An EXCLUSIVE interview with THE DOOBIE BROTHERS' Pat Simmons!

BROTHERS IN ARMS:

An EXCLUSIVE interview with 

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS' Pat Simmons

By Stephen SPAZ Schnee

     While Grand Funk Railroad may have sung about being one and Lynyrd Skynyrd are often cited as a perfect example, The Doobie Brothers are the epitome of an ‘American band’.  Their music, which has graced the airwaves for 40 years, reaches out to and connects with people across this great nation (and all nations around the world for that matter). 

     While the Doobs may be classified as Rock ‘n’ Roll, their music contains elements of Pop, Soul, Country, Folk Gospel, Zydeco, Blues, Jazz, funky Dixieland and any other genre born in the U.S.A. Throw on a Doobies album and you’ll be smack dab in the middle of Mardi Gras, a Gospel revival, a frat party, a Bluegrass hoedown, a sweaty Blues nightclub and the Grand Ole Opry all at the same time.  Every Doobies tune is a musical celebration!

     Back in the ‘70s, the Doobie Brothers may not have been as critically successful as bands like Led Zeppelin, but they did  reach more listeners with their unique sound via AM and FM radio. Hits like “Listen To The Music”, “China Grove”, “Black Water” and “What A Fool Believes” were massive and are still in constant rotation on Classic Rock, oldies and Pop music stations.  It’s a Doobie Brothers world, baby. We’re just living in it.

     Led by guitarists Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons and featuring John McFee and Michael Hossack, the Doobies have just released the fantastic World Gone Crazy album, one of their finest to date.  Produced by the band’s original producer, Ted Templeman, World Gone Crazy is chock full of classic Doobie do’s as well as a few surprises including vocal support from Willie Nelson and former bandmate Michael McDonald.  

     Spaz was able to sit down and have a chat with the gracious Pat Simmons to discuss their musical legacy as well as their shiny new platter…

SPAZ:   World Gone Crazy is one of the most consistent albums in your 40 year career.  Great songwriting. Great performances. Great production.  How are you feeling about the album right now?

PAT SIMMONS:  It’s hard to say if it’s one of the best things we’ve done in years.  I don’t have a perception that way.  We’ve been doing it for a long time and you just try to do your best every time.

SPAZ:  It’s been nearly a decade since your last studio album, Sibling Rivalry. What made you decide to go into the studio now instead of any other time in the last decade?

PS: You know, we probably would have done it earlier if (producer) Ted Templeman would have come to us earlier.  We had every intention of going back in and recording but we just weren’t in a huge hurry.  Actually, we were looking around for a producer: it was just one of those great circumstances that you hope for, being able to have a great guy like Ted Templeman in the studio with you. We did the last one ourselves and we kind of thought, “You know, we really don’t want to do that again because that’s really hard to wear all the hats.” It’s so much to think about… trying to organize everything, where you’re going to record, what songs you’re going to record, who’s going to play what parts and how you’re going to go about it… So, having that extra hand in there, the producer and engineer being one entity, it really made us want to go back in and do it.  Prior to that, we were taking our time looking around. We’d been talking to a couple of other producers. We were thinking about Bob Clearmountain…somebody that had the skill set we would be looking for.

SPAZ:  Do you think working with producer Ted Templeman again helped you in reconnecting with the classic Doobies sound?

PS: I think that there are songs on the album that are obvious Doobie Brothers songs and there are songs that are less obvious.  I think Tom’s voice tends to be a giveaway on his songs when you listen to his vocal, the way he approaches things. And probably the same for me. So that sort of brings it into the realm of who we are.  The songs, I think, are a little bit different which is good for us in so many ways.  There are certain songs that really just jump right out and say “OK, that’s the Doobie Brothers and that’s the kind of music they make together.” Then there are other tunes that you go “Hmm…that’s the Doobie Brothers but that’s a different kind of song for them to be doing!” 

