Diary JanuaryĀ 6,2009. Work in London with Pete Gleadall on āWeāre all criminals now ā~ adding backing vocals, sound effects etc. JanuaryĀ 7. Finish mix of āWeāre all criminals nowā. Write one-minute āclassical āpiece for BBC Concert Orchestra āTime and Chance āproject. Neil: Chris basically wrote it and I added a couple of parts |
JanuaryĀ 8. Finish āclassicalā piece. Decide to call it āParticle ā. Add drums to āGin and Jagā. JanuaryĀ 9. Finish mix of āGin and Jagā with Pete Gleadall. JanuaryĀ 13. Work with Stuart Price on Brits medley. JanuaryĀ 14. Work with Stuart on Brits medleyJanuaryĀ 16, 2008. Chris and Neilfly from Berlin to Amsterdam to Newcastle, on their way to Neil ~ house to begin writing songs. Chris: I donāt remember that. Are you sure I did that? What airline was that? Neil: KIM. Chris: I flew KIM via Amsterdam? It doesnāt sound like the sort of thing I would agree to do. JanuaryĀ 17. Start in studio at 11 and write a new song called āWithout youā. Neil: Itās actually a song sung from the point of Dainton about his wife Mandy. I can imagine Suggs singing it. < JanuaryĀ 18. Carry on working on āWithout you ā. Chris leaves for Blackpool. < JanuaryĀ 20. Chris returns to Neil ~ house in the evening. Neil: We watched a programme on television called How Pop Songs Work < JanuaryĀ 21. Snowing. Neil ~first driving lesson cancelled Chris writes āMoronic ā. Then they write āKing of Romeā then change title to āKing ofpop ā. After dinner start work on new song āYouth Chris: Wow ā on day one. Neil: āMoronicāās now the opening of the ballet. < JanuaryĀ 22. Change āYouthā to āGin and Jagā and work on it. Before dinner, vocal put on āKing ofpop ā. Carry on after dinner Chris starts to programme slower trackfor āGin and Jagā. < JanuaryĀ 23. Neil sfirst driving lesson, 11am. Chris works on āGin and Jag ā. Neil returns to play guitar on it and sing. After dinner, Chris writes music for Neil~ lyric, āRequiem in denim and leopardskinā and Neil sings guide vocal. < JanuaryĀ 24. Another driving lesson. Chris adds chorus to āRequiem in denim and leopardskin ā. Neil adds vocal. < JanuaryĀ 25. Train to London. Go to see Morrissey in concert at the Roundhouse. Neil: Of course he cancelled after three songs. JanuaryĀ 28. Meeting with Dave Dorrell to discuss possible album producers. Names considered: whoever produced Roisin Murphy s album, Damon Albarn and Trentmoller Chris: Damon Albam! Wow. I donāt know how that would have worked.on new song āDreaming Neil: I canāt remember what that is. Chris:Maybe it became something else. JanuaryĀ 29. Back up north. Write new instrumental, āPedal < JanuaryĀ 30. Driving lesson. Chris works on new song, āDid you see me coming?ā Work together on it for rest for day.< JanuaryĀ 31. Writing new song, āThis used to be the future ā to lyrics already written by Neil.FebruaryĀ 4. Work on āThis used to be the futureā adding two new verses. After dinner, start new song āVulnerableā.FebruaryĀ 5. Neil does vocal on āVulnerable ā. Chris starts writing new song, āGet over it ā. Neil writes lyrics.FebruaryĀ 6. Finish structure of āGet over itā. Neil does guide vocal.FebruaryĀ 7. New vocals for āGet over itā now renamed āLegacy ā. Work on a song called āEven Neil: āEvenā is now in the ballet. And itās rather good.FebruaryĀ 8. Chris back to London. Neil has driving lesson. Kevin kills a rabbit.Ā FebruaryĀ 5. Back at Westerham. Work with Tim and Matt on dub mixes for bonus album.FebruaryĀ 9. Hearfirst play of āLove etc. āon Radio 2. Neil: I was in London. Itās quite a big moment, hearing the first play of the first single from your new album. I remember Zoe Ball playing āI donāt know what you want but I canāt give it anymoreā on Radio 1, and I got up specifically to listen to it on her breakfast show and she said~āThought that was a bit depressing.