Love Me Do

2 Minutes, 23 Seconds.

The Beatles first "A" side record,  "Love Me Do" was 2 Minutes, 23 Seconds. 

So, the way I look at it, I'm just 2 Minutes, 23 Seconds short of a Hit Song.

I can come up with the 4 Chords, it's just the Lyrics and Hook Line that are graying my hair even more than it already is.

Let's really examine the first verse.

Love, Love Me Do

You Know I Love You

I'll Always Be True

So Pleeeeease......Love Me Do. 

Man, those simple words launched quite a career for four lads from Liverpool.

I really must stop over-thinking the lyrics.

Regret Minimization FrameWork

Just heard that description from an interview with Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos. His reason for starting Amazon was to "Regret Minimization FrameWork". I thought it quickly summed up the description of what this journey to Abbey Road is for me personally. No regrets when I'm 80 (if I make it that far).

So we (Tim and Bob) plod on to our goal of recording in Studio 2 at Abbey Road. Speaking of which, a feeble attempt has been undertaken by moi to actually begin writing my "hit song". Over the last several weeks nothing even close to a "A-Side" single has flowed from my Fender Stratacaster guitar. so here is my
Mr. Obvious Realization #1... This is hard.
Go Figure. Who could have known?

I'm going to write (gasp) a Pop Song. A song like the Beatles would have recorded at Abbey Road in 1964 or whereabouts. Lyrics about girls probably. Key of G... or maybe not.

So...back to practicing and writing.

Lyrics? Chords? Talent? ...Don't fail me now...

_Tim

The Stuff of Dreams - Literally

15. That's how old I was when Abbey Road, the album, was released in 1969. Of course, by then, I was already hopelessly afflicted with Beatlemania - a very real and documentable disease. 

I had been a fan since before the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan. My sisters get credit for bringing them to my attention. I was also a very early entrepreneur. Seeing how my sisters and their friends would go ga ga over anything Beatles, I realized that if I spent 25 cents on a magazine, I could cut out the 20 or so large photos and sell them for a nickel apiece... a tidy profit! (Wish I could make that kind of return today). Finally seeing them perform on Ed Sullivan made me realize that keeping the magazines intact meant more to me than the money.

Starting with Introducing The Beatles, I was in line to get every new record the day it was released. Woolworths sold the mono albums for $3.47 and the singles for 99 cents, and was only a mile or so from my house.  Stereo albums, a dollar more, were to come en masse later when I realized that I actually had a collection to maintain.

The release of the Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields single in early 1967 was a turning point for me. Those incredible new sounds were absolutely exciting. I began to follow the progress of the recording of the Sergeant Pepper album, tracking down every tidbit I could find in the media. I found and began to frequent a store called Worldwide News, which carried magazines from around the world - to point, magazines from England. Through New Musical Express, Melody Maker, Beat and Rave, as well as American books such as Teen Datebook (which published excerpts from The Beatles Monthly magazine), Teen Set and even 16 Magazine, I was able to chart almost daily progress on Sgt Pepper.

The thing that really began to pique my interest was the side story - the bits about the studio and how it worked. How 4-tracks could be stacked to combine 4 cohesive performances. How vocals could be double tracked to let two John Lennons be on the same recording! How tracks could be processed to have that phase shifted or flanged sound. Little did I realize that these guys were making all this stuff up as they went!

By the time Abbey Road, the album, came out, I pretty well knew Abbey Road, the studio, vicariously. I knew about the 8-track recorder coming in. I knew about the Beatles failed attempt to build a good studio in the Apple building (and their subsequent return to Abbey Road). I knew about George Martin and Geoff Emerick's production and engineering techniques. And I dreamt that one day I'd get to record at Abbey Road.

53. That's how old I am now. Thanks to Tim's midlife crisis, it appears that dream is becoming a reality. I can't think of a better partner in this quest. We played together for the first time this past fall, and it was as if we'd always been doing it. Just like the Beatles, we have studio time booked to record our next single. All we have to do is write it. Just like the Beatles...

