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Author Topic: The Stephen Desper Thread  (Read 718492 times)
Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #25 on: December 28, 2005, 03:32:51 PM »

Okay, check your private messages.

By the way, you should definitely watch the recording thing for the Christmas album, which is up on Brian's website. It's a much more relaxed environment with more experimentation and everything like you were describing. I think it's much more interesting than the SMiLE one. I think Brian actually said in a recent interview that he wants to learn to use Pro Tools in the near future. Of course, who knows if he ever will. Someone (Darian or Mark Linett or someone) should just sit down with him and make him learn it.
  I downloaded it.  I listened to it.  I did not record it.  They sounded fairly smoked out to me.  ~swd
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Paul R.
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« Reply #26 on: December 28, 2005, 05:09:15 PM »

Stephen,
Way back when, you had mentioned the possibility of record companies making multitracks available so that fans could perform their own mixes of their favorite material. It looks like we have entered that era. Billy Joel's new retrospective "My Lives" includes a couple tunes that can be mixed (and augmented w/ loops, etc) from an included 8-track set-up via "Umixit."
From the Billy Joel site:
"As an added bonus for Billy Joel fans, the My Lives box-set presents two songs--"Zanzibar" and "I Got To Extremes" (Live, Never Released)--in the revolutionary eight channel, multi-track UmixIt format. A groundbreaking new interactive music experience, UmixIt technology allows the listener to create personalized mixes on a PC. Using UmixIt, fans may mute, solo or add effects to the original recording; record new instrumental or vocal parts; or remix tracks with pre-loaded loops. With UmixIt, the creative possibilities are limitless."
Interesting?
Paul R.
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NimrodsSon
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« Reply #27 on: December 28, 2005, 07:37:31 PM »

Okay, check your private messages.

By the way, you should definitely watch the recording thing for the Christmas album, which is up on Brian's website. It's a much more relaxed environment with more experimentation and everything like you were describing. I think it's much more interesting than the SMiLE one. I think Brian actually said in a recent interview that he wants to learn to use Pro Tools in the near future. Of course, who knows if he ever will. Someone (Darian or Mark Linett or someone) should just sit down with him and make him learn it.
  I downloaded it.  I listened to it.  I did not record it.  They sounded fairly smoked out to me.  ~swd

Well, thanks for taking the time to listen. You have to admit, it's a great song nonetheless, isn't it!
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #28 on: December 28, 2005, 08:04:18 PM »

Stephen,
Way back when, you had mentioned the possibility of record companies making multitracks available so that fans could perform their own mixes of their favorite material. It looks like we have entered that era. Billy Joel's new retrospective "My Lives" includes a couple tunes that can be mixed (and augmented w/ loops, etc) from an included 8-track set-up via "Umixit."
From the Billy Joel site:
"As an added bonus for Billy Joel fans, the My Lives box-set presents two songs--"Zanzibar" and "I Got To Extremes" (Live, Never Released)--in the revolutionary eight channel, multi-track UmixIt format. A groundbreaking new interactive music experience, UmixIt technology allows the listener to create personalized mixes on a PC. Using UmixIt, fans may mute, solo or add effects to the original recording; record new instrumental or vocal parts; or remix tracks with pre-loaded loops. With UmixIt, the creative possibilities are limitless."
Interesting?
Paul R.
What a great find!  Thanks Paul for letting me see my predictions come true.  Here's more:  UMIXIT.COM

You all should download the video on this one (at the upper left corner) and take it in.  I guess the 8-track "cakewalk" based software comes packaged with the music CD and for $20 you can upgrade to 16-tracks.  Next year it will be 64-tracks for $27.50 -- Ha!   Click on "artists" and see who's jumping on this one.

Every BB release through 20/20 is no more than 8-tracks.  Then SF and SU were 16-track.  Holland  24-track.  KTSA was 48-tracks. 

I'm out of a job now.  Think I'll take up singing -- until some robot learns that art too.

