Ken Caillat Seeks Input for Book

[Lori40]

I have always wondered if the rest of the band shares Lindsey's misguided belief that Rumours was so popular because the record-buying public was voyeuristic. I think that many of us who bought the album were too wrapped up in our own lives and what their songs meant to us, to worry about what was going on in the band members' personal lives. We knew that they must have loved and lost like we had, because they had expressed our feelings through their music, and that's why we love them.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by bucklind17

I remember reading/hearing that at some point in the recording process, the master tapes began to lose the high end. I'm not very knowledgeable about what exactly would cause something like this to happen outside of overuse but was curious what kind of process goes into restoring that. Did the tracks have to be entirely re-recorded or just the affected aspects? What songs, if not all, were affected by this and did any changes to the final tracks occur because the originals weren't usable?

Sorry if this is a boring question or something that's more well known to most than it is to me. I'm oddly curious about it!

If memory serves, I believe they had to resort to using the drum tracks on the safety tapes, which meant having to painstakingly synch them with all of the other recording tracks after the fact. I'm sure back in the day this involved a lot of splicing and manipulation of reel-to-reels.

Ironically enough, when I first bought my vinyl copy of Rumours back in the day, I thought the audio quality sounded like ****, especially the muddy drum track that sounded like someone was beating a bean bag. That's why it has been a joy for me to hear the re-mastered CD-issued tracks with the crisp snare drums and high-hats.

[aleuzzi]

Ken, what is the real, honest reason why "Silver Springs" was not included on the album? The official story has been "it was too long." But the song is not that long--and certainly not that much longer than "I Don't Wanna' Know."

I have always suspected that "IDWK" was chosen because Lindsey has a prominent vocal part on it. Without that song, his vocal presence would be largely absent from side two of the record, thus offsetting the feminine/masculine balance of voices. Furthermore, if "SS" were to be put in its place, wouldn't the pace of side two have lagged a bit?

Am I imagining new reasons for the song switch? Is "it was too long" the real answer? If you were to investigate this your book could debunk a common, easy explanation...

[aleuzzi]

Here's one more question:

Why doesn't Christine sing the verses on the studio version of "The Chain"? She does live and in that setting the blending of the three voices is powerful.

[ontheEdgeof17]

Why can't the band move past the Rumours era and try to boost sales of other albums? Hasn't Rumours sold enough?

[wetcamelfood]

Originally Posted by aleuzzi

Ken, what is the real, honest reason why "Silver Springs" was not included on the album? The official story has been "it was too long." But the song is not that long--and certainly not that much longer than "I Don't Wanna' Know."

I have always suspected that "IDWK" was chosen because Lindsey has a prominent vocal part on it. Without that song, his vocal presence would be largely absent from side two of the record, thus offsetting the feminine/masculine balance of voices. Furthermore, if "SS" were to be put in its place, wouldn't the pace of side two have lagged a bit?

Am I imagining new reasons for the song switch? Is "it was too long" the real answer? If you were to investigate this your book could debunk a common, easy explanation...

Further to this, we've been told it wouldn't fit on an album side and this just doesn't add up, litteraly.

When you add up the running times to all the tracks, even including SS, no mater how you slice it, it shouldn't have been a problem.

I'm not buying this deal about "we had to put 'I Don't Want To Know' instead just because it saves one full minute of running time".

John

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by shackin'up

Ok, Ken (Chicken Shack pun intended ), I admire your work on this epic album, but with all the respect in the world: in this year, 2009, we should
* talk about and
* write books about and
* reissue film- and audio from ....
the best album ever recorded. 30 years ago. TUSK. Why aren't we, and especially the band and all Tusk-coworkers, focussing on that?????????

Exactly my thoughts! My first work with them was Rumours and that is truely where the story begins. I believe that the story of Rumours with all the heartache and sacrafice and work, will set the stage to tell about the other 3 albums I did with Fleetwood Mac (and all crazy events that went on in between). Kc

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by wetcamelfood

Further to this, we've been told it wouldn't fit on an album side and this just doesn't add up, litteraly.

When you add up the running times to all the tracks, even including SS, no mater how you slice it, it shouldn't have been a problem.

