Literally 34 Page 2

Diary
JanuaryĀ 6,2009. Work in London with Pete Gleadall on ā€œWe’re all criminals now ā€˜~ adding backing vocals, sound effects etc.
JanuaryĀ 7. Finish mix of ā€œWe’re all criminals nowā€. Write one-minute ā€œclassical ā€œpiece for BBC Concert Orchestra ā€œTime and Chance ā€œproject. Neil: Chris basically wrote it and I added a couple of parts
JanuaryĀ 8. Finish ā€œclassicalā€ piece. Decide to call it ā€œParticle ā€œ. Add drums to ā€œGin and Jagā€.
JanuaryĀ 9. Finish mix of ā€œGin 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 don’t remember that. Are you sure I did that? What airline was that? Neil: KIM. Chris: I flew KIM via Amsterdam? It doesn’t sound like the sort of thing I would agree to do.
JanuaryĀ 17. Start in studio at 11 and write a new song called ā€œWithout youā€. Neil: It’s 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 ā€œWithout you ā€œ. 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 ā€œMoronic ā€œ. Then they write ā€œKing of Romeā€ then change title to ā€œKing ofpop ā€œ. After dinner start work on new song ā€œYouth Chris: Wow — on day one. Neil: ā€œMoronicā€ā€™s now the opening of the ballet. <
JanuaryĀ 22. Change ā€œYouthā€ to ā€œGin and Jagā€ and work on it. Before dinner, vocal put on ā€œKing ofpop ā€œ. Carry on after dinner Chris starts to programme slower trackfor ā€œGin and Jagā€. <
JanuaryĀ 23. Neil sfirst driving lesson, 11am. Chris works on ā€œGin and Jag ā€œ. Neil returns to play guitar on it and sing. After dinner, Chris writes music for Neil~ lyric, ā€œRequiem in denim and leopardskinā€ and Neil sings guide vocal. <
JanuaryĀ 24. Another driving lesson. Chris adds chorus to ā€œRequiem in denim and leopardskin ā€œ. 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 don’t know how that would have worked.on new song ā€œDreaming Neil: I can’t remember what that is. Chris:Maybe it became something else.
JanuaryĀ 29. Back up north. Write new instrumental, ā€œPedal <
JanuaryĀ 30. Driving lesson. Chris works on new song, ā€œDid you see me coming?ā€ Work together on it for rest for day.<
JanuaryĀ 31. Writing new song, ā€œThis used to be the future ā€˜ to lyrics already written by Neil.FebruaryĀ 4. Work on ā€œThis used to be the future’ adding two new verses. After dinner, start new song ā€œVulnerableā€.FebruaryĀ 5. Neil does vocal on ā€œVulnerable ā€œ. Chris starts writing new song, ā€œGet over it ā€œ. Neil writes lyrics.FebruaryĀ 6. Finish structure of ā€œGet over itā€. Neil does guide vocal.FebruaryĀ 7. New vocals for ā€œGet over it’ now renamed ā€œLegacy ā€œ. Work on a song called ā€œEven Neil: ā€œEvenā€ is now in the ballet. And it’s 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 ā€œLove etc. ā€œon Radio 2. Neil: I was in London. It’s quite a big moment, hearing the first play of the first single from your new album. I remember Zoe Ball playing ā€œI don’t know what you want but I can’t give it anymoreā€ on Radio 1, and I got up specifically to listen to it on her breakfast show and she said~ā€Thought that was a bit depressing.ā€ I felt a bit depressed she said that. And with ā€œHome and dryā€ I remember being in a hotel room in East Anglia, and Radio 2 they had a sort of roundtable thing and played ā€œHome 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, ā€œI’m with stupidā€, I don’t remember hearing that for the first time. For ā€œLove 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 don’t know if I heard it.FebruaryĀ 11. Pete Gleadall comes up. Work on ā€œJe ne sais quoi ā€œ. Neil sings lyric changes and harmonies. Chris arrives. After dinner work on ā€œDid you see me coming?ā€ Neil: ā€œJe ne sais quoiā€ is a song we wrote in 2007.FebruaryĀ 12. Finish mix of ā€œDid you see me coming?ā€ Work on ā€œOne night ā€œ. Neil does vocal changes. Neil: ā€œOne nightā€ is a song we wrote for Kylie.ā€FebruaryĀ 13. Worked on ā€œPandemonium ā€œ. Neil re-sings it after driving lesson. Neil: Another song we’d written the previous year.FebruaryĀ 14. Neil goes for a drive with Chris to practise roundabouts and traffic lights. Pete Gleadall finishes mix of ā€œPandemonium ā€œ. Work on ā€œLegacyā€. Neil sings new lines, and ā€œLegacyā€ is mixedFebruaryĀ 15. Back to London.

