[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by David

I think the majority of the album was recorded in the United States. Basic tracks were laid down in France, but the band went there in April 1981 & came home in May. The entire rest of the year, for the most part, was spent recording, mixing & mastering Mirage at Larrabee Sound & a few other studios.

In fact, there's a radio interview out there -- I forget which -- with Stevie, & she's doing the interview from Larrabee. The radio station must have caught her on one of the few days she actually showed up at the band's sessions. Ken Caillat, Mick & Lindsey have all said Stevie wasn't around much -- around 10 percent of the recording time, & most of that was the work in France. Lindsey estimated Stevie was available for the U.S. sessions for about ten or fifteen days total. That's out of seven or eight months. Lindsey & Christine & the engineers played around with vocal tricks on the board to get the effect of Stevie without her actual singing. For example, "Book of Love" backup vocals were made to sound like Stevie even though she didn't sing on it. (Stevie was, as everyone knows, busy promoting her solo album at this time.)

The only reason I've ever really heard about going to France was because the band wanted to intentially isolate itself from Los Angeles hullabaloo.

Well, I've certainly got somethings still to learn, that's for sure. Oh well, thank you for enlightening me.