first direct to vinyl recording made in 30 years

Last night I was very privileged to attend a live to vinyl recording at Metropolis Studios in London by Duke Special. This was arranged as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the vinyl 7 inch format, and hasn't been done since Thelma Houston recorded 'I've Got the Music in Me' over 30 years ago.

A small, select crowd gathered behind the sound engineers in the control room to watch and listen to Duke Special and his band (Phil and Paul Wilkinson, Ben Castle, and Jools Maxwell) and two backing singers run through four tracks and then do the live takes.

The four tracks were two Duke Special songs - 'Diggin' an Early Grave' and the Oscar Wilde/Dorian Gray inspired 'Monsters in the Dust', along with Chuck Berry's 'You Can't Catch Me' and Eddie Arnold's 'Texarkana Baby', which was the song on the first ever 45 rpm 7 inch vinyl disc, issued on 31st March 1949.

It all seemed to go very smoothly and if the vinyl reflects what we heard in the control room, it will be a superb record.

FUTURE GIGS