I'm not buying this deal about "we had to put 'I Don't Want To Know' instead just because it saves one full minute of running time".

John

Well John the real reason was that is was too long! It killed me when we came to the realization that it wouldn't fit on the L.P. In those days of vinyl, 22 minutes a side was the max time you could put on without droping the level of the whole side. But you are right that in that difficult decision we took into consideration all the factors like tempo, composer, vocal balance but in the end had there been enough time, it would have gone on. We even shortened some of the other songs to make room for it. But when someone suggested SS go on the B side of the first single, everybody was happy.
KC

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

If memory serves, I believe they had to resort to using the drum tracks on the safety tapes, which meant having to painstakingly synch them with all of the other recording tracks after the fact. I'm sure back in the day this involved a lot of splicing and manipulation of reel-to-reels.

Ironically enough, when I first bought my vinyl copy of Rumours back in the day, I thought the audio quality sounded like ****, especially the muddy drum track that sounded like someone was beating a bean bag. That's why it has been a joy for me to hear the re-mastered CD-issued tracks with the crisp snare drums and high-hats.

Great question! It requires a long answer, I will answer it in the book! But the reason why it shed was we were using Ampex 456 2" tape. Years later we found out that while it sounds great, if it is played too much, the emultions starts to shed off the backing. It happened suddenly, one day......
KC

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by Somajoseph

One question I wanted to ask. What did the band record in Miami at Criteria Studios? Was that in January 1976 before the Sausalito sessions? And is it true the entire band stayed in the same house while they were in Miami?

Thanks!

The band had a short tour scheduled in the middle of making Rumour around July, and they had about a week off (while the rehearsed for the tour) so, not to waste time (or rest up) Richard and I flew out to record whatever we could. We recorded the lead solo's for Go your own way, I got strangled by lindsey (by mistake) and harmonies on Oh Daddy. We had hotels in Miami, but the boys stayed in the same house in Sausalito. It smelled like ocean air, beer and pot probably. (to answer someone else)
KC

[kencaillat]

Originally Posted by Moz

(It's early, so forgive me if none of this makes sense..)

Cool! I have a question regarding Lindsey's shirt that's shown in the gatefold of the insert that came with the LP. It's the one where Mick is laying on the ground with a bottle of wine near his feet and everyone is sitting/standing behind him. Lindsey's shirt says "Milt" and I was told it was an inside joke regarding their drug dealer.

Also on the insert, near the top, there's a line of six pictures of Lindsey smoking something. It looks like he's wearing a shower cap!

Whose idea was it for Chris to play a chair in Second Hand News? What kind of chair was it?

Who designed the whispering penguins? Larry Viagon

What were the easiest and hardest songs to record?

Why is Oh Daddy such an awesome song?

Was there a conscious attempt to make You Make Loving Fun sound sort of "disco"? No

When making up his bass parts, did John do it all by himself or did someone else (let's take Lindsey for example) say, "let's play it like this"...? If that makes sense. John did not like anyone telling him what to play, suggestions were ok

Did Lindsey or Stevie do any little 'piano things', or was it all done by Christine? Likewise, did Christine do any stuff on the guitar? Yes and NO

Is it true that Stevie had a cold during the recording Dreams (the take that would eventually make it on to the album. Sounds like she does.)? I don't think so

Why was a pane of glass broken during the recording of Gold Dust Woman? Also, in the last minute or so of GDW, there's an eerie sort of wailing sound. There has been discussion about whether or not it's Stevie wailing or Lindsey messing around on his guitar.

Why does Lindsey whisper "fffff*ck" at the beginning of the Chain?
Because he could! Actually when he was o/d the dobro part, he became tired and cranky and said f**k, (or whatever you said) as in here we go again, i hope i get it this time!

I have about a bazillion photos I could put up here, but I'm not sure what Ken's looking for! I'm looking for pics we've never seen before that will make us all smile

What did the band do for fun?

{During Rumours)They would Play jokes on each other, drink, the usual things people do when standed together.

What other songs were recorded during this time that never made it onto the album, aside from Silver Springs? I always figured The Dealer was from this time..

