1 00:00:15,476 --> 00:00:20,756 Speaker 1: Pushkin. I hope you enjoyed our episode with iconic music 2 00:00:20,756 --> 00:00:23,956 Speaker 1: producer and engineer and author of the new audiobook Shaping 3 00:00:24,036 --> 00:00:27,516 Speaker 1: Sounds Stevie Wonder devo the Synth Revolution in My Life 4 00:00:27,516 --> 00:00:30,916 Speaker 1: Behind the Music, Robert mark Lev If you haven't heard 5 00:00:30,916 --> 00:00:33,196 Speaker 1: it yet, be sure to check it out. Today I'm 6 00:00:33,236 --> 00:00:36,836 Speaker 1: sharing an excerpt from Shaping Sounds. Robert talks about working 7 00:00:36,836 --> 00:00:39,836 Speaker 1: alongside not only Stevie Wonder on his classic albums, but 8 00:00:39,916 --> 00:00:42,236 Speaker 1: with artists like Minnie Riperton on our hit Loving You 9 00:00:42,796 --> 00:00:45,676 Speaker 1: and the Isisley Brothers on their three plus three album, 10 00:00:45,796 --> 00:00:49,036 Speaker 1: which brought together incredible guitar leads and smooth vocals to 11 00:00:49,076 --> 00:00:52,756 Speaker 1: blend old in new school R and B. Here's the clip, 12 00:00:52,876 --> 00:00:55,396 Speaker 1: but if you want to hear more, check out Shaping Sounds. 13 00:00:55,396 --> 00:00:57,916 Speaker 1: Stevie want to devo the Synth Revolution in My Life 14 00:00:57,956 --> 00:01:00,916 Speaker 1: Behind the Music. Wherever you get audio books, you can 15 00:01:01,036 --> 00:01:03,796 Speaker 1: use the code Sounds twenty five. That's so o U 16 00:01:03,956 --> 00:01:07,236 Speaker 1: n DS two five at pushkin dot fm slash Shaping 17 00:01:07,316 --> 00:01:10,316 Speaker 1: Sounds to save twenty five percent on the audiobook. Thanks 18 00:01:10,316 --> 00:01:10,796 Speaker 1: for listening. 19 00:01:11,836 --> 00:01:19,236 Speaker 2: Chapter thirteen our non stop studio. While we were with 20 00:01:19,356 --> 00:01:24,156 Speaker 2: Stevie Besides working on his own albums. We worked alongside him, 21 00:01:24,236 --> 00:01:27,996 Speaker 2: continuing as a team on two albums he produced, one 22 00:01:28,036 --> 00:01:31,756 Speaker 2: for his ex wife, Sita Wright, the other for Minnie Riperton. 23 00:01:32,756 --> 00:01:35,956 Speaker 2: Sorita Wright was a receptionist at the Motown offices in 24 00:01:36,036 --> 00:01:40,396 Speaker 2: Detroit when Edward Holland of the Holland Dozier Holland songwriting 25 00:01:40,476 --> 00:01:44,116 Speaker 2: team heard her singing and was impressed enough that he 26 00:01:44,276 --> 00:01:47,636 Speaker 2: had her sing on some demos. She met Stevie in 27 00:01:47,716 --> 00:01:51,116 Speaker 2: nineteen sixty eight and they began dating about a year later. 28 00:01:51,836 --> 00:01:57,436 Speaker 2: Their relationship was both personal and professional. Stevie encouraged her 29 00:01:57,476 --> 00:02:00,516 Speaker 2: to write her own songs, and the two collaborated on 30 00:02:00,556 --> 00:02:05,476 Speaker 2: his hit signed Seal Delivered I'm Yours. They married on 31 00:02:05,516 --> 00:02:10,316 Speaker 2: September fourteenth, nineteen seventy, and although they divorced only eighteen 32 00:02:10,356 --> 00:02:15,476 Speaker 2: months later, they remained good friends and collaborators. We worked 33 00:02:15,476 --> 00:02:20,036 Speaker 2: on Sorita's debut solo album, Serta, released on June twentieth, 34 00:02:20,116 --> 00:02:24,716 Speaker 2: nineteen seventy two, as I recollect. Part of the divorce 35 00:02:24,756 --> 00:02:27,596 Speaker 2: settlement was that Stevie would produce an album for her. 36 00:02:28,316 --> 00:02:32,116 Speaker 2: They worked amazingly well together and she remained an important 37 00:02:32,156 --> 00:02:36,876 Speaker 2: