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Early stereo recordings usually consisted of what would be known today as "split tracks," with the vocals on one side of the speaker pan, and the instruments on the other. As technology advanced, and more tracks were added, it was easier to move instruments around, giving a "life-like stereo" effect, where instruments and vocals were spread out across the speakers, just as they would be live.
Phil Spector took advantage of this and created the "wall of sound," where each part would be recorded twice and spread out across the pan (one bass part on the left channel, another identical bass part on the far right channel). Do this enough, and you essentially have thicker mono sound, as both sides are identical. Rather quickly, gospel music jumped on this method, resulting in almost choir-like mixes with the vocals (while leaving the instruments unstacked).
Now, with virtually unlimited tracking capabilities, you can pretty much drop any instrument or vocal at any point within the panning. Have a guitar solo? Let's put that about halfway across the left speaker. Piano solo? A third across the right. Even vocals are starting to take this approach; instead of stacking groups several times, the standard mix is becoming lead vocal in the middle, tenor part on the left speaker, and baritone on the right, with the bass in the middle.
The only problem with this method is that, if you're wearing headphones, you HAVE to have both sides of the headphones on to get the full effect of the recording. If you have just the right side, you'll miss 1/4 of the harmony, and odds are, half of the instruments in the recording. Studio recordings are designed to be heard using both available channels (left and right) to get the full effect. It's the same as 5.1 surround sound. Unplug one speaker, and you may miss background dialog or effects that would otherwise be there.
Why am I bringing this up? It's not necessarily an issue that needs addressed more than it is my own personal frustration....at work, I keep one earbud in while I work, leaving the other ear open to answer the phone or hear from others, and I'm starting to get a little annoyed when I can't hear an entire song!!!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Cathedrals - "Greater"
When Todd Payne first started releasing some of the Cathedrals' early 80's table product to stores in 2001, I started drooling. I found the first release (Cherish That Name) at Lifeway while I was at Stamps-Baxter School of Music and picked it up, and it quickly became one of my favorites. The second one came out in the fall, and that was Greater.
I originally wrote a mini-review of Greater that basically said I liked Cherish That Name better, simply because the production was tighter and cleaner than Greater (granted, Greater was also recorded at least a year before CTN). The more I listen to Greater, however, the more I realize just how good the album really is.
First of all, you can tell that this is a table project. There is no orchestration, the sound quality somewhat substandard, and the instrumentation is limited to about 5 instruments. What the Cats do with this setup, however, is quite good. They pull off "Rise Again," which could easily be done as an epic ballad, with the 5-piece band, and it still sound epic. They also get creative with their arrangements, giving a fiddle trio the introduction for "I'll Stand For Jesus," and a slightly-updated arrangement of "The Last Sunday."
What seems to make this project sound out, however, is that it just seems like it was a lot of fun to record. Everyone gets a chance to shine (even Roger Bennett, who had only been with the group a few years at this point), and they all just sound like they're having a ball. "I Enjoy The Trip," written by Talley, is almost like a "young'uns" feature, giving Talley, Bennett, and Mark Trammell each some solo lines, and the song itself is quite unique with the raw guitar out front.
The real masterpiece on here, however, is the Old Man, Glen Payne's feature, "Feelin' At Home In The Presence of Jesus." Payne REALLY sounds relaxed and comfortable on this, not forcing anything, and sounding flat out mellow (just like the track). It's a shame this never made it to the major market, because this could've easily been a big hit. Payne could belt out "We Shall See Jesus" with all the power in the world, but rarely did he get a chance to just mellow out and croon (something he was surprisingly good at!).
I originally wrote a mini-review of Greater that basically said I liked Cherish That Name better, simply because the production was tighter and cleaner than Greater (granted, Greater was also recorded at least a year before CTN). The more I listen to Greater, however, the more I realize just how good the album really is.