ETA: There are a few hours of outtakes/behind the scenes footage from the band's stop in Japan in December '77. It has been floating around for a few years, I imagine. Anyway, was this footage supposed to be used for some sort of documentary? It's quite amusing ("interviews" with Christine and Stevie, Lindsey noodling around on the guitar and piano and remarking how "at the end of this year we'll have played 98 shows. 98! I'M SICK OF PLAYING!") and there is an excellent version of Gold Dust Woman. While I don't have any information regarding other people employed by the band, roadies and other helpers are shown in this footage.

Micks nickname was Milt like Milt the Stilt or uncle Milty as he became know as, the bands t-shirt department made a few t-shirts for everyone

[shackin'up]

Originally Posted by kencaillat

Exactly my thoughts! My first work with them was Rumours and that is truely where the story begins. I believe that the story of Rumours with all the heartache and sacrafice and work, will set the stage to tell about the other 3 albums I did with Fleetwood Mac (and all crazy events that went on in between). Kc

Well, alright then, if that is the case, you can start with the beginning!

I just banged my head against the wall seeing that Ken Caillat quoted my response! Thanks, you made my day Ken!

I just read an incredible good book on the making of Rumours by Cath Carroll.
In that book there's a passage about that Mick and John bonded and Christine and Stevie bonded during the emotional hard times, but that Lindsey bonded mostly with Dashut and went back in the studio with him for long long periods just to focus on the work. How do you recall that? Do you think that part of LB's obsessive studiobehaviour is based on the urge for running away for reality? ( Sorry for my english, I'm Dutch.)

Gerald



..

[trackaghost]

Hi Ken,
I'd just like to ask about how involved Stevie was in the production of her songs and how much was Lindsey's vision. I ask for two reasons, firstly Christine says in the episode of Classic Albums about the making of Rumours that when she first heard Dreams, she thought it was quite boring because it was just two notes and obviously the finished version sounds much more intricate and layered. Secondly, in the 80s and 90s, Stevie said many times that Lindsey would often take her songs and they would come back completely different. I'm curious about things like the breaking of the glass and atmospherics at the end of Gold Dust Woman, were these collaborative decisions? There's also an acoustic version of Gold Dust Woman on the second disc of the Rumours reissue which instead has the end of what became her solo song If You Ever Did Believe. At what point did that change?

Also regarding Silver Springs, I've always been curious why this was the first choice to cut. Was there any thoughts about taking away one of the other songs instead and having a 10 song album? I'm just asking because there are four songs by Christine, and just three credited to Stevie and Lindsey each (with The Chain being a group collaboration). All Christine's songs are amazing but then so is Silver Springs.

Thanks! And I second Gerald's comments about Tusk. Given its influence, I'm surprised more hasn't been written about Tusk in recent years.

Sharon

[David]

I think Ken should listen to some of the weird, amazing audio the fans have amassed over the decades, like Fleetwood Mac's old sessions for "Smile at You" and "The Chain." A good part of the "Rumours" story, historically speaking, is right there in the audio and video material that has been circulated for so long -- things the band doesn't even know about or remember.

These recordings (including outtakes, demos, concert clips, and even conversations) are prime archival sources, and can certainly help jog Ken's memories of the time -- which are, after all, almost thirty-five years old by now.

The Chain
Sausalito 1976(?)

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We can also help Ken remember when tours started, ended, and stopped for breaks. I think Ken would be surprised at just how much we have on our hard disk drives, and he'd probably find a huge amount of it helpful in getting his book researched and written.

Atlanta GA
August 8, 1980
The Omni

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[gold_dust]

Hello Ken,

I'd like to ask whether their fighting was ever really that bad? Sometimes you read/hear stories that it was, then other times you watch little candid video clips (i.e. backstage Japan '77) and they look relatively at ease with each other. Were you ever caught up in it?

Was there a particular song that they had difficulty recording - instrumentally or vocally?

I once read somewhere that additional backing vocals (the studio crew, I think) were added to Don't Stop. Is this true and were you one of the said vocalists? Was there a reason for the additional set of backing vocals?

Stevie once mentioned that the drugs weren't really that big a part of the recording process during Rumours. What would your take on that be? Did it enhance their sound? Did it take anything away?

Thank you very much.