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Author Topic: The Stephen Desper Thread  (Read 718519 times)
Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #825 on: May 05, 2007, 10:59:22 AM »

COMMENT TO STEVE MAYO, DAN LEGA & MIKE EDER:

Thanks to you Steve, Dan, and Mike for your help and files.  I believe I have reconstructed all the postings I can handle for inclusion in the third printing, as noted in the following press release.  Again thinks for pointing me in the right direction. 
~SWD
« Last Edit: May 05, 2007, 11:02:49 AM by Stephen W. Desper » Logged
Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #826 on: May 05, 2007, 11:53:33 AM »



Happy Dance FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

By overwhelming request, a soon to be completed, third printing of "RECORDING THE BEACH BOYS" by Stephen W. Desper will be available from any book store or over the Internet as a bound, soft cover, 6x9 publication. The new edition will be expanded to over 200 pages. It will include more on equipment plus a Q&A section based numerous questions posted on the smileysmile.net board. Many of the previous answers have been clearified and elaborated.

The publisher's release date is several months away. As of this writing SWD may still include appropriate answers to questions posted on the smileysmile.net SWD topic thread. No names are used in the book. 

All collectable signed issues are sold out. No further numbered copies will be sold.

As soon as the new edition is in print, ordering information will be posted here.
~




« Last Edit: May 05, 2007, 01:53:28 PM by Stephen W. Desper » Logged
the captain
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« Reply #827 on: May 05, 2007, 05:35:41 PM »

This is great news. I am excited to buy this book!
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« Reply #828 on: May 07, 2007, 10:09:32 AM »

Excellent news Steve! This time I'm going to purchase it!
Procrastination get's you nowhere...... lol
Cheers,
Brian
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« Reply #829 on: May 07, 2007, 04:55:00 PM »

COMMENT TO STEVE MAYO, DAN LEGA & MIKE EDER:

Thanks to you Steve, Dan, and Mike for your help and files.  I believe I have reconstructed all the postings I can handle for inclusion in the third printing, as noted in the following press release.  Again thinks for pointing me in the right direction. 
~SWD

You are very welcome
Mike
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« Reply #830 on: May 07, 2007, 07:36:37 PM »

COMMENT TO STEVE MAYO, DAN LEGA & MIKE EDER:

Thanks to you Steve, Dan, and Mike for your help and files.  I believe I have reconstructed all the postings I can handle for inclusion in the third printing, as noted in the following press release.  Again thinks for pointing me in the right direction. 
~SWD

i also want to say you are welcome..and thank you for all your posts
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« Reply #831 on: May 08, 2007, 08:38:32 AM »

Great news, Mr. Desper!

I'm buying the book this time, for sure!

One question: will there be material from the previous printings that will be removed to make room for the new material?
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #832 on: May 08, 2007, 10:25:37 AM »

Great news, Mr. Desper!

I'm buying the book this time, for sure!

One question: will there be material from the previous printings that will be removed to make room for the new material?
COMMENT to GLENN GREENBERG:  As of this date I am pushing 300 pages and still growing.  Nothing will be deleted from tho original manuscript. I'm covering all engineering and general topics which happened when I worked with them.  That includes events before and after the two albums of the original book. Like the first book, this expanded edition will not be a historical accounting or exposay of closet skeletons. There are plenty of those types of books out there -- take your pick. 

I am not a professional author who writes about engineering and the Beach Boys. I am an engineer. who did engineering for and created with the Beach Boys and is writing a book.  Big difference. My book is unique in that it is a direct accounting, through questions from fans, of what I did, witnessed, and explanations of applied engineering techniques of those days.

Most books about The Beach Boys are written by third party authors using interviews and data research.  My book is written by the very person who spent almost every hour of their collective work days with them during the period from Stack-of-Tracks to Holland.  Then again with Keepin ... Alive and other events.

The book will be a bound soft cover edition with a B&W cover to keep the costs down.  My aim is to make a very interesting book that will be of value to the buyer. The book covers one topic completely before moving on to the next, so you can read a little at a time if you are a busy person.

