BOS How?
Blanket Beginnings.
How it all began.
Pete was offered the opportunity to record some of his songs with Roger as producer. They wanted a drummer and bass player for the session.
Pete knew Andy from his days with the Red Lights and they joined forces with Steve Forward and Paul Gunn to record a track for a French publisher after Andy, Steve and Paul had finished a short tour of Parisian nightclubs with Frankie Marshall. The session led to the formation of another band "Paris" with Pete as the lead vocalist. The band focused on Pete's songs and it sounded pretty groovy but it all got a bit complicated.
Ok, back to the beginning.
So, Pete asked Andy to do the session in Rockfield to demo his songs with the promise of a bit of cash and therefore, without any hesitation, Andy said yes.
Steve Corduna joined in on drums and the scene was set. Session date 10th - 17th August 1981.The tracks were "Say you Wanna Love Me" (see audio player on home page), "Substitute" ne "Feather in My Hand", "Long Cool Glass" and the mighty "Say you Will". Things went well and Steve went home after his allotted time (three days) but Andy stayed on to watch and make the tea. As the session continued Andy got more involved even doing some backing vocals and a few other bits. Then as the session drew to a close Roger and Pete invited Andy to join the project and to start writing with Pete. It was a short time later that Andrew Lauder joined with Riviera Global and Jake Riviera took the project on and we all , after a pub based brainstorming session, gave it the name Blanket of Secrecy. Later on Jake would get the deal with Warner Brothers in Burbank and the scene would be set again.
Meanwhile Pete and Andy were meeting nearly everyday at Pete's flat in Bennett Park, Blackheath, to write new material.
When the deal was struck, the new material was taken to Ampro Studio's in Shepherd's Bush where we all got to grips with turning four track demo's into 24 track masters. Then we headed back to Rockfield to finish and mix.
Days and days of creativity and copious amounts of tea.
Pete lived in the first floor flat of number 4 Bennett Park in Blackheath with his girlfriend and Bugalugs the cat. In the corner of the bedroom was a table and chair. On the table was a Teac 4 track 1/4" reel to reel machine and a Casio 202 (or was it a 101?). He had a Strat and an old Guild acoustic guitar, a bass (of sorts), a Dr Rhythm drum machine, an sm57 and a distortion pedal. In the kitchen was a tea pot which had it's own built in "cosy".
Andy would lug (