FebruaryĀ 25. Back north on the train. Start new song ā€œWe’re all criminals nowFebruaryĀ 26. Worked on ā€œWe ā€˜re all criminals now ā€œ. After going to bed, at 12.4Sam feel earthquake tremors.FebruaryĀ 27. Reversing round corners in today s driving lesson. Write new song, ā€œPanderingā€.FebruaryĀ 28. Carry on working on ā€œPandering ā€œ. Chris changes rhythm track. Neil writes more lyrics for ā€œVulnerableā€ and sings them.FebruaryĀ 29. Driving lesson while Chris writing new track. It becomes ā€œA wall Neil: That eventually becomes ā€˜Building a wall’.MarchĀ 16. Chris comes up from London.MarchĀ 17. Start new song, ā€œI’m not crying I’m laughingā€.MarchĀ 18. Finish ā€œI’m not crying I’m 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 Walliams’ house with Jonathan Ross, and David Baddiel came round.
MarchĀ 19. Driving lesson. Worked on ā€œDreamingā€. At 6 o ā€˜clock started writing new song, ā€œBeautWul people ā€œ. After dinner,finish rough demo of ā€œBeautiful peopleā€.AprilĀ 2. Neil watches Sam Taylor-Wood beingfilmed for ā€œI’m in love with a German film starā€ video. Chris: I don’t think I did. Because I don’t like smoking.AprilĀ 7. Pete Gleadall comes up. (Chris not there.) Work more on ā€œBeautiful people ā€œ. Neil re-sings vocals.AprilĀ 8. Finish mix of ā€œBeautiful peopleā€. Change lyrics on ā€œWe’re all criminals nowā€ and sing them.AprilĀ 9. Chris now in studio. Finish ā€œWe’re all criminals nowā€ mix. Rewrite some lyrics to ā€œI’m not crying I’m laughingā€AprilĀ 10. New vocals on ā€œI’m not crying I’m laughing Work on ā€œMy side of the story’; speeding it up. After dinner start demo of ā€œMy girlā€ by Madness, then watch documentary about Frankie Howerd Neil: ā€œMy side of the storyā€ was written in 2007 as an idea for Madonna.AprilĀ 11. Work on ā€œMy Girlā€ then ā€œBuilding 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 ā€˜t turn up. Concert in the evening.MayĀ 6. Start working, now in London studio, on ā€œRequiem in denim and leopardskinā€ then ā€œThis used to be the futureMayĀ 7. Work on ā€œThis used to be the future ā€˜ then start on remix of MGMT’s ā€œKids.MayĀ 8. Chris and Pete Gleadall work on ā€œKids ā€œ. Neil ill. Neil: I can’t remember now. Flu or something.MayĀ 9. Neil back. Work on ā€œKidsMayĀ 12. Work on ā€œKidsā€.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: ā€œThe loving kind’; ā€œThe next big thing’; ā€œRandom’; ā€œWhere the wild things are Neil: There’s a few Xenomania songs that weren’t finished, or it was decided weren’t good enough. I think ā€œRandomā€ was finished. The chorus goes: ā€œI have nothing to say / but what I’m saying today / is just randomā€. I imagine nothing will happen to it. The song I think is actually quite good is ā€œThe next big thingā€: ā€œSomething tells me baby you’re the next best thing…ā€MayĀ 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 ā€œWhere the wild things are ā€œ. Chris writes new melodies upstairs for ā€œThe way it used to beMayĀ 27. Back at Westerham. Work with Brian and Miranda on new songs. Miranda and Neilfinish lyrics for ā€œThe loving kindā€ and ā€œRandom ā€œ. Neil records vocals. Chris upstairs.May28. Miranda and Neilfinish more lyrics for ā€œRandom ā€œ. Neil records vocals on ā€œThe loving kindā€. Chris upstairs.May29. Miranda and Neilfinish lyrics for ā€œWhere the wila things are ā€œ. Neil records vocals for ā€œRandomā€ and ā€œWhere the