Recording Day 1. Solo album, working-title "BrrapapaBappapaBap!" with special guest, T.J.Lee.

Lovely surroundings at Orchard

The intended final title of this recording is something which is in my head and will be revealed nearer to the release date. However "BrrapapaBappapaBap!" will do for now, for reasons you will see (or rather hear) when you hear or buy the album!

Tuesday April 8th, 2014

Day 1 at Orchard started off as mainly being about laying down the bare bones of the songs I want to put on this project and this was all going ahead steadily when my first special guest arrived, mid afternoon. This was friend of mine and super-talented singer-songwriter-guitarist T.J. Lee AKA Tim Lee. 

Tim in the live-room, Dan at the desk,
Radley on the deck!

Tim only had a few hours with us so we had to prioritise our time to make the most of him. Now among other things Tim has a lot of experience of recording, as readers of a previous post will know (by the way, the results of that session will eventually be out there in the public domain soon!). Tim was then able to take a lead in making some decisions and suggestions as to what he might try out on different tracks and so on. 

T.J. Lee on the Bass while Radders takes it easy!

I'm really thrilled he was able to come along, he played both acoustic, semi-acoustic and bass guitars on various tracks and not only came in with some sound ideas (excuse the pun), well crafted and professionally executed, but more importantly, he was feeling the music and was adding to the tracks with emotion and vivacity, which ultimately is really what it was all about. In fact he was bouncing around the live-room while playing bass at times! 

Tim's guitar intertwining with my initial guitar take, combined with Dan's drumming on a track which I think will be the first track on the recording had now developed much more "rolling" feel to it than it initially had, and I like it a lot!

He did an incredible job, he came in having never heard the songs he played on before, worked out the basic chords and structures and just went for it. Top man! Thank you Tim!

Yet more special guests appeared on day 2, more about that in the next post :)

Check out T.J. Lee's supperb album Blossom at http://tjlee.bigcartel.com/product/blossom-t-j-lee-and-the-special-guests

The local area are keeping all this excitement to themselves!