Actually the book is written. I'm in the editing stage now, but can still add Q&A posted here, if relevant. 

Thanks for asking,
  ~swd
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« Reply #833 on: May 08, 2007, 10:34:31 AM »

Steve - the last edition focussed on Sunflower and Surf's Up - will this include notes on tracks you worked on from Smiley SMile through 20/20, and on Sunflower/Surf's Up outtakes like the "Landlocked" acetate, the "Last Capitol Album" et al?

I have the first edition - looking forward to more stuff!
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« Reply #834 on: May 08, 2007, 10:39:39 AM »

Stephen, one of my favorite unreleased songs (until Endless Harmony) was 'Sail Plane Song'...there isnt much info about it except the date that it was recorded. Did you engineer that session? I'd love to know more about it! Was it written on the spot? Who played what instrument? And most importantly, is that Brian on the lead? I've always assumed it was but not I'm thinking it might be Alan instead.

Thanks!
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« Reply #835 on: May 08, 2007, 10:50:41 AM »

I think that is Brian. His falsetto was "whinier" than Al's. Compare the vocal on that to Loop De Loop. They do sound similar but Brian does have a very distinct tone to his voice that is unmistakeable.

I'll definitely be buying this edition...
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« Reply #836 on: May 08, 2007, 12:13:03 PM »

Wow Mr. Desper, you sure look and sound a lot like Billy.

Razz
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #837 on: May 08, 2007, 03:45:47 PM »

Wow Mr. Desper, you sure look and sound a lot like Billy.

Razz
COMMENT TO JOE:  I'd like to know what you meant by what you said.  Billy is another person who can write first hand accountings.  Is that what you meant?  My perspective is going to be different. Actually I did not see Billy much in the studio, only on the road. Hell of a musician. Beautiful person.

Wondering what you meant,
~swd
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #838 on: May 08, 2007, 03:46:44 PM »

Steve - the last edition focussed on Sunflower and Surf's Up - will this include notes on tracks you worked on from Smiley SMile through 20/20, and on Sunflower/Surf's Up outtakes like the "Landlocked" acetate, the "Last Capitol Album" et al?

I have the first edition - looking forward to more stuff!

NOTED!
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« Reply #839 on: May 08, 2007, 04:05:20 PM »

Quote
COMMENT TO JOE:  I'd like to know what you meant by what you said.  Billy is another person who can write first hand accountings.  Is that what you meant?  My perspective is going to be different. Actually I did not see Billy much in the studio, only on the road. Hell of a musician. Beautiful person.

LOL

Joe was referring to me, as I had answered the question for you.
-Billy Castillo
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« Reply #840 on: May 08, 2007, 05:39:23 PM »

Mr. Desper, today I bought a new DVD from the fun (but varying in quality) series "Classic Albums," in which relevant people discuss or revisit the makings and impacts of classic albums in rock history. The one I bought today was Frank Zappa's Apostrophe and Overnite Sensation. I know you are credited as engineer on both. (I was hoping you'd have been interviewed on the DVD, actually.) I wonder if, as a favor since I am in the Zappa mood now, you had any particular memories to share of working with Mr. Zappa and his bands and crews.

Thanks.
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #841 on: May 08, 2007, 06:11:01 PM »

Stephen, one of my favorite unreleased songs (until Endless Harmony) was 'Sail Plane Song'...there isnt much info about it except the date that it was recorded. Did you engineer that session? I'd love to know more about it! Was it written on the spot? Who played what instrument? And most importantly, is that Brian on the lead? I've always assumed it was but not I'm thinking it might be Alan instead.

Thanks!
COMMENT TO JOE:

Here is a example of an experimental recording done to explore a song to a point. Then the track is abandon as new ideas emerge from the playback. The band regroups it's thinking and starts over.  Alan really liked the song and had a vision where to take it as Brian and Carl wanted to move on to other songs and gave control over to Alan who changed the name, upped the tempo and so forth.