Here is what I posted back on July 28, 2005 at 1:38 in the morning . . .

Technically it is possible to put 16 tracks onto a DVD in compressed form. In the near future this will expand to 24 tracks. Or just download from the Internet onto your home computer loaded with ProTools. At that point in time, the record companies will have a new way to make money from those old tapes in their vaults. The release of the original multi-tracks of old hits to be mixed by the buyer on his home computer will create a new market motivated by profit. With the power of the Internet, all those new mixes by fans will start to appear on the Internet. Then you can download the mix of Long Promised Road by Jared Lekites, or the mix of Long Promised Road by Mickey Mouse, or Barbara Bush, or John Q. Public. There will be hundreds of versions to choose from, not just the Carl Wilson or Mark Linett version.

Wild stuff huh?

How would you like your original tracks, and all the out-takes too, to become available to half of the world to re-configure, modify, pull, twist, and shape for their own amusement. Then make available for the other half of the world to hear. Would you want your name on them all, or just the best ones?


  ~swd
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #29 on: December 28, 2005, 08:08:23 PM »


Well, thanks for taking the time to listen. You have to admit, it's a great song nonetheless, isn't it!
Well thank you for taking the time to post the song.  Too bad he didn't develop it into a release.  ~swd
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #30 on: December 28, 2005, 08:13:09 PM »

Mr. Desper, I apologize if this question was asked before (can't find it in the previous forum). Do you have any interesting Zappa stories?
Yes a few, but a litttle busy right now.  Ask me again after the holidays.  ~swd
  Here's something that was posted before. Perhaps you missed it.

FROM JULY 19, 2005 AT 9:06 PM ~~~ "What does that mean? You wouldn't eat any yellow snow? Tapes are from an outrageous tour to Australia. One show a guy in the balcony fires a roman candle into the auditorium. Frank stops the show and cuts this guy a new a-- hole from on stage. Then the police came and took him away. That was the tour with George Duke (keyboards, vocals) Jean-Luc Ponty (violin) Tom Fowler (bass) Ruth & Ian Underwood (percussion) Jeff Simmons (rhythm guitar, vocals) Don Preston (synthesizer) Bruce Fowler (trombone, dancing!) Walt Fowler (trumpet) Napoleon Murphy Brock (tenor sax, flute, vocals) Ralph Humphrey (drums) Chester Thompson (drums). What a fantastic lineup of a band! I used 5 premixing consoles to conjoin over 300 seperate sources of sound from the stage to 36 channels on the final mix board. Once the five consoles were adjusted, their outputs came to the main board for balance and cues during the show. It was a very complex show, but besides those shows, did engineering on Overnight Sensation and Apostrophe albums. Zappa was one of the most competent guitarist/musicians I've worked with, including Hendrix. Except Frank didn't do drugs, he was a coffee addict."
~swd
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #31 on: December 28, 2005, 08:32:32 PM »

ATTENTION ARTHUR:

If you are still reading this thread . . .  remember some time ago (June 30, 2005 at 12:32 PM) you ask about 5.1 and disturbing the neighbors.  I posted about that.  Just wanted to follow up with this.  I was looking around Wal-Mart the other day and came across this special they are selling (at least here in this store).  It's a sound chair.  Actually one of those without legs that sits on the floor.  Kinda shaped like an "L".  Anyway this thing sells for $99.99 and has a bass shaker in it that hooks up to your DVD.  It also has two cheap side speakers, but more important, it also has headphone jacks.  When I saw it I thought of your situation.  You could buy this thing for under a hundred bucks and sit in it for that added bass without disturbing the people next door.  Check it out at your local Wal-Mart.
  ~swd
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Arthur Slake
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« Reply #32 on: December 30, 2005, 04:16:40 AM »

Thank you, Mr. Desper! I'm still following this excellent thread! I will have to check this out - it sounds quite interesting...
Arthur
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« Reply #33 on: December 30, 2005, 04:51:14 PM »

"Zappa was one of the most competent guitarist/musicians I've worked with, including Hendrix."