SPAZ:  Did you have a wealth of material to choose from for this album?  You must have been able to store a bit over the last decade…

PS: Easily, we could have done two albums with the other songs that we had.  I think in terms of where we were at the time and with the input from the producer, we felt like these were probably the best songs we have right now. There are other songs that if we went in and tried to develop them and turn ‘em into something, they could possibly be as effective as an album cut or possibly even a single… more Doobie Brothers-like accessible radio songs. There are other songs we certainly could have included. If we feel like this went in a good direction, then we would probably want to record an album in the near future. We’ve been doing it for 40 years.  It’s not like we want to rush anything at this point.  It was 10 years putting this one together; hopefully it won’t be that long ‘til the next one!

SPAZ:  The band sounds fresh and invigorated on the album.  What were your feelings going into the studio this time?  Were you excited going back and working with Ted?

PS:  I was, for sure!  We hadn’t done an album with him for 28 years.  I think the last album we did with him was ’81?  So, it was just really cool to come full circle after such a long time with the guy you started with.  Ted really signed us as an act to Warner Brothers… he’s the reason we ended up there. He heard our demos, he came to see us, he produced our first record and all the other records up ‘til One Step Closer. Ted just has a good handle on the classic Doobies sound. He understands the vision and it helps us get to the heart of who we are.

SPAZ:  The album is jam packed with great new material but you also chose to re-record your first single, “Nobody’ and include that on the album.  How did this idea come about?

PS: That was Ted’s call. I might be reading into this, but I think part of it was nostalgia for him… going back to something he really knew, in terms of what he had done with us. And then take that song, which was a rough demo on the original record, and to take that and then to bring it full circle 40 years later. To go in and to re-record it with better players…. Mike Hossack was not involved in that record. I don’t want to make any comparisons between drummers, but just let me say that Mike is a fabulous studio drummer…he can really lay it down in the tradition of Jim Keltner, that level of drummer.   He likes guys like John Bonham and Ringo Starr. If he wanted to be an L.A. studio guy, he could have been. He’s just a great, great drummer. And to have him playing on that track that he never played on originally took it to another level. And I think we’re just better players ourselves. Forty years later, we can play better. We understand how to make our sound better in the studio.  As far as Ted, that was his first production for any band as far as I recall. I don’t think he had produced any albums prior to that. This was his real foray into being a professional producer. To make a short story long (laughs), all those elements helped that track to be way better and more fun for all of us, I think.

SPAZ:  Do you think that your blend of musical influences (ranging from Gospel and Blues to Rock and Country) has helped in creating a timeless and unique sound?  Many bands over the last few decades seem to have limited influences and that seems to lead to shorter chart life-spans…

PS: You know, it’s funny.  When I look at this record, I know there are influences on the record. But for myself and I suspect, on many levels for Tom as well, we weren’t aware that we were channeling anyone in particular. I think it was more songs that we wrote that we tried to make our own.  When I look at the songs I wrote, maybe there were times when I was thinking “OK, this part I want to sound like ZZ Top” and maybe another one, I wanted to sound like Chris Isaak or something.  But mostly, I was unaware and I was just gonna write a song and there it is.  I wrote three of my songs with Ted and one with Willie (Nelson). I was really kind of looking to them, at times, to see what they would bring to the songs.  So, if there were any influences, they were almost coming from those two guys. I never wrote so many songs with other people on a record before.  I really liked that because Ted and I really connected with our writing.  We’re still writing, still working on songs. Maybe for some other project.

SPAZ:  The video of the single combines new and classic footage of the Doobies in the ‘70s. Do you miss those days or are you content where you are in the here and now?

PS: Do I miss my youth? (laughs). I miss me when I was young!  And am I content with being old? I am content being old! (laughs) 

SPAZ:  How does it feel, at the end of the day, to know that you’ve helped create the soundtrack music to millions of peoples’ lives over the last four decades?