First of all, you can tell that this is a table project. There is no orchestration, the sound quality somewhat substandard, and the instrumentation is limited to about 5 instruments. What the Cats do with this setup, however, is quite good. They pull off "Rise Again," which could easily be done as an epic ballad, with the 5-piece band, and it still sound epic. They also get creative with their arrangements, giving a fiddle trio the introduction for "I'll Stand For Jesus," and a slightly-updated arrangement of "The Last Sunday."
What seems to make this project sound out, however, is that it just seems like it was a lot of fun to record. Everyone gets a chance to shine (even Roger Bennett, who had only been with the group a few years at this point), and they all just sound like they're having a ball. "I Enjoy The Trip," written by Talley, is almost like a "young'uns" feature, giving Talley, Bennett, and Mark Trammell each some solo lines, and the song itself is quite unique with the raw guitar out front.
The real masterpiece on here, however, is the Old Man, Glen Payne's feature, "Feelin' At Home In The Presence of Jesus." Payne REALLY sounds relaxed and comfortable on this, not forcing anything, and sounding flat out mellow (just like the track). It's a shame this never made it to the major market, because this could've easily been a big hit. Payne could belt out "We Shall See Jesus" with all the power in the world, but rarely did he get a chance to just mellow out and croon (something he was surprisingly good at!).
Monday, October 22, 2007
Signature Songs - Yay or Nay?
It appears that Paul Jackson's post about signature songs is getting quite a bit of attention. I thought I might add another artists' perspective to the mix....
Since joining Acclaim, one of my first duties has been to pick up songs that were originally recorded by another lead singer. The original recording was great, and when they sang the song, it was theirs, but the songs still received a great response from the crowds when I came on, so I was assigned the songs. I was told from the beginning, however, to make it my own, and not try to copy the previous singers' rendition.
One might argue that hearing the current Gold City sing "Midnight Cry" would pretty much be the same as another group covering the song, as none of the current members sang on the original recording. At least when Tim was still with them, there was SOME connection, but now, there's none other than a name and history. It makes a lot more sense for Ivan to sing/record the song now, and even Garry & Mercy's Mark, as Garry produced the original cut.
"Champion of Love" presents a somewhat more interesting problem. Gerald Wolfe recorded it with the Cathedrals, went solo, kept singing it, and when he started his own trio, THEY sang it (and still do to this day using the original Cathedrals track). When Gerald left the Cats and Roger came back, the song was kind of "given" to Gerald, as no one in the current group could (or would) sing it, but when Scott Fowler joined, the song was brought back. That left Gerald as a soloist and Scott with the Cathedrals singing the song on a regular basis. Once the Cats retired, Scott kept singing the song with Legacy Five, making them, essentially, the third act to perform the song on a regular basis. Then when George and Ernie started singing with the Old Friends, Wesley Prichard sang "Champion of Love." Interesting to note is that all of these artists used the same performance track from the "Symphony Of Praise" album, and all of them have at least some connection to the Cathedrals. Is "Champion of Love" Gerald's song? Yes. Has that stopped people from singing it? Nope!!
Now, I think the restrictions should be limited to certain guidelines (as others have argued). If the artist is still actively touring and performing the song, then it should be off limits (i.e. "I Bowed On My Knees"). If a song has not been recorded or performed by a certain artist for quite a few years, then it should be at least open for review, but ONLY if the new artist can do a FRESH arrangement of it (like Ponder, Sykes, and Wright did a few years back with a more jazzed-up version of "I Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now," although in all fairness, Sykes is Rusty's son-in-law, so he kinda has a little bit of freedom!).
A song that kind of surprised me Paul's (and Daniel's) list was "We Shall See Jesus." To my knowledge, no other artist has attempted this song, and Glen Payne definitely owned this masterpiece, but I would have figured that the GVB, or maybe even SSQ might pick this one up again (especially after the Vocal Band recently did "Sinner Saved By Grace"). My question there is, I wonder if the songwriter/publisher is allowing the mechanical license....
Since joining Acclaim, one of my first duties has been to pick up songs that were originally recorded by another lead singer. The original recording was great, and when they sang the song, it was theirs, but the songs still received a great response from the crowds when I came on, so I was assigned the songs. I was told from the beginning, however, to make it my own, and not try to copy the previous singers' rendition.
