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Radio Lizards
Available on:Notes:
Recording Notes on the Christmass version:
Vocals - Neumann U87ai (with a Stedman metal pop filter) -> Groove Tubes Vipre Tube Preamp -> DBX 160SL compressor -> Digidesign 192 A/D converter (96k/24-bit)
Recorded by Myles Mangino in Eugene, OR at the Valley River Inn. Lead vocals - Frank Black, Background Vocals - Mark Mulcahy. Background vocals recorded at Planet of Sound, Hartford, CT. Assistant Engineer - Chris Henderson
Quotes:
On the Christmass release:
"The weirdest Frank Black recording ever! All a capella. I also produced the "Repo Man" cover for Frank Black a couple of years ago. If you've heard that and think its weird. This is more bizarre. (actually the guy who did all the music for Frank Black's "Repoman", Eric James, played some of the strings on "She's My Way". Eric is also one of the Planet of Sound Players) Radio Lizards was a real challenge. First we recorded it on acoustic guitar and vocals. About a week later Charles came back to me and said he felt like the song didn't work as it was recorded. Even though he never heard it again. He just knows these things. And wanted to record it again a capella (in the style of the first song on Mark Mulcahy's "In Pursuit of You Happiness" album) If you haven't heard this record, check it out. Its my all-time favorite record. So we rerecorded in a hotel in Eugene. This time instead of playing the chords on guitar, he sang each note of the chord and we layered them together. For instance, he would pluck the lowest notes on guitar to get the pitch, and then sing them into mic. We went through the whole song like this till we had all the chords in ooohs and ahhhs. Then sang the lead vocal over this. So I kept listening to this track, but really hated it. It just seemed like it didn't work, but I knew Charles wanted it on the album so I had to come up with something. Mark Mulcahy lives near the studio and he is so good at vocal harmonies I asked him to come down and help me out. Now, I usually don't have a hard time figuring out what to put on a song but this one really stumped us. We spent hours trying to make it work but nothing fit. Then I told Mark to just sing whatever came into his head and we would run the song over an over again. Something magic happened and it all fit. The song is now a layer of about 20 vocal tracks. 8 of Charles' and 12 of Mark's. Its now one of my favorite songs. Sort of came out like the Beach Boys. Or maybe the Beach Boys if they were really high." - Myles Mangino, Producer/Engineer, on the FrankBlack.net forums.
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