Studio Break Up: How Recording Can Tear Bands Apart

[@yetiredi1461]

The first time that I was in a recording studio, it was an alarming wake-up call for me. I was well rehearsed, my gear was in top shape, nervous, but ready to go. The band had already cut the basic tracks and I was there to add in rhythm and lead tracks. Took about three to four takes to finish the first song. I was feeling OK with my performance and the nervousness had gone away. Now it's time to listen to the playback with just my instrument just by itself. I have a perfectionist type of personality and when I listened to the playback, I was appalled! Sometimes I would be slightly ahead or behind the beat or sometime my playing was just sloppy. Unintended string squeaks, unmuted strings ringing, notes cut short, bends not quite to pitch. Things that I did not notice a during a live gig became very noticeable on the studio playback. The catch word for my part of the session became "The tape don't lie!". I ate a huge amount of humble-pie and realized I had to really up my game, fast, a pay much closer attention to my playing. I was becoming the weak link. I thought I was doing OK, but at a professional level, I wasn't OK. An embarrassing and painful lesson, but one that was sorely needed and for which later I was grateful for. I needed to know the truth about my playing. After that, my prayer before recording any song was to "please, let me have just only 2:30 minutes of perfection without messing up".

[@badbrad]

Man great post. It is a tough world to live in under the microscope

[@giblespaul2001]

Same here

[@Antonio_Ortiz]

I give you props for being self-aware and wanting to improve yourself. Imagine how many people would be offended if you told them they needed to tighten up, when they already think they are great.

[@daleplatino]

I've been recording bands since 2008 and I can say you are not wrong. I can't tell you how many bands I recorded that broke up after the record was made. At first I thought it was me.

[@badbrad]

Happens all the time....

[@DanaDeerwester]

Rehearsal is everything.

[@badbrad]

It is indeed.

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

Amen Dan

[@neilstern7108]

Heres a story, my gals daughter is an copy of me she plays bass stands on the same side . Had a band wild honeys , they were out of San Diego anywhat they were booked in Texas to play for a week. All was great then the drummer wouldn't fly that ended the band. She had another band The Lumps, that ended when the guitarist broke his hand, he was getting better when the drummer fell off a skate board they found him the next day in the grass he lived but like me just couldn't get it together. She is now with a talented guy looks like frank zappa they are trying to do something. You should be proud of what you achieved and your mindset. Great stuff.

[@badbrad]

Thank you Neil and thanks for sharing that. Best of luck to your daughter.

[@neilstern7108]

@@badbrad I'll be watching, great stories. Oh and magical fingers.

[@RickyLaneMusic]

Studio work revealed to me that i was NOT the cleanest or most accurate player. It's really hard work. Session players must be a rare breed. Then when I've had others in on my projects and they professed great things, I've seen them fall flat on their face and you can't use them at all. You have to find someone to overdub. So i have learned to have the highest respect for those who can pull it off consistently well. Thanks Brad.

[@badbrad]

Very Well said! It might look easy but it isn't.

[@mikethebloodthirsty]

I only went into a studio with a band once... Luckily I'd spent my teenage years home recording, I still struggled, I can't imagine how frustrating it is for someone to come to it from playing live.

[@ernesteison7979]

These videos are great lessons for young up-and-comers, I think one key takeaway is recording is a different world from playing shows, it's not an insult if you need to work on your recording chops. Egos get fractured but try to think about the big picture.

[@badbrad]

Absolutely!

[@giblespaul2001]

@@ernesteison7979 Just record your live shows from the board. Should be able to go back and isolate your tracks. Then burn the evidence

[@99percentirish64]

Good morning Brad and all! I wasn't able to make the live stream, but thanks much Brad! Good topic!

[@badbrad]

Thanks bro!!! Have a great day!

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

My first time in the studio I recorded 10 Tracks...they all got erased. They brought a session cat...but that was not the problem..He took my ideas and play them the way I heard them.He was clean..had a great feel and his timing was on point.That is why all my students. Work on playing in time.

[@badbrad]

Yeah often the session cat will Play the part on the demo just locked in.

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

@@badbrad My PART🤣

[@Souldoubtrocks]

I remember being a kid reading guitar player magazine and finding out the rigs these pros play in the studio is typically not what they play live.

[@badbrad]

very true...or not what they endorse.

[@tjsmith3741]

You nailed it. Any faults that a player has will definitely come out in the recording. Tone, tempo problems, wrong notes, sloppy playing. I like to think I have a pretty good ear and also a good sense of tempo and rhythm. I hear everything, it’s a blessing and a curse. This can even happen live. I just had a gig on Saturday where my keyboard player was hitting clams on every other song. I really had to hold myself back from criticizing him severely. Those conversations are better left for a few days after the gig. Studio recording takes a lot of effort and practice before hand. But even with that, some people just can’t do it.

[@badbrad]

Very true

[@giblespaul2001]

Amen Brother! It will expose everyone.

