The Glow Diaries: 10: Mixing and Mumblings on Mortality

The final part of The Glow Diaries sees Marcus and I bracing ourselves for the mixing process in very different ways.
Finally, a sad loss for Marcus helps put everything into perspective...
'Glow' is a fine album and contains some of Miracle Mile's best work.
Whilst waiting for 'In Cassidy's Care' to be completed you could do worse than dust it off and re-aquaint yourselves with its mysteries.
If you don't own it why not go here to purchase its 15 songs for... a song.
We paid nearly £4 a copy to have it pressed up in its luxurious state....
It's currently available for new for £1.95 (plus p&p).
As ever, click on the image below to enlarge and read.

The Glow Diaries: 8: Good Vibes

As 'Glow' nears its completion and Marcus prepares himself for the mix, I throw in a wild card. I think that when I said "Can I Start Again Please?" Marcus thought that I wanted to wipe everything done so far.
This song and 'Night Sail' seemed to guide the way ahead and set the template for the many spoken pieces that went on to shape 'Hopeland' and 'Keepers'.

The Glow Diaries: 7: Sexy Drums and Ham Sandwiches

Here we entice pedal steel maestro Melvin Duffy (left) up from snowbound Cornwall with the promise of a ham sandwich; and, bugger me, if he isn't a vegetarian...
No such problems with avaricious drummer, Danny Cummings (right); not only will he play on anything; he'll eat anything and everything...

Click on the image below to enlarge and read.

The Glow Diaries: 6: Cymbal Swells and Tubular Bells

Here we seem to be in 'tinkering mode'. 

'Glow', 'Beads Without a Chain' and 'Off the Wall' (soon to be 'Heels for Dust') get the "turd polishing" treatment...

As ever, click on the image below to enlarge and read...

The Glow Diaries: 5: Paper Planes, Secret Fold and BJ.

Getting BJ Cole in to do a session is always an inspiring and invigorating time. He challenges you, does BJ; he requires his sound 'just so', likes to play instinctively and... loud. Marcus needs to be on his toes technically and I need to really concentrate on what we regard as his direction with the track; he fires off so many great ideas that you need to be sure not to miss something inspired that might lead down another path. You don't always get what you're expecting (or even what you wanted); what you invariably get is something... better; but you'd better pay attention, to be sure to capture the best moments. It's quite a sight as BJ moans and groans, rolls and rucks with the challenge, totally immersed in his endeavour; Marcus behind him, braced against the wall of stupendous sound, trying to twiddle knobs with his fingers in his ears...

Click on the image to enlarge and read about the development of 'Paper Planes and Ponytails' and 'The Secret Fold'.

The Glow Diaries: 4

Here's part four of 'The Glow Diaries' which details the thinking behind 'Strange Sympathy', 'Beads Without a Chain' and 'An Average Sadness'.
Interesting to see the Corsican effect kicking in...
As ever, click on the image below to enlarge.

The Glow Diaries: 3

Part 3 of the Glow Diaries. Click on the page (left) to enlarge.

The Glow Diaries: 2

Following on from 'The Limbo Diaries' come notes on the making of the preceding album 'Glow' which you can buy here on 'Amazon' for next to nowt; "the price of a pint" as they say here in St. John's Wood, (maybe a pint and a half in Manchester).

Click on the page below to enlarge...

The Glow Diaries: 1

After the 'Limbo Diaries' I thought that you might be interested in the 'Glow Diaries'.
We put together a fairly luxurious package for this album, which included Barry Cross's first involvement with MM.
Nick Reddyhoff designed the album cover and booklet; Bazza worked on the diary booklet.
Each CD cost nearly £4 to produce.
The album's currently selling here on Amazon for £3.99...
Doh!
The first installment (as designed by Barry) is below.
Click on the page to enlarge and read.