Matt, the backing vocals by you and the band on the Bridge sound like a choir.
Audiomatt: It's mainly the guys in the band
Audiomatt: a little keyboard enhancement
Audiomatt: 24 tracks of live vocals on that
Audiomatt: 4 synth
But live they must midi the hell out of it
Audiomatt: [no,] sample
Audiomatt: I told Bob to try and channel Dee [Murray] on Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way
Audiomatt: We retracked his part after everyone else had left
Matt, you said that the tracks were recorded in the same order as they appear on the album. Does this mean the songs were all written before any recording took place?
Audiomatt: lyrically
Audiomatt: but not musically
Audiomatt: EJ would write them in order
Audiomatt: & we recorded them in order
Audiomatt: but no music was written before we started
Matt - you recorded this in a rehearsal hall...
Audiomatt: playing in a live situation is how they are most comfortable
Were most songs recorded in one take or how many on average?
Audiomatt: Old 67 is one take
Audiomatt: the rest between 2-5
I love the weird laugh at the beginning of House...who is doing the laughing in the song?
Audiomatt: Nigel
Wow, I thought that laugh was done by Guy using synths
Audiomatt: no, it was Nigel’s laugh that he actually did on another song
Audiomatt: I brought it into House Fell Down & manipulated it
Audiomatt: Pitch changed up & down
Sounds like you recorded everything!
Audiomatt: sped it up
Audiomatt: slowed it down
Audiomatt: yeah, I recorded everything
Audiomatt: even my own vocals
If everyone had to be quiet during recording, what was Elton's dog doing in the studio?
Audiomatt: It's Elton's dog
Audiomatt: he goes where he wants
And Elton was concerned about the dog freaking out?
Audiomatt: on that instance
Audiomatt: Arthur was normally very good
Audiomatt: just on that track we were overdubbing a cowbell
Audiomatt: & it freaked him out
I imagine you could have somehow deleted him without screwing everything else up
Audiomatt: yes, I could have, but it was funny at the time
Audiomatt: that's why you heard us all laughing at the end
Dare I ask if a click was used at all on this album?
Audiomatt: on 2 tracks
House and...
Audiomatt: not House
Audiomatt: that was live
Audiomatt: Lost It On the Wind & the title track
Audiomatt: there are actually no drums on Lost It
Audiomatt: just John Mahon on what is called a Cajon
Wait...Nigel is not on Lost It On Wind?
Audiomatt: he plays the hi-hat
Audiomatt: that's all
Audiomatt: the rhythm is created by the Cajon
Audiomatt: this album was all about "less is more"
Audiomatt: in my approach, I had a little mantra....WWGD
Audiomatt: What Would Gus Do
Audiomatt: It took about a month to cut it
Audiomatt: I put Captain Fantastic on my iPod & listened to it constantly for about 6 months prior to recording
Audiomatt: I had a lot of conversations with Bernie before we started
Audiomatt: he stressed how simple & honest we needed to be
So—that "yeahhhh" on Noah's ark is you?
Audiomatt: Nigel
Audiomatt: Nigel's voice is so loud, sometimes I would face him away from the mic
Audiomatt: we would do group vocals with Nigel, Davey, Bob, & John
Audiomatt: Nigel would overpower their voices sometimes
Did you record them all on one mic?
Audiomatt: all 1 mic
Gus was ADAMANT about using 1 mic per singer, so he could later tweak and mix
Audiomatt: I do that sometimes
Audiomatt: but in this case I thought it better to use 1 mic
Audiomatt: it got the guys to listen to each other
Audiomatt: it does take longer to figure out BGV[backing vocal]s than for EJ to write the song
Audiomatt: we would have an album listening session every few songs and really analyze each song
Audiomatt: then we might redo a vocal or a guitar
Audiomatt: or anything that needs attention
Does everyone sit in on these sessions?
Audiomatt: me, EJ, & the band
Were there any one take recordings, or did some take a while?
Audiomatt: Old 67
Audiomatt: that was actually the rehearsal
Audiomatt: the first time they played that song at all
Audiomatt: EJ told them the arrangement & they went for it
So—did EJ and Davey and Nigel ever start reminiscing about the Captain Fantastic sessions?
Audiomatt: no reminiscing
And you wouldn't ask "how did you get that sound" on a Captain Fantastic song? for reference?
Audiomatt: The only person who would really know was Gus
When were the sessions? What month?
Audiomatt: Started at the end of January
Audiomatt: I think he and Bernie got together right before the sessions
Audiomatt: I got together with Bernie in San Francisco at the beginning of Jan. & went over each song
Audiomatt: what he intended the feel to be, & how I interpreted it
So—do you still listen to the album now? Or once it's done is it done?
Audiomatt: not really
Audiomatt: I listened to it before NY
Audiomatt: but that was about it
NY?
Audiomatt: Fashion Rocks
Oh—Fashion Rocks?
Audiomatt: Rose Hall
Did you record that?
Audiomatt: No, but I had to be there to make sure everything sounded right
Audiomatt: I was in rehearsals with the band for a couple of days
Did Elton even rehearse House?
Audiomatt: no