PS: (Laughs) Well, I hope that’s true! I know a lot of people listen to our music. We were a popular band during an era when there was such a huge population of teenagers in the ‘70s.  There was still that Psychedelic thing lingering and then there was the beginning of Alternative Rock: a tougher, grittier edge that ended up in Punk and Grunge.  We kind of came through that.  We had a little grunginess to our sound in songs like “China Grove” and even a song like “Jesus Is Just Alright” has got a lot of edgy, crunchy guitars. We love to rock even though we did a lot of different kinds of music, pretty music and harmonies, but probably the most fun thing for an electric guitar player is to turn it up and let it sustain and we did a lot of music like that.  We wanted to do music because it made us feel good and we knew we could get out there and really tear the roof off. We’re kind of a roadhouse band: that’s part of who we started out as and how we still see ourselves. When we play live, we try to recreate that.

SPAZ: Are there any artists that you haven’t worked with and would like to collaborate with?

PS: Well, everybody wants to write with Paul McCartney!. We did get to back Willie and I got to write a song with him. I have sung with Al Green.  I jammed with him on “Let’s Stay Together”. And he made me testify. That was a humbling experience.  I did that with Sam & Dave, too.  It’s a Memphis thing. (Laughs)

SPAZ:  What’s next for the Doobie Brothers?

PS: We’re getting ready to leave for Europe: Italy, Western Europe, Scandinavia…

SPAZ:  What do you currently have spinning on your CD and DVD players?

PS. Luiz Bonfa. He’s a ‘60s Brazilian guitar player.  I just bought an album I found in a vinyl shop.  Kings Of Leon, I like them a lot. Ray LaMontagne.  Sahara Smith.  Amos Lee, I love him. Amos Lee and Ray LaMontagne: you never see them together in the same place, do ya? (laughs).  They both have that certain something.

Thanks to Pat Simmons 

Special thanks to John McCormack

NELSON/Lightning Strikes Twice: Available November 16th, 2010!

NELSON

LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE

Available 

11.16.10

An EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with OMD's ANDY McCLUSKEY

Synthcerely Yours:

The Return Of OMD

An EXCLUSIVE interview with

ANDY McCLUSKEY

By Stephen SPAZ Schnee

When most folks think of Liverpool, England, The Beatles immediately come to mind. For music geeks, that city has given birth to dozens upon dozens of other great bands. One of the most fertile time periods in Liverpool history, apart from the early ‘60s, was the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. It’s nearly impossible to list them all in this intro, but bands like Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, Yachts, The Lotus Eaters, China Crisis, Wah!, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Deaf School and A Flock Of Seagulls were all born and bred in this city, the fourth largest in the UK.

One of the most successful bands to emerge from the ‘pool during this time was Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, more commonly referred to as OMD. Led by bassist/vocalist Andy McCluskey and keyboardist/vocalist Paul Humphreys, the band not only received critical acclaim, they also had a slew of hit singles throughout the ‘80s including “If You Leave”, “Enola Gay”, “So In Love”, “Dreaming”, “Tesla Girls”, “Messages” and many more. Apart from the hits, their albums were filled with even more Synth Pop nuggets and engaging, melodic experimental cuts that recalled bands like Kraftwerk, Can and other Krautrock legends.

The pressures of OMD’s success eventually split the band in 1988 with Humphreys forming The Listening Pool while McCluskey carried the OMD name successfully into the ‘90s. By 1996, McCluskey retired OMD and continued his music career behind the scenes. Since that time, more and more bands began to emerge that cited OMD as a major influence. With each passing year, interest in the band began to grow and digitally remastered editions of their albums reminded fans, old and new, of their musical legacy.

In 2007, McCluskey and Humphreys surprised the music world by reuniting, along with longtime bandmates Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes, and OMD was reborn. Initially touring in support of their reissues, talk soon turned to making a new album and, three years later, History Of Modern is finally here and it is an excellent addition to the OMD catalog. While it contains all the musical trademarks of classic OMD, it’s also a very ‘modern’ piece of work. When other bands are constantly trying to change with the times, OMD aren’t afraid to move their sound ahead, finding new ways to express their unique musical voice.

Spaz was able to catch up with Andy McCluskey, who gladly discussed OMD, the new album and the music business today…

SPAZ: You reunited and officially kicked things off with a tour in 2007. What’s taken so long in putting the new album together?