One might argue that hearing the current Gold City sing "Midnight Cry" would pretty much be the same as another group covering the song, as none of the current members sang on the original recording. At least when Tim was still with them, there was SOME connection, but now, there's none other than a name and history. It makes a lot more sense for Ivan to sing/record the song now, and even Garry & Mercy's Mark, as Garry produced the original cut.
"Champion of Love" presents a somewhat more interesting problem. Gerald Wolfe recorded it with the Cathedrals, went solo, kept singing it, and when he started his own trio, THEY sang it (and still do to this day using the original Cathedrals track). When Gerald left the Cats and Roger came back, the song was kind of "given" to Gerald, as no one in the current group could (or would) sing it, but when Scott Fowler joined, the song was brought back. That left Gerald as a soloist and Scott with the Cathedrals singing the song on a regular basis. Once the Cats retired, Scott kept singing the song with Legacy Five, making them, essentially, the third act to perform the song on a regular basis. Then when George and Ernie started singing with the Old Friends, Wesley Prichard sang "Champion of Love." Interesting to note is that all of these artists used the same performance track from the "Symphony Of Praise" album, and all of them have at least some connection to the Cathedrals. Is "Champion of Love" Gerald's song? Yes. Has that stopped people from singing it? Nope!!
Now, I think the restrictions should be limited to certain guidelines (as others have argued). If the artist is still actively touring and performing the song, then it should be off limits (i.e. "I Bowed On My Knees"). If a song has not been recorded or performed by a certain artist for quite a few years, then it should be at least open for review, but ONLY if the new artist can do a FRESH arrangement of it (like Ponder, Sykes, and Wright did a few years back with a more jazzed-up version of "I Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now," although in all fairness, Sykes is Rusty's son-in-law, so he kinda has a little bit of freedom!).
A song that kind of surprised me Paul's (and Daniel's) list was "We Shall See Jesus." To my knowledge, no other artist has attempted this song, and Glen Payne definitely owned this masterpiece, but I would have figured that the GVB, or maybe even SSQ might pick this one up again (especially after the Vocal Band recently did "Sinner Saved By Grace"). My question there is, I wonder if the songwriter/publisher is allowing the mechanical license....
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Things I've learned so far....
Here are a few things I've learned so far since joining Acclaim and being on the road a lot more often than I had been.....
- A bus with a trailer will NOT fit into all McDonald's parking lots.
- A cell phone is God's gift to the traveling musician.
- The thermostat on a bus has three settings - freezing, arctic, and equator.
- If people like you, they'll embarrass the heck out of you; if they hate you, they'll ignore you.
- Despite having been all over the region, I still have no idea how to get to Bloomingdale, Michigan.
- Always lock the door.
- Always lock the BATHROOM door.
- No matter what the temperature is where you live, always bring a pair of shorts and a jacket, just in case.
- Powered speakers are highly irritable, and if provoked, will attack you.
- The sound man is highly irritable, and if provoked, will attack you.
- ALWAYS know which monitor channel is yours....the last thing you want is an earful of someone else!
- Running gags last a lot longer than you'd like.
- "Amen" can be the closing of a prayer, the response to a statement, an announcement of agreement, or a punchline (and to some, an 80's sitcom starring Sherman Helmsley).
- The bass singer will always get the best response.
- The tenor singer will always sing "the lady's part" (which actually is quite accurate, as the tenor singing is technically singing the ALTO part, which is indeed a female vocal line).
- No matter how tough, strong, fast, or macho you are, any semblence of masculinity becomes null and void the minute you bring a SpongeBob SquarePants pillow onto the bus.
- T-shirts that say "This is what I wear when I don't care" draw quite a bit of attention.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Songs4Worship: Country
Being the huge Oak Ridge Boys fan that I am, I bought the new Songs4Worship: Country album the day it released to hear their rendition of "Come Now Is The Time To Worship." The album is an interesting concept, in several cases, works well. One of the producers is former Alabama bassist/vocalist, Teddy Gentry, so the "Country" aspect is accurate, and the song selection is a list of modern P&W, so the "Worship" part is also accurate.
