THURSDAY 1ST MAY 2008

Rehearsal with the New Trio 5
Recording:
'Fit'
Recording: 'Look sharp'
Recording: 'One more time'
Recording: 'I'm the man'
Recording: 'Sunday papers'
France 3 basement - 21:30-24:00 - P: Dude. Present: Dude, Thierry, Arnaud.

A very good rehearsal. For the first time my voice was well prepared so I could sing more easily. I also brought the acoustic for the first time, because we tried "Evil empire". I didn't record any take because it's still embryonic. "One more time" and "I'm the man" are still the songs that needs attention, but we did a very good "Sunday papers". Arnaud tried to play all the tunes with his fingers, instead of using a pick like all previous rehearsals.

SUNDAY 20th APRIL 2008

Recording: 'Hold me tight' (SI on take 1)
Recording: 'Money don't matter tonight' (SI on take 1)
Bag-end studio - morning - P: Dude.

Doing all the remaining vocals for the 'Hold me tight' cover with Patrick, and adding some more backing vocals to the Prince song in the process.

WEDNESDAY 9th APRIL 2008

Recording: 'Tomorrow never knows' (SI on take 1)
Bag-end studio - morning - P: Dude, Val, Julian, Doreen.

Adding voices to my strange cover of 'Tomorrow never knows', along with some percussion (my two hands tapping on the wooden desk of my computer).

TUESDAY 8th APRIL 2008

Rehearsal with the New Trio 4
Recording:
'I'm the man'
Recording: 'Sunday papers'
Recording: 'Fit'
Recording: 'One more time'
Recording: 'Look sharp'
Recording: 'I'm the man'
France 3 basement - 21:00-24:30 - P: Dude. Present: Dude, Thierry, Arnaud.

Some hard work, trying to focus on details such as the beginning of "Sunday papers", or bringing out nuances in our playing. Still we have to play more and more.

FRIDAY 04th APRIL 2008

Rehearsal with the New Trio 3
Recording:
'Look sharp'
Recording: 'Fit'
Recording: 'One more time'
Recording: 'Sunday papers'
Recording: 'I'm the man'
France 3 basement - 21:00-24:00 - P: Dude. Present: Dude, Thierry, Arnaud.

Things are getting more precise: we tried "One more time" at a very fast tempo, and it's seems that 's just what was needed to make it rock. Plus my voice was quite warm and I managed to sing all the choruses in the high octave without getting tired and with a lot of energy. That one is going to be a killer live.
We started to work on "Fit". It's quite nice but I've got a hell of a lot of work to put into the guitar solo.
The other tracks went on as usual, "I'm the man" beeing the one that needs the more attention, yet.

SATURDAY 29th MARCh 2008

Recording: 'Tomorrow never knows' (take 1)
Bag-end studio - 07:30-8:00 - P: Dude.

Putting down the first element for this crazy cover: the gamelan-type-'I-don't-know-the-name-of-this-instrument'-thing.

TUESDAY 18th MARCH 2008

Recording: 'Dear boy' (SI on take 1)
Bag-end studio - morning - P: Dude.

Adding all the little comedy effects to this funny cover: my own speech, the voice of Thierry from the previous radio show where he defied me to do this cover, and some funny noises with guitar and piano. Very fun to do, and it allowed me to mix this cover and send it in time for it to be broadcasted live on the next day's show. Cool.

SATURDAY 15th MARCH 2008

Recording: 'Dear boy' (SI on take 1)
Bag-end studio - morning - P: Dude.

Finishing all the remaining vocals for 'Dear boy'. Hurray ! All of them have been double-tracked.

FRIDAY 14th MARCH 2008

Rehearsal with the New Trio 2
Recording:
'Sunday papers'
Recording: 'I'm the man'
Recording: 'Look sharp !'
Recording: 'One more time'
France 3 basement - 21:00-23:00 - P: Dude. Present: Dude, Thierry, Arnaud.

More rehearsal work with the New Trio. 'Look sharp' came out quiet well, but "I'm the man" is a wild beast we stil have to tame. But it is still better than 'One more time' which is the real challenge. We have to work, work work and then perhaps add a little work before being at ease with the crazy fast tempo of that one.

THURSDAY 13th MARCH 2008

Recording: 'Dear boy' (take 1)
Bag-end studio - 13:00-14:00 - P: Dude.

