The Making of #1 RECORD by Big Star - featuring Jody Stephens, Terry Manning, Holly George-Warren...

For the 50th anniversary of Big Star’s iconic debut, #1 RECORD, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After Chris Bell, Andy Hummel and Jody Stephens had taken recording classes from Ardent Studios owner, John Fry, they began to learn the art of recording. John Fry generously allowed them to use the studio during the night as they recorded under the names, Icewater and Rock City. Meanwhile, Alex Chilton had quit the Box Tops and was living in New York City before deciding to return to his hometown of Memphis. Chris Bell invited him to join the band as they began recording what would become #1 RECORD.
In this episode, Big Star drummer, Jody Stephens describes being a teenager caught under the spell of his bandmates’ talents and the creative environment of Ardent Studios. Engineer/keyboardist, Terry Manning, reflects on his close friendships with Chris Bell, Alex Chilton and the Big Star clique, and his contributions to #1 RECORD. Holly George-Warren, author of A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, from Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man, discusses Alex Chilton’s unlikely journey of being the 16-year-old lead singer of a hit group to learning to be a songwriter and an independent person. Rich Tupica, author of There Was a Light: The Cosmic History of Chris Bell and the Rise of Big Star, describes Chris Bell’s sonic vision for #1 RECORD as well as his deterioration in the aftermath of the failure of its release. From wanting to be the Memphis Beatles to endless hours of recording through the night to bringing motorcycles into the studio to Alex discovering a new voice to the Bell/Chilton collaboration and rivalry to the distribution disaster, we’ll hear the stories of how the album came together.
Life of the Record podcast - Big Star #1 Record documentary
Interviews with Jody Stephens, Terry Manning, Holly George-Warren and Rich Tupica
Episode 20
lifeoftherecord.com/#/big-star/

[@JCStorm76]

This is one of the greatest albums I’ve heard. It’s incomprehensible to me thst something this great only sold 4000 copies at the time.

[@keithplunk6611]

There was a magical time in history called: Overton Square; Ardent Recording Studio; Big Star; John Fry & staff plus Memphis collection of a cast of local party animals who made it soooo unique. Just as relevant as the 1960's Liverpool/ Mercybeat. It was meant to be timeless & great and will never fade away because we will never let it! Nashville is fast food compared to Memphis in sustenance. Just ask Elvis or The Staple Singers or Johnny Cash or Jerry Lee Lewis or Roy Orbison or Carl Perkins....the list goes on and on and on. I am convinced I am right! Thankyou Big Star for recording all those great songs! Very cool. 🤩

[@JFS3]

The decision to leave in the vocal mistake in Don't Lie to Me was a great one, as it helps to illustrate how the narrator of the song lets his anger get the better of him to such an extent that he temporarily "loses it" for that one particular moment.

[@DodgeDartSongs]

#1 Record is an enduring work of musical art. That it was never a hit by commercial standards is not important. It found its audience. Chris, your efforts were not for nothing.

[@N1ght_walk]

This is great! I would love a video on Radio City and Third, too!

[@MegaJw99]

LOVE THIS BAND. THANKS

[@jeffreysobczynski7113]

Awesome job - what a record!

[@noahkieffer7410]

Discovering this band has helped me through some stuff. I wouldn’t change a single song it’s just right.

[@TheReubenKincaid]

I was in 1st grade when this was released but only discovered it in the last 10 years ago. I remember top 40 music in 72; This record sounds like what some music would sound like in my20’s. The world caught up

[@HappyHermitt]

Jody is phenomenal

[@festersuncle6298]

"Won't you tell your dad get off my back. Tell him what we said bout Paint it Black". Cool as cool gets.

[@kookoothebirdgirl1]

I *just* quoted this same lyric on another thread! Great minds…

[@drewsturgeon9511]

The India Song is amazing! Who doesn't like that one?

[@terenceboris851]

I concur. It’s a great song.

[@melodymakermark]

According to Terry Manning, someone didn’t like it, but he wouldn’t say who.

[@JFS3]

@@melodymakermark I'm guessing Chris Bell, as it's mentioned that both Alex and Jody liked it. Personally, it's one of my favorites on the record, especially the way it comes completely out of nowhere with its lovely mellotron backing.

[@dylonbangss2804]

Finally finished it. You are doing gods work with these. I hope you get the recognition you deserve.

[@BigSunn0]

awesome. thanks

[@drewsturgeon9511]

This is absolutely stunning. Only at song 3 description! ❤

[@melodymakermark]

This is a great production. This video has been up a year though, and has less than 6K views. Big Star. Some things never change.

[@gusenglehorn]

Thank you so much for this! It's so incredibly inspiring and detailed. A real treasure.

[@ragpicker006]

Just found this. Superb. Thank you!

[@mjjames2442]

Wow, thanks.

[@dylonbangss2804]

Omg this is sick dude

[@akab750]

this was great. thank you for putting it together

[@brohemian]

Great choice!

[@terenceboris851]

love BIG STAR ⭐️

[@chdwatson9362]

Well done... deserves 100K views.

[@zonkster909]

I love the Beatles etc, but Big Star is my favorite band.

[@BeautifulFlower62]

mine too!!

[@DavidH1]

Thank you for this. It is tremendous.

[@user-dc7um4pr3f]

It's weird how everyone universally considers Thirteen to be "mushy." I guess in that generation, that is a really soft song. Because me and maybe a lot of other millennials grew up on That 70s Show - not the actual 70s, Thirteen is what drew a lot of us into the band. It's not really any mushier or softer or more childish than any Beatles love song. John and Paul wrote love songs and songs about their childhood too. Idk why that is perceived as weak or vulnerable for Alex to have done the same. It just shows he was versatile like the guys he looked up to.

[@terenceboris851]

“it’s so hard just to stay alive each day”

[@flakebelly]

This channel is so cool, nice one again!

[@terenceboris851]

‘Give me another chance’ borrows from ‘every day as we grow closer’

[@lamontprospect9974]

You could argue that in their own way that the band was successful with writing recording and producing But I think the problem is they tried to do everything themselves. That comment about not wanting anyone to mess up the production. The other comment about having all the time in the world. It just doesn't seem like the way to do it. Although it's hindsight and at least they all tried. They have nothing to be ashamed about. Put the time they had to spend producing everything, in a way it kind of took them away from what they were doing. They needed to focus on writing and performing and had they been able to find a good producer and a record label, it probably would have taken off. And while the band was extremely creative and artistic, certain things like calling the name Big Star after a grocery store chain or even some of the original titles for the name of the album seemed to lack inspiration But again, they shouldn't feel like failures in any way because they probably did something a lot of bands were not capable of doing. They accomplished a lot it's just a shame they didn't have a producer so they could focus on being the musicians and let the rest take care of itself by other people. The other thing, trying to sound like other bands, I think had they not had to produce themselves they could have just focused on their own originality and not had to try to mimic the way other bands sounded through the production. Again these are only observations based on the little information I have from this video. There obviously are very talented and capable but perhaps somehow call short by trying to do everything themselves. That's probably where all the fighting started.❤🙏🕊️