Soundtrackers

It’s 6.55am and I’m sprawled across a lounger in Terminal 1 Manchester waiting for the band to arrive. I’m on thanks to Chris who's a natural lark to my owl. Twenty minutes later the unmistakable voice of Mike Joyce rings out like a tannoy announcement as I shudder to my sleepy senses- ‘wake up you puff’ he says-'we’re checking in'. All this has come about courtesy of Manchester sound engineer Spooner who we worked with on the troublesome ‘Man about the House’ mixes. Spoon is currently working with Swedish Psychedelic Rockers Soundtrack of our Lives and we’re heading off to their Gothenburg studio to record ‘Two Fat Lovers’. There is a slight degree of trepidation in the camp though nobody lets on- we need results,especially after recent disaters with dodgy tape machines and such. At the airport I purchase Golden Virginia and hand over to Ben for safe keeping as I’ve been scrounging way too many off him of late-not that I smoke you understand, not me. After some delay we hit the runway positivity intact. I’m the only who’s never been to Sweden before as the others recount former gigs n glories. Ben was here with The Mondays in 92 and then there’s talk of Bez in Celebrity Big Brother…which I haven’t seen. We land at 11.30 and we’re at the studio by mid day, dropping off the acoustic guitar. We say hello to Kalle, bass player/producer of Soundtrack ooL who’s co producing with Spooner. The studio is a right old Aladdin’s cave so we do a bit of mooching, checking out all the gear which is extensive and kind of thrilling [loads of great retro guitars, amps, keys and such] before heading off to a bar around the corner for Kestrel Export and a sandwich. The wind is picking up so out comes’ the comedy head gear, loopy Cossack style. Back in the studio an hour later where Kalle has spent some considerable time setting up the sounds, headphone mixes and plug ins we run through each song and get a decent first take. An hour later we have three bass and drum tracks we’re happy with. ‘Two Fat Lovers’ is the priority, we also record ‘Dirty Old Man’ and ‘Pete Shelley’. This is fast work by any standards and were chuffed to have nailed something so early in the day. Then Spooner and Kalle transfer from tape to pro tools which is another excuse to go for a walk. So far so good. What a difference a decent studio can make, certainly it feels great not to have spent the first 4 hours of the day getting a decent drum sound which is so often the case…we should come here more often [of course that is the idea but one step at a time]. Later that night we eat in Kalle’s favourite Swedish restaurant and leave our coats at the door with a cloakroom attendant as is the way here. We stop off in a café half way back to the studio where Ben whilst innocently ordering his cappuccino is cross examined by the bar keep who asks in all seriousness ‘Do you have money’? ‘Are you a criminal?’ which brings out much hysteria in the camp. Ben is shaken but not deterred. The guy serving meanwhile remains deadly serious continuing the evil eye much to our bemusement. Then it’s back to the studio for more overdubs and edits before getting a taxi to the flat Kalle has loaned us for the weekend where we each have a room and a bed and it’s very comfortable with great showers. We flake out to Andy’s mobile ipod disco. Next day we discover a great little breakfast café which does the most amazing cakes, I order toast and marmalade and get cream cheese and black current jam on a roll. Tastes great all the same. Then we walk through the centre of Gothenburg to the studio which takes about 20 minutes with Ben as ever the homing pigeon navigating like he’d lived here all his life. Ben is something of a navigational genius with a sixth sense of direction that is really uncanny and incredibly useful. Later that afternoon after more guitar and vocals overdubs we’re out again eating Chinese food some three blocks away from the studio. By now the wind has picked up to a gale force so strong you can practically lean against it. When we’ve eaten on return to the studio you can’t help but notice a huge swaying metallic tower that looks like it will fall down at any minute and land, naturally, right on top of us. All kinds of debris swirls in the roads, various signs have been ripped from their moorings. We have entered the city of the whirlwind and it looks seriously scary. Mike adds percussion back in the studio and Andy plays some comedy kazoo, we finish tracking and leave for the bar, the wind by now is ferocious. On the high street various trees have been uprooted and have impaling themselves into Volvos, street lights flicker and dangle menacingly, for a minute it looks like we’re going to lose electricity. Roads have been closed. Safe inside a bar we’re back on the Kestrel and the tequila, the place looks like a Eurotrash set with comedy house music and lots of young people who are always fun to watch especially in the mating season. Later on we head back to the studio for some late night musical improvisation. On the way Mike commandeers a souvenir sign ‘Bred Last’ which was being blown about the side streets. Our late night sing song becomes a jam session, Andy’s on acoustic stand up bass, Ben on drums, Mike on vibes and me on piano. Everything sounds great at 3am after a few beers but this time even greater. Alcohol is for once agreeing with me. In the 24hour café next door to the studio it’s all taxi drivers and small hours folk playing the numerous card gaming machines which occupy most of the floor space. They’re big over here Spooner advises. We get a taxi back to the flat around 5am. Roads are closed which complicates the journey; luckily Ben’s on hand to remind the driver of way who apologises for missing the turn. On Sunday morning we were expecting to meet with Ebbot, singer from from Soundtrack who we’d asked to do backing vocals but as it happened he was marooned without electricity due to the storm and couldn’t make it. Maybe next time. We leave for the airport on a satisfying high. Spooner is off to the US with Soundtrack he'll master the single when he’s there. It’s been worth it; you can’t ask for more than that, can you, VPx