Sunday, October 07, 2007

The world nearly missed out on the Babyshambles album

Apparently, Stephen Street wasn't going to put up with any of the band's nonsense during the making of their current album, Shatner's Revenge. Ficek and McConnell have been talking to the Evening Echo about the making of the record:

"Did I think it might not ever get done? Yeah. They were difficult times," Ficek is quoted by the Evening Echo as saying. "There were a lot of heart-to-hearts between Stephen and Pete. Each time Stephen was about to quit, they'd sit down and have a chat.

"Stephen wouldn't compromise at all. He was like, 'I'm going to get what I need to make a good album, otherwise I'm not going to do it.'"

Bassist Drew McConnell added: "There were a couple of times when I found myself running down a stairwell after Stephen. I had to drag him back to the canteen to talk."

It's interesting that the band were so desperate to keep the producer on board - in other words, then, this is less a Babyshambles record shaped by Street, more a Stephen Street record performed by Babyshambles.

It's even more interesting that a band taking bookings for an arena tour is having to send the bass player to do interviews in the regional papers to push an album.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"It's interesting that the band were so desperate to keep the producer on board - in other words, then, this is less a Babyshambles record shaped by Street, more a Stephen Street record performed by Babyshambles."

apart from the fact Street didn't actually write any of the music...

Simon Hayes Budgen said...

No, he didn't. But clearly he was bringing something crucial to the table.

Osknisker said...

"Shatner's Revenge"?

Oh, dear.

Simon Hayes Budgen said...

Yes, Osknisker. It's a joke.

Anonymous said...

"simon h b said...

No, he didn't. But clearly he was bringing something crucial to the table."


i'm not actually sure i agree with that, simon. i've heard a few of the 'doghouse demos' (recorded by the band in preperation for the album), and to be honest theyre just as commercial, clean sounding, and well-produced as street's album. better even, in a couple of cases.

i think basically pete's voice has recovered a lot since DIA, and the band have abandoned the 'three takes only' thing that mick jones stood by. street's production is hardly up to his moz/blur (the album 'blur') standards is it? I mean, he hasnt put much thought into this album. seems like he just pressed record but made them overdub a lot more.

saying that, i like 'shotters nation'. but it's pretty passionless. i think if pete's voice had been better on DIA and theyd have cut out some of the naffer songs it would have been a brilliant album. whereas 'shotters nation' is just DIA with worse songs, recorded more coherantly.

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