ā I felt a bit depressed she said that. And with āHome and dryā I remember being in a hotel room in East Anglia, and Radio 2 they had a sort of roundtable thing and played āHome and dryā and people slagged it off a bit but the DJ liked it, and I thought it sounded really good. The guitar sounded nice. The first single off the last album, āIām with stupidā, I donāt remember hearing that for the first time. For āLove etc.ā I turned the radio on specially because I knew it was going to be on Ken Bruce. I thought it sounded good. Chris: I donāt know if I heard it.FebruaryĀ 11. Pete Gleadall comes up. Work on āJe ne sais quoi ā. Neil sings lyric changes and harmonies. Chris arrives. After dinner work on āDid you see me coming?ā Neil: āJe ne sais quoiā is a song we wrote in 2007.FebruaryĀ 12. Finish mix of āDid you see me coming?ā Work on āOne night ā. Neil does vocal changes. Neil: āOne nightā is a song we wrote for Kylie.āFebruaryĀ 13. Worked on āPandemonium ā. Neil re-sings it after driving lesson. Neil: Another song weād written the previous year.FebruaryĀ 14. Neil goes for a drive with Chris to practise roundabouts and traffic lights. Pete Gleadall finishes mix of āPandemonium ā. Work on āLegacyā. Neil sings new lines, and āLegacyā is mixedFebruaryĀ 15. Back to London. FebruaryĀ 25. Back north on the train. Start new song āWeāre all criminals nowFebruaryĀ 26. Worked on āWe āre all criminals now ā. After going to bed, at 12.4Sam feel earthquake tremors.FebruaryĀ 27. Reversing round corners in today s driving lesson. Write new song, āPanderingā.FebruaryĀ 28. Carry on working on āPandering ā. Chris changes rhythm track. Neil writes more lyrics for āVulnerableā and sings them.FebruaryĀ 29. Driving lesson while Chris writing new track. It becomes āA wall Neil: That eventually becomes āBuilding a wallā.MarchĀ 16. Chris comes up from London.MarchĀ 17. Start new song, āIām not crying Iām laughingā.MarchĀ 18. Finish āIām not crying Iām laughingā demo. Work A5 is traditional following the release of a new Pet Shop Boys album, Neil has shared with Literally the pertinent details from his diary covering the period in which Yes was written and recorded. These follow, with occasional clarifications and comments from him and Chris. We went back to David Walliamsā house with Jonathan Ross, and David Baddiel came round. MarchĀ 19. Driving lesson. Worked on āDreamingā. At 6 o āclock started writing new song, āBeautWul people ā. After dinner,finish rough demo of āBeautiful peopleā.AprilĀ 2. Neil watches Sam Taylor-Wood beingfilmed for āIām in love with a German film starā video. Chris: I donāt think I did. Because I donāt like smoking.AprilĀ 7. Pete Gleadall comes up. (Chris not there.) Work more on āBeautiful people ā. Neil re-sings vocals.AprilĀ 8. Finish mix of āBeautiful peopleā. Change lyrics on āWeāre all criminals nowā and sing them.AprilĀ 9. Chris now in studio. Finish āWeāre all criminals nowā mix. Rewrite some lyrics to āIām not crying Iām laughingāAprilĀ 10. New vocals on āIām not crying Iām laughing Work on āMy side of the storyā; speeding it up. After dinner start demo of āMy girlā by Madness, then watch documentary about Frankie Howerd Neil: āMy side of the storyā was written in 2007 as an idea for Madonna.AprilĀ 11. Work on āMy Girlā then āBuilding a wallā.AprilĀ 12. Everyone returns to London.AprilĀ 22. Neil, Chris and Dave Dorrell go down