Welcome Legendary Rec. Engineer Mike Ross (Hendrix, PG's Fleetwood Mac, the Who, etc)

Cool...cool...cool! Were the strings on Culture Club's "Time" a small section? I can't quite tell but it sounds like 6 or 8 players. Also, did you overdub those strings across several tracks... or capture in stereo in one pass? It sorta sounds like multiple tracks with the way the strings mix seems to move.

This is so cool to talk with you here. I too, had to do the two-machine bouncing back in the early days and I love talking with engineers from those days who also regularly did that. I think kids today see the word "four track" and think everyone simply came up with these massive 60s hits by slapping down... just four tracks.

 

Very much appreciated, thank you sir.

 

Dear Mike,

Chicken shack... I have been collecting some of their 45's (the affordable ones) and I believe they are all dedicated mono mixes up to Maudie, even I'd Rather go blind which is missing in its mono incarnation on the 3CD set from a couple years ago.
This brings me back to the Albatross mono/stereo discussion; why is it that some Blue Horizon mono things were folddowns as early as 1968 (Mr. Wonderful, Albatross), while you and Mike Vernon went to the trouble of mixing other things for mono specifically as late as 1970?

I'd like to make special mention of the Tears in the Wind 45 from 1969. It is a beautiful song and sounds terrific in mono. It also has a non-lp B-side called 'The things you put me through'. I believe Mike Vernon was never all that fond of the post-Christine version of CS but they were excellent.

Thanks for all the good stories!

 

Great to have you on the forum Mike.

 

Welcome to the forum Mike Ross-Trevor! I am a Byrds fan and I'll never forget hearing Father Along for the first time. I heard it over headphones on my brother's stereo. I really liked the mix on Antique Sandy, and the overall sound on tracks like Bugler and Lazy Waters. Did the Byrds drums go through compression? Whatever, it sounds so good, I was always surprised it was their last real album.

I think I've seen your name on some classical albums too. Of course, I know many of the other songs others have brought up. You've given so much pleasure through the recorded arts.

Thank you!

 

RED HOUSE
What an "experience" that must have been Mike!
Welcome too the forum.

 

Hello Again Mike-If I can get away with another Fleetwood Mac related question...

The Christine Perfect "When You Say" session has always fascinated me as it was the only time Danny Kirwan was in the producer's chair.

As the Engineer for the session, how did the session go in terms of having Danny as the producer? He was only 19 or 20 at the time and perhaps inexperienced in that role, leaving me to think you did most of the lion's share of the work.

As well how was it recording the string quartet that features on the song? I beleive Danny did the string arrangement.

Thanks Again.

 

Hi Mike, thanks much for sharing your time with us!

Two Jimi questions..

-Per John McDermott takes of "3rd Stone From the Sun" were rec at CBS in 12/66 - do recall working on this song?

- Any idea if the JHE session reels survive? Owing to Chas's billing dispute with Jake Levy I wondered if any session reels were left behind - afaik no outtakes from CBS have surfaced. Of course, he clearly had the "Foxy Lady" 4T since he continued work on it at Olympic..

thanks again!
Chris Moise

 

As promised, here is the John Mcdermott article about Hendrix.







What confuses me is that this piece makes no mention of Red House, while the next entry in the book (Dec 21, 1966) mentions that Red House was recorded on Dec 13.

 

I gave all the 4 track tapes to Chas after he had paid his studio bill nothing was left behind and I would imagine the 4 track tapes are now with the Chandler family or Hendrix family. Yes I clearly remember working on '3rd Stone From The Sun'

 

I do remember recording 'Red House' but it may have only been the basic track but at this distance I can't remember what day

 

The orchestral track for 'When You Say' was recorded at Trident Studios I did the vocal overdubs and mixing which was supervised by Mike Vernon and from what I can remember Mike Vernon also produced the orchestral tracks, I can't imagine that Mike Vernon would have let Danny Kirwin in a studio with expensive musicians on his own, your reference to Danny Kirwin producing is new to me as I always worked with Mike Vernon.

 

Yes they were exciting sessions as nobody had ever seen somebody like Jimi before.......we were breaking new ground.

 

Very informative Mike!

Danny is credited as such on the single leading me to believe that he was the producer, but as you confirmed, it makes more sense that Mike Vernon was in the producer’s chair for the Session.

Nice to know the srtrings were recorded at Trident. It was a great Studio.

 

That would be nice.
It's great to have someone from that era who actually worked with legendary musicians answer questions.
I'm amazed that Mike remembers all the details.

 

Mike,

Have you had a chance too listen too "West Coast Seattle Boy"?!?!
I LUV how you get the specific studio versions.
(even made CD-R's of each studio; w/only tracks recorded at that location)
If you've heard "WCSB", does it capture the "sound" of the studio as you remember it???

Do you have favorite sources too listen too, for the work you did w/Jimi?
Thanks again!

HAPPY 2012!

 

Thanks Mike! Hopefully the CBS version of '3rd Stone From The Sun' is out there.

 

Red House was also credited to Dec 13, 1966 on the 1997 remaster of AYE, so it looks like you did actually record the whole finished track. I'm guessing there are no overdubs on that song, the vocals sound very 'live', unlike Foxy lady where they sound very dry and direct and stick out like a sore thumb.

 

Yes I have heard 'West Coast Seattle Boy' in fact Eddie Kramer played it to me before it was released and to answer your question yes the sound is very much how I remember the sound of the CBS room Eddie managed to master the original tapes without changing the original intention.

I liked the sound of the re-mastered 2010
Are You Experienced (CD/DVD Limited DigiPack)

 

Quick question for Mike...

In 5/68 EMI hired CBS to transfer 1/2" 4T reels from Pink Floyd’s De Lane Lea & Sound Techniques sessions to 1" 4T so they could be worked on at Abbey Rd. I guess EMI didn’t have deck that played 1/2" 4T.

As the only engineer at CBS did you handle jobs like this? Any chance you remember copying a bunch of '67 Floyd tapes for use on Syd Barrett sessions?

Thanks again Mike!
Chris

 

I certainly don't remember myself doing that job and if I did I certainly would have remembered something like that, however it may have been handled by a dubbing engineer during that time as I was far too busy working on live sessions.

 

Yes the drums are compressed on the 'Farther Along' album.

You are correct I recorded many classical albums including a lot of albums with James Galway and classical guitarist John Williams.

 

Thank you so much, sir.

Mr Wonderful straight to stereo? Wow... All I can say is; you certainly knew what you were doing. I've always loved the atmosphere on this album. You can clearly hear the vocals are coming from a P.A. system. The 5 Jeremy Spencer tracks that are almost identical are a bit of a let-down, but I've never heard anything sounding quite like it.

It's also interesting to hear your take on how Mike Vernon saw the post-Christine Chicken Shack. I think I based my belief on the liner-notes of both the 1994 remaster of 100 ton and the 3CD from 2006. Vernon admitted having a bit of difficulty with the musical direction Stan was taking by the time they recorded Accept (which in my book is a stone-classic) and that there may have been some strife about it between the two men.

 

Welcome and thank you for your great work!