John Martyn - Another World Collectors Series Vol 1 '1988

Tracks list

Tracklist

CD1
1.01. Dancing
1.02. Dealer
1.03. Certain Surprise
1.04. Smiling Stranger
1.05. One World
1.06. Couldnt Love You More
1.07. Small Hours
1.08. Big Muff
1.09. Black Man At The Shoulder

CD2 Bonus Disc
2.01. Dancing (drum machine)
2.02. The Dealer (kit)
2.03. The Dealer (drum machine)
2.04. Certain Surprise
2.05. Smiling Strangers (instrumental)
2.06. Big Muff (drum machine)

In the summer of 1977, Chris Blackwell asked me to work with him on John
Martyn’s new LP One World. Chris planned to use the Island Mobile and
record for three weeks at this house in Theale. This is where I had recorded
overdubs for Robert Palmer’s Pressure Drop album, two years earlier, and
Chris like the idea of recording outside. He had been impressed by the apparent
ease of working this way, the great sound and ambience of vocals and instruments
and the extra freedom when working from home. The house was almost totally
surrounded by a flooded disused gravel pit, a large lake with a house in the
middle.

We set up the mobile on Saturday the 16th of July 1977 in the courtyard, from
where we had easy access to a barn and to the converted stable block. While we
were working on the album, Ray Doyle (mobile), Barry Sage (assistant), John
Martyn and I all lived in this stable block, which had four bedrooms, a kitchen
and a bathroom. There was also a large self contained flat at the far end. This
we used as our main studio, and I put John, f/x pedals, drum machine, amplifiers
and guitars in the main 15ft by 12ft room. I took direct injection feeds from
the guitar and every f/x pedal, as well as micing up the amplifier Ray. Barry
and I spent a great deal of time making sure the feeds were as clean as
possible.

Another WorldWe hired a PA system and set the monitor stack up on the far side
of the stables pointing out across the lake. I used two Neumann U87s on the
opposite side of the house, to mike up the outdoor PA sound coming back off the
lake. A further two Neumann U87s were placed close to the water’s edge,
as far away as our leads would allow. These picked up the sound of water
lapping, and a distant strangled sound on the guitar which was perfect for lead
solos. We tried to protect the microphones from the damp night air using
polythene, with limited success. When they went down, on particularly wet nights
or because of a heavy dew, we replaced them and then dried out the originals.
Between 3am and 6am was the toughest time on the mikes, but these quiet hours
before dawn created the most magical atmosphere for recording, resulting in two
of our classic masters, the title track, One World, and my favourite, Small
Hours.

We fell into a routine, starting at about two in the afternoon and working
through until five in the morning. Chris would spend the mornings on the phone,
taking care of any business. Ray and I would check the equipment (especially the
microphones), line up the tape machines, lie in the sun, or row the rubber
dinghy out on the lake, taking photographs. It was an idyllic way to record an
album. I used six tracks for the guitar, two for the outdoor returns and two
more for vocal and basic drum machine. I had control over the blend of the six
main guitar sounds because of our separate D/I feeds. These included one feed
straight out of John’s guitar, another after his compressor, one each pre
and post F/X and echoes and finally, one with everything but pre-amplifier.

Some of the songs, like ‘Dealer’ and Certain Surprise, were
arranged and recorded quickly and easily. Others such as One World and Small
Hours were played repeatedly for many hours. Chris and I would then edit the
multitrack into an arrangement of verse, chorus and instrumentals, from time to
time taking bets on which bar we were on.

The outside mikes not only picked up the guitar coming back across the lake, but
also recorded scurrying animals, birds, and the sounds of water lapping at the
water’s edge. John worked in the self-contained flat, and Ray, Barry,
Chris and myself were in the mobile. We changed the reels of tape every half
hour (we were recording at 15 i.p.s) and took breaks every three or four hours
for tea.

I had first met John back in 1971 at Basing Street. Like Alan Spenner and Paul
Kossoff, John was difficult to get to know at first and would conceal his true
feelings with a sharp tongue or within an alcohol-induced haze. John also gave
off a strong impression that he could be physically aggressive if pushed,
although this may have been self-preservation and merely a bluff, as in the case
of Alan Spenner. I liked John and had always got on well with him, never having
had any real trouble with his behaviour. He was then close to 30 years old,
5’10”, with a mass of curly dark hair, a beard and moustache and a
round boyish face. He lived in blue jeans, shirt, a scarf tied round his neck
and a black jacket or waistcoat. If he was sober and in a good mood he would be
mellow and laid back, charming, inventive, verbally amusing and spiritually
alive. When dark, drunk or angry he managed to reverse all these attributes and
could become difficult, aggressive, loud and obnoxious or alternatively, very
quiet and depressed.

Andy Newmark came out for a day and played drums on Dealer, Smiling Stranger,
Certain Surprise and Big Muff. We set him up in the barn, giving him plenty of
drum machine click track in the headphones to help him stay in time with
John’s original performances. There were only two takes per song from
Andy. He was really on form, a wonderful day.

Steve Winwood and Danny Thompson also came out for a couple of days and tried
out ideas on most of the songs. They were set up in the self-contained flat with
electric piano, Moog and bass. Although we recorded many ideas and parts, on the
final album versions, we kept only the Moog on Small Hours and Dealer and the
acoustic bass on Couldn’t Love You More and Certain Surprise. Fortunately
on this Best Of… album, many of the One World alternative mixes are
included.

During our three weeks of recording the album One World, we captured hours of
great takes on a number of brilliant songs: the edgy, nervous Dealer, the
haunting, womb-like throb of One World, the dark psychedelia of Smiling
Stranger, the fresh celebration of Dancing and the magic, hypnotic Small Hours.
Many of the songs recorded included live mastered vocals from John who at one
moment might be sounding warm, mellow and easily in control and at the next
would travel to a place of uncomfortable darkness, becoming someone obviously on
the edge of his emotions.

John Martyn - Guitars, vocals
Andy Newmark - Drums
Steve Winwood - Electric piano, moog 
Danny Thompson - Bass

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