part of his team. Providing lyrics, background vocals and compositions 38 00:02:36,916 --> 00:02:42,276 Speaker 2: for several years. Yvonne Wright, no relation to Serrita, was 39 00:02:42,356 --> 00:02:46,796 Speaker 2: another important collaborator. She wrote the lyrics to Girl Blue 40 00:02:46,916 --> 00:02:49,516 Speaker 2: and Evil. She would sit next to him at the 41 00:02:49,516 --> 00:02:52,756 Speaker 2: piano while he was recording and whisper or lining to 42 00:02:52,836 --> 00:02:55,756 Speaker 2: him a few bars ahead as he was playing and singing. 43 00:02:56,356 --> 00:02:59,836 Speaker 2: He was very tight with her. Music of My Mind 44 00:03:00,156 --> 00:03:03,556 Speaker 2: Ends with Evil, a simple and incisive piece of social 45 00:03:03,596 --> 00:03:08,156 Speaker 2: commentary that opened the door to our collective consciousness. Evil, 46 00:03:08,236 --> 00:03:12,476 Speaker 2: Stevie asks, exasperated, why have you engulfed so many hearts? 47 00:03:12,676 --> 00:03:16,156 Speaker 2: Why have you destroyed so many minds? The lyrics ring 48 00:03:16,156 --> 00:03:20,156 Speaker 2: true to this day and musically it has a fantastic 49 00:03:20,236 --> 00:03:24,556 Speaker 2: opening tanto front and center, with a nobo sound and 50 00:03:24,596 --> 00:03:30,556 Speaker 2: a foreboding bass. The sound is simple, singular, sad and compelling. 51 00:03:31,716 --> 00:03:34,196 Speaker 2: We first met Minnie Riperton when she came to the 52 00:03:34,196 --> 00:03:40,036 Speaker 2: Fulfillingness Sessions to add background vocals. We were so impressed that, 53 00:03:40,156 --> 00:03:41,916 Speaker 2: even though we were in the thick of it with 54 00:03:41,996 --> 00:03:45,916 Speaker 2: our own project, it didn't matter. Malcolm, Stevie and I 55 00:03:46,156 --> 00:03:48,756 Speaker 2: all jumped at the chance to work with her. When 56 00:03:48,796 --> 00:03:52,556 Speaker 2: her husband and songwriting partner Dick Rudolph asked us to 57 00:03:52,556 --> 00:03:57,476 Speaker 2: help make her second record, Perfect Angel. I remember putting 58 00:03:57,476 --> 00:04:00,356 Speaker 2: the bird sounds on her song Loving You, which were 59 00:04:00,396 --> 00:04:03,436 Speaker 2: reminiscent of the sound effects we used with Stevie on 60 00:04:03,556 --> 00:04:08,516 Speaker 2: Living for the City. Minnie had an extraordinary voice, especially 61 00:04:08,556 --> 00:04:12,476 Speaker 2: in her false register. It was totally under her control 62 00:04:12,796 --> 00:04:17,876 Speaker 2: and its clarity was astounding. Loving You became Ripurton's biggest 63 00:04:17,956 --> 00:04:21,116 Speaker 2: hit and topped the Billboard Hot one hundred chart on 64 00:04:21,196 --> 00:04:25,076 Speaker 2: April fifth, nineteen seventy five. It went on to sell 65 00:04:25,076 --> 00:04:29,156 Speaker 2: over a million copies. We recorded most of the album 66 00:04:29,196 --> 00:04:32,756 Speaker 2: at the Record planned LA and mixed it at Westlake Audio, 67 00:04:32,916 --> 00:04:36,636 Speaker 2: Tom Hidley's new place. We went there because it had 68 00:04:36,636 --> 00:04:40,676 Speaker 2: the first API console with fader automation, and we tracked 69 00:04:40,676 --> 00:04:43,356 Speaker 2: many of Many's vocals in the control room with all 70 00:04:43,396 --> 00:04:46,756 Speaker 2: of us on headphones. Tom had built Westlake as a 71 00:04:46,796 --> 00:04:50,156 Speaker 2: showroom to sell the latest studio gear. He used the 72 00:04:50,196 --> 00:04:53,556 Speaker 2: control room in the back to demo whose studio design concepts, 73 00:04:53,836 --> 00:04:56,996 Speaker 2: the latest and recording consoles and all the new gear 74 