Brian is singing Lead  (TK) added end parts (OD)
Carl is playing the Bass Guitar (TK)
Alan is playing Rhythm Guitar (TK)
Brian on Acoustic Piano  (TK)
Carl playing added Guitar part on end of 3rd chorus (OD)  [open string sound]
Bruce on Organ --  1st verse, chorus, 2nd verse, chorus (TK)  [note he lags. not sure of part yet]
Brian on Organ -- 3rd verse, chorus to end (OD)
Brian on Drums (OD)  This is a rare instance to hear Brian beat the skins. He wanted to show where the drums were to be stressed. Remember this is a demo to the band.

Yes, I recorded and mixed the short demo called "Sail Plane Song."

Good Listening,
~Stephen W. Desper
« Last Edit: May 08, 2007, 06:18:56 PM by Stephen W. Desper » Logged
Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #842 on: May 08, 2007, 06:14:45 PM »

I think that is Brian. His falsetto was "whinier" than Al's. Compare the vocal on that to Loop De Loop. They do sound similar but Brian does have a very distinct tone to his voice that is unmistakeable.

I'll definitely be buying this edition...

COMMENT TO JARMIE'S DAD:  Speaking of Loop, who is the barker at the beginning ("Hurry, hurry, hurry")?  Do you know?  ~swd
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Stephen W. Desper
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« Reply #843 on: May 08, 2007, 06:36:31 PM »

Mr. Desper, I wonder if, as a favor since I am in the Zappa mood now, you had any particular memories to share of working with Mr. Zappa and his bands and crews.

Thanks.

COMMENT TO LUTHER:  This question has been ask before.  Here are some responses from 2002 posts.  Sorry I don't have time to respond further.    ~swd

11/25/02
 02:46:00 pm, by cslepage, 179 words, 33 views
Categories: concerts
REPLY TO TEXTUS's COMMENTS: Any possibility that the experience of doing those wonderful voices
made you more attuned to the higher-pitched instruments (violin,
soprano sax, top half of the vibraphone) than another mixer might have
been? That part of that show is one of the things that stood out for
me, anyway -- the fact that I could hear and actually understand
discrete instruments. Didn't even know the term until Zappa named his
third custom label Discrete...

I would say the reason you could hear and
actually understand discrete instruments would be attributed to the
362 individual mic and direct line sources we had on stage coming down
to the mixing board. Such individual (discrete) signal sources add to
the ability to hear details. ~SWD

REPLY TO TEXTUS's COMMENTS" Further, Ruth's vibraphone's metal bars
each had a transducer on them so, were each individually "miked" with
every note coming to a sub-mixer and then to the band mix in stereo.
The other instruments you mentioned also had individual pick-ups on
them all adding to the "up-front" sound of the band. ~SWD

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 01:50:00 pm, by cslepage, 58 words, 23 views
Categories: concerts
REPLY TO TEXTUS's COMMENTS: I was not a Zappa fan either until he asked me to mix for him. In fact, I had not heard much of his stuff until then. But, believe me, it only took one rehearsal session to hook me. Totally on the other side of music from surfing sounds, but fantastic stuff, nevertheless. ~SWD

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 01:25:00 pm, by cslepage, 530 words, 52 views
Categories: concerts
By Stephenwdesper (Stephenwdesper) on Monday, November 25, 2002 -
01:25 pm:

REPLY TO TEXTUS's COMMENTS: What a fantastic tour ("Does that mean you
mixed the 1973 tour?") that was to be the house mixer for all the US
and Australian tours with the such outstanding ("Ponty, Duke, the
Underwoods and the Fowlers") musicians. I still have all the show
mixing notes and music for the shows indicating mixing cues and gain
changes. There was never a moment to loose consentration -- an intence
show to mix, but the music was very rewarding. It was ten times more
demanding than anything the Beach Boys were doing on the road. We
brought out 362 lines from the stage, each representing a sound
source. Those went into preset sub-mixers before coming to the main
mixer. Sound checks could easily take two hours. Zappa demanded
nothing short of perfection from his band and from me. I learned how
to hear in the present time while mixing (or setting up changes) in
future time. Most of the time I was about ten beats ahead of the band,
ready to execute the changes on the be!
at.