Stephen, could you elaborate on working with Hendrix?  What recordings, and with what band? 
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #34 on: December 30, 2005, 08:33:11 PM »

"Zappa was one of the most competent guitarist/musicians I've worked with, including Hendrix."

Stephen, could you elaborate on working with Hendrix?  What recordings, and with what band? 

Comment to Bicyclerider --

Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, The Who, The Mamas and Papas, The Association, Simon and Garfunkel, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Animals, Ravi Shankar, all appeared at the Montery Pop Festival in 1967.

This was the ticket to have.



At the concert Hendrix played a 50 minite set that included “Purple Haze”, “Foxy Lady”, “Hey Joe” and “The Wind Cries Mary.”



It ended with "Wild Thing"  -- a really wild version.



Backstage before the show things were more calm.





During the night show that evening we were treated to a wild man in complete control of his instrument.



The mixing console was only 17 feet in front of the stage and elevated to stage height.  What a view!



The Beach Boys were to play the festival, but because COKE was a sponsor, Mike Love wanted to pass on the occasion, so they pulled out.  Remember at the time Mike and Brian were into health foods and good living(?).  Anyway, their sound system was already in place for all the artists to use.  I went with the system.  It was my good fortune to mix all these great artists for the live feed.  Other crews were for recording and for filming.  Here is Hendrix at sound check in the afternoon. Check out those Altec stage monitors.

               

I spoke to Hendrix about how he liked The Beach Boys -- He said he wasn't into surf music, but thought Brian was a musical genius. Sound check was more or less normal stuff.  Little did we know what was coming that evening.

                         
Talk about Good Listening,[/b]
  ~Stephen W. Desper
« Last Edit: December 30, 2005, 09:05:54 PM by Stephen W. Desper » Logged
I. Spaceman
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« Reply #35 on: December 30, 2005, 08:36:22 PM »

Incredible, beautiful (literally!) post, Stephen!
Sounds like the festival was as great as it's reputation.
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« Reply #36 on: December 30, 2005, 09:17:59 PM »

That was fascinating Steven, thank you! 
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Susan
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« Reply #37 on: December 30, 2005, 09:20:26 PM »

Wow.

When are you going to get all your memorabilia together and write a book, or let someone else work with you, Stephen?  You have so many great stories to tell...!!!
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« Reply #38 on: December 30, 2005, 09:20:43 PM »

That was a great post. Great information. Thanks, Mr. Desper.
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« Reply #39 on: December 31, 2005, 02:34:20 AM »

 Shocked So now we finally now what Hendrix really thought about Brian! Thanks Mr. Desper!!
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Andy B
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« Reply #40 on: December 31, 2005, 06:46:23 AM »

Quote
The Beach Boys were to play the festival, but because COKE was a sponsor, Mike Love wanted to pass on the occasion, so they pulled out.  Remember at the time Mike and Brian were into health foods and good living(?).  Anyway, their sound system was already in place for all the artists to use.  I went with the system.  It was my good fortune to mix all these great artists for the live feed.  Other crews were for recording and for filming.  Here is Hendrix at sound check in the afternoon. Check out those Altec stage monitors.

Wow!! I thought that the Beach Boys pulled out because of the debacle over Smile and that they thougt that they would be booed!! So they didn't like Coke. Fair enough i suppose, but considering the status of Monterey now, it was a bit of a bad decision.

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« Reply #41 on: December 31, 2005, 06:52:41 AM »

Cool!  I like the picture of Pete Townshend with Jimi - perhaps just before they tossed a coin to determine whether the Who or Jimi would go on first?