to Westerham to meet Brian Higgins. Afterwards, get left to Oxted station and take train backAprilĀ 24. Meeting at Sadler ~ Wells about ballet.MayĀ 1. Rehearsal for Heaven concert.MayĀ 2. Soundcheck at Heaven; Suggs and Carl don āt turn up. Concert in the evening.MayĀ 6. Start working, now in London studio, on āRequiem in denim and leopardskinā then āThis used to be the futureMayĀ 7. Work on āThis used to be the future ā then start on remix of MGMTās āKids.MayĀ 8. Chris and Pete Gleadall work on āKids ā. Neil ill. Neil: I canāt remember now. Flu or something.MayĀ 9. Neil back. Work on āKidsMayĀ 12. Work on āKidsā.MayĀ 13. Lunch in the garden at Westerham with whole Xenomania team. Then Neil and Chris work with Brian and Miranda on melody and lyric ideas for songs based on Xenomania backing-fracks: āThe loving kindā; āThe next big thingā; āRandomā; āWhere the wild things are Neil: Thereās a few Xenomania songs that werenāt finished, or it was decided werenāt good enough. I think āRandomā was finished. The chorus goes: āI have nothing to say / but what Iām saying today / is just randomā. I imagine nothing will happen to it. The song I think is actually quite good is āThe next big thingā: āSomething tells me baby youāre the next best thing…āMayĀ 14. While Brian Higgins collates previous days ideas, Chris and Neil drive to Sevenoaks, walk in Knole Park. Back at studio, work with Brian and Miranda going through melody ideas from previous day.MayĀ 15. Neil writes downstairs with Miranda for āWhere the wild things are ā. Chris writes new melodies upstairs for āThe way it used to beMayĀ 27. Back at Westerham. Work with Brian and Miranda on new songs. Miranda and Neilfinish lyrics for āThe loving kindā and āRandom ā. Neil records vocals. Chris upstairs.May28. Miranda and Neilfinish more lyrics for āRandom ā. Neil records vocals on āThe loving kindā. Chris upstairs.May29. Miranda and Neilfinish lyrics for āWhere the wila things are ā. Neil records vocals for āRandomā and āWhere the wild things are ā. Chris upstairs.MayĀ 30. Miranda and Neil write lyrics for āThe way it used to beā and āThe next big thingā. Chris upstairs.JuneĀ 3. Neil sings vocals on āThe way it used to beā and āThe next big thingā. Chris upstairs.JuneĀ 4. Miranda and Neil work on lyrics for new track, āLove etc. ā. Chris upstairs. Chris: I went upstairs and wrote melodies on Xenomaniaās backing tracks, some of which havenāt been used by anyone so they must still be lurking around. I was in the red room, I think. Actually sometimes I was in Nick Colerās room, which might be the green room.JuneĀ 5. Chris and Neil visit Chartwell. Listen to comp of āLove etc.āJuneĀ 17. Back at Westerham. Work on āLove etc.ā Miranda and Neil write new lyric for new song, āRevelation ā~ based on āWhere the wild things areā music. Neil sings vocals. Neil: āRevelationā is what eventually becomes āMore than a dreamā.JuneĀ 18. Work on structure and lyrics of āLove etc.āJuneĀ 19. Work more on structure and lyrics of āLove etc.ā Neil sings some alternative lyrics. Listened to work that ~ been done on āDid you see me coming?āJulyĀ 1. Spent the day with Brian deciding which songs would go on the album: āLove etc. ā āDid you see me? ā āPandemonium ā āBeautiful people āCrying, not laughingās āLegacyās āThe way it used to be ā āVulnerable ā~ āKing of Romeā (re- renamedfrom āKing ofpopā). āThis used to be the future Chris: There were a couple of songs we didnāt like, that werenāt that great. But these discussions were always entertaining.JulyĀ 2. Work with Brian on sfructure of āLove etc. āIn afternoon decide āBuilding a wallā should go on album. Work on structure of āMore than a dream ā. Neil writes extra chorus lyrics for āLove etc.