We can do this...

Bob

Come Together

So it begins with a simple reminder that pops up on my computer monitor. “45 Days to your Mid-Life Crisis”. Sudden realization that that the reality of the looming “50” can’t be stopped.

The deadline fast approaches. Actually, I've been looking forward to a mid-life crisis and using it as a bona-fide excuse to do something completely off the Richter scale.

I have been blessed with wonderful women in my life, so a trumped up girl-friend is just a waste of my time and resources. The REAL reason is that my wife of 30 years would kill me. I'm guessing she is partial to using poison or a dull knife. "Justified Homicide" the Tacoma News Tribune headline would say. "He was such a jerk"...shouted the jury before declaring "you are free to go and spend ALL the insurance money!!!" So, I quickly quashed the girlfriend thing. Next idea, the standard issue red sports car. Nah..too ordinary. I then seriously considered a complete body, brain makeover, deploying a team of expensive specialists which included a spiritual guru, physical trainer, dietician, Plastic Surgeon, a Psychologist, a golf coach and...that was just the beginning. Once I saw what my ala cart "mid-life refresher" would cost...I decided to just have a cup of strong coffee instead. I then scaled back and considered a very simple “Mancation” with my guy-friends, whereby, we would stand around, smoke, drink, burn furniture, complain about everything, scratching, belching…but I can do that most any weekend...so I determined that was not special enough. I was close to making a final decision that involved going to a deserted island and speaking only to a soccer ball named “Wilson” for two months. This was about the best I could come up with...until one day...

THE IDEA hit me hard like a freight train. “Record an Original Song at Abbey Road Studios in London”.

Could a worn-out, old drummer and wannabe bass player, actually book studio time and record at Abbey Road? I have an American Express Card and I'm not afraid to use it. Yes...this audacious plan could possibly happen IF I had the right person to help me pull it off and make sure I would not chicken-out. Also, I'm not too good in the music skills department so this someone would also need to make me sound good. (no small feat) Only one person could carry this heavy burden and is just crazy enough to go along with the wackiness. Accordingly, my close friend, mentor, and brilliant musician…Bob Martin was called into action. I shouted out my idea in one long yelling tirade over the Apple I-Chat camera. I paused 3 seconds for his answer.

“Yes...we could do this” he blurted. (He was up for it). (Cool).

So we began immediately formulating THE plan. Which is this. We EACH will write a song, We will practice and rehearse for months to desired perfection. We then will travel to Abbey Road and record, mix, and master both songs in a single day. All instruments and vocals will be performed by just the two of us. A videographer will be hired to document the entire experience. YES...We WILL RECORD AT ABBEY ROAD. This was more than an idea...this was now a PILGRIMAGE of BIBLICAL proportions. (well to us at least.)

Next, we thought it was best to notify Abbey Road we were coming. So, I sent an e-mail to Abbey Road, inquiring about rates and services…was this wacky idea even possible? Apparently it wasn’t. My e-mail request was never returned. (Of course, I’m often invisible…but that’s another story). Not to be denied, I groveled to Bob asking HIM to see what he could do. He called them (on the phone) and spoke with Colette who is the studio manager at Abbey Road. They arranged for Studio#2 to be occupied by Tim and Bob for a future date in August 2008. (While we will not be able to get an actual confirmed date until 3 weeks prior, she was very positive and delighted to give us the opportunity to record at Abbey Road). Money works mysterious ways. Yes it do. Hopefully the likes of McCartney or Clapton won't be occupying OUR studio when we arrive. It would be a shame to kick them out just to make room for us.

“We can do this” Bob reiterated again (this time with verve).


So, begins our journey. This blog will be our diary. Bob and I both will be contributing the content. We expect to document most steps of our expedition. We have much to do. August is only 9 months away. The sudden realization that we indeed “can do this” is already making me weak at the knees.

Cool. Weak at the knees is really cool.

Stay Tuned.

-Tim