00:04:57,036 --> 00:05:00,836 Speaker 2: coming to market. It wasn't really a studio, just a 75 00:05:00,876 --> 00:05:04,236 Speaker 2: control room. The store in the front was the showroom 76 00:05:04,436 --> 00:05:07,236 Speaker 2: and it gave us access to all the latest outboard 77 00:05:07,276 --> 00:05:10,356 Speaker 2: gear in the industry. We came our lounge during our 78 00:05:10,476 --> 00:05:14,716 Speaker 2: nighttime sessions. Sometimes we would sit on the floor up front, 79 00:05:14,956 --> 00:05:18,156 Speaker 2: leaning against all these new racks of gear with its 80 00:05:18,236 --> 00:05:22,796 Speaker 2: pistachio and brown shag carpeting, eating pizza or a bucket 81 00:05:22,916 --> 00:05:28,796 Speaker 2: of Kentucky fried chicken. The API console only remembered fader levels. 82 00:05:29,076 --> 00:05:32,316 Speaker 2: The rest was done in real time. As usual, the 83 00:05:32,396 --> 00:05:34,916 Speaker 2: memory was stored on the first and last tracks of 84 00:05:34,956 --> 00:05:38,036 Speaker 2: the master tape, so every time we made an update, 85 00:05:38,396 --> 00:05:41,156 Speaker 2: we would have to jockey back and forth printing the 86 00:05:41,236 --> 00:05:44,716 Speaker 2: update on the alternate track, which caused the fader moves 87 00:05:44,716 --> 00:05:48,196 Speaker 2: to come back later and later and was overly complicated. 88 00:05:48,756 --> 00:05:51,036 Speaker 2: So Malcolm and I would make as many moves as 89 00:05:51,076 --> 00:05:56,036 Speaker 2: possible and use the automation as little as possible. In 90 00:05:56,076 --> 00:05:59,476 Speaker 2: the end, we were happy with the record. Once again, 91 00:06:00,076 --> 00:06:04,116 Speaker 2: using the latest and greatest technology fed our creative spirit. 92 00:06:06,756 --> 00:06:09,756 Speaker 2: While we were working with Stevie on his project, there 93 00:06:09,796 --> 00:06:12,716 Speaker 2: was little room or desire to work with anyone else. 94 00:06:13,556 --> 00:06:16,796 Speaker 2: There were down times, though, especially when Stevie was on 95 00:06:16,836 --> 00:06:19,956 Speaker 2: the road. That's when Malcolm and I kept busy working 96 00:06:19,996 --> 00:06:24,156 Speaker 2: on albums with other artists. We recorded The Isley Brothers 97 00:06:24,196 --> 00:06:27,796 Speaker 2: three plus three in nineteen seventy three while Stevie was 98 00:06:27,836 --> 00:06:32,076 Speaker 2: touring and promoting Inner Visions. The Isleys were a true 99 00:06:32,116 --> 00:06:37,596 Speaker 2: family affair. The original Isley Brothers consisted of O'Kelly Issley Junior, 100 00:06:38,236 --> 00:06:42,836 Speaker 2: Rudolph Issley and Ronald Eisley. Three plus three would be 101 00:06:42,876 --> 00:06:46,476 Speaker 2: the first album to formerly include the younger brothers Ernie 102 00:06:46,476 --> 00:06:49,916 Speaker 2: on guitar and Marvin on bass, and brother in law 103 00:06:49,996 --> 00:06:55,396 Speaker 2: Chris Jasper on keyboards. The original trio officially became a sextet, 104 00:06:55,756 --> 00:06:59,236 Speaker 2: hence the album title. It was both old school and 105 00:06:59,316 --> 00:07:03,116 Speaker 2: new school. Laur and B with Ronald's incomparable smooth lead 106 00:07:03,236 --> 00:07:07,996 Speaker 2: vocals and Ernie's hardage guitar leads. Chris and Marvin brought 107 00:07:08,036 --> 00:07:11,356 Speaker 2: new funk rock entersery to the band, and the combination 108 00:07:11,596 --> 00:07:15,676 Speaker 2: proved to be a significant artistic advance for them. Our 109 00:07:15,716 --> 00:07:18,036 Speaker 2: first meeting came when they walked in on us while 110 00:07:18,076 --> 00:07:21,436 Speaker 2: we were mixing Don't You Worry About a Thing? With Stevie. 