Ok its time that I finish the story behind the 1st
Scott Shelby trip considering I am sitting in The Tracking Room Studio as Scott
is recording another set of five songs…ON THE SECOND SCOTT SHELBY TRIP
It truly seems like it was years ago now, even though it was
only month ago, life really does move when your having fun….
Well the story goes we arrived in Nashville at five in the
morning, talked our way into a single bed motel room, Matt and his fiancé took
the bed, Scott offered me the couch but I, being the nice guy I am opted out
and took the floor after all Scott was the talent.
After a few hours of sleep we awoke to the realization we
REALLY were in Nashville, now we needed to make something happen.
After a few phone calls to those people who were friends of
a friend, it quickly became apparent that folks talk a good game but really we
didn’t have a inside track on anything!
I could feel an uneasiness in Scott, It was very apparent he
wasn’t…. lets say confident, in what direction to go next…
Ok, where to go or what to do…. Well, we knew we wanted to
get some songs of Scott’s recorded and for that we knew we needed to employ a
studio…
How hard could it be, there are 37 recording studios in
NASHVILLE, so…. What may be the most pivotal moment in getting Scott’s career
started was left to GOOGLE….
Yep, that’s right Google, how crazy is that…. up until this
point, Scott and I had just been killing time, not wanting to admit to each
other what had just became painfully clear over a plate of ribs…This is nuts,
we don’t know a sole, we drove 12 hours and have NO IDEA what to do… We are
going to look like morons what ever we do, and no one wants to look stupid….
SO
While sitting around a local Nashville hot spot, with BBQ
sauce on my shirt, I said a prayer and typed in “Recording Studio” in Google on
my iPhone…
… My New saying …”When in doubt, Google.” You may feel free to use that line the
next time your in a like situation.
The place that came up in the closest proximity was called
the Tracking Room.
Now, I know not everyone believes, or has faith the same as
I, but everyone does believe in a universal karma. I believe there was more to
it then just the luck of Google, call it what you want but what, or maybe more
importantly who we found at The Tracking Room was pretty dang special.
I guess we just expected where ever we went to have
musicians and time to fit us in…. wrong, most studios only have open recording
sessions once maybe twice a month, the rest of the time they are booked out to
complete bands or groups, or set empty until the next time they have a big
session.
Well the day we happened to roll into this studio, they just
happened to be having a full day, (full day meaning they had all the needed
musicians) they already were recording, 23 songs, Scotts five songs would be a
new recorded number, and honestly more than they wanted to do…. With a little
monetary encouragement we were able to have them agree to fit us in.
What a top notch bunch of people, they were great musicians,
and the man in charge was Buddy Haytt, a very talented well known and perhaps
more importantly very connected man around Nashville, who has worked with most
of the industries greats.
I guess part of the reason why I think this deal is so
special because of all the places we could have walked into, we could have
literally walked in cold to all 37 studios in Nashville and not had anything
happen, and hardly could have found someone who would devote the attention
Scott needed.
About three fourths of the way though the day, while Scott
was in the sound proof recording booth, Buddy and I had the following
conversation.
Me “OK, he is doing this deal, he is going to cut these five
songs, and we think this kid is really good, but you hear thousands each year….
So, I guess what I am asking is how does he compare, how good is he?
(Just like a livestock person wanting to evaluate his talent
in a competitive manner.)
Buddy, “The kid is good, REAL GOOD! I see hundreds of folks
come to Nashville to try to make a go of but, out of 3000, 300 may be able to
stay in key and sing in tune and have the right pitch……. 100, out of those,
might really have the work ethic to make it, of those who have the talent. Off those
100 maybe half have a “look” that Nashville can get behind… So far this kid is
meeting all the qualifications!
Me, “Ok, well then what do we or can we do to assist him?
Buddy, “Well 1st off we need to get some more NASHVILLE
type songs in his play list, not covers but real top notch songs that he can
make his own, and if you guys are open for it, I would LOVE to work with you
guys, helping this kid get the right songs and then get him up in front of the
right people.
Well, I have stated I was just along to help, to get some
behind the scene footage for the guys, and be a sounding board, and another set
of eyes. The decision was Scott & Matts, and they were all up for any help
they could get.
Well I said as I write this,
I am in Nashville, back in the tracking room with Scott, Buddy and Matt as
Scott records these, more Nashville type songs….They are quite a bit different than
the Red Dirt / Americana / Texas Country, Scott has a love for. Buddy tells us,
and we agree, they give another dynamic to Scotts portfolio… Email me or leave
your email in the comments section & I will send you the songs to listen to
(they are ruff, yet to be mix-mastered) … But the guys would love to have your
feedback on them.
Its hard to bring this series of stories to a close… in part
because all that happened in those 48 hrs, and all the sub-text stories that
have transpired since ….but on our next installment I will try to bring it to a
close
