One night when he was feeling low he stopped for a quick brew. He didn’t have the money for his favorite drink, a shot of bourbon. She came in and sat down beside him. They had never talked before, only a nod or quick wave to say they noticed. She started to talk as soon as she sat down. He wanted to buy her a drink, but knew he was broke. As if she could read his mind she offered to buy him one. He accepted immediately. They saluted and downed their drinks. There was a short moment of silence. Jewel broke the ice.
“I’ve been watching you for a few weeks. You look like a man, in need of cash. Stop me if I go off the track,” Jewel began. “Your musical career is not what it once was. You’re looking for a way to make money. You’re not interested in drugs. You have some scruples, (Jewel didn’t care if he did or not, but thought it was a good approach rather then having him think she was a cold-blooded killer, which she was) but you’re willing to do some not so nice stuff if you have the opportunity to realize big bucks.”
Mervin did his best not to smile, as he nodded in the affirmative.
“Good,” Jewel told him, “I have an offer. Do you want to hear it?”
Mervin finally spoke, “I do!”
Jewel told him what he wanted to hear and handed him a hundred-dollar bill. He accepted and asked her what he had to do for the money. She told him it was a contract, they were now working together.
Mervin did some debt collecting for Jewel. He roughed up a few people who hadn’t done right by her. He was part of a large heist where all the participants were one step from being caught. Jewel dropped everything and told them to vanish. They would meet at the usual place in three days. She didn’t hesitate to make sure they would all escape. Even to leave behind more then quarter million dollars of electronic equipment. He admired her for that; life within the family came first.
Mervin had been doing well for a few years making good money. He was instructed not to tell anyone anything and he knew if he did he would not be around long. He quickly became a favorite of Jewel’s; she felt he could be trusted.
When Mervin told her he was playing a recording session at Chateau 54. Her eyes lit up.
“I need to talk to you before you go. I may have a small job for you to handle while you’re there.”
Jewel wanted to find out if Gerald was doing anything he shouldn’t be doing. Get an upper hand if nothing else. She gave Mervin just enough information about the case and the diamonds to keep him from getting tripped up when or if he spoke to Gerald.
Mervin was excited when he heard about the diamonds. He could see a possibility of helping himself to some extra cash and maybe he could pull off a big coup without Jewel getting any wiser. He would feel out Gerald and see if he was interested in his help. If necessary he would trash Jewel. Mervin didn’t know what kind of people he was dealing with.
Jewel had trusted Mervin as much as she trusted anyone. She had dragged him out of the gutter and given him a chance to make some easy cash. Little did she know her first rule was about to be broken. Never trust anyone!
TwentyFive – The Session Continues
Duke, gave the one-minute sign as he talked over some minor changes which were on the charts. He turned to Mother with a nod of his head.
“Helen Oh Helen, take one,” Mother said as he slated the track.
Duke counted in the song and off they went; Muddy was smiling like he hadn’t done in some time. You could feel excitement in the control room but all was quiet as the song progressed. Three minutes later take one was done. You could hear words like great, fantastic, bravo but Duke’s voice came over the speakers,
“Not bad but I know we can do better.” He turned to the band and said, “let’s watch when we transition to the bridge. Give it a little more oomph the measure before the bridge. Let’s take it from measure 47… 1 - 2 – 1,2,3,4…”
“What do you think, Jonas?”
“Duke has it under control, he heard the same thing I heard.”
“Muddy, any comments?”
“I’m too excited at the moment. My moneys on Duke.”
The control room got a kick out of Muddy’s comments as Duke brought everyone back to earth.
“We’re ready.”
Mother came back with… “take two, Helen Oh Helen.”
Silence returned as they all waited for the bridge, it came and did what Duke wanted. When the take was done Duke asked for a playback.
“Let’s hear take two, I’m coming in the control room. What did it sound like in here?”
“Fantastic,” Vince blurted out. “Oh, sorry I didn’t mean to…”
Mother interrupted, “Don’t be sorry your opinion is highly regarded.”
Belle handed him a tissue, as Duke said, “Let’s hear it and play it in the studio as well.”
Mother pushed play as he looked around to see how everyone was about to react. The musicians in the studio listened intently as the track played. There were affirmative head nods as the entrance to the bridge passed by. Jonas looked at Duke and gave a thumb’s up. When the playback stopped everyone was pleased. Duke asked the guys if they wanted another take for a backup and all agreed with a hardy, “let’s do it!” The third take sounded as good as the second. In a little over a half hour the first song was done.
Song two was, Outta Reach, a 12-bar blues song. The feel would be most important on this cut. Duke suggested Jules go into the isolation booth and play the sax solo to help the musicians get the gist of the song.
“Jules went to eat, let me see if he is in the foyer,” Mother told him.
Carl opened the door and found Jules just a few feet away sitting in a soft leather chair.
“You’re wanted in the studio,” Carl told him.
He jumped up and headed in to see Duke, who gave him the chart and told him it wouldn’t be a final take but play as if it was. Carl finished checking the microphone and Jules put his sax together and readied for the track.