ANDY MCCLUSKEY: Making a great album takes time. We wanted to be absolutely sure that we had strong ideas and really good songs. There would be no point coming back with a terrible album!

SPAZ: A lot has been said about this being the first OMD album in 14 years, but more importantly, it’s the first studio album featuring the classic line up in 24 years. What was it like to actually have everyone recording together again for the first time in over two decades?

AM: Even in the old days, we seldom had all four of us in the studio together. It’s just not the way we did things. We usually played, one person at a time, building up the song in stages. These days with songs written in computers, the writing process is also the recording process. However, Paul and myself found that trying to bridge the geographical distance (he lives in London and I live in Liverpool) by using the modern technology of sending files by the internet was too slow and had no chemistry. We finished the album by working together in my studio. That was very creative. We sparked ideas off each other just like the old days!

SPAZ: Technology has changed drastically since the last OMD album…

AM: It’s all Pro-Tools now… And we generally use soft synth versions of the old ones that we used to have…plus some great new ones. We can make a better sounding record in our programming rooms than we could in expensive studios in the past.

SPAZ: Did you record the new album with any prior album (or albums) in mind, in terms of revisiting any stylistic or musical themes, or were you aiming to strike out in a new direction?

AM: We looked back at our musical output and decided that the first four albums were really the truly distinctive voice of OMD. So we endeavored to use the sound palette that was our own unique style whilst making sure that the production was 2010 and we were not doing a nostalgic pastiche of ourselves.

SPAZ: The album retains all the hallmarks of classic OMD, from pure pop to experimental, yet is still fresh. Did you allow outside forces to dictate the direction of the album or did you work off of pure instinct and inspiration?

AM: Our best work has always been when we followed our own instincts. When we made records doing things that we believed in without fear of commercial failure or critical reviews, we always made our best records. This is what we tried to do on History Of Modern. Obviously, we were aware of what has been going on in music over the years and I am sure that we have subconsciously adopted new ideas as well.

SPAZ: With such a great selection of songs, how did you go about choosing “If You Want It” as the first single?

AM: Singles have always been difficult for us. Yes, there are several candidates on this album. “If You Want It” was chosen because the radio stations in Germany and UK said they would play it. That does not mean that we think it’s the best song…just that it works as something on the radio to advertise the new album. We know that we will never have hit singles again.

SPAZ: Your less commercial and more experimental tracks (such as “The Right Side” and “New Holy Ground”) tend to be fan favorites even more so than the singles. When you are recording, what ultimately convinces you that a particular track is ‘going on the album’?

AM: We simply just have to believe that it works. Musically, emotionally or lyrically. As long as we have time to be a little objective we can usually determine what is good or bad. We do like a balance on an album. We like to try some strange and interesting stuff. But it has to be musical as well as adventurous.

SPAZ: “New Babies, New Toys” sheds light on your feelings about the modern music scene. Are there any current bands that you feel are worthwhile? And what are your feelings about auto-tune?

AM: I use auto-tune myself. I have no problem with it. I don’t think you should use it on people who are supposed to be in a singing contest. But then that just goes to show what the reality TV “star” shows are all about: making money and manipulating the audience to vote for the singer that the show’s controllers think they can get the most out of. I hate the music that is recorded by the winners of these shows because it is almost always shit. I also hate boybands because they sell crap records to girls rendered deaf by their hormones! There are many great artists around who create beautiful music. We love Robyn, the good songs by Gaga and Beyonce, Hot Chip, Mirrors, Ladytron…

SPAZ: The track “Save Me” features an original vocal track from a classic Aretha Franklin recording. What gave you the idea to go back and rebuild a new musical bed around her vocals?

AM: We had done an almost complete album of mash-ups but there was no way that we could get clearance at a level that wouldn’t mean it actually costing us money. Strangely, the Aretha vocals actually got cleared and we thought that it was such a great combination of a wonderful vocal from 1967, our song ‘Messages” from 1980 and yet the finished production sounds so 2010. The track was just going to be a bonus track but the U.S. label loved it so much they put it on the album.

