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Author Topic: The Stephen Desper Thread  (Read 718541 times)
Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #1575 on: January 25, 2015, 06:28:29 AM »

Manson only had a song with basic chords on the guitar and a melody lead line. It was the 'Boys who took that basic concept and turned it into a real commercial tune. All the added vocal arrangement throughout the entire song was created by Brian and Carl.

Brian and Carl did that? Given the production credit of Dennis and Carl I had naturally assumed Brian didn't work on it. What was Dennis' role in the production? Did Brian work on "Be With Me" too?
 

COMMENT:  OK, let me reword that by saying that Manson had nothing to do with the vocal arrangements. Those came about by way of the efforts of The Beach Boys.  Vocal arrangements with this group are a group effort with someone usually leading or supplying the main idea. The point of the question was about Manson's involvement. I intended to point out that he only wrote a sketch of a song compared to what you heard after The Beach Boys put their magic to it. As to who did what to which, it doesn't work that way. It's a more fluid and interactive process. I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression.
~swd
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« Reply #1576 on: January 25, 2015, 11:25:15 AM »

I absolutely love the acapella mix of Breakaway you shared.   Any idea if it was a candidate for an official release prior to your study video (Made In California, Hawthorne, etc)?

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« Reply #1577 on: January 25, 2015, 03:34:30 PM »

Manson only had a song with basic chords on the guitar and a melody lead line. It was the 'Boys who took that basic concept and turned it into a real commercial tune. All the added vocal arrangement throughout the entire song was created by Brian and Carl.

Brian and Carl did that? Given the production credit of Dennis and Carl I had naturally assumed Brian didn't work on it. What was Dennis' role in the production? Did Brian work on "Be With Me" too?
 

COMMENT:  OK, let me reword that by saying that Manson had nothing to do with the vocal arrangements. Those came about by way of the efforts of The Beach Boys.  Vocal arrangements with this group are a group effort with someone usually leading or supplying the main idea. The point of the question was about Manson's involvement. I intended to point out that he only wrote a sketch of a song compared to what you heard after The Beach Boys put their magic to it. As to who did what to which, it doesn't work that way. It's a more fluid and interactive process. I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression.
~swd

Thank you again for taking the time to clear things up. My question was actually about the musical arrangement on the Beach Boys version and nothing at all to do with Charles Manson. I've heard his version which has circulated since the early 1970's and the Beach Boys version is like night and day compared to it. Also I'm pretty sure that the Manson demo you engineered would not be the version which circulates which is supposedly locked up in the vaults probably to never see the light of day. Thank you again, Stephen, for your wonderful insight into how these records were made.
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« Reply #1578 on: January 25, 2015, 10:30:46 PM »

Manson only had a song with basic chords on the guitar and a melody lead line. It was the 'Boys who took that basic concept and turned it into a real commercial tune. All the added vocal arrangement throughout the entire song was created by Brian and Carl.

Brian and Carl did that? Given the production credit of Dennis and Carl I had naturally assumed Brian didn't work on it. What was Dennis' role in the production? Did Brian work on "Be With Me" too?
 

COMMENT:  OK, let me reword that by saying that Manson had nothing to do with the vocal arrangements. Those came about by way of the efforts of The Beach Boys.  Vocal arrangements with this group are a group effort with someone usually leading or supplying the main idea. The point of the question was about Manson's involvement. I intended to point out that he only wrote a sketch of a song compared to what you heard after The Beach Boys put their magic to it. As to who did what to which, it doesn't work that way. It's a more fluid and interactive process. I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression.
~swd

Thank you very much for the quick answer, Mr. Desper! Smiley
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #1579 on: February 03, 2015, 12:57:44 PM »

COMMENT:

My website, http://swdstudyvideos.com is down. We're working on updates coming soon.

  ~swd
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« Reply #1580 on: February 03, 2015, 05:59:23 PM »

 Shocked Can't wait!
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #1581 on: April 11, 2015, 12:06:53 PM »

ONE LITTLE BUTTON is all you need to click.

