By phillysoulman (152.163.195.212 - 152.163.195.212) on Monday, March 04, 2002 - 05:57 pm:

In the dawning of the Gamble and Huff age there were certain "white" producers on the scene who would hire me for a particular thing that would refer to as "That Colored Feel" as I was very what some would refer to as funky( one guy called it flunky not knowing the vernacular) They would give me the chart and on top they wrote COLORED FEEL. Knowing full well what they implied, I acted naieve and asked what they meant by that remark to pick their brain a bit. So I said what color do you mean? They then told me "you know,
play it like one of them colored guys would play it!" They inadverdantly would tone me down anyway, saying that it had too much rhythm and reverted back to "chinks" I should have told to write "Chinese Feel"

By drums (208.251.209.82 - 208.251.209.82) on Monday, March 04, 2002 - 07:13 pm:

Hey Bobby Eli!!

I got one for you! I also need advice if this has happened to anyone out there!

Okay,

I got a call to play drums with a young rock act who shall remain nameless! We played the songs out at different places to outstanding ovations and were called out for encores!!

I was asked to play the drums for the debut album for the guys and contracts were signed and money exchanged hands. I get to the studio 2 hrs early to get set up and have the drums tuned and mic'd.

We did a run through with the producer who did not like what we did at all! I got put out of the studio(!) because I sounded too BLACK!!

The producer decided to play MY drums on the track and it was the most horrible track that I have ever heard. Needless to say no one bought the album and the careers of these guys went nowhere.


My question is was I put out because I didnt look like I belonged with a rock act or was it something else. If you saw the reaction when we played live you would not believe it.

I have played with rock acts as well as R&B acts and as long as the music is good I dont care! But politically I guess it is a different story!

I wonder to this day that if we had kept it funky would it have been better than what the producer played!!

Any thoughts good or bad are appreciated!

Daren Metz

By phillysoulman (205.188.199.154 - 205.188.199.154) on Monday, March 04, 2002 - 07:43 pm:

Hey Daren,
I can relate. Some of these turkeys do believe that if the image doesn't fit the bill than no matter what you play, even if you sounded like John Bonham,because you were BLACK you were not up to snuff!! On the other hand if a white guy came in and played what you did then they would think that he is the greatest thing since chopped liver!! In my opinion, a lot of these so called "wunderkinds" SUCK DOGD**K!!!
You know that you can emulate the greats and you have proven that to me so next time tell them to F**K OFF!!!!

By drums (208.251.209.82 - 208.251.209.82) on Monday, March 04, 2002 - 08:03 pm:

Hey Bobby!

Thank you for the words of encouragement!!! ! A lot of people dont realize the amount of political crap and injustice that you have to put up with in the studio.

But now I am recording my own solo album, "Return of the Funky Drums" and I built my own studio (Billy Jackson can tell you!)so I dont have to put up with the egos of maniac studio owners! (not all but those guys know who they are!)

I only want to lay down tracks and get real music on the charts again!

Daren "Funky Drums" Metz
Noble & Cooley www.noblecooley.com

By phillysoulman (205.188.198.184 - 205.188.198.184) on Tuesday, March 12, 2002 - 03:44 am:

The building that Sigma occupies, originally housed Reco Art Studios.It was in that location since 1958, having been at 13th and market before that.
The owner's name was Emil Corson, and he had some rather strange idiosyncrasies.
He REFUSED to go beyond mono, even when the standard had gone to four track.
He had four mono machines lined up in the back and he just went between machines and overdubbed mono to mono!!!He also ws Almost DEAF!!!
He wore a hearing aid and dreaded upper midrange frequencies. He did , however build the famous live chamber that Sigma inherited when they moved there in 1968.
He also had labels on the mikes which read "do not touch", and you never would know where the next set-up would be. Through it all he ws a decent engineer, even though he was almost deaf!!!!!! Strange, but true.

By phillysoulman (152.163.197.179 - 152.163.197.179) on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 02:57 am:

Blue Magic had a follow up to Sideshow called Three Ring Circus. The lead singer , Ted Mills fancied himself as kind of a "mystic"(bollocks!!)
He would do things like go to Tibetin the Himalayas on holiday hang out with "mystic" people and send cards as such.
One day while he was recording his lead vocal on that song, he was actually stroking his pet black cat that he was holding!! Interesting bloke.

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 04:47 am:

Andrew Oldham was producing The Sunday Funnies for Motown's Rare Earth label. One night in the studio he called the lead singer of the band into the control room.He had picked up a three foot scrap of 2" recording tape off the floor. He very seriously explained to the young singer that since music was art, and music was on this piece of discarded tape, then this shred of tape was, in fact, art. He then proceeded to tie it around the boy's neck like a tie and told him to wear it for the remainder of the session because the art of the tape would inspire him as a singer that night in the studio. And he did. I always had a hard time keeping a straight face with Andrew around.

By John Lester (213.122.203.89 - 213.122.203.89) on Saturday, March 16, 2002 - 09:26 am:

Oh dear...

what a wacky world we live in!!