wild things are ā€œ. Chris upstairs.MayĀ 30. Miranda and Neil write lyrics for ā€œThe way it used to beā€ and ā€œThe next big thingā€. Chris upstairs.JuneĀ 3. Neil sings vocals on ā€œThe way it used to beā€ and ā€œThe next big thingā€. Chris upstairs.JuneĀ 4. Miranda and Neil work on lyrics for new track, ā€œLove etc. ā€œ. Chris upstairs. Chris: I went upstairs and wrote melodies on Xenomania’s backing tracks, some of which haven’t 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 Coler’s room, which might be the green room.JuneĀ 5. Chris and Neil visit Chartwell. Listen to comp of ā€œLove etc.ā€JuneĀ 17. Back at Westerham. Work on ā€œLove etc.ā€ Miranda and Neil write new lyric for new song, ā€œRevelation ā€˜~ based on ā€œWhere the wild things areā€ music. Neil sings vocals. Neil: ā€œRevelationā€ is what eventually becomes ā€œMore than a dreamā€.JuneĀ 18. Work on structure and lyrics of ā€œLove etc.ā€JuneĀ 19. Work more on structure and lyrics of ā€œLove etc.ā€ Neil sings some alternative lyrics. Listened to work that ~ been done on ā€œDid you see me coming?ā€JulyĀ 1. Spent the day with Brian deciding which songs would go on the album: ā€œLove etc. ā€˜ ā€œDid you see me? ā€˜ ā€œPandemonium ā€˜ ā€œBeautiful people ā€œCrying, not laughing’s ā€œLegacy’s ā€œThe way it used to be ā€˜ ā€œVulnerable ā€˜~ ā€œKing of Romeā€ (re- renamedfrom ā€œKing ofpop’). ā€œThis used to be the future Chris: There were a couple of songs we didn’t like, that weren’t that great. But these discussions were always entertaining.JulyĀ 2. Work with Brian on sfructure of ā€œLove etc. ā€œIn afternoon decide ā€œBuilding a wallā€ should go on album. Work on structure of ā€œMore than a dream ā€œ. Neil writes extra chorus lyrics for ā€œLove etc.ā€JulyĀ 3. Neil sings chorus lyrics on ā€œLove etc. ā€œ. Chris works with Tim on new version of ā€œBuilding a wall ā€œ. Neil writes new lyrics for it. Finalise structure and lyrics of ā€œLove etc.JulyĀ 15. Back at Westerham. Girls Aloud there. Record Carla, an in-house singer doing duet with Neil on ā€œThe way it used to be ā€œ. Chris and Neil work with Tim on ā€œBuilding 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 ā€œBuilding a wallā€. Neil puts down new vocal melody.JulyĀ 28. Phil Qakey arrives at Westerham, sings vocals on ā€œThis used to be the future Chris and Neil work with Tim on ā€œThe way it used to beā€.JulyĀ 29. Finish working with Tim on ā€œThe way it used to be ā€œ. Chris starts working with Tim on ā€œThis used to be the future ā€œ. Neil sings full vocal for ā€œKing of RomeJulyĀ 30. Work more with Tim on ā€œThis used to be the futureā€. Record some new lyrics for ā€œThe loving kindā€. Listen to ā€œThe way it used to beā€for Brian ~ comments.JulyĀ 31. Work with Tim on ā€œThe way it used to be ā€œ. After lunch, Neil, Chris, Brian and Tim travel, via Oxted station and Clapham Junction, to Matrix complex at Parson ā€˜s 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 ā€œMore than a dreamā€ lyrics with Miranda while Chris works on music with Tim. Put down guide vocals. Start working on ā€œI’m not crying, I’m laughingā€. It becomes new song, ā€œAll over the worldā€.SeptemberĀ 16. Work with Tim all day on ā€œAll over the worldā€.SeptemberĀ 17. Work with Tim on ā€œAll over the worldā€. Neil adds middle vocals. Then work on ā€œKing of Romeā€ and ā€œLegacyā€.SeptemberĀ 22. Pass driving test.SeptemberĀ 25. Abbey Road Orchestral session conducted by Andy Brown. In morning record strings on ā€œLegacyā€ and ā€œBeautiful people ā€œ. In afternoon record brass on ā€œLegacy’; ā€œBeautfiil peopleā€ and ā€œAll 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 ā€œBeautWul people’; and guitar on ā€œAll over the worldā€ and ā€œLegacyā€. 