The Bachelorettes Recording @ Olympic Records (4.1.09)

first of all, sorry for no new updates (or interludes)

let’s get back to it!

so, back in the cold months of early 2009 (april to be exact) The Bachelorettes gathered at Misha Hercules’ Olympic Records Studios to begin initial recording of a track for The Special Passenger Project compilation album that they were putting together  (the track later ended up on their first full studio album “Missin’ You in Mississippi”)

being a big fan of theirs and a huge fan of Jim Marshall‘s black and white rock and roll photography, i asked if i could come too and photograph them behind the scenes.

they said sure, so off we went.

we all got there around the same time in the late afternoon/early evening (“there” happens to be off of high st. in downtown jackson) and as soon as Misha unlocked and opened the door we hopped inside out of the cold evening air

after we all get inside it’s time for some small talk (and beer drinking)

Misha and the girls in the band working out how things are gonna go

now this is actually pretty interesting, to me.  Rachel is writing down the song lyrics that they’re gonna record. (which is “The Ballad of Lou and Mona“).

why do i find this interesting?  well, this isn’t the first time they’ll be performing this song.  in fact, i’m pretty sure Rachel already had it memorized.  so why write it down?  because she was nervous about recording and didn’t want to mess up.

now see, i’ve seen Rachel perform in front of crowds of people, both large and small, when the girls play a show and she’s right at home, not a nervous bone in her body and cracking jokes.  but when it’s just her and the girls in a recording studio, then she gets nervous.

i don’t know, but i found it interesting.

anyway, moving on

lizzie wright, getting set up

Dr. Annie Blazer, getting set up.

i never really stood still.  i kept moving around, trying to get shots from different angles, photos of jim marshall and annie liebowitz’s photos of the rolling stones recording in their studio always in my mind

because that’s the feel i was trying to go for.  that feeling of me not even being there.  that i could just kinda blend into the background, observing and shooting.

i forget why lizzie was put in the hallway with an amp for.  trying to see how it sounded?  whatever the reason, she wasn’t out there for very long.

amanda was in the middle of a little dance here.  her camera-sense continues to be strong.

lizzie and rachel on the other side of the glass, talking to misha

i really dig this shot.

y’know, this is the only vertical shot i took the entire night.

lizzie, just before she decided to just go barefoot for the rest of the night.

y’know, it just occurred to me that this may be the first time some people have seen the girls in their regular non-60s era clothes and not wearing their trademark wigs

as you can see, lizzie has now gone barefoot. (and has perfect balance) :p

rachel, showing off some leg. (actually, i forgot what she was actually doing here…)

misha, testing out the sound on the drums (if you really look, you can see my reflection in the window as i take the photo)

one thing i did learn about recording sessions.  they tend to be a lot of stand around and wait followed by intense recording/laying down tracks intensity.

kinda like war, but with less bloodshed and death.

and a lot more laughter between good friends

misha trying to make sure everything’s hooked up correctly

heh, amanda trips me out

the hook-up continues

dr. annie blazer brings the laughs

lizzie waiting on the other side of the glass.

by this point, she was ready to get things started but there was still a bit more of hurry up and wait to get through first.  so she decided to kill some time.

(also, this is one of my favorite photos of lizzie ever)

followed by one of my favorite photos of annie, also killing time on the other side of the glass

hurry up and wait is in full effect

i’m fond of this shot too

time to get this party started!

misha getting set-up.

and i have to admit, misha has a pretty sweet set-up.  and he knows how to use it.

amanda, checking to see if it’s go time

funny thing, that room is, actually, completely sound-proofed.  so, while she was in there, she really couldn’t hear a thing anyone was saying on the outside.  unless she was wearing her headphones.  but the headphones kept going out from time to time.  so there was a lot of these looks at the glass, trying to see what was going on.

go time!

after laying down group tracks, it was time to get some solo stuff from each of the girls.  so rachel stayed on the other side of the glass and misha starts getting things set up for her.

i decide to stay on the other side of the glass for the solo stuff.

partly because i know rachel is still a little nervous so i don’t want her to notice me sticking a camera in her face, and partly because i think i’ve gotten all the shots i want from the other side.  so time for something new.

after that it was lizzie’s turn (as rachel watches on)

one thing you need to know about lizzie.  she really knows and understands music.  how it should sound and how it shouldn’t.

she was all business, yo.

it was interesting watching her and misha work together.  because misha knows and understands music too.  so, you have two people who know what they’re doing and they both want to do it right.

pretty cool to watch in action.

annie watching lizzie lay it down.

after lizzie, it was time to get some background vocals from annie and amanda

after a track or two, lizzie was back on the other side of the glass, and it was just annie and amanda laying down some vocals.

quick break before it’s annie’s turn to go solo

after annie’s solo, it was time for one last full group session before calling it a night

LoL, as things were wrapping up, it was way past rachel’s bedtime so we get a rachel-pout!

and that’s a wrap folks!

man, i’ve been dying to post these photos.  originally, i’d planned to use them for a magazine idea i had (and still have, but that’s a whole other story) but, i realized, what i wanted to do in that magazine, i’ve been doing with this photoblog so why not just post them here.

as always, many thanks to the Girls In The Band for letting me tag along and photograph them and many thanks to misha for not minding either.

i love doing shoots like these

next post, photos from the Tiana Pearls jewelry shoot that’s been keeping me so busy

have a good one everybody

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