[@badbrad]

man you know it....

[@giblespaul2001]

@@badbrad Better have some Stones when you go into that studio. It is what it is.

[@user-hx8pi5gh7o]

Hey Brad! I stumbled on your channel recently and have really taken a liking to it! watched several vids already!. Im age 63, still gigging mainly solo shows,and very much appreciate your insight, experience,stories, and down to earth persona. Im a new fan. My only request/suggestion is to maybe find a way to look straight ahead when speaking on your videos ;-) I keep looking over my shoulder to see who you're talking to 🙂. Much success to you - you've got a great thing going ! !

[@badbrad]

Thank you. I will work on it.

[@AlexanderShibilski]

Made an EP with a band years back where the drummer had to work the last day of recording. Our lead guitarist who wrote the drum parts re-recorded the drum tracks when our drummer left. We folded before mastering the EP, drummer was never told. It’s just how things go. These days you can be replaced by a plugin no matter which role you are in a band!

[@badbrad]

Yes indeed...replaced by a plug in...ouch.

[@pf100andahalf]

You're right. The actual recording didn't break us up, but that started the ball rolling and it was a few days after that where most of us realized it was never going to work and two or three of us just left the band. I don't know how many for sure because I never looked back. The guy who wrote all the stuff was acting like you described. He wouldn't listen to anybody and his sound was terrible and he did things that defied logic where he sounded obviously embarrasing even though the songs were pretty good. I promise that we weren't being prima donnas because we would have backed this guy up anywhere. He was on lots of drugs which was the entire problem and he didn't know where he was half the time including in the song and he had no desire to get better. I know how that works because I was that guy a few years earlier.

[@badbrad]

Wow. It happens alot.

[@pf100andahalf]

@@badbrad I want to thank you for pointing this kind of thing out. If everybody trying to make it would listen to you they would be a lot better off. The artist or band might still not be able to fix their problems for whatever reason but they might be able to avoid a lot of misery by having good information. I wish I had seen this video years ago but this is going to help people going forward. You're doing a great service here. I really appreciate it.

[@DanaDeerwester]

Thank You Bad Brad 👏👏💯💯🎸🎸💜❤️💙🤍

[@badbrad]

Thank you Dana! More playing videos this week. Working on it.

[@guitardude1981]

Round trip plane ticket, 5star hotel suite, all meals comped at 5 star restaurants and $5,000 for 1 show! Or forget it! 😆 🤣 😂

[@badbrad]

I like those terms...when's the gig?

[@guitardude1981]

@@badbrad That should be your terms when anyone asks for a favor! Lol. Truth!

[@kerrybarnes7289]

I've worked in Major Recording studios for over 30 years started out as a runner, I've seen bands break up before they open their case and punch the shit out of each other in the studio. One night I had 15 Detectives come in to a Studio where I was working wanting to talk to me over a Murder in a liqueur store becauce my panel van looked like the car the suspect was driving lol.

[@badbrad]

Man....it's just crazy what we go through.

[@Vermonster23]

You would have liked me back in the day Brad. I would use the amp that was in the studio because usually it sounded really good and it was already set up to record. I was always prepared and kept notes while recording. I would do that to give them to the producer with an overview of what I thought about my parts in the song and would leave. I figured staying out of the way of other people who knew what they were doing would be the best idea.there was never any drama involved

[@badbrad]

Right on!

[@Vermonster23]

@@badbrad I know you understand there are many reasons that many of us don’t make it to the top. My mental health gotten the way of my journey. It’s just the way it goes.

[@DanaDeerwester]

I'm happy to go to Jamz if I'm able to. Good Vibes Brad ⚡👏👏💯💯 please more playing 🎸 videos 👏

[@badbrad]

Good Vibes to you.

[@dwaynejones1146]

In 1986 my band had signed to Warner Bros. which was a dream come true to me....then everything blew up at the band agreements phase of the contract...for me that was heartbreaking, and selfish to allow something to be destroyed before you even recorded....or A&R person at the time was Barbara Fukuda and she helped me by referring me for sessions / touring and I was cool with that for 3 decades....I tried 1 more original group and could not deal with rockstar attitudes, from guys who never earned a living playing, so I retired in 2018 to my farm....it will take a helluva gig to get me out there now....even told my wife that I am going to enter a 55 plus, body building competition lol....working with livestock has me shredded lol.

[@badbrad]

I bet you are shredded! That is tough work. Man it seems bands fall apart when success is just around the corner....it's a shame.

[@1rwjwith]

There are so many variables in discussing Recording that it’s hard to know where to start. I have been there! The only thing I would suggest to bands is to do as many recordings , home, garage , stage ,whatever of the band PLAYING TOGETHER not pieced together tracks to hear what everybody is actually playing…going into a modern studio is like dissection! I started out in the tape era…so it was way harder to fix anything but yeah you are right. Also sometimes bands should stick to their guns…”producers” can be trying to make THEIR RECORD not yours…but every band or artist is different in what they are trying to do…it will probably end up being recorded in sections anyway today…so who knows. Interesting video😁

[@badbrad]

Thank you and great advice!