111 00:07:21,556 --> 00:07:24,676 Speaker 2: We already knew about them and figured out pretty quickly 112 00:07:24,676 --> 00:07:27,516 Speaker 2: what they had in mind, which was precisely what we 113 00:07:27,636 --> 00:07:31,156 Speaker 2: had on our table. As usual, we had a lockout 114 00:07:31,156 --> 00:07:35,476 Speaker 2: in Studio B to ensure our setup remained intact. We 115 00:07:35,516 --> 00:07:38,316 Speaker 2: would arrive early in the afternoon and prepare the room 116 00:07:38,396 --> 00:07:42,396 Speaker 2: for work. Once again. We tracked the basics with quad 117 00:07:42,476 --> 00:07:46,036 Speaker 2: monitoring and the players in the control room. The guys 118 00:07:46,036 --> 00:07:48,796 Speaker 2: would usually arrive an hour or so after us and 119 00:07:48,836 --> 00:07:52,676 Speaker 2: get started right away. There was no dilly dallying around 120 00:07:52,716 --> 00:07:56,556 Speaker 2: the canteen. They were always very single minded and down 121 00:07:56,596 --> 00:08:00,516 Speaker 2: to business. They came in well prepared, having played and 122 00:08:00,596 --> 00:08:03,876 Speaker 2: perfected all the songs in rehearsal or on the road. 123 00:08:04,996 --> 00:08:08,196 Speaker 2: Ronald's lead vocals were terrific. He was at the top 124 00:08:08,236 --> 00:08:11,076 Speaker 2: of his form and we could feel his gospel roots. 125 00:08:11,596 --> 00:08:14,116 Speaker 2: We used an RI twenty mic in the same close 126 00:08:14,396 --> 00:08:19,476 Speaker 2: confessional approach we deployed for Stevie's vocals. Working with Ernie 127 00:08:19,556 --> 00:08:23,036 Speaker 2: on guitars was a sonic adventure. He regaled us with 128 00:08:23,116 --> 00:08:25,876 Speaker 2: tales of Howe as a little boy, he played guitar 129 00:08:25,996 --> 00:08:29,756 Speaker 2: with Jimmy Hendrix in the family's kitchen. Jimmy was there 130 00:08:29,756 --> 00:08:33,236 Speaker 2: because the senior Isisley's had recruited Jimmy to play in 131 00:08:33,276 --> 00:08:37,236 Speaker 2: their backup band in the early sixties. We developed a 132 00:08:37,356 --> 00:08:41,596 Speaker 2: very original sound for Ernie's lead guitar parts. We recorded 133 00:08:41,596 --> 00:08:44,916 Speaker 2: a ZAM through a Dolby three sixty one noise reduction unit, 134 00:08:45,156 --> 00:08:48,316 Speaker 2: but didn't decode the signal. We left it raw and 135 00:08:48,356 --> 00:08:51,156 Speaker 2: then compressed it with a flickin' er tube limiter. You 136 00:08:51,236 --> 00:08:53,636 Speaker 2: can hear the results of our labor on the guitar 137 00:08:53,716 --> 00:08:57,516 Speaker 2: leads on Who's that Lady in Summer Breeze, among others 138 00:08:57,556 --> 00:09:27,396 Speaker 2: on the record. The rest of the tracking was very straightforward, 139 00:09:28,076 --> 00:09:31,356 Speaker 2: with our traditional approach being tight and close, with the 140 00:09:31,436 --> 00:09:35,676 Speaker 2: drums recorded from the drummer's point of view. Marvin Space 141 00:09:35,836 --> 00:09:38,396 Speaker 2: was recorded direct to the board, as were all of 142 00:09:38,476 --> 00:09:43,596 Speaker 2: Chris's electronics, scents and keys. There was z improv experimenting with 143 00:09:43,676 --> 00:09:48,076 Speaker 2: percussion and figuring out the background vocal arrangements in the studio. 