TECHNICAL NOTE : This page is designed for downloadable tracks and rough takes so you can master with an EQ, or to play along with using any instrument of your choice. Contact me with any questions or if this page helped you. All rights for Grandma's Hair Records and Drunken Circus Music reserved © 1991 -2005. They are for educational/ tutorial purpose and not commercial release.
These recordings were either made on a boom box, Fostex 4-track, or Tascam 488 8- track using a basic beat to hell Shure mic or PZM. Bass is always direct input and electric guitar is a Epiphone/ Gibson Les Paul direct to a Centaur Bass Amp. Effects courtesy of a Digitech RP-1 effects processor. Lo- fi to the max. Mark Florin also had a big hand in engineering some of our work. I can't begin to tell you how that guy does what he does. Mastering of the CD was accomplished through SoundForge XP 3.0 .
Most of the music is done in one shot, solid play all the way through on each track, ass backwards or straight foward, with little or no punches. Anyone interested in discussing recording technique or tone is free to contact me. The idea here is to recognize mistakes in recording and how to avoid them. Sometimes you can make a mistake and that may work too. Copyright your work on the tape immediatly after you record it, followed by © and the date on which it was recorded. Make sure that you take the chance to get familiar with Title 17 of the United States Code - Copyright Act of 1976 . Make sure when recording with a new member in your band to define who wrote the song/ or songs, and who is a work for hire. Things go sour for people sometimes. Protect and Educate yourself with the Law.
YOU HAVE RIGHTS !
Just whatever you do be honest, because :
" ... sometimes you write a rough song. You don't have to apologize if you wrote em, just sometimes they're meant to be rough...kinda like a biting rodeo."
- Patrick Brayer-The Starvation Cafe Radio Archives
MP3 Archive of the Chi chi Foundation
Problems downloading or listening ? Some of these MP3's are huge files. Right click and 'save target as' in a folder
Rare Demos and unreleased songs
Bad Hair Day
These two songs were the one's that really grabbed me when I first met Tom & Eric. Everybody was playing either metal or three chord punk tunes. I thought the lyrics on 'Have you ever' were pretty mature for a young band. 'Another Love Song' moves me in particular with the choice of chords, a lot of potential for growth. I was 19 or 20 when I first recorded these for Eric and Tom, so the quality is not all that great. It was my first attempt at producing, so here I must avoid apologizing. Lots of Treble here. These were two of Eric and Tom's best tunes at the time. It was quite fun to go do a hard rock or punk gig and play tunes like this. These are off the first Bad Hair Day cassette. circa 1991 / copyright Grandama's Hair Music / all rights reserved
Recorded at my flat in East Highland back in 1995, A personal favorite. It was madness. The songs keep coming and all I could do was record and play. Rough copies, but originals. Watch the bass when using an EQ. Originally mastered for analog cassettes. Recorded on a Fostex 4-track that was lent to us.
Son of Mine, Lost in time (original demo)
A glance into your eyes (demo)
Rough takes
A rare find on a home recorded tape Tom made when he was very young, 16 or 17 I think. I thought the effort for his age here was a tad witty to say the least
For any further contact, requests, or information on any projects , please
contact :
The Institute for Silent Activity
P.O. Box 806
Running Springs , CA
92382 USA
or
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grandma hair records © 1991-2005 & drunken circus music / the Chi -chi foundation © 1995-2005