SPAZ: Did you have many tracks left over from the History Of Modern sessions that will eventually be released? OMD are known for their excellent b-sides and such….

AM: We have a couple of great melodies and backing tracks that we didn’t finish. We always loved doing b-sides because we really had even more freedom than on the albums or singles. We still love doing our ‘bonus tracks’ as they are now.

SPAZ: What’s next for OMD?

AM: Touring Europe this year. USA in Spring next year, and festivals in the summer of 2011

SPAZ: What is currently spinning in your CD players?

AM: Robyn’s Body Talk Part 1 and Body Talk Part 2... Kraftwerk’s Trans Europe Express.

Fan questions submitted by Mike Paulsen (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)

MIKE PAULSEN: Where are the remaining remasters (Junk Culture, Crush, and Pacific Age)? We're dying here!

AM: Thanks for asking, Mike. It was important for us to get the early albums remastered because they sounded terrible and we believe them to be our best. There is good stuff on the later ones but they are not as consistently good or as interesting. However, we are aware that these three albums are probably the best known in the USA. They will no doubt get remastered. We would just like to concentrate on the new album first.

MP: On Dazzle Ships, the experimental title track indicates Parts II III & VII. Were there actually ever Parts I, IV, V, VI, etc. or was it all a ruse?

AM: The track is a collage of several ideas that were then sequentially cross faded into each other. There certainly were other ideas that didn’t get used, though they were never actually numbered. The idea of calling it Parts II, III and VII was to reflect that it was just some of the ideas that were used.

Thanks to Andy McCluskey

Special Thanks to John McCormack, Meghan Schmitt, Braden Merrick, Scott Schumaker and Mike Paulsen.

The JOHN LENNON Audio Extravaganza begins on October 5th, 2010.

JOHN LENNON ALBUMS REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MIXES AND NEW COLLECTIONS COMPILED FOR GLOBAL GIMME SOME TRUTH CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING IN OCTOBER

THE GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ALBUM DOUBLE FANTASY WILL NOW BE AVAILABLE IN A NEWLY REMIXED 'STRIPPED DOWN' VERSION PRODUCED BY YOKO ONO AND JACK DOUGLAS

London, England – Eight of John Lennon’s classic solo albums and other standout recordings have been digitally remastered from his original mixes for a global catalogue initiative commemorating the music legend’s 70th birthday, which falls on October 9.

Overseen by Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth” campaign will launch on 4 October (5 October in North America) with the worldwide release of eight remastered studio albums and several newly-compiled titles.

Double Fantasy, 1980’s GRAMMY Award winner for Album of the Year, will be presented in a newly remixed 'Stripped Down' version remixed and produced by Yoko Ono and Jack Douglas, co-producers of the original mix with John Lennon. The new stripped down version of the album comes in an expanded 2CD and digital edition pairing the new version with Lennon’s original mix, remastered.

The campaign’s other new collections include:

• A hits compilation in two editions titled Power To The People: The Hits

• A 4CD set of themed discs titled Gimme Some Truth

• A deluxe 11CD collectors box with the remastered albums, rarities, and non-album singles, titled the John Lennon Signature Box

All of the remastered albums and collections will be available on CD and for download purchase from all major digital service providers

YOKO ONO said: “In this very special year, which would have seen my husband and life partner John reach the age of 70, I hope that this remastering / reissue programme will help bring his incredible music to a whole new audience. By remastering 121 tracks spanning his solo career, I hope also that those who are already familiar with John’s work will find renewed inspiration from his incredible gifts as a songwriter, musician and vocalist and from his power as a commentator on the human condition. His lyrics are as relevant today as they were when they were first written and I can think of no more apposite title for this campaign than those simple yet direct words 'Gimme Some Truth'.”