144 00:09:48,796 --> 00:09:51,156 Speaker 2: O'Kelly and Rudolph, along with the rest of the guys, 145 00:09:51,196 --> 00:09:55,796 Speaker 2: sang the background vocal parts. They also oversaw all the business, 146 00:09:56,116 --> 00:10:01,796 Speaker 2: financials and logistics. O'kelly's one eccentricity was that he had 147 00:10:02,036 --> 00:10:05,196 Speaker 2: very long fingernails, at least two or three inches long 148 00:10:05,276 --> 00:10:08,516 Speaker 2: on his left hand. Rudy ran the show both on 149 00:10:08,596 --> 00:10:11,716 Speaker 2: and off the road. He made sure everybody got to 150 00:10:11,756 --> 00:10:15,316 Speaker 2: the studio on time. If any of the brothers were late, 151 00:10:15,796 --> 00:10:18,156 Speaker 2: they would hear it from him and it wouldn't be pleasant. 152 00:10:18,676 --> 00:10:24,916 Speaker 2: They were a very professional, well oiled machine. We never 153 00:10:24,956 --> 00:10:30,156 Speaker 2: connected outside the studio. It was all strictly business. Malcolm 154 00:10:30,156 --> 00:10:32,796 Speaker 2: and I had the feeling that in their eyes we 155 00:10:32,796 --> 00:10:36,596 Speaker 2: were like the studio itself, simply tools to be used. 156 00:10:37,596 --> 00:10:40,316 Speaker 2: They wanted what Malcolm and I could do to enhance 157 00:10:40,396 --> 00:10:44,196 Speaker 2: their sound by bringing in new techniques and technologies to 158 00:10:44,316 --> 00:10:48,076 Speaker 2: the album. We were there strictly to serve those needs, 159 00:10:48,596 --> 00:10:52,836 Speaker 2: which was totally fine with us. When we finished, O'Kelly 160 00:10:52,876 --> 00:10:54,956 Speaker 2: brought in a briefcase with a stack of one hundred 161 00:10:54,996 --> 00:10:59,276 Speaker 2: dollars bills and paid our twelve thousand dollars fee in cash. 162 00:10:59,796 --> 00:11:03,036 Speaker 2: A year later, when Stevie was on the road once again, 163 00:11:03,596 --> 00:11:07,116 Speaker 2: we recorded a second album with the Oisley Brothers. The 164 00:11:07,156 --> 00:11:09,956 Speaker 2: Heat Is On continued with three play us three left 165 00:11:09,996 --> 00:11:14,196 Speaker 2: off with the same lineup. By now, the Isleys had 166 00:11:14,236 --> 00:11:18,636 Speaker 2: found their pocket and perfected their soul funk sound. Malcolm 167 00:11:18,676 --> 00:11:20,716 Speaker 2: and I felt like we had never left the studio, 168 00:11:21,156 --> 00:11:24,076 Speaker 2: as if we'd recorded three plus three the day before. 169 00:11:24,876 --> 00:11:27,156 Speaker 2: The big difference was that we tracked the record at 170 00:11:27,196 --> 00:11:30,916 Speaker 2: Kendon Recorders in the San Fernando Valley on the other 171 00:11:31,036 --> 00:11:33,796 Speaker 2: side of the Santa Monica Mountains from Hollywood and the 172 00:11:33,836 --> 00:11:37,676 Speaker 2: record plant. It was another Tom Hidley design and the 173 00:11:37,716 --> 00:11:42,276 Speaker 2: console was an API with custom Dean Jensen transformers. We 174 00:11:42,356 --> 00:11:45,476 Speaker 2: felt right at home. We mixed the album at Tom's 175 00:11:45,516 --> 00:11:50,716 Speaker 2: Westlake Audio. The Heat Is On was unusual because all 176 00:11:50,756 --> 00:11:54,076 Speaker 2: the uptempo funk was on side one and the smooth 177 00:11:54,156 --> 00:11:57,396 Speaker 2: ballads were on side two, which helped it set a 178 00:11:57,396 --> 00:12:02,476 Speaker 2: certain mood. It first charted on June fourteenth, nineteen seventy five, 179 00:12:02,836 --> 00:12:06,636 Speaker 2: and spent forty weeks on the Billboard two hundred. It 180 00:12:06,756 --> 00:12:10,476 Speaker 2: was the Isley Brothers first album to hit number one 181 00:12:10,836 --> 00:12:14,636 Speaker 2: once again. When we were done, O'Kelly showed up with 182 00:12:14,716 --> 00:12:18,636 Speaker 2: his famous briefcase and paid us in cash. We never 183 00:12:18,756 --> 00:12:20,716 Speaker 2: saw or heard from them again.