With major help from fellow Beach Boy fans, Will C. of Will C. Productions and Professor Mike Conner (Course Director of Popular Music at Full Sail University, Orlando, FL), and I are proud to announce the study-video:

 
          RECORDING THE BEACH BOYS – Part One

NOW available for review at my website. This latest Study-Video joins six other Study-Videos that explore the sound production techniques I used in the making of Beach Boy music. These studies also include examples of my favorite mastering techniques applied to finished works of other engineers. I believe you will find each one clarifies the music and expands its presentation in the stereo panorama.

Mike Conner has donated many, many hours of his own time and talent to work on what I have written and “re-mastered.” The result is a Study-Video that represents the book with additional writing plus running commentary of the music.

Recording The Beach Boys – is in parts, this being the first of three parts. It will take you several hours to digest this Study-Video since it contains 74 pages of commentary along with 1½ hours of musical examples. In total, expect an educational experience concerning Sunflower from the recording aspect that should answer some of the many questions and misunderstandings surrounding this album. It may also raise some new issues for the diehard Beach Boy fan – but then that’s what adds to the entertainment value associated with the Beach Boy music and this thread.

I would suggest two things, (1) set aside enough time to view the Study-Video in one sitting if you can, and (2) connect your computer to a good sound system via the headphone jack, USB port or HDMI connector. It’s not difficult to do and the enjoyment you will receive from each Study-Video is well worth the trouble as these are not MP3 files, rather CD quality formats.

         http://www.swdstudyvideos.com

Good Listening,  ~Stephen W. Desper

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Alan Smith
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« Reply #1582 on: April 11, 2015, 07:39:08 PM »

 Pirate Rock! Head Spin

Rescheduling my afternoon to get into this - thanks, guys!

Stephen, while you're around, can you fill us in on the "Additional Engineering" credit you got on Brian's new (fabulous) album - which song etc?
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« Reply #1583 on: April 11, 2015, 11:29:13 PM »

Thank you so much, Stephen!
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« Reply #1584 on: April 12, 2015, 12:39:13 PM »

Dear Stephen,

thank you ever so much! That's pure magic blasting thru the studio monitors.

Mick
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« Reply #1585 on: April 12, 2015, 02:50:44 PM »

Wow!  All I can say is WOW!  Ok, I can say more.   Smiley

It took me over two hours to get through this study-video because I found myself pausing quite a bit and backtracking a number of times just to digest all the details and massive amounts of information!  It was time well spent, and I am pretty sure I will be revisiting this presentation again real soon.  I certainly can't wait for the next installments.

Thank you so much for this, Mr. Stephen Desper!  I learned a great deal about the making of one of my favorite albums of all time.  I even heard a few things within the tracks I hadn't noticed before.
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« Reply #1586 on: April 12, 2015, 07:57:35 PM »

Wow, that was incredible.

Thank you so much for all your work, both in working on Sunflower 45 years ago, and this past year in writing your book and making this study video.
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On our way through this "backstage" maze, Bruce joined up with the group and said hello, singing "It Never Rains in Southern California" and joking with some of the older ladies. I'm not sure if they knew he was a Beach Boy or simply an enthusiastic elderly gay gentleman.
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« Reply #1587 on: April 13, 2015, 04:30:17 AM »

The Sunflower video is incredible. Thanks so much.

A few questions:

1) Will any future study videos contain any of the songs left off Sunflower / Surf's Up? E.g. Big Sur (4/4 version), San Miguel, Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again

2) Do you know what bitrate / audio data compression Vimeo uses?

3) I'm slightly deaf in my right ear (probably about 30 - 50% working). What kind of speaker setup would you suggest?
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #1588 on: April 13, 2015, 06:09:25 AM »

The Sunflower video is incredible. Thanks so much.

A few questions:

1) Will any future study videos contain any of the songs left off Sunflower / Surf's Up? E.g. Big Sur (4/4 version), San Miguel, Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again

2) Do you know what bitrate / audio data compression Vimeo uses?

3) I'm slightly deaf in my right ear (probably about 30 - 50% working). What kind of speaker setup would you suggest?