The albums have been digitally remastered from Lennon’s original mixes by Yoko Ono and a team of engineers led by Allan Rouse at EMI Music’s Abbey Road Studios in London and by George Marino at Avatar Studios in New York. All of the remastered titles will be packaged in digisleeves with replicated original album art and booklets with photos and new liner notes by noted British music journalist Paul Du Noyer. The albums to be reissued are:

• John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)
• Imagine (1971)
• Some Time In New York City (1972)
• Mind Games (1973)
• Walls and Bridges (1974)
• Rock ‘n’ Roll (1975)
• Double Fantasy Stripped Down (2010) / Double Fantasy (1980)
• Milk and Honey (1984)

YOKO ONO added: “Double Fantasy Stripped Down really allows us to focus our attention on John’s amazing vocals. Technology has advanced so much that, conversely, I wanted to use new techniques to really frame these amazing songs and John's voice as simply as possible. By stripping down some of the instrumentation the power of the songs shines through with an enhanced clarity. Double Fantasy Stripped Down will be complemented by the original album in the 2CD format. It was whilst working on the new version of this album that I was hit hardest emotionally, as this was the last album John released before his passing."

Power To The People: The Hits gathers 15 of Lennon’s most popular songs, and will be available as a 15-track single-disc and digital package, and as an Experience Edition with additional content. Both versions will be packaged in digisleeves with booklets including a new liner note essay by Du Noyer.

Gimme Some Truth, to be packaged in a slipcase with rare photos and a new liner notes essays by respected American music journalist and author, Anthony DeCurtis, presents 72 of Lennon’s solo recordings on four themed CDs.

The John Lennon Signature Box is a deluxe 11CD and digital collection of the eight remastered albums, a disc of rare and previously unreleased recordings, and an EP of Lennon’s non-album singles. The CDs will be housed in digisleeves within a deluxe box including a collectible limited edition John Lennon art print and a hardbound book featuring rare photos, artwork, collages, poetry, and new liner notes by DeCurtis.

One of the world’s most celebrated songwriters and performers of all time, John Lennon was killed at the age of 40 on December 8, 1980. Lennon has been posthumously honoured with a Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY Award and two special BRIT Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him in the Top 5 of the magazine’s “100 Greatest Singers Of All Time” list.

In celebration of his 70th birthday on 9 October, 2010, John Lennon’s life and music will be specially feted with a variety of commemorative releases and events around the world. Please visit http://www.johnlennon.com/ for official announcements and updates.

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DOLLAR: The remastered reissues available NOW on CHERRY POP!

DOLLAR

The Reissues

Available NOW

on Cherry Pop Records

British Pop duo Dollar may not have had anything released in the U.S. during their hit years (1979-1982), but import copies found their way across the sea and the duo certainly had enough supporters in America.  But their biggest success was in the UK and Europe, where vocalist David Van Day remains a tabloid staple (but only because he tends to be an arrogant arse and not because of his musical legacy). In 2006, there was a Dollar collection containing their hit WEA recordings but the original albums remained long out of print... until Cherry Pop stepped in.

Now, The Paris Collection (1980) and The Dollar Album (1982) have been digitally remastered and expanded with bonus tracks.  I recently reviewed the titles for All Music Guide and I've shared them with you below along with some videos and links!

THE PARIS COLLECTION

"Fresh from their success of their 1979 debut album, Shooting Stars, and three hit singles, British duo David Van Day And Thereza Bazar (collectively known as Dollar) signed with Warner Brothers in the UK and began putting together an album that would build upon their past triumphs.  The Paris Collection emerged in 1980 and, while not the huge success they many had expected, the album was still a delightful platter of sweet ear candy that was aimed straight at the charts.  While the album’s title may lead one to believe that it’s a collection of French songs, the Paris in the title refers to where the album was recorded.

And like their debut, The Paris Collection is chock full of catchy, innocent ‘80s Pop, not unlike the more successful Bucks Fizz.  And while many believe that frothy Pop will not change the world, it sure does make it a better place to live in.  Songs like “Radio’, “The Girls Are Out To Get Ya”, “Love At First Sight” and “Ebony” are bouncy slices of audio fun. “Takin’ A Chance On You” is a mid-tempo nugget that has a recurring catchy little keyboard riff that sneaks its way into your brain and stays rooted for weeks on end.