Duke stuck his head in the control room and asked Jonas, Muddy and Mother to stop them if it didn’t feel right. He was going to have the song played for a few minutes to see how everyone felt before the take. He went back in the studio sat at the piano and counted off the song. They played the intro but Duke felt there was something wrong. Jonas concurred.
“Let me go in the studio, I have an idea which may help.” Jonas told Muddy and Mother.
Duke conferred with him, as they made a few suggestions to the band. They ran the intro a few times; the third time was a winner. Duke asked Jonas to stay in the studio as they ran the song down.
Around the halfway mark Jonas leaned over and told Duke they should play the bass and drums by themselves. As they did Jonas made a quick suggestion which locked the bass and bass drum. Both of the musicians concurred as they ran the song again. A minute into the song Duke stopped the group, checked to see if Jules was comfortable with his headphone mix. He asked for a little more sax volume in the phones and told Duke he was ready.
Everybody stretched and got comfortable. They were set, Duke acknowledged Mother as he pushed the record button followed by the talkback.
“Take one, Outta Reach…”
Duke counted; the track started.
The song was about four minutes long. It had a good feel and sounded tight but Muddy thought a cowbell at the time of the sax solo would drive the song along. Jonas only suggestion was the group should immerse themselves into the feel and not worry about anything else, just go for it. Duke gave the go sign and Mother went for take two. There was a definite change in the music as the song moved along. When the sax solo came the cowbell did exactly as Mudd had suggested. Jonas gave Mudd the thumbs up! Four minutes plus and the song ended. It was a take.
Duke asked if anyone had any ideas and Vince suggested a longer guitar break and maybe a little push from the first solo to the second.
“Get your butt in here and show us what you think should happen.” Duke hollered.
Vince blushed. Mother got him up and walked him into the studio. Vince was a nervous wreck, as he started to explain Kyle stood up and handed him his guitar.
He asked Vince, “play it for me one time, I think I know what you want but if you play the part I’ll get it quicker.”
Vince played the part and the band asked to try it one time with Vince.
They did and Duke hollered out, “Hook Vince up he’s playing on the track.” Vince was stunned, but equally excited. Carl made a place for Vince and gave him one of the studio guitars, an original, Gretch, White Falcon, a set of headphones, and a Fender amplifier with a microphone placed off center of the speaker cone. A quick sound check and they were ready to go. Vince quickly tuned the guitar; a deep breath and he was ready. Duke wanted the group to play a few bars before the guitar solo and then do the solo with the suggestion Vince had made. They played and when the guitar solo happened the push came and went and everybody in the control room applauded. Jonas leaned over and said to Mother, “you sure know some talented folks.”
Take three was a smash, it was even better then the previous take.
“Play it back,” came the order from Duke.
Duke never minced words. Everyone, the musicians, visitors, producers and Carl were rockin’. It was the take! The band members all gathered around Vince and gave him high fives.
Vince was elated as he came back to the control room where he received a standing ovation. He blushed again. His friends, James and Chuck, told him how proud they were. How he was able to sit in and play a perfect track with all these great players. It made the day for Vince.
“Mother,” Vince said. “I wasn’t planning anything like this I hope it didn’t mess anything.”
“You’re kidding, right! You made the whole track better then the one before, great, thank you. Can we get you anything, coffee maybe?”
“No thanks my knees are still shaking, the coffee would spill, I think I’ll just sit here for a while and chill.” Vince told Mother as he smiled the largest smile he could produce.
“Anybody need water?” Mother asked.
Carl proceeded to get some bottled water to the musicians in the studio. Everyone was taking a short break. Two and one-half hours had been used. Plenty of time to get a super track for the main song, The Long Road Back.
Mother took a walk into the studio to converse with some of his old friends.
“Hey Bobbie,” Mother advised, “careful what Cotton tells you, he’s a bit of a storyteller.”
“Yeah right Mother, you were the creator of the tall tale!” Cotton responded.
As Mother headed back to the control room Cotton told Bobbie he could tell her stories which would make her question Mother’s sanity.
Bobbie looked at Cotton and spoke quietly, “My father has told me many stories about Mother already, but if you have a new one I’ll relate it to dad next time I see him, go for it!”
The break was almost over. The band felt refreshed. Mother was back in the control room chatting with Mudd and Jonas about the final track. It had to be stupendous. The guys were filing back in and getting comfortable. They were still talking about Vince. Vince asked them to please stop.
“Vince, we have to get you in the studio and cut a bunch of your favorite songs. I know you’re a big Johnny Smith fan you could start with some of his songs,” Mother suggested.
“I’d love to,” Vince agreed.
“Anybody in there?” Came a loud voice from Duke.
“Ready when you are,” Mother called back.
There was some tension starting to show in the control room. M&M knew this track could be a super song. Jonas asked to hear the rough version which was recorded a few days ago. He had an old song in mind which he produced many years ago but didn’t tell anybody he was using his idea, an idea which once created a hit. M&M had already heard his idea but he wanted to run it by Duke before he got involved with the band.