Eien and Ruth Underwood were dear friends, very kind and just terrific
at their craft. George Duke was a star performer just waiting to
evolve. He too, a real gentleman and such skill. Jon Luke Ponty and
his blue violin could send you to another dimension, yet he also was
such a pleasure to work with. Fellow, was he the trumpet player or
drummer? Either way, those two were the routy ones of the bunch and
kept us all laughing.

Now Frank was serious and keen to every detail of his music and the
band arrangements. Those arrangements were played to the note with
jazz vamps at certain intervals to allow these gifted performers to
express their individuality. Frank was disciplined and expected his
musicians and technical staff to hold the line -- no fooling around.
Of course his Guitar performances were out-of-this-world. I have yet
to hear his equal. I have mixed Jimmy Hendrix at Monterey Pops
Festival, and would have to say that he came very close. I only hope
those two are now playing together in some sort of heavenly all-star
show.

Let me set the record stright here about Frank Zappa, in that while I
was with him, I never saw him use or advocate the use of drugs. He was
hooked on caffeine and drank coffee from morning to night. His public
persona sometimes paints him as a druged up, long-hair, hip pothead --
but nothing could be further from the truth. To this day I can say I
have never worked for a more honest, upright, gentelman. All the time
I worked for him, I, along with the band, had the utmost respect and
admiration for him as a person and his abilities as a
writer/performer.

I recorded every show on a pro-cassette recorder for my own record.
Some kid stole all the tapes from my house years later, and by the
time I retrieved them, he had used most of them to re-record disco
music from the radio. I still have a few complete shows left. The
sound is incredible.

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« Reply #844 on: May 08, 2007, 07:32:50 PM »

Great comments. And I am sorry to have asked something you had answered--I thought I had gone through the archives but I guess not enough. Thank you again.
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« Reply #845 on: May 08, 2007, 07:35:44 PM »

Quote
COMMENT TO JAYMIE'S DAD:  Speaking of Loop, who is the barker at the beginning ("Hurry, hurry, hurry")?  Do you know?  ~swd

Wasn't that you? I think I remembered you saying something about having sung on several BB songs, buried way in the mix. Or I could be thinking of someone else, I dunno. I think this was on Susan's board.
« Last Edit: May 08, 2007, 07:36:59 PM by Jaymie's Dad » Logged

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« Reply #846 on: May 08, 2007, 08:10:50 PM »

Quote
COMMENT TO JAYMIE'S DAD:  Speaking of Loop, who is the barker at the beginning ("Hurry, hurry, hurry")?  Do you know?  ~swd

Wasn't that you?
  My big claim to fame. ~swd
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« Reply #847 on: May 08, 2007, 08:11:41 PM »

Mr. Desper recorded that part. I think he did it in 1998 because the 1970 version I heard doesn't have him.
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« Reply #848 on: May 09, 2007, 12:43:58 AM »

Mr. Desper recorded that part. I think he did it in 1998 because the 1970 version I heard doesn't have him.

He did record that part in 1998:

Quote
By Stephenwdesper (Stephenwdesper) on Sunday, February 24, 2002 - 10:11 am:

REPLY TO SUSAN's COMMENTS: Better than . . .
Carl and I had an understanding that I wanted to sing or play on every BB song in some way. I'm not a bad singer so at some point along the way one of them would run the board and recorder and I would go into the studio and sing with the guys. Just one line or phrase, buried deep in the mix -- but I could still say I sang on the song. This was all kind of an inside joke -- we had a lot of fun in those days!!

Alan even honoured that old tradition on "Loop de Loop" 29 years later. You know the carnavel barker line, "Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, Step right up ..." Well, that's me being a barker in the 21st century!

(...)

Happy Listening, ~Stephen W. Desper

(found in the cabinessence. net archives: http://cabinessence.net/essays.shtml)
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« Reply #849 on: May 09, 2007, 05:00:41 AM »

Wow, Thank you Mr. Desper! That's great to hear.

For the Billy comment, I was just nagging Billy Castillo ("Jaymie's Dad") because like he said, he answered the question for you. LOL

Thanks again!
« Last Edit: May 09, 2007, 05:01:38 AM by Joe- » Logged

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