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 ā€œBuilding a wallā€, ā€œDid you see me coming?’; ā€œMore than a dreamā€ and ā€œPandemoniumOctoberĀ 2. Johnny plays acoustic guitar and harmonica on a Girls Aloud track. Startfinalising mix of ā€œLove etc. ā€œ to be played at Parlophone 2009 presentation. Neil re-sings all vocals on ā€œLegacyā€.OctoberĀ 7. Chris works with Tim on ā€œBuilding a wallā€. Neil does vocals with Mat on ā€œBuilding a wallā€ and ā€œAll over the worldā€. Backing vocals recorded on ā€œBeaut~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 ā€œThe way it used to beā€ structure, then ā€œMore than a dreamOctoberĀ 16. Work on ā€œBuilding a wallā€ and ā€œThis 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 — the opposite of Fundamental, which was a very dark piece. Neil: They’d already mocked up a grid of Perspex squares, and we liked it.OctoberĀ 22. Work on ā€œPandemonium ā€œ. Record backing vocals with girls, then boys. Go upstairs to work with Tim on the track.OctoberĀ 23. Work with Tim on ā€œPandemoniumā€ trackfor most of the day. Neil changes some vocals on ā€œKing of RomeOctoberĀ 27. Nick records brass on ā€œPandemonium ā€œ. Neil and Chris work with Tim on ā€œKing of Romeā€. Brian arrives and they finish structure of song. Chris and Tim work on ā€œPandemoniumOctoberĀ 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 ā€œPandemonium ā€œfor most of the day, then on ā€œKing of Romeā€.NovemberĀ 7. Neil works with Stuart Price and Brandon Flowers on the Killers ā€˜Christmas record, and sings afew lines on it. Speaks to Elton John on Brandon ~ phone.NovemberĀ 10. Up north. Start work on writing ballet — scene one. Pete Gleadall programming. Neil: Matthew Dunster, who’s a playwright and director and actor, had taken the story and created what he called ā€œa 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 I’d done earlier in the year — I actually wrote in my head as I was cleaning my teeth in the bathroom. I called it ā€œMoronicā€ because I thought it was very moronic, which it is. But it seemed to fit the ballet. It worked because it’s during the daily grind of everyone’s 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, ā€œJoseph (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 s’ 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 ā€œLove etc.NovemberĀ 27. Matrix. Finish mixes of ā€œLove etc. ā€œand ā€œKing of Rome ā€˜ then make a running order Chris: We all had our running orders — me, Neil and Brian Higgins — and Angela had a point of view as well. I’d shoved all the mega-pop ones at the beginning. In the end it was a compromise. Neil wanted to start the album with ā€œLegacyā€. It’s bizarre that anyone would want to start the album with that… Neil: Actually, I only had ā€œLegacyā€ as the first song before we even started making the album. By now I thought ā€œLove etc.ā€ should be the first track. I think I wanted ā€œVulnerableā€ to be the second track, and then may be ā€œDid you see me coming?ā€DecemberĀ 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 ā€œDubā€ album.