Welcome Mark Wirtz, producer, arranger, former Abbey Road employee!

Willy,

So glad you saw the irony and humor in that!

Mark

 

120 db,

"...when I tracked Kim Fowley's
"Lights" 45. What's the story behind that one?"

Typical Kim Fowley story (he and I were a veritable Don Quichote team).

Upon hearing a single by a Scandinavian band (I forgot the name), Kim had this flash inspiration, screamed, "Teenage hustle! Godhead!" gave me a breathless, cryptic, explanation of what he had in mind (which I somehow understood), insisted on booking an immediate session with engineer Mike Ross and my studio band at the time (Vick Flick, Jim Sullivan, Dougie Wright, Nickie Hopkins, Dennis Lopez and Eric Ford) at Levy's Studios (3-track) on Bond Street, and a few days later, the track was cut. Live. I then took it to my champion Derek Everett at EMI, who accepted the master for release (Derek later moved over to CBS where he was A&R chief for many years). How is that for an instant info package?

Cheers,

Mark

 

Welcome to the forum, Mark. I'll be looking forward to reading your postings.

Cheers,
Chris Meloche

 

Welcome Mark - great to have you hear!

 

Kim claims he heard The Hep Stars and I was too scared to challenge him. But he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to make things up.

 

A brief, honest review: over 3/4 of that album is great songwriting and really good Beach Boys style material. 'Only a Summer Away' and 'Everybody Loves a Happy Ending' are in regular rotation on my CD player. There are some tracks that are 80s throwbacks, almost Tears for Fears sounding - still very good. There is one that sounds like ELO.

A couple of songs don't fit very well and I think the album could have been shortened to a more compact length. The CD transfer is distorted for some reason but some people are more bothered by that than others. My two small issues aside, I can whole heartedly recommend it for harmony pop fans. It's a hidden gem, IMHO... and Mark (who does not make money from its sales) did not pay me to say that.

 

Welcome!

 

Mark F,

"Kim claims he heard The Hep Stars and I was too scared to challenge him. But he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to make things up."

While many agree that Kim was (probably still is) an absolutely brilliant (lyric) writer, nobody has ever accused him of being a particularly original music composer. Which is probably the reason why Kim wisely collaborated with musical songwriters. Sometimes, he might even have looked at a backing track/arrangement as the "melody." (He was/is not alone -- i.e. most of hip-hop "music" revolves around that concept).

Every now and then, Kim might write a song all by himself, in which case he might have had fragments or musical hook bits from all kinds of other records in his head, the combination of which made up the musical "bed" to which he would add his "song."

I am saying none of this in critique of Kim, or to diminish his extraordinary talents, whose true recognition have typically and sadly been segued by his flamboyant (and to many repelling) behavior. Shrewdly extroverted and eccentric at first to gain attention, he ultimately became a martyr to his own invention and alter-ego, metamorphosing into the very caricature he had only pretended to be.

Perhaps only few people got to know Kim as well as I did, and I can state categorically that nobody in my entire career had as much of a shaping influence and impact upon me as Kim did -- he was my larger than life guru. (I paid homage to and gave insight into Kim's significant visceral substance and nobility, even if fictionalized, in my book "Sisyphus Rocks," in which he, "thinly veiled," as the eternal commuter between the gutter and esoteric supremacy, served as the model for one of the (satirical) Rock'n'Roll novel's pivotal characters.)

Kim was extreme, and when he was being a prick, or even a pig, there was no bigger one in the universe. Albeit, beneath all the crap, he was, presumably still is, one of the most kind-hearted, sensitive and most generous (lost) souls I ever met. Most of all, Kim was my friend; and a damn good one at that -- friends don't come much better!

Here's to one of the classic music business' most under-celebrated and misunderstood, as well as most influential and consequential, heroes!

Cheers!

Mark w

 

Mark F (re: Spyderbaby review)

"The CD transfer is distorted for some reason but some people are more bothered by that than others."

In fairness to the CD, when Mark F. first alerted me to the distortion that he heard in his copies of the CD, I immidiately surveyed others who had received a copy, asking them for their honest feedback on the sound quality. Not one of them had noticed any flaws.

