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2003
tcs complete fourth album, weightlifting
tcs recorded their fourth album, weightlifting, at riverside studios in glasgow, between march 2003 - january 2003. rough mixes of the songs were done during the spring of 2003 and final mixes were done by andy chase, of the band ivy , in new york city, during october - november 2003.
tcs (frank, john and paul) spent a week in new york from november 7-14 to complete the mixes with andy and finalize the album mastering. following are more details of the time spent in new york:
friday, november 7, 2003
the band arrived in new york from glasgow, via london, late friday night in preparation for the final mixing with andy chase, beginning on saturday. the band previously sent the rough mixes to andy so he had a sense for what the band was aiming for with each song. they also converted all of the recordings to pro tools, which is the program used by andy to do the mixing.
this isn't intended to explain the technicalities of the mixing process, but very generally, what the mixing tries to accomplish is adjusting volumes of various recorded tracks (i.e. a track may be a particular instrument or a lead or background vocal), adjust/add/remove certain effects used on tracks (i.e. reverb, echo, fade out, etc.), and cutting/pasting/muting tracks. it's also an opportunity for andy and the band to discuss overall feel/mood of each song and possible sequencing of songs. andy had a number of ideas for the mixes and mixed each song to approximately 90% of completion, which the band listened to before coming to new york. the mixing sessions this week are to finalize and make any necessary changes to the mixes prior to mastering the album later in the week.
saturday, november 8, 2003
tcs spend the day in studio a at stratosphere studios finalizing the mixes for freetime, all the dark horses, trouble sleeping, leave me alone and the country air.
sunday,
november 9, 2003
a diary of a day in the studio:
11:30 mixing starts, andy has been in the studio making some adjustments to a few of the songs. the session starts by listening to andy's mix of got carried away. andy and the band discuss his observations of some of the things he has done to the song and what else he thinks it may need. tcs also have some items they'd like to try. some of andy's comments are that he thinks the vocals could be louder, paul's guitar may need to be quieter and the bass may be too loud. paul agrees that the guitar is too loud, especially after the first chous. frank also points out that the tom toms are too low and they would like to remove some tambourine.
nearly two hours later, andy has finished making these and other changes, including editing some 'punch outs' (edits that were originally made to the recording) and noticeable breaths in frank's vocals. he has also increased the acoustic guitar in the chorus. andy has already raised the vocals 1/2 db and everyone seems happy with the vocals, however frank thinks the last word of the song ('away') should be louder, as it currently trails off.
2:00 andy is making some additional changes to various guitar levels in the choruses and there is discussion about the singing in the last chorus. in addition to frank's lead vocal ('next time'), there are two different repeating backing vocals, each singing something different ('i know i'll' and 'know better'), so the lyric is 'next time i know i'll know better...next time...' tcs are considering taking out some of the vocals so there isn't as much repetition. they decide to take out some pieces but andy thinks they shouldn't take out too many as there are a lot of things coming during the chorus and the repetition helps maintain continuity. the last thing they want to do is move a snare hit which seems slightly out of time, and make it louder.
2:30 they listen to the new mix and at the snare hit, andy and paul are shaking their heads. andy also noticed a breath at one point and is going back to edit it out. he tries to fix the snare but after listening a few more times, no one is quite satisfied with it. andy thinks they just can't do anything, they're fixated on it and no matter what they do, he thinks they won't like it. he suggests moving on and frank tries to convince himself to forget about it. they then listen to the instrumental mix of the song and at the snare hit, paul thinks it sounds fine...andy agrees. frank is a bit bothered by one of the harmonies that were removed but decides to listen over the next couple of days to see if he wants to make any changes. everyone agrees that the current mix is what they will go with pending any last minute change of heart.