The day before I was listening to Big Mac's Beatles Radio Show, when suddenly he talked about me and challenged me to do a cover of Paul McCartney's "Dear boy", live on air ! Of course I took the challenge and said he will have the song ready for next week's show.
So now I had to work. So today I did the voices for the first verse. (the main voice in double-tracking and the backing vocals).

WEDNESDAY 12th MARCH 2008

Recording: 'The prophet's song' (SI on take 1)
Bag-end studio - morning - P: Dude.

I think I finally managed to get a decent lead vocal for this impossible Queen song ! (At last. This must be the 4th or 5th attempt). This day I also made the first part of the echo extravaganza that is the middle of this song. (the first part means up until the Christmas choir).

MONDAY 10th MARCH 2008

Recording: 'Myst Cyan introduction'
Recording: 'Embrumage'
Bag-end studio - 13:30-14:00 - P: Dude.

Some more piano recordings: the very distinctive little jingle that starts every game in the Myst series, and a long improv.

TUESDAY 4th MARCH 2008

Rehearsal with the New Trio 1
Recording: 'Sunday papers'
Recording: 'Look sharp ! (unrehearsed)'
France 3 basement - 21:00-23:00 - P: Dude. - Present: Dude, Thierry, Arnaud.

The very first rehearsal of the new trio. A lot of it was better than I expected, some things I thought would be cool were a lot harder to do. We rehearsed two songs: "One more time" and "Sunday papers". The first one needs more practice. We also did a loose version of 'Look sharp' (just for fun because I didn't work it out yet). I recorded the last two numbers of the evening.

MONDAY 3rd MARCH 2008

Recording: 'Lost in a maze'
Recording: 'A slow song'
Recording:
'Running like mad through the maze - I'm losing
Recording:
patience - but then comes the enlightment'
Bag-end studio - afternoon - P: Dude.

The very first recording I ever made on the very first real piano I ever bought: Doreen's piano. I recorded with the Minidisc two improvs, and also an instrumental version of "A slow song", which I will augment with vocals later.

TUESDAY 12th FEBRUARY 2008

Recording: 'Minister of rock'n'roll'
Recording: 'On vit tous la même histoire'
France 3 basement - night - P: Dude.

Some nightdrumming ! ;)

FRIDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2008

Recording: 'Look back in anger'
Recording: 'Friends' (SI on take 1)
Recording: 'Cousin Kevin' (SI on take 1)
Recording: 'There there' (SI on take 1)
Recording: 'The answer's at the end' (SI on take 1)'

Bag-end studio - afternoon - P: Dude.

That afternoon, I did this very simple cover of 'Look back in anger". Then I added the voice to Led Zeppelin's 'Friends', did another pass at 'There there' (it's the third attempt). I think I'm getting close now. I got some time left so I managed to finish up 'Cousin Kevin', and I tried to put my voice into 'The answer's at the end', but I'm sure I will have to do it again.

THURSDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2008

Recording: 'Doctor, doctor'
Bag-end studio - afternoon - P: Dude.

I sooooo wanted to do it. I think I managed to pump it with the energy I was looking for. John Entwistle is God.

THURSDAY 6th DECEMBER 2007

Recording: 'Summer of '59' (take 1)
Recording:
Recording: 'Money don't matter tonight' (SI on take 1)
Recording: 'Maybe I'm amazed' (SI on take 1)
Bag-end studio - afternoon - P: Dude.

Doing a complete cover from top to bottom: the amazing 'Summer of '59'. Also finshing the voices for Pepleux's "Maybe I'm amazed', and doing the lead vocals from 'Money don't matter tonight".

SUNDAY 2nd DECEMBER 2007

Recording: 'Soggy noodle'
Bag-end studio - evening - P: Dude.

A little ditty quickly recorded for the Ysn Tribute section.

MONDAY 22nd OCTOBER 2007

Recording: 'Money don't matter tonight' (take 1)
Recording: 'Only Mama knows' (take 1)
Recording: 'House of wax' (take 1)
Recording: 'Slipping and sliding' (take 1)
France 3 basement - evening - P: Dude.

All of the above are drums recording. This is the very night of Paul McCartney's 2007 Olympia concert, and I wasn't there :( . With any luck , I recorded my version of 'Only Mama knows' exactly at the same moment he was playing it :)