And don't forget the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Moby Grape were there too! (Byrds and Springfield sets disappointing, but Moby rocked!) 
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« Reply #42 on: December 31, 2005, 07:14:40 AM »

That's John Entwistle with Jimi by the way, not Townshend. Great photos, never realised Mr Desper had the privilege of being at the mixing desk - I've got the four CD box set with lots of the complete shows (Hendrix, The Who, The Byrds, Otis Redding) - wonderful stuff - though sadly no Springfield.
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NimrodsSon
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« Reply #43 on: December 31, 2005, 07:30:08 AM »

Quote
The Beach Boys were to play the festival, but because COKE was a sponsor, Mike Love wanted to pass on the occasion, so they pulled out.  Remember at the time Mike and Brian were into health foods and good living(?).  Anyway, their sound system was already in place for all the artists to use.  I went with the system.  It was my good fortune to mix all these great artists for the live feed.  Other crews were for recording and for filming.  Here is Hendrix at sound check in the afternoon. Check out those Altec stage monitors.

Wow!! I thought that the Beach Boys pulled out because of the debacle over Smile and that they thougt that they would be booed!! So they didn't like Coke. Fair enough i suppose, but considering the status of Monterey now, it was a bit of a bad decision.



Yeah, hold on a second. People have been speculating for years on the reasons for the Beach Boys pulling out. Are you being serious? Because if that's the case, you've just released some pretty groundbreaking information!
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #44 on: December 31, 2005, 08:13:38 AM »

Comment to Author --

Mike felt that Coka~Cola was poisoning the youth of America with their sugar-water formula and did not wish to be any part of their diobolical plan. Otherwise they were billed as one of the main attractions, and yes, it would have been another career milestone.  It was that time when Mike was self-absorbed with his discovery of TM -- the white rob period -- and everything else was less than sacred.

Comment to NimrodsSon --

I don't know what's so groundbreaking about it. Let me put it this way, behind the scenes Mike was emphatic with his feelings. He was entering his holyer than thou cessation with reality. He went overboard with the TM thing, confusing the trappings with the teachings. To an outsider it may have looked a little loony.  Perhaps the SMiLE angle was the public cover story, but if you think about it, not much of an excuse considering all the well-liked material they could have performed. Maybe it was for the best, considering all the dope that was around the staging area at that time -- you never know what condemning and judgemental comments  Mike may have said from his pietistical strata. But as far as the crowd not liking thier music . . . have you ever known that to be?

(I don't know why the backstage photos won't come up now.)
~swd
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the captain
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« Reply #45 on: December 31, 2005, 08:16:39 AM »

Mr. Desper, most books and articles I've read on the subject of Monterey hint that Brian and/or the band were afraid to perform, believing that with no Smile on the market and a possibly anachronistic sound, they'd not be accepted. I have also read that they used Carl's legal problems with avoiding the draft as a cover story. So to hear this is truly new to me, anyway, if not most of us here. It is an amazing take on things, and it is why your presence here is so amazing to some of us. I love your posts, both technical and historical. Thanks so much.

(P.S., I'd LOVE more Zappa stories!)
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« Reply #46 on: December 31, 2005, 11:13:36 AM »

I don't know what's so groundbreaking about it...

I just mean groundbreaking in the sense that this information is groundbreaking because people have been speculating all these years and coming up with these complicated theories, while it turns out it might be something as simple as Coca-Cola.
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Joshilyn Hoisington
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« Reply #47 on: December 31, 2005, 12:37:15 PM »

You know, Coke is actually pretty "bad" for you.  I cut out pop/soda/coke from my diet a few months ago, and almost instantaneously the dentist started saying I was doing a good job brushing, and I dropped about 10 pounds without doing anything else.
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NimrodsSon
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« Reply #48 on: December 31, 2005, 01:32:12 PM »

If you stop drinking it for a long enough time, you'll eventually become disgusted by the taste of it (at least that's what happened with me).
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #49 on: January 01, 2006, 06:12:33 AM »

To carry Coca Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly Corrosive materials. ~swd
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