In fairness to Mark F, Mark had heard an original master copy and inevitably compared the two. Indeed, there is what I gauge to be a 3% distortion factor at the top-end in the commercial copies yet not audibly discernible other than by superbly delicate-eared audiophiles. The production master was burned hot for maximum airplay projection, thus the dynamics of the commercial copies are somewhat reminiscent of US vinyl issues back in the 70's, which were heavily compressed to allow for maximum level, at the cost of a slightly "sandy" top end.

Those of you you wish to listen to and own the album in its most pristine form, I suggest you get the pure vinyl LP edition, which sounds superb. You can enquire about all cost and shipping info by e-mailing Dieter P. Wirth (my business partner, but no relation) at [email protected] -- also the most direct and fastest way to buy the CD.

Thank you Mark F. for honestly reporting your impressions.

Cheers,

Mark w

 

Hi Mark and welcome,

How much say do you have in what R.P.M. does and what they issue of your past achievements?

The reason I ask, is that I'm anxious to see the MONO versions of the 3 original Teenage Opera singles and their B-sides released on CD. Especially the 2 later are impossible to find on vinyl, since they didn't do as well as Grocer Jack. (I know that Weatherman is available in mono only, so no problems there, for me at least)

The Deluxe Teenage Opera CD/DVD issue you mentioned, would it contain some MONO version of the recordings?

 

I'm not sure if they are the original single mixes or not, but mono mixes of "Excerpt From A Teenage Opera" and "Sam" are available on the R.P.M. release Keith West - Group & Sessions 1965-1974

 

"

Your suggestion is a terrific one, adding an extra element to what might otherwise become yet another, mere, re-cycling of previous compilations; the T.O. cow is all but milked dry. I would especially welcome the inclusion of the original SAM mono mix, as the released stereo version is not the version that Geoff Emerick and I painstakingly mixed together, spending much time making all the edits and cross-fades seamless. In contrast, the edits and transitions in the released stereo version are so clumsy and choppy, the mix is almost unbaerable to listen to on headphones.

Thank you for your suggestion. If Mark Frumento reads this, who is in more frequent contact with Mark S. than I am, he might perhaps pass on your suggestion.

Best,

Mark

 

Welcome Mark! Maybe we can squeeze a crazy Bob Lind story out of ya.......

 

Hi Mark. You worked with Samantha Jones on a few things, late 60s-early 70s?
Was her joyous 'The Ford Car Theme' from that time a production of yours - it has a very 'Mood Mosaic'-esque sound.

 

It's really worth seeking this CD out. The mono version of "Sam" is fantastic. "Grocer Jack" was mixed in stereo and mono by Mark so both are very good.

 

If you are referring to the "Go Ahead" track, yes it was. Matter of fact, I produced a more elaborate, commercial record, version of the song with Sam at Abbey Road Studios for United Artists Records under the title "Go Ahead And Love Me," also backed by the Breakaways. Funnily enough, though technically inferior to the UA version, the 3-track, live-recorded, Ford version - cut at Radio Luxembourg's basement studio - is my favorite. The thing pumps.

Sam was not only one of the most talented female artists I ever worked with, but one of the coolest. I had quite a crush on her. Last I heard, she is still performing and kicking butt as a popular artist on cruise ships.

Cheers,

Mark

 

Weahl, as it happens, when Bob and I met and briefly worked together a couple of decades ago on the song "I Need To Fall In Love" (a gem, but sadly never recorded), we were both going through some dark passages in our lives. If there was any craziness going on, it was not the fun and jolly type. We both enjoyed writing together so much at the time, that we had seriously intended to do more, but our journeys took us into different directions -- I moved to New York and we lost touch.

It was a couple of years ago, when Bob and I reconnected and we have been in touch sporadically since. Bob is performing again and writing great stuff, and is as captivating as ever. I'm dying to produce one of his new songs with someone ("Home In Time For Twilight"), had Anthony Rivers in mind, as a matter of fact, but the opportunity simply hasn't come up yet.

Mark

 

WELCOME!!!

 

Hi Mark - I am listening to the Spyderbaby CD right now at work - Special permission from my Boss.

I hope you are feeling better Now

Love & Hugs
Rosemarie
http://www.markwirtz.com

 

Just a quick note to let you all know that

Mark's Spyderbaby CD is now available from:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/spyderbabyuk

Happy Holiday to Everyone

 

Welcome Mark, and happy holidays!