There’s not really much to tell about the actual recording process.
Despite what you may think, recording in a real music studio is actually quite boring. There is a lot of sitting around and waiting for something to happen. Endless adjustments made to the ‘mix’ and resetting microphones, and moving equipment around. Then when it’s your turn to sing something, you stand in a tiny room with just a microphone in it, wearing headphones, singing the same line over and over again.
We were being produced by a great guy, named Anthony L. Smith. Anthony had had some recent success as a songwriter, and at the time there were several of his songs on the country chart. He had produced Clay Walker, Jo Dee Messina, and other artists that we had all heard of, and I for one, was quite happy with the choice.
In addition to being very talented, with a proven track record, he was also a genuinely nice guy. Even when he was producing, and one of us (not naming names) was singing completely out of tune, he would encourage him by saying, “Hey, that was great, can you try it again with a little more force?” “Perfect! Do it again!” And he would finally get the phrase he wanted, or at least enough of it to cut and paste with a previous take.
It’s a bit intimidating to be standing in that tiny little room, with nothing but your own voice blaring back at you in your headphones. The microphones are so sensitive, and the room was so silent, your breath becomes your whole existence while you’re waiting for the music to start.
I wear a silver ring on the middle finger of my right hand. I had purchased it at some point after moving to Nashville. It’s made up of 5 interlocking rings that I subconciously roll around on my finger. Anthony and the engineer spent a good 15 minutes in the control room trying to figure out what that tinkling sound was coming from. They finally asked me if I could hear it, and I realized that it was my ring. They made me put it in my pocket for the rest of the day. I’ve worn that ring every day ever since.
Matt and I were still feeling a little hesitant about going into the studio without a contract in our hands. I pulled Anthony aside on the first day of recording and asked his opinion. His response was, “if there’s no contract, no studio in town will touch these tapes. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.” I trusted his opinion, and Matt and I decided that we’d cooperate.
And here, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever…the only existing (that I know of) photos of the original lineup of the band originally known as the Outsiders, later as South 65.
Me, Doug, Stephen, Jerimy, Matt (l-r)