[@coraliefontesdeaguiar2333]

True wisdom here. It's very hard to be ready to record .

[@badbrad]

true because even if your a good player ...nerves can take over

[@sonnywolfblues]

In the first part you talk about getting a last minute sub for a gig. One time at the last minute my bass player didn't want to drive there because he was worried about the road conditions and I here I am needing to find a sub on a Saturday night . Of course all my usual backup bass players are already booked but I thought about a friend that is a pretty good guitar player and played bass for some big names back in the day. My show is straight up Blues and Rock n Roll so it's pretty jammable. So he was actually available and agrees to the gig. When he arrives he informs me he just took his bass out of storage after not playing bass for 30 years!! Oh man,that was rough...he was completely oblivious to the time and groove I was trying to lay down in the intros and was playing more like a guitar player playing runs all over the place high up the neck instead of just playing simple pocket grooves which is what I asked for. That was a long night. I just locked in with my drummer and tried to ignore the bass. Funny enough the boss was pleased but I was drained having to try to keep the show together for 3 hours which sounded like cacaphony to me!!

[@badbrad]

Oh man that is draining I know the feeling.

[@vicgallagher6799]

Was in a great band for about 5 years, we got the bright idea to make a CD. That was the end. Everything that you talked about happened.

[@badbrad]

wow ....the thing is people didn't know this could happen you almost need a pep talk before entering the studio....and lots of rehearsal

[@brianasbury2493]

I dig that lighted guitar art in the background. Where did you get that?

[@badbrad]

I think my wife found it at home goods

[@danadeerwester8294]

Thanks!

[@badbrad]

Thank you so much Dana! You rock!

[@danadeerwester8294]

@@badbrad your'e welchman!!!

[@danadeerwester8294]

helped out a little Bad Brad Good vibes

[@badbrad]

Dana thank you for your support. You are keeping this channel going and I really appreciate it.

[@phoenixmediaforge]

I was engineering a record for a Boston band. They got into an argument over what the keyboard player was playing. He insisted that he was doing what he always did. They broke up right there in the control room. They paid the bill and didn't even take a copy of what they laid down.

[@badbrad]

Wow......man it happens alot.

[@Bluepillphil-d1w]

Ego is one hell of a thang

[@badbrad]

it is indeed.

[@tacmason]

Music gigs are very similar to "House painting " gigs, it's just that Musicians are less reliable than ( Alcoholic Painters) when it comes to Getting the Job done !

[@badbrad]

True

[@lieutenantdan2217]

❤

[@badbrad]

thank you!

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

What do you call a guitar player that dont have a girlfriend ?? HOMELESS

[@badbrad]

lol

[@borowland5744]

I'm having a shity day at work, but that comment about going to New York made me laugh.

[@badbrad]

😂

[@michaelstrong4956]

As they say, time is money. also, mime is money...at least according to Spinal Tap.

[@badbrad]

Indeed!

[@pascaldeslongchampsmoncton1490]

Usually a professional player who has to cancel a gig, will provide a list of replacements they know who can handle the session or gig. If he or she is professional of course.

[@badbrad]

in the studio you just get replaced and they usually don't want to hear your recommendations,...

[@pascaldeslongchampsmoncton1490]

@@badbrad well maybe, but I did read many interviews with top sessions guys, and they all said that if they had to cancel a session for whatever reason, they always submitted the name of a few replacements willing and ready to take over the gig.

[@sickfool40]

Hey man! you got the gift. Did you kiss the Blarney Stone? and the Voice. Reminds me of Grandpa, from Ireland, spinning yarns. Telling tales. Do you have a Biography written? If not im sure your audience would love to know. Gen x . have a good day

[@badbrad]

I am part Irish. ☘️ Thank you for tuning in.

[@michelleneeds4165]

Record all your practice sessions!!! Either on your own or with the band and put time aside to review it with everyone without instruments noodling over the top. Easier said than done but you know this already lol!

[@badbrad]

That's a good idea!

[@michelleneeds4165]

​@@badbradHey cheers for the reply, love the videos mate!

[@badbrad]

@@michelleneeds4165 Thank you so much! Glad to have you here.

[@DanaDeerwester]

🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸 videos Please!!!!!

[@badbrad]

Check out my video Strat vs. Tele lots of playing in that one....

[@thebadcat69]

I love it when a guitar player has never recorded with a mic'd amp and they hear that for the first time in a studio. Oh my, your technique is not as clean as you thought it was? Do you hear all that pick attack just telling the world the runs you're flubbing? How about all those open strings and notes you're not muting properly? lol. What's all that noise?

[@badbrad]

It is a wake up call