Mother called to Duke, “You have a minute to come in the control room?”
“Be right there,”
When Duke arrived, Jonas ran his idea by him. Duke listened intensely.
“Yeah, man fantastic,” he declared. “Reminds me of an old ballad from the late forty’s, I think, produced and written by a guy named Stallings. I have a copy of the record.”
Duke realized that’s where he had seen his picture, a much younger man but still with the same features. He didn’t say anything at the moment. He figured Jonas must have a reason for keeping it a secret. He would tell Mother later.
“I thought this song had a chance to be a hit before but now I’d bet my house on it,” declared Duke.
Considering his house was mortgaged to the hilt it wasn’t much of a bet.
Duke went back into the studio at a slow run. “Listen up, I have a few changes. You’re all gonna love playing the track.” Duke played the new ideas on the piano as the musicians listened. As the idea started to sink in the band members were getting excited. It was noticeable in the control room.
“What’s going on?” asked Chuck. “It looks like Duke is a preacher and his sermon is getting the congregation excited.”
“I hope they save some energy for the track,” said Muddy with a worrisome tone in his voice.
“Not to worry. They’ll have twice the energy when Duke gets done. He loves to motivate,” Mother told the Muddman.
All at once everybody headed to their instruments, got comfortable, set the music to the first page and readied for the count off.
“Give us a few minutes to make sure we have the changes the way Jonas explained them,” Duke called to the control room.
The group played a few different sections but when they came to the end, Jonas who had come back into the control room to talk to his co-producers, stood up and headed to see to Duke.
As they were conferring Muddy nudged Mother and asked if he knew what was going on?
“Yes, I think this change is just the thing to put this song over the top.”
Muddy looked lost as he asked, “what will it actually do for the song.”
Mother told Muddy to give them a chance and he would soon hear the final product.
“I can’t explain what Jonas interjected into the song any better than if you were to listen to the track as it’s being laid down.”
“Where do the musicians get all the energy?” Mudd asked.
“This last song The Long Road Back will be the most difficult. The first song needed the least energy because the musicians had some built in when they got here - it’s up to the producers to keep the excitement which the blues song not only got from Jonas but also from Vince. When all the parts came together the musicians were feeling the track.”
“A whole lot of information to take in. I think I understand a little better how this works. Mother, by the way, who is Bobbie related to? She seems very capable on the acoustic guitar.”
“She is a very fine guitar player. Bobbie plays sessions almost exclusively. We were lucky she was available. Her father Ron, was with me in the Popcorn Blizzard, when we recorded back in 1969.”
“Really cool,” said Mudd. “How about Mervin and Eddie, where did you meet them?”
“While I was running a studio in Philadelphia they would be on many of the sessions I engineered. Did you notice how they tried different percussive instruments before they decide on the one which works best with the track? Well, that’s why they were always in demand. Let’s see what they come up with for The Long Road Back.”
“I’m gonna watch and listen, maybe I can learn something,” Mudd said.
“Me too!” agreed Vince.
It was time to start recording the final song. Duke was done preaching and testing the feel at different points in the track.
“We’re ready,” Duke bellowed. “Are you guys ready?”
Mothe
r gave the thumbs up and Duke nodded.
“Take one, The Long Road Back!” Mother said with an I’m ready to go to the bank with this one attitude in his already cocky voice.
“Don’t anybody take this as ego, it’s just to let the musicians know I have faith they will play the track with conviction.” Mother told the control room crowd.
“Go get em!” Muddy reiterated.
Duke started the count but they only played 3-4 measures when he stopped the group and told them to make a mark at the end of measure one for a reminder to accent the first beat of measure two, maybe even a slight anticipation…they ran it over a couple of times and were ready for the take. The count off came and take one was happening.
It was very quiet in the control room. All were listening intently to the track. They continued to repeat the end so it would be long enough for a comfortable fade. When they were done Duke looked at Mother.
“The next take should get rid of the apprehensive feeling I got at some of the new parts,” Mother said.
“Exactly what Mother said, otherwise the feel is fine,” Jonas reiterated.
It looked like the musicians were waiting for Muddy to say something. “Go ahead Mudd, give ‘em something to hang their hats on,” Mother prompted.
Muddy pushed the talkback button and started a rant. “When I was working with Dion he once said to the group, what are we doing here if not to be here, and if we’re here we may as well do what we’re here for!” Muddy gave a fist pump and all the musicians cheered.
“Well said, Mr. Mudd,” Jonas told him as they high fived.
“Take two, The Long Road Back,” Mother said directly after the high sign from Duke. And the band played on!
TwentySix – Mudd Makes a Splash
The fake Belle was watching Jonas work and realized how much he would love getting back in the music business but how could he do without money? She tried to give Jonas all the credit for her thoughts but soon came to grips with herself. It was her who needed the money to pay off the gambling debts she had incurred. She was over $80,000 in debt.