2:50 welcome back is up next. everyone listens to the mix and then discuss potential changes. paul doesn't like a background vocal harmony. andy thinks it adds an element of ambience and excitement, as long as it isn't overpowering. he lowers the harmony a bit and paul thinks it sounds better. andy wants to turn up the lead vocal...paul thinks the end of the guitar solo ends abruptly and wants andy to try turning it down or fading it slightly...frank would like to increase the shaker tambourine in the chorus...paul think the guitar solo overall could be increased slightly. frank and john question whether john's guitar throughout needs to be increased slightly...paul think it's okay as is, but they all agree that they want to increase the beginning chords of john's guitar.
paul and john want andy to look into increasing a couple of chords of john's guitar near the beginning of paul's guitar solo. andy makes the change, but now john and paul think it sounds odd and ask andy to change it back.
in the middle of the song there are 3 occasions of response guitars, frank wants to increase the response guitar volume there and at the end of the song. frank is considering extending the end of the song - maybe they could copy the current call and response guitars at the end of the song and paste them at the end to make this part twice as long...also consider using the extended section as a fade out or cross-fading the two guitars..maybe it would make a good transition into the next song, something like all the dark horses. andy thinks it's good as is, paul seems a bit skeptical of extending the song. andy extends the song..frank decided that was a bad idea so they go back to the original ending. andy thinks the bass may need to be increased, and will do an additional 'bass up' mix so they can listen to both versions.
4:15 what women do to men - paul and john think andy's mix is great, they'd just like andy to increase the strings near the end of the song. andy had been questioning whether the strings should actually be lowered around 0.8 db, especially at the end, as his tendency is for things to be more subtle or smoother...but he can go either way on this one. they decide to increase the strings 1.0 db. andy asks if the band thinks the vocal and arpeggio guitar could be increased slightly...this leads to some discussion of how the electric guitar is introduced into the song. andy slowly raised the level of the guitar so that people subtlely become aware of it, the band likes what he has done. there is a similar discussion of when to introduce the organ and they test different fade in points...john and paul prefer bringing it in at the later test point.
everyone is discussing the backing vocals and whether they need to be louder and/or clearer. they decide no, andy points out that not changing them helps the ambience of the song. there is some talk of pushing the guitar up at the beginning of the third verse...increasing the volume of a couple of cowbell hits...increasing the guitar and/or strings at the end of the song. frank would like to copy and paste a vocal from one part of the song to another in order to make it more similar to how the song is performed live.
playing scrabble to pass the time. final score: paul 177, frank 176, john 137 and someone else 80 (john's dubious scorekeeping)
after a dinner break, more changes...paul thinks the cowbell in the second verse is too loud - frank agrees...frank asks if the strings should be increased in the second verse. andy agrees and changes...frank wants a short guitar part in verse three increaed slightly...he's also having second thoughts about the word in the vocal that was added, but andy likes it. frank thinks the strings at the end don't sound right but they can't quite figure it out what it is. individually each string sounds okay, but there is a small amount of distortion which andy mutes. andy makes a few more changes and they listen to the full and instrumental mixes...everyone is satisfied.
7:00 it's a miracle we got anywhere - in the second verse a guitar has been muted for a couple of seconds...everyone is discussing whether to put it back in. they decide to put it back in but the volume is dipped down and everyone likes this. frank thinks the guitar solo could be louder, so andy increases and they all like it. frank also wants to increase the backing vocal ('in their turn') in the middle 8 and also the backing vocal 'pricelessly to fail'. john and paul think the 'pricelessly to fail' is good as is, and they ultimately decide leave it. frank comments that the ending of the song sounds cleaned up. andy says that he muted some things, especially the bass...he felt that it was just sustaining the same note and taking it out seemed to get rid of some extraneous sounds. frank agrees and likes it. andy wants to add more reverb to the vocals and after a couple other small changes, everyone listens to the full and instrumental mixes and likes where they stand.
andy chase listening to 'it's a miracle we got anywhere'
7:45 usually - there aren't too many changes to make, overall the band is happy with the mix. they want to turn down the snare in the choruses and spend some time fiddling with the 'usually...usually...usually' choruses. there is a lot of discussion of the song in general, there is a wide range in how the band feels about it and there is some discussion of whether it will even be on the album. andy thinks it's great and it would be a shame not to include it. andy makes a few more changes and after hearing the final mixes, they think it sounds good.