While both Van Day and Bazar take lead vocal turns, it’s David’s voice that stands out on the recordings.  Not once do you ever think that he’s ‘feeling’ the song, but he is far more confident in the vocal department.  Bazar never disappoints, but she often sounds as if she’s holding back as a lead vocalist.  When she handles the choruses and harmony vocals, she’s the perfect foil to Van Day’s cockiness.

The Cherry Red reissue features a few rare gems including some solo David Van Day recordings (“Ringing The Bell” was penned by Wang Chung).  While the albums that sandwiched this release were more successful, The Paris Collection remains a treat for those who like their pop lightweight, bubbly and melodic."-Stephen SPAZ Schnee/ALL MUSIC GUIDE

THE DOLLAR ALBUM

"With a successful debut album, Shooting Stars, in 1979 and a generally overlooked sophomore release, The Paris Collection, the following year, the UK duo Dollar (David Van Day and Thereza Bazar) knew it was make or break time on their third full length platter.  One of the best moves they made was bringing in former Buggles member Trevor Horn to produce a few tracks for them. Those tracks (“Hand Held In Black And White”, ‘Give Me Back My Heart”, ‘Videotheque” and the enormously popular “Mirror Mirror (Mon Amor)”) were some of Dollar’s most successful singles and brought the duo more success then their previous albums, and rightly so.  With wonderful melodies that caught the listener on first spin, the combination of Horn and Dollar was a match made in heaven.

When The Dollar Album hit shelves in 1982, the string of hits had helped to build their fanbase and the album was a Top 20 success. The band’s sound drifted closer to Synth Pop than ever before, which really enhanced the vocal interplay between Bazar and Van Day. Thereza’s breathy vocals were as light and airy as they lush keyboards that carried the melody straight into the heavens. Van Day still sounds as confident as ever and this time out, he sounds like he’s actually connecting to the material he’s singing.

Apart from the Horn-produced tracks, the rest of The Dollar Album is packed with tasty pop nuggets that may not be single material, but are far from album filler. “I Got Your Number Wrong”, “Guessing Games” and “Give Me Some Kinda Magic” are certainly worthy of repeated spins, but then again, so is the whole album.

The Cherry Pop reissue includes a handful of alternate mixes that may not intrigue casual listeners but are certainly enticing for the long-time fans.  As a side note, it was Trevor Horn’s production work on this album that directly paved the way for his very successful career as producer over the next three decades."-Stephen SPAZ Schnee/ALL MUSIC GUIDE 

An EXCLUSIVE interview with SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO!

The Evolution Revolution:

An EXCLUSIVE interview with
SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO

By Stephen SPAZ Schnee

Over the last 20 years, the Electronic music scene has elevated the roles of DJs, remixers and producers to superstar status. From John Digweed and Armand Van Helden to Bob Sinclar and David Guetta, the gifted knob twiddlers have become the true stars of the Electronic scene and all of its sub-genres.

Originally ½ of the UK-based outfit Simian, James Ford and Jas Shaw broke away and became Simian Mobile Disco, one of the hottest DJ/Production duos in the world. From their early club DJ sets in 2005 to remixing other artists’ tracks, SMD made a name for themselves even before releasing a single note of their own music.

Now, with two great studio albums behind them (2007’s Attack Decay Sustain Release and Temporary Pleasure from 2009), the duo are concentrating on their own label, working on endless production and remix duties and gathering ideas for the next SMD studio album. In the meantime, they found time to create the brilliant Simian Mobile Disco Is Fixed mix CD, the first release in a new series of mixes celebrating New York City’s famed Fixed parties.

Spaz was able to track down the busy duo, who were more than happy to answer questions about Fixed and their career as DJs and artists…

SPAZ: Simian Mobile Disco has released two amazing studio albums plus loads of remixes along the way. How did the idea for the Fixed release come about?