COMMENT:  Answers >>>

1)  See NOTE on the bottom of page 72 of the book

2)  We use Vimeo rather than YouTube to post the Study-Videos because of its superior audio quality and passcode protection feature.

VIMEO VIIDEO

Frame rate: 30 FPS (Constant)

Bit rate: (or Quality) 5,000-10,000 kbit/s for 720p HD video
(We could go higher, but for words and a few photos, 720p is just fine.)

Resolution: 720p HD Video  16:9 aspect ratio  1280 x 720 px
 
VIMEO AUDIO

Codec: AAC-LC (Advanced Audio Codec)

Data rate: 320 kbit/s

Sample rate: 48 kHz

3)  I'm sure by now your brain has compensated for the hearing loss as best it can. If possible, no matter what speakers you listen over, try to center a mono image or equalize the output of the speakers so that you hear a centered image for a soloist. It may be that your brain already does this for you, otherwise play with the balance control until you are satisfied.

And thanks for all your comments.


~swd
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Don Malcolm
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« Reply #1589 on: April 13, 2015, 07:04:07 AM »

Stephen,

As one who was not quick-witted enough to obtain your book at any of the times it was available, I can only say thanks so very, very much for generously supplying so much of it as part of this magnificent survey of the creative peak that centered around SUNFLOWER/SURF's UP. And the added materials in tandem with hearing the songs in a way that is closer to how you'd always intended are beyond fascinating. Your depiction of all six members of the band being so focused and driven in their creativity is riveting and inspirational, and you've handled the little details of the story in a way that gives this fact-based story a novelistic excitement.

Just like Alan Boyd I remember being transfixed by the sound of SUNFLOWER, and hearing the tracks as presented by you brings them back through time and our lamentable MP3 muck into the clarity and presence that blew my young mind way back then--and still does today, when I hear them as handled by a man with an incomparable mastery of sound.

This is, to my mind, the greatest moment on this often-contentious but fantastically rich crossroads of fans and insiders, where both the beauty of the music and the truth (as in facts) about its creation can come together to produce enlightenment and bliss. Again, heartfelt thanks and I can hardly wait for more...!
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zachrwolfe
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« Reply #1590 on: April 13, 2015, 08:24:37 AM »

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Jim Rockford
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« Reply #1591 on: April 13, 2015, 01:14:54 PM »

ONE LITTLE BUTTON is all you need to click.

With major help from fellow Beach Boy fans, Will C. of Will C. Productions and Professor Mike Conner (Course Director of Popular Music at Full Sail University, Orlando, FL), and I are proud to announce the study-video:

 
          RECORDING THE BEACH BOYS – Part One

NOW available for review at my website. This latest Study-Video joins six other Study-Videos that explore the sound production techniques I used in the making of Beach Boy music. These studies also include examples of my favorite mastering techniques applied to finished works of other engineers. I believe you will find each one clarifies the music and expands its presentation in the stereo panorama.

Mike Conner has donated many, many hours of his own time and talent to work on what I have written and “re-mastered.” The result is a Study-Video that represents the book with additional writing plus running commentary of the music.

Recording The Beach Boys – is in parts, this being the first of three parts. It will take you several hours to digest this Study-Video since it contains 74 pages of commentary along with 1½ hours of musical examples. In total, expect an educational experience concerning Sunflower from the recording aspect that should answer some of the many questions and misunderstandings surrounding this album. It may also raise some new issues for the diehard Beach Boy fan – but then that’s what adds to the entertainment value associated with the Beach Boy music and this thread.

I would suggest two things, (1) set aside enough time to view the Study-Video in one sitting if you can, and (2) connect your computer to a good sound system via the headphone jack, USB port or HDMI connector. It’s not difficult to do and the enjoyment you will receive from each Study-Video is well worth the trouble as these are not MP3 files, rather CD quality formats.

         http://www.swdstudyvideos.com

Good Listening,  ~Stephen W. Desper




Wow!!! That was awesome.  You blew my mind. I had no idea all that was there. It makes me appreciate the album even more. Thank you.
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« Reply #1592 on: April 15, 2015, 08:44:00 AM »

