.”
Holy Shit! Talk about in at the deep end! I was at the same time totally petrified and absolutely elated. Somehow I managed to keep my cool and visually come across like it was all just a walk in the park… however, under the surface my webbed feet were going ten to a dozen…
I’m not 100% sure how exactly it happened. I don’t know if it was totally my boss, Tony Taverner, who put me forward for this work. Or if someone at I.R.S. Records (The Animals’ label) suggested me.
One of my close school friends, Neil Brett, was working with a music artist booking agency called Wasted Talent (which I think was somehow linked to Harvey Goldsmith, though I could be wrong). Neil was booking gigs for The Alarm. I think Wasted Talent’s office was next to I.R.S. Records office. Anyway, I’d been there with Neil, and met one of Miles Copeland’s label managers — Steve Tannett (who was also working with The Alarm), and I’d told him I was working as an engineer at Maison Rouge studios. Neil bigged me up in front of Steve, and actually, I think Steve had also seen Neil and I’s kind of Indie/New Wave/Punk band playing live in The Rock Garden, in Covent Garden. So it’s possible Steve greased the wheels a bit because apparently, The Animals wanted to add some New Wave flavour to their sound for this album.
I asked Tony, that first morning, why I’d been given this opportunity to work with The Animals. For me, for any young engineer, this was an incredibly big deal. Tony just laughed as he was walking away with his back to me, and simply said “Nobody else wanted to do it.” Forty years later and I’m wondering — maybe he wasn’t joking?
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