The biggest news over the last 18 months is that I bought 5AM Studios from Les and Hud and transformed it, with the help of David Percefull, into the latest incarnation of yellow DOG Studios. Hud is still a part of the team and the studio has produced some amazing music.

Next on the news list would be the tracking and mixing on the two debut albums from Volcanos for Hire - Anthem and Homage - and the next Scurvy Ottto & The Rickets album. The VfH web site should be getting a face lift and links to Anthem as soon as we finish expanding the studio (yet again).

Finally, I’m firing up my consulting practice over at EMR7, Inc. which will also provide a master map with links to all of the projects I’m working on.

All for now,

– Ed

It’s been a while since I posted at this site. Let’s just say the Austin To Abbey Road experience wiped me out. Fun but exhausted for the last few months. That said, plans are progressing nicely for two more music ventures for the year 2009.

The first is a CD of music written and arranged by Kaye Barlow (my sister) that has been in the works since I finished mastering the Rickets’ From Austin To Abbey Road CD. The CD will be called Middle Age Cradle. The tracking is done but there’s a lot to do mix-wise. I’ve stepped up to apply my mix production skills in getting the CD out the door.

In addition to that, I’ve been putting the finishing touches on Ricket Ranch, my home studio in Kyle, which was named by Sir Bob. Once all the wires are in place and I get those Pearlman mics I’ve been lusting after, I’ll get busy with the first Volcanos for Hire project - Before & After. Each of the songs will have both simple sparse, acoustic versions and full blown production versions. Luckily, this will give me a venue for songs that didn’t make it to the Rickets CD. Alan (AKA Scurvy Ottto) is all set to help with vocals, lyric and song writing.

We’ve finally been released on the iTunes music store. Go to this link if you have iTunes to see it.

I understand that you might think that this is the web site for Scurvy Otto & The Rickets. Well, not exactly. This site was setup to chronicle the productions of the composers and musicians I knew back in my Kingsville days (including myself).

That said, there needs to be a site that can boast all Rickets, all the time. And now there is. Just type in any of the following

• scurvyottoandtherickets.com
• scurvyotttoandtherickets.com

or just type in

• soatr.com

Check ‘em out!

25 years after the Rickets first public performance, the Rickets returned to Young’s Pizza in Kingsville, Texas to celebrate the release of their CD - “From Austin To Abbey Road”. Despite being a high school football night and Halloween, a great crowd of 30 to 40 fans showed up for the gig.

It was caught on tape so we hope to see clips of it in the new movie clips (once we get around to creating them). CDs were given away to all that attended along with signatures from the band members. An arc has completed on the Austin to Abbey Road story. All that is left is to tell the story to all that might be interested.

The CD is mastered and pretty much ready for pressing. Last step is the cover design for the case and then we ship it all off to DiskMakers to press us a big box of CDs. Had a great time at Terra Nova Mastering with Jerry Tubb at the console. The final product is evenly balanced across the songs and the gaps between songs have been tweaked for the best possible flow.

We are gearing up for the 25th anniversary Halloween gig. Hopefully, all the pieces will fall into place and we will play that night and handout CDs.

Once I get the CDDB (Gracenote) database populated, the song titles will show up correctly after loading the CD on a computer. I’ll move ahead with getting the songs up on iTunes as well.

Danny Young passed away yesterday at 4:42 PM in Austin, Texas. Danny is a significant person in the South Texas Stomp saga because it was his place, Young’s Pizza, that gave birth to Scurvy Otto and the Rickets and because he was a fixture in my and Kaye’s life at the Methodist church in Kingsville. The Rickets played their first gig on the patio of Young’s Pizza on Halloween 1983. Scott Conard, the owner of Young’s after Danny left for Austin, gave us the break and was a close friend of Danny’s.

I had talked to Danny just before heading out to London and was looking forward to his reaction to what we’ve created. I think he would have enjoyed it.

There is more posted about Danny at this link

We finally finished the mixes yesterday. Next is to look at mastering and artwork for the CDs. You can listen to the final mixes (for this album) at this link.

We almost have all the songs mixed. 2 more to go after I proof the current song (Girl At The Sidewalk Cafe) in my truck. Les and I have made steady progress towards a cohesive final mix but it ain’t over till it’s over.

I’ve been posting studio session notes at  http://music.emr7.com/FromAustinToAbbeyRoad/  along with preview songs. Check the site out when you have a chance.

We’ve got our mixing sessions setup at 5AM Studios where will tackle pulling all the song material from Abbey Road (8 songs!) and Austin (another 8 songs!) into one complete CD. The first mixing session starts on Sunday, July 20th through Wednesday, July 23rd. Many more sessions will be needed as we wrestle this beast into submission.