Steve, I have to say that hearing Sunflower through matrix resolution really opens up the album and airs it out. I always thought that the 2000 remaster did that too, but hearing your original test album sound like that is just incredible. It is a real shame that Warner's didn't master the album as you wanted. Thanks again for posting your study videos. They truly are a listening revelation. Smiley
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The Brianista Prayer

Oh Brian
Thou Art In Hawthorne,
Harmonied Be Thy name
Your Kingdom Come,
Your Steak Well Done,
On Stage As It Is In Studio,
Give Us This Day, Our Shortenin' Bread
And Forgive Us Our Bootlegs,
As We Also Have Forgiven Our Wife And Managers,
And Lead Us Not Into Kokomo,
But Deliver Us From Mike Love.
Amen.  ---hypehat
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« Reply #1593 on: April 15, 2015, 09:33:17 PM »

Thanks a lot for that, Mr. Desper! Sunflower is probably my favorite Beach Boy album and the Cool Cool Water video alone blew me away, but this was something else entirely. Sunflower has grabbed me from the moment I heard it, and a big part is because of your work on it. Thanks for this, and thanks for all the work you've done with the band. Can't wait for the Surf's Up video.

One question: any chance you can point me in the direction of your book "Recording the Beach Boys"? I can't seem to find a link. I understand it might be out of print. In any case, thanks again for everything!
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« Reply #1594 on: April 15, 2015, 10:20:50 PM »

Stephen: a question out of left field, but you get a credit in the notes of Brian's new album -- is that for recording his 1975 piano-and-vocal version of In the Back of My Mind? Anything you recall from that session if that's the case?
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zachrwolfe
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« Reply #1595 on: April 16, 2015, 05:28:53 AM »

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catsaregrey
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« Reply #1596 on: April 16, 2015, 09:19:33 AM »

One question: any chance you can point me in the direction of your book "Recording the Beach Boys"? I can't seem to find a link. I understand it might be out of print. In any case, thanks again for everything!

My understanding is that these videos are intended to replace the book, with all the same information and more.

Ah, makes sense. It would be nice to have a print copy, but I suppose there's no need to get greedy.
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #1597 on: April 16, 2015, 11:50:51 AM »

One question: any chance you can point me in the direction of your book "Recording the Beach Boys"? I can't seem to find a link. I understand it might be out of print. In any case, thanks again for everything!

My understanding is that these videos are intended to replace the book, with all the same information and more.

Ah, makes sense. It would be nice to have a print copy, but I suppose there's no need to get greedy.

COMMENT:  You're not being greedy, I'm being frugal.  Last printing I lost three dollars per book, so rather than raise the price and limit the audience I thought I'd make it free on the Internet and expand the audience so that even the student aficionado could reap some benefit. Besides, what's the point of publishing a book about the recording of an album and not give examples of sound? That's like publishing an art book about painting, but only use words to "illustrate" your point. Also consider that the so-called "free" Vimeo sound examples found on each of the study-videos still costs me money for the service (it's not free like YouTube), website domain name costs, hosting costs, etc. -- but still cheaper than taking a hit on every book sale.

I will tell you that I'm considering offering a signed copy of a special page in Part Two of the book to those collectors as yourself that may want some collectable item. This would defer some of my costs.

In the meantime, at the end of my website (http://swdstudyvideos.com) there are a series of buttons. One button is labeled "Instructions on how to make a DVD of any Study-Video." Clicking there will take you to a number of links that show how to copy from the website. If you wish to go to a lot of trouble, I suppose you could make a DVD and then print from there. Just remember that the written portions of the book are copyrighted, so only a personal copy would be legal.  Alternately, I will make you a personal printout of the written part of the book including the book itself and the music commentary if you want to generously ($$$) compensate me for all my time & trouble. I'll sign it for you too. However, I cannot copy any of the music. Send me a personal communication if you're interested.
  ~swd
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« Reply #1598 on: April 17, 2015, 11:50:38 AM »

My gratitude again to all involved in these wonderful videos. They are invaluable.
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« Reply #1599 on: April 18, 2015, 04:26:24 AM »

This is great stuff!!! thank you mr Desper for all the work you've put into this it really shows
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