āJulyĀ 3. Neil sings chorus lyrics on āLove etc. ā. Chris works with Tim on new version of āBuilding a wall ā. Neil writes new lyrics for it. Finalise structure and lyrics of āLove etc.JulyĀ 15. Back at Westerham. Girls Aloud there. Record Carla, an in-house singer doing duet with Neil on āThe way it used to be ā. Chris and Neil work with Tim on āBuilding a wallā.JulyĀ 16. Back at Westerham. Brian plays through tracks that had been worked on; Neil and Chris make comments etc. Neil and Chris work with Nick on āBuilding a wallā. Neil puts down new vocal melody.JulyĀ 28. Phil Qakey arrives at Westerham, sings vocals on āThis used to be the future Chris and Neil work with Tim on āThe way it used to beā.JulyĀ 29. Finish working with Tim on āThe way it used to be ā. Chris starts working with Tim on āThis used to be the future ā. Neil sings full vocal for āKing of RomeJulyĀ 30. Work more with Tim on āThis used to be the futureā. Record some new lyrics for āThe loving kindā. Listen to āThe way it used to beāfor Brian ~ comments.JulyĀ 31. Work with Tim on āThe way it used to be ā. After lunch, Neil, Chris, Brian and Tim travel, via Oxted station and Clapham Junction, to Matrix complex at Parson ās Green, where Jeremy (mixer) has his studio. Chris and Neil do interview for Radio 4 programme about b-sides. Play five new tracks to record company representatives and discuss possible release dates. Chris: I was glad that they liked them.SeptemberĀ 15. Back at Westerham. Talk to Brian. Neil writes āMore than a dreamā lyrics with Miranda while Chris works on music with Tim. Put down guide vocals. Start working on āIām not crying, Iām laughingā. It becomes new song, āAll over the worldā.SeptemberĀ 16. Work with Tim all day on āAll over the worldā.SeptemberĀ 17. Work with Tim on āAll over the worldā. Neil adds middle vocals. Then work on āKing of Romeā and āLegacyā.SeptemberĀ 22. Pass driving test.SeptemberĀ 25. Abbey Road Orchestral session conducted by Andy Brown. In morning record strings on āLegacyā and āBeautiful people ā. In afternoon record brass on āLegacyā; āBeautfiil peopleā and āAll over the worldā. Travel in taxi to Soho for meeting with Javier de Fruitos and Emma Gladstone re: ballet.SeptemberĀ 30. Back at Westerham. Johnny Marr plays guitar harmonica and tambourine on āBeautWul peopleā; and guitar on āAll over the worldā and āLegacyā. Chris: That was great, when Johnny came down. We stayed with him at a hotel in Tunbridge Wells, so we got to socialise and catch up with him.OctoberĀ 1. Johnny plays guitar on āBuilding a wallā, āDid you see me coming?ā; āMore than a dreamā and āPandemoniumOctoberĀ 2. Johnny plays acoustic guitar and harmonica on a Girls Aloud track. Startfinalising mix of āLove etc. ā to be played at Parlophone 2009 presentation. Neil re-sings all vocals on āLegacyā.OctoberĀ 7. Chris works with Tim on āBuilding a wallā. Neil does vocals with Mat on āBuilding a wallā and āAll over the worldā. Backing vocals recorded on āBeaut~ul peopleā with Jason and Jesse.OctoberĀ 8. Spend most of the day going through songs on the album determining what else needs to be done with Brian and Tim.OctoberĀ 15. Work on āThe way it used to beā structure, then āMore than a dreamOctoberĀ 16. Work on āBuilding a wallā and āThis used to be the futureOctoberĀ 21. At the Farrow office, talk to Mark and Gary about ideas for new album packaging. Chris: We wanted the whole album to be colourful, pop, Perspex, shiny ā the opposite of Fundamental, which