8:45 a coda - there is a short introduction before the vocals and frank wants to take out the first 4 bars. andy thinks maybe they could take out a couple more seconds at the beginning. paul likes this. frank wants to take out another second or two and thinks this might make it a better transition from another song. andy tried editing out part of the second verse and another 7 seconds come out of the song. paul and frank like this but now that he took out part of the verse, they want andy to try swapping the remaining minor chord with the major chord that was taken out. paul wants to fade the song out one bar earlier. frank asks andy to try fading into the song so with the fade out, the song is bookended. paul likes this, andy does as well but says it depends on how the album is sequenced and whether the fade in is needed.
frank and andy working on 'usually'
frank listens to 'a coda'
an hour after starting, andy questions whether the song would work as an instrumental. frank and paul aren't convinced that the album needs an instrumental, and again andy says that it's important to know what the sequencing will be to see how the song fits on the album. frank and paul aren't sure about the running order, john says about the only thing they know at this point is that weightlifting will be last. frank says that welcome back would probably be first. andy is a little surprised by this, he thinks that the first song should set the tone for the record and if that's the case, he isn't sure if welcome back should go first since it's probably the most up-tempo song on the record (similar to bloodrush). paul compares it to the queen is dead, where the album starts with a big rocker and then the smiths never went back to that style on the record.
paul and john discuss possible sequencing
the master cd
10:00 the mixes are done, with the exception of weightlifting, which they'll work on in a couple of days. andy is about to burn the tracks to cd for the band to listen to before the mastering later in the week and thinks they should make an attempt at sequencing the album now so he can burn the cd in that order. andy has mixed a version of trouble sleeping with an acoustic introduction and they discuss that opening the album with this would be an interesting idea, with the new introduction to the song essentially introducing the band members one at a time. they could possibly start with freetime, but andy thinks it would feel better coming later in the album. they go with the following and call it a night at midnight:
1. trouble sleeping 4. the country air 7. leave me alone 10. it's a miracle we got anywhere
2. all the dark horses 5. freetime 8. what women do to men 11. usually
3. got carried away 6. welcome back 9. a coda 12. weightlifting
monday, november 10, 2003
the band is playing an acoustic show at fez tonight and they have a lot to get done. they need to pick up a couple of acoustic guitars and a guitar amp, decide what they're going to play, rehearse, go to soundcheck, listen to the new mixes and work on the album sequencing.
frank listening to mixes, working on sequencing
in the morning, they are listening to the mixes and frank's thoughts are that the running order might go something like this:
1. the country air 4. freetime 7. got carried away 10. a coda
2. welcome back 5. usually 8. trouble sleeping 11. it's a miracle we got anywhere
3. what women do to men 6. alll the dark horses 9. leave me alone 12. weightlifting
working on a potential set list
frank says he wouldn't have thought that the album could start with the country air, but with the new mix, it sounds fuller, and it's short...then go into welcome back...it might work. frank says he hadn't thought of got carried away as a way to start the album, it always sounds better coming after something else. the band is throwing out song names to see what their initial reaction is - whether it's a song that would come early or late in the album...songs that sound good coming one after another. they spend more time listening to the mixes in different order...all the dark horses followed by leave me alone...all the dark horses followed by got carried away...trouble sleeping followed by got carried away...welcome back followed by got carried away...paul thinks this combination sounds good, frank agrees. trouble sleeping followed by leave me alone...john comments that leave me alone has always sounded to him that it should come after a lot of songs...a coda followed by leave me alone...more combinations follow...
paul rehearsing for that night's show
at 1:00 their guitars and amp are delivered and the band tries them out. paul has brought his electric guitar with him and the band discusses songs that would be on tonight's set list. they have around 25 they're considering, including a cover of dusty springfield's morning, please don't come. they covered this at one of the brel shows earlier this year but can't quite remember how it goes, so spend a lot of time working out the chords and rehearsing the song (which they do end up playing that night). they discuss some other songs, but without bass and/or drums, they think many of the songs won't work...for example, they try all the dark horses and without davy's bass and stephen singing the high harmonies, it just doesn't sound right.
