on recording rock-a-billy

[marqueemoon]

Make sure you print a track of the bass amp, or take it direct and reamp it in addition to the miced track (or use an amp simulation plugin if you must). For a lot of rockabilly players, the amp is part of the sound.

Try backing the singer away from the mic a bit. A little room in the sound is a good thing.

For drums, no clear batter heads! Try felt strips for muffling on the bass drum.

[I'm Painting Again]

anymore ideas?

[honkyjonk]

You know,
I've heard very little of them, but what I heard, a long time ago, knocked my socks off. I think Man or Astroman make awesome records and they have a Rock-a-billy sound. There's an interview with them in the Tape Op book. Always meant to pick up some of their stuff, just havn't gotten around to it. Been a long time, but my memory is pretty good on music. I'd immediately look to them if I was going to record a Rock-a-billy album.

[percussion boy]

"Back when those records were originally made, they used to ride on anything -- the rim of the snare drum, tom-toms, cardboard boxes, anything that clicked. A lot of rockabilly stuff was done that way."

- Steve Jordan, drummer extraordinaire.

(In other words, try playing all the stick hits that would normally be on a closed hi hat on something else.)

Hope this helps.


[edited for greater clarity]

[I'm Painting Again]

hell yeah that helps. thats a great idea. thanks steve. for some reason it reminds me of how those kids tapdane on the street for money in new orleans in thier sneakers with tacks stuck in the bottom.

[forthorton]

"Back when those records were originally made, they used to ride on anything -- the rim of the snare drum, tom-toms, cardboard boxes, anything that clicked. A lot of rockabilly stuff was done that way."

- Steve Jordan, drummer extraordinaire.

Back when, the 80's?? What the Stray Cats?? There's no way they were "riding" on the rim of the snare drum on any of the old stuff.

Also, Rock Around The Clock was definitely NOT recorded in a "gymnasium".

Room mics? Nope.

Mic an upright playing through an amp? Usually a bad idea(unless thee bass player is actually incapable of playing acoustic).

Give a listen to..

Be- Bop- A- Lula- Gene Vincent recorded at Bradley's in Nashville.
Train Kept a Rollin'- Johnny Burnette- recorded at Bradley's in Nashville
Most anything at Sun(1956 is a good year to start with there)
Early Buddy Holly(Midnight Shift, Rock Around With Ollie Vee)- recorded at Bradley's in Nashville(noticing a theme yet?)

It's not about the gear, it's about your ears. You need to have a feel for the genre.

That said, if it's just a neo-billy or psycho-billy, go buy a stray cats or reverend horton heat record and they won't know the difference.

[brian beattie]

billy
you're right, it wasn't a gymnasium. It was a masonic temple. smells a little less like socks, a little more like animal sacrifice.
I'd love to come check out your set-up. I'm doing live to 2 track stuff here in austin with an ampex 351. I met george brainard the other night, and he was going on and on about yer big fatass sound. It made him smile just talkin about it.
brian

[I'm Painting Again]

i still like his idea.

again, i don't want to imitate that sound exactly. i may go for some stufff sounding classic some newish some over the top different actually who knows it too soon to tell.

thanks for shouting out all those tracks.

you seem like someone passionate about this genre.

[brad]

forthorton
PostPosted: Thu 07.08.03, 8:46 pm Post subject: Re: on recording rock-a-billy

"Back when those records were originally made, they used to ride on anything -- the rim of the snare drum, tom-toms, cardboard boxes, anything that clicked. A lot of rockabilly stuff was done that way."

- Steve Jordan, drummer extraordinaire.

Back when, the 80's?? What the Stray Cats?? There's no way they were "riding" on the rim of the snare drum on any of the old stuff.

hey, i know im WAY late to the party here, but buddy knox party doll, and buddy holly's peggy sue both used cardboard boxes in place of snare, and domino by roy orbison he was riding on the rim of the snare.

[Wild Bill]

billy
you're right, it wasn't a gymnasium. It was a masonic temple. smells a little less like socks, a little more like animal sacrifice.
brian

Better watch out, we're everywhere....

[I'm Painting Again]

lol..

[I'm Painting Again]

Well I thought I would post the results of the "Rock-a-billy" group which everyone gave me great advice for..and I also want to say thanks to everyone in this thread and the other that gave ideas and humor..

These are demos for a Swiss label that the group is hoping to get funded by..They were done live besides the vocals which were overdubbed "loud pa in the mic room bleed bleed" style..and also a toy raygun was overdubbed..They actually were really picky with the way they wanted it to sound..so many of my ideas (even though they were much better were neglected by these whiskey soaked weirdos..lol)..the thing specifically that bugged me was their insistance on using a 15$ delay pedal for the main vocal track..I hooked up an ampex 15ips slapback that was just mean and awesome but they perferred the shitty robotic sound of the Dano BLT..the singer used his shure elvis mic and that pedal like they do live and that was the theory behind that..I would have done a lot of things differently but they had a clear vision of how this demo should be..I do like it though..

technical info :

custom made upright bass (made by the player-the front and back were metal!)-bass players preamp-a 1955 tube RTR circut (no tape)-big traynor cab..shure ksm27 on the cab-audix35102 module-recorder

Gretsch reissue hollowbody of some sort - 65 reverb custom reissue - ksm27 5 feet off the amp - sytekBB - recorder

Pearl kit not reallt tuned very well and crappy cymbals - soundelux u195 in front of the kit - audix35102 - recorder

vocals - shure elvis mic - dano BLT pedal - littlelabs red-eye - hill preamp - recorder

mixed slightly in the computer then sent to 456 15ips calibrated at +3 for a smoothout..

then burned to a sony burner and converted to mp3 or windows media player files or whatever they are here..I havent listened to what the conversion did so i hope its not ruined by that..

http://www.helstab.com/creot/

look for the rock-a-billy band demo folder..for wma's and rock-a-billy folder for mp3's

constructive criticism is welcome..

[scott anthony]

Sounds good... nice and thick...

A little compression on the OH maybe... bring that ride up and make the room tone bark a bit on the snare....

I'd like to hear the wacky sounds on the solo on track one higher, too. They're interesting, but I had to reach for them...

Good work!

[I'm Painting Again]

Thats the way they had me mix it..i would have gone boarderline psychadellic on them and do a lot more of a spacious mix if i had the power to..the singer had me take out this room mic that sounded awesome..oh well now its kind of a "flat" mix..