Some of the prime cuts are the Oaks' track (yes, I'm biased, but it's my blog, so deal with it!), Ricky Skagg's version of "We All Bow Down," and Linda Davis OWNS "Shout To The Lord." Perhaps this is because of the easily "countrified" compositions, but it does work.
The one part that left me pretty much scratching my bald head, though, was the final track by the Wilsons: a note-for-note recut of the Martins' arrangement of "Doxology." Now granted, there is very little you can do with this song after the Martins' cut, as they pretty much defined the modern arrangement of this song, but you would think they would at least try to add SOMETHING to differentiate the too. Even the slight grace notes are placed in exactly the same place. The only difference I could determine was the ending wasn't quite as epic (and yes, I know that the song is acapella, but the Martins will still able to give an EPIC ending to the song, especially when performed live). The Wilsons just seem to hit the notes and head home.
Some of the prime cuts are the Oaks' track (yes, I'm biased, but it's my blog, so deal with it!), Ricky Skagg's version of "We All Bow Down," and Linda Davis OWNS "Shout To The Lord." Perhaps this is because of the easily "countrified" compositions, but it does work.
The one part that left me pretty much scratching my bald head, though, was the final track by the Wilsons: a note-for-note recut of the Martins' arrangement of "Doxology." Now granted, there is very little you can do with this song after the Martins' cut, as they pretty much defined the modern arrangement of this song, but you would think they would at least try to add SOMETHING to differentiate the too. Even the slight grace notes are placed in exactly the same place. The only difference I could determine was the ending wasn't quite as epic (and yes, I know that the song is acapella, but the Martins will still able to give an EPIC ending to the song, especially when performed live). The Wilsons just seem to hit the notes and head home.
Joker Wolfe??
Is it just me, or does Gerald Wolfe look like he could pass for the Joker in this Singing News outtake??
Don't get me wrong, Gerald is a great guy, very gracious the several times I've spoken to him, and very supportive of other artists. But this picture just....well, you tell me.....
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Whoa!
I must say, I had no idea that my blog was reaching so many readers!! All I did was post a little blog about my weekend and complimented a new singer, and the next thing I know, I'm getting e-mails and track backs to my site from all over the web! Not only that, I have had several artists comment on my writing as well, which itself is a huge honor.
It seems strange to say, but in the last year or so, blogs have seemed to become a rather large part of SG. Various sites have had quite an impact (both positive and negative) on the industry, and until now, I always viewed my little site as just a place to voice my own opinion. Now, I realize that I am also having my own affect on the industry (small as that affect may be!).
I do try very hard to avoid being condescending (to the point that I have gone back and removed a few posts that came across as such). I simply want to use this site as a place to offer my thoughts, opinions, commentaries, and whatever else I happen to think of, and if others within SG get something out of it, all the better!!
So, to all who have been reading (and continue to do so), I send out a very large THANK YOU!!
It seems strange to say, but in the last year or so, blogs have seemed to become a rather large part of SG. Various sites have had quite an impact (both positive and negative) on the industry, and until now, I always viewed my little site as just a place to voice my own opinion. Now, I realize that I am also having my own affect on the industry (small as that affect may be!).
I do try very hard to avoid being condescending (to the point that I have gone back and removed a few posts that came across as such). I simply want to use this site as a place to offer my thoughts, opinions, commentaries, and whatever else I happen to think of, and if others within SG get something out of it, all the better!!
So, to all who have been reading (and continue to do so), I send out a very large THANK YOU!!
Monday, October 8, 2007
B-O-R-E-I-N-G
I always get a kick out of people misspelling my name. People are always afraid of saying, let alone spelling, my name as it truly sounds. This is becoming rather interesting I get more and more exposure with Acclaim. People seem to get a kick out of my last name quite often.