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO: The Fixed parties have always been where we play when we come to DJ in New York. Josh and Dave, the guys behind Fixed, have become good friends. They mentioned to us that they were going to release some mix albums based on the Fixed nights and we jumped at the chance. For us, it's been a great opportunity to play the lumpier, odder Techno that we prefer when we DJ.

SPAZ: Did you treat Fixed with the same kid gloves that you would have treated a proper studio album. or did you have a bit more fun with it?

SMD: A mix CD is a very different thing to a studio album, for a start you don’t need to actually make any music! That said, we did end up using our studio desk and lots of the hissy old reverbs and delays that we love. In fact, we even got the 808 syncing so we threw some of that in there. I guess you could say that it was informed by our studio work and the way we do the live show but essentially it's a snapshot of what we would be likely to play at a Fixed party.

SPAZ: A good DJ set or mix is an art form, probably now more than ever. Wouldn't you agree with that?

SMD: A really good DJ set has always been more than just throwing together a bunch of records at the same speed. It's important that it's got a sense of structure to it, a direction but also that it's not pre-planned; otherwise you might as well just send them a mix CD. Even though there are lots of programs available that can beat-match for you, if you can't do it yourself the real nitty gritty of DJing remains, choosing the right tracks at the right time and, in doing so, creating a sense of movement over the course of the night.

SPAZ: For those of us on the listening end, what exactly goes into creating a mix such as Fixed? It's more than just picking songs and slapping them together…

SMD: It's similar to a DJ set in a club but more considered. People will hopefully listen to a CD mix many times so we try to make sure that the tracks mix in key and are more fussy about how they lock together. We spend a long time finding tracks that that really compliment each other.

SPAZ: Fixed was mixed live in the studio. Is the mixing process similar to recording an album in regards to making a mistake and having to start it over again? Wouldn't editing break up the mood of the whole piece?

SMD: Yeah, we did a lot of planning but then did the mix in one live take. It's a very different process to making an album where we work track by track over a long period gradually tweaking and editing as we go. I think the one we went with was take two, with one of two edits to go over bit that we really goosed. You can't spot the edit and no one wants to have to listen to us repeatedly train wrecking the same mix over and over do they?

SPAZ: How do you discover tunes that move you? Do you spend a lot of time in record shops or do you tend to discover new music online?

SMD: We find loads of new music online, it's fantastic. It's still something that takes time though. Whereas before you had trouble getting hold of stuff because you needed to get it on vinyl, now everything is easy to get but it needs excavating from massive torrent of crap or average stuff out there. In that sense, record shops are still relevant as having a place where you can get a filtered selection of what's out there at high resolution rather than massive zip files of hundreds of crappy mp3s is something worth paying for.

SPAZ: When you do a live DJ set, are you trying to create an atmosphere or work off of the general vibe of the room?

SMD: Both. The point of DJing as we see it is to respond to that particular place and time. It really doesn't make any sense to play the same tracks in the same order every night. The thrill is getting the crowd on your side so you can take them somewhere unexpected.

SPAZ: Are there ever any moments during a DJ set when the mood in the room changes and you think "Oh, dear. That wasn't supposed to happen!"

SMD: The hardest gigs are when you find it hard to read a crowd and tracks that are normally sure fire winners fall flat. Those gigs often turn out to be the best ones though, as you have to rethink your strategy and take it somewhere else.

SPAZ: With Fixed, are you satisfied with the way it turned out? And is it a true representation of an SMD DJ set?

SMD: The SMD DJ set is constantly changing and, of course, there are lots of tunes that we would change in the mix if we did it again now, but that's the point, I suppose. It's a great snapshot of a period of time.

SPAZ: What's next for Simian Mobile Disco?

SMD: We are concentrating on our Techno label Delicacies. We have lots of releases and events planned which will take us well into next year. We are also starting to formulate ideas for our next studio album too, as well as producing other people’s records.

SPAZ: What do you currently have spinning on your CD, DVD and record players?

SMD: As I write this I am listening to Oneohtrix’s ‘Point Never’, which I'm really enjoying at the moment.

Thanks to James Ford and Jas Shaw

Special thanks to Bradley Haering