Mixing it Up – Closer to the Finish Line
After taking a break, I was back in the studio this month for more mixing of my album, In a Circle. Wow, it’s been a long journey since I started recording the first vocal and guitar tracks in the studio! At this point, I’m now nearly complete with the process.
To put it simply, mixing an album is all about getting a good blend of instruments and vocals. So, the final goal is to have the most important tracks of each song (in my case, it’s usually the vocals) easy to hear amongst the instrument tracks (guitar, drums, etc.) To hear one of my latest mixes, click below.
Artist Spotlight: Colin Hay
Colin goes Cubano
Colin Hay gets the Meadowlark spotlight this week because I heard him in concert this week at The Crest, my favorite live music venue in Sacramento. However, the surprise of the night was having a young Cuban artist, San Miguel Perez, opening the show with his band. Apparently, San Miguel is considered one of the best Cuban tres and guitar players. Also, he’s a singer, percussionist, and composer, as well as part of the New Generation of the Buena Vista Social Club.
Here’s an original song that he played with Colin at The Crest. For me, there’s something inspiring about witnessing both older and younger artists working and playing together. If you like this music, check out San Miguel’s website.
I Want My MTV
If you’re an 80?s music fan, you may remember Colin as the front man and lead vocalist for one of the popular bands of that time, Men at Work. Also, he was their principal songwriter. In the early days of MTV, their music videos helped make them popular in the U.S. Here’s one of their hit tunes from back in the day, Who Can It Be Now?
I Come From a Land Down Under
Even though, Colin lived in Australia from the age of 14 years old until 1989, he was born in Scotland. In 1981, Men at Work’s first album, Business as Usual, produced three hits. Their second album, Cargo, was released in 1983 and produced three more hits. Finally, by the time their third album, Two Hearts, was released in 1985, the band was falling apart and, sadly, the hits stopped coming.
After Men at Work disbanded in 1985, Colin lived in Australia for a few more years before relocating to Los Angeles in 1989. Since 1987, he’s been working away as a solo artist with 13 albums released. Here’s a great song from his album, Going Somewhere, released in 2005. In this video, the female vocalist singing with him on stage is his wife, Cecilia Noel.
Keep on, Keepin’ On
In March 2017, Colin’s latest album, Fierce Mercy, was released, so he’s out on tour again at 64 years old. After many years of living in the States, he became a U.S. citizen in 2016. It’s good to see an artist continuing their work, even after the glittery fame train has come and gone. To me, it’s proof that the life of an artist is ongoing with or without the spotlight. As proof, here’s a song off his new album that he played at the concert this week. Thank you for all the great tunes over the years, Colin. Good on you, mate!