A bit of history for you, the name actually evolved from an Irish name, Bouren. Since many European words had the "u" dropped from them when they were brought overseas (i.e. "favourite," "colour," etc.), the "u" was dropped from Bouren, making it simply Boren. As the offspring migrated further sound, either they had a really twisted sense of humor, or they were just flat out stupid (I'd like to think the former, then my own twisted humor would be justified!!), because the name seemed to change from "Boren" to "Boreing." The "e" remained, but the pronunciation is the same as "boring."
There actually is a town in Kentucky named "Boreing" (named after a great great....uncle, I believe), and I have had ancestors who were members of Congress, county judges, and Civil War generals. And now, we can add Southern Gospel singer to the family resume.
It's a good thing I have a good sense of humor!!
And yes, this is a non-so-subtle stab at some who still are getting my name spelled wrong :)
A bit of history for you, the name actually evolved from an Irish name, Bouren. Since many European words had the "u" dropped from them when they were brought overseas (i.e. "favourite," "colour," etc.), the "u" was dropped from Bouren, making it simply Boren. As the offspring migrated further sound, either they had a really twisted sense of humor, or they were just flat out stupid (I'd like to think the former, then my own twisted humor would be justified!!), because the name seemed to change from "Boren" to "Boreing." The "e" remained, but the pronunciation is the same as "boring."
There actually is a town in Kentucky named "Boreing" (named after a great great....uncle, I believe), and I have had ancestors who were members of Congress, county judges, and Civil War generals. And now, we can add Southern Gospel singer to the family resume.
It's a good thing I have a good sense of humor!!
And yes, this is a non-so-subtle stab at some who still are getting my name spelled wrong :)
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Friday night with Mercy's Mark
Friday night, Acclaim did a show with Mercy's Mark. This was my second date on the same bill with the group, as I had done a show with them back in January as a soloist, so I was looking forward to working with them again. And as always, they are just a great bunch of guys to hang out with and work with.
It seems that Garry Jones has seen his fair share of turnaround since founding Mercy's Mark. Most recently, Josh Feemster left the group, leaving the lead spot vacant. I'd heard that Shane Dunlap had been filling in with them, but when I arrived, another person was walking in that I didn't recognize. He got a good laugh out of the group with his t-shirt - the words "fill in" with a big red slash through it. Come to find out, Garry had just officially hired Scott Allen (I hope I got that spelling right!) as their new lead singer.
Now, for those of you who have been naysayers toward Mercy's Mark, let me say this....the group as they are right now can flat out SING!!! Christian is sounding just a full and deep as ever; Brent's tenor is probably one of the smoothest and cleanest you'll find today, and Garry's piano playing, production, emceeing (not to mention his singing) are all top-quality, but as soon as you add Scott to the mix.....let's just say, my jaw hit the floor and stayed there.
Scott has a very modern sound to his voice. It's extremely smooth, blends wonderfully with Garry and Brent, and has a great resonance, but I dare you to listen to "Sheltered In The Arms Of God" and not shed a tear. He also does a DEAD ON impression of Guy Penrod (close your eyes and you wont' be able to tell the difference!).
With the addition of Scott to the lineup, I can see a lot of good things in the future for MM. They have the power and ability right now to take SG by storm.
It seems that Garry Jones has seen his fair share of turnaround since founding Mercy's Mark. Most recently, Josh Feemster left the group, leaving the lead spot vacant. I'd heard that Shane Dunlap had been filling in with them, but when I arrived, another person was walking in that I didn't recognize. He got a good laugh out of the group with his t-shirt - the words "fill in" with a big red slash through it. Come to find out, Garry had just officially hired Scott Allen (I hope I got that spelling right!) as their new lead singer.
Now, for those of you who have been naysayers toward Mercy's Mark, let me say this....the group as they are right now can flat out SING!!! Christian is sounding just a full and deep as ever; Brent's tenor is probably one of the smoothest and cleanest you'll find today, and Garry's piano playing, production, emceeing (not to mention his singing) are all top-quality, but as soon as you add Scott to the mix.....let's just say, my jaw hit the floor and stayed there.