john rehearsing for that night's show
4:00 sound check at fez then dinner, back to the hotel (the infamous chelsea hotel) to get ready for the show...taking cabs back to fez at 9:00, where doors are scheduled to open at 9:30
set list and pictures from the show >>
tuesday, november 11, 2003
today the focus is to finish mixing the track weightlifting. in the afternoon, the band heads back to stratosphere studios, studio b, where andy has been working on the song. he explains that there seems to be a problem with the masters he has been given. it sounds like there were 3 transfers of an 8 track recording and each transfer is a little bit slower than the one before. he has been trying to fix this, but it's potentially a problem. instead, he went back to the rough mix and tried speeding up certain parts from within the mix, and it actually doesn't sound bad. he thinks the rough mix is a little slow, but sonically it sounds good. it clocks in around 99 beats per minute and he'd like to get it to 102 bpm. one option is to print (to disc) the song now and have it sped up in mastering, but since it's a dat file, he's not sure if that can be sped up when everything else is in pro tools. another option is to put the song on 1/2" tape and speed up from there.
andy hasn't finished his mix yet but he doesn't think the song needs to have much done. he calls the song 'hypnotic', the way it goes along without any changes, he says it's rare that a song can be like this and work. they decide to start incorporating the band's comments and then andy will add other effects later this afternoon.
frank recorded a couple of different vocals for the song, partly because there are slightly different lyrics and partly so he could try singing it a couple of different ways. he ends up deciding to use one of the vocal tracks, but would like to swap a couple of words from the other vocal track into this one. 'you need a little sunlight' vs 'you suit...'. andy thinks 'need' is clearer and more direct, frank says 'suit' is a bit more ambiguous...he thinks they should go with 'need' and andy agrees. in another case, the line 'you can make your way out if you lay down below' has been sung a little bit differently with a high melody and low melody. there is a lot of discussion whether to use one or the other or splice the two together...however the splicing isn't coming out well and andy tries a couple other approaches that don't quite work, so they decide to go with the low melody. frank suggests using the high melody as a background vocal to the low melody version, but after andy tries incorporating it, they all agree that it doesn't really work. along these lines, there are two different backing vocals..in one version a particular word is 'clouds' in another, the word is 'round'...the band would like andy to take the word 'round' and insert it into the other backing vocal, replacing 'clouds'. andy makes this change and they're happier with the way it sounds.
frank, john and paul listen to 'weightlifting'
other changes considered were raising john's guitar in certain places, extending the guitar intro into the chorus, trying different places to begin the fade out and subtlely raising some organ sections. once these changes are discussed, others are brought up - raising part of a backing vocal towards the end of the second chorus, raising a 4 note bass run, different placements and durations of the fade out and briefly raising a background harmony during the fade out.
andy then works on finishing the mix and incorporating some of his ideas and the band head back to the hotel. they return a few hours later and spend the rest of the night (until 3:00 am) in studio a, going through the final weightlifting mix and making some other changes to the remaining songs. at the end of the session, the band finally has a master cd for the mastering later that day.
wednesday, november 12, 2003
instead of trying to explain what album mastering is, here is an april 2001 interview with scott hull, who was the mastering engineer for weightlifting. scott works at hit factory mastering studios in new york city. the band and andy chase spend the day with scott and by the end of the day, finished mastering the album, settling on the final albm tracklisting:
1. welcome back 4. what women do to men 7. it's a miracle we got anywhere 10. the country air
2. got carried away 5. freetime 8. a coda 11. leave me alone
3. all the dark horses 6. usually 9. trouble sleeping 12. weightlifting
thursday, november 13, 2003
the band spent the day relaxing and listening to the album master. they and andy agreed on some minor tweaks and scott worked on the changes.
friday, november 14, 2003
the band returned to scotland with a finished album in their pocket. next step is to sign licensing deals for its release.
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