Funky Friday
Evolution Studio, Fri 13th Sept 2019
Today is the last rhythm section recording day, before the backing vocals, strings & assorted support instruments are added. There is a very special guest arriving at the studio today… a hired gun, brought in for 2 specific tracks, Stormy Sky & Kick.
If he was an ambitious bastard, he’d be a world famous, no doubting it, & if you’ve ever had the privilege of listening to him play, or the rarer privilege of knowing him & then actually playing with him, then I know you won’t think any different.
It’s Oxford’s own Jerry Soffe. I first watched Jerry play when I was a teenager, drinking underage beers at the Jericho Tavern. He is MUSIC through-and-through & we share a common interest in funk & monorail grooves. He knows bands like Young-Holt Unlimited, I mean…Young-Holt Unlimi…never mind! Jerry knows almost everyone here at the studio & it feels like a reunion when he shows up.
He’s done his homework on the songs, but he really didn’t have to. I think he knew it all before I’d written it. Him and our magical drummer Damon Sawyer hit it off immediately & Jon Fletcher and I just jammed around on top, with me singing in their ears. All the while, thumbs up Nick Moorbath is on the other side of the glass, skilfully dancing whilst still sitting in his swivel chair. I really hope both tracks are as infectious as I think they are.
Kick, although it sounds cool, is quite a personal song about not getting through the day without taking “Something” to help cope with it all. That said, it should also be fun. With both Stormy Sky and Kick, we had no idea how long we would play for, we basically just agreed as we played. We put endings on both songs but did long play-offs to allow a slow fade if deemed necessary.
I was nervous about laying down a cleanly hit guitar track on my ‘74 Strat, it’s a great guitar, but I haven’t set it up yet, having coincidentally only recently acquired it from our other male singer, Harry Osborne (from Hove band Someone Anyone). So, I play the opening disco guitar riff to Stormy Sky, while Jerry watches through his Dennis Taylor glasses. The riff, as you will hear, has a rapidly descending scale at the end of the intro. I probably get it right 50 percent of attempts tbh. After I’ve played it to Jerry a couple of times he says ”so, shall we do that in unison? Might sound good.”
“It will if I can hit my marks, Jerry.” But there’s a note of self-doubt in my voice.
“Course you’ll hit your bloody marks Will!” Comes Lisa’s voice through our cans.
“Course you will, Will”, says Damon banging his sticks together, with kinetic good-natured impatience.
“Yes, let’s go for it Jerry... I’ll use a pick. It’ll be more accurate.”
“Good plan Will and I’ll play little funky chicken licks between” says Jonny.
“Come on let’s do this!” Damon’s champing at the bit.
“Ready when you are guys...” comes Nick’s voice through the cans.
4 minutes later, the live single take of Stormy Sky is in the bag. It just needs the string arrangement, the backing vocals, flute, guitar, sound effects & Hammond now. Er...so was it a Funky Friday? Funk yes.
Photos by Ian Wallman