Scott has a very modern sound to his voice. It's extremely smooth, blends wonderfully with Garry and Brent, and has a great resonance, but I dare you to listen to "Sheltered In The Arms Of God" and not shed a tear. He also does a DEAD ON impression of Guy Penrod (close your eyes and you wont' be able to tell the difference!).
With the addition of Scott to the lineup, I can see a lot of good things in the future for MM. They have the power and ability right now to take SG by storm.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Shane Dunlap - "Paradise"
I was recently surprised to find a copy of Shane's last CD, "Paradise," on store shelves at Family Christian, as this release was originally an indie deal, but nonetheless, when I saw it, I picked up a copy, as I had long been curious to hear what Shane was up to now.
I must say, I am VERY pleasantly surprised!!
I had read a review on the CD last year that was very positive, but I have been rather skeptical of former quartet members gone solo (a perfect example of this would be Ivan Parker; for as great of a singer as he is, I simply can't listen to him as a soloist), and especially in Shane's case, I absolutely loved the first Signature Sound DVD with him singing lead. I always envisioned Shane as the next great lead singer in quartet music, as he had the voice, the presence, and the overall "vibe" of a good quartet man.
He has proven me wrong, but in a very good way!!
"Paradise" is a top-notch production, especially for being an independant release. Shane serves as the producer of this album, and the arrangements compliment his voice very well. You can also detect a noticable change in Shane's voice. It is much more relaxed, and you can tell he is very comfortable with the songs he chose. It's an eclectic mix, but he runs seemlessly through each one.
It seems that Shane's target is not so much the quartet fans, but a broader, younger audience. He has not completely abandoned the southern gospel audience, but instead of sticking with the standard 3-chord piano arrangements and epic brass ballads, he seems to be looking to settle into the same niche as, say, Lauren Talley, with a pseudo-inspirational sound that would fit just as easily on K-Love as it would on Solid Gospel. It's almost as if this is the CD that Shane has been wanting to make for a while.
Probably one of the best songs on this project is a cover of the Allen Asbury hit, "The Light Of That City." Shane's range really shines here, and the emotion he puts into this track is very evident. It's a long way from "City Built Four Square," but is probably the most confident he has sounded.
I understand that Shane has been filling in with Mercy's Mark while Garry Jones searches for a new lead singer. It would be interesting to hear how he sounds now compared to 3 years ago when he was still singing with Ernie....
I must say, I am VERY pleasantly surprised!!
I had read a review on the CD last year that was very positive, but I have been rather skeptical of former quartet members gone solo (a perfect example of this would be Ivan Parker; for as great of a singer as he is, I simply can't listen to him as a soloist), and especially in Shane's case, I absolutely loved the first Signature Sound DVD with him singing lead. I always envisioned Shane as the next great lead singer in quartet music, as he had the voice, the presence, and the overall "vibe" of a good quartet man.
He has proven me wrong, but in a very good way!!
"Paradise" is a top-notch production, especially for being an independant release. Shane serves as the producer of this album, and the arrangements compliment his voice very well. You can also detect a noticable change in Shane's voice. It is much more relaxed, and you can tell he is very comfortable with the songs he chose. It's an eclectic mix, but he runs seemlessly through each one.
It seems that Shane's target is not so much the quartet fans, but a broader, younger audience. He has not completely abandoned the southern gospel audience, but instead of sticking with the standard 3-chord piano arrangements and epic brass ballads, he seems to be looking to settle into the same niche as, say, Lauren Talley, with a pseudo-inspirational sound that would fit just as easily on K-Love as it would on Solid Gospel. It's almost as if this is the CD that Shane has been wanting to make for a while.
Probably one of the best songs on this project is a cover of the Allen Asbury hit, "The Light Of That City." Shane's range really shines here, and the emotion he puts into this track is very evident. It's a long way from "City Built Four Square," but is probably the most confident he has sounded.
I understand that Shane has been filling in with Mercy's Mark while Garry Jones searches for a new lead singer. It would be interesting to hear how he sounds now compared to 3 years ago when he was still singing with Ernie....
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