was a very dark piece. Neil: Theyād already mocked up a grid of Perspex squares, and we liked it.OctoberĀ 22. Work on āPandemonium ā. Record backing vocals with girls, then boys. Go upstairs to work with Tim on the track.OctoberĀ 23. Work with Tim on āPandemoniumā trackfor most of the day. Neil changes some vocals on āKing of RomeOctoberĀ 27. Nick records brass on āPandemonium ā. Neil and Chris work with Tim on āKing of Romeā. Brian arrives and they finish structure of song. Chris and Tim work on āPandemoniumOctoberĀ 29. Miles Leonard from EMil calls to say we will get Outstanding Contribution award at the Brits next year.OctoberĀ 31. Back at Westerham. Worked with Tim on āPandemonium āfor most of the day, then on āKing of Romeā.NovemberĀ 7. Neil works with Stuart Price and Brandon Flowers on the Killers āChristmas record, and sings afew lines on it. Speaks to Elton John on Brandon ~ phone.NovemberĀ 10. Up north. Start work on writing ballet ā scene one. Pete Gleadall programming. Neil: Matthew Dunster, whoās a playwright and director and actor, had taken the story and created what he called āa map for musicā so we started at page one, line one, looking at the script and writing stuff to go with it. It was so useful having that, because you knew what you were writing for and you could sort of picture the scene. Chris: The music we used for this first scene Iād done earlier in the year ā I actually wrote in my head as I was cleaning my teeth in the bathroom. I called it āMoronicā because I thought it was very moronic, which it is. But it seemed to fit the ballet. It worked because itās during the daily grind of everyoneās existence in this town, so the moronic quality fitted the daily drudge.NovemberĀ 11. Work on ballet. Finished scene one after lunch and then start on scene two.NovemberĀ 12. Work on scene two. Then Neil records next scene on piano. Pete Gleadall corrects piano on computerNovemberĀ 17. Neil works with Pete Gleadall in the studio recording the vocals for the Killers & Elton John Christmas single, āJoseph (Better you than me) Neil and Chris start work on next scene in the ballet.NovemberĀ 18. Work in studio all day on ballet, scene fourNovemberĀ 19. Work in studio all day on ballet, scene fourNovemberĀ 20. Work on ballet, scenes four andfive. Download some album mixes by Jeremy Neil: It was a most enjoyable couple of weeks, working on the ballet.NovemberĀ 24. Taxi to Es Devlin s house. Dinner with her to discuss Brits performance.NovemberĀ 25. Meeting at Farrow at 12.30. Discuss Gary sā Christmas card design and new album coverNovemberĀ 26. Visit Jeremy Wheatley finishing mixes for album at Matrix studios. Make changes to mixes of all tracks except āLove etc.NovemberĀ 27. Matrix. Finish mixes of āLove etc. āand āKing of Rome ā then make a running order Chris: We all had our running orders ā me, Neil and Brian Higgins ā and Angela had a point of view as well. Iād shoved all the mega-pop ones at the beginning. In the end it was a compromise. Neil wanted to start the album with āLegacyā. Itās bizarre that anyone would want to start the album with that… Neil: Actually, I only had āLegacyā as the first song before we even started making the album. By now I thought āLove etc.ā should be the first track. I think I wanted āVulnerableā to be the second track, and then may be āDid you see me coming?āDecemberĀ 1/213/415. Ballet workshop.DecemberĀ 3. Mastering of album.DecemberĀ 8. Album playback atAbbey Road for record company etc.DecemberĀ 10. Work with Stuart Price on the Brits medley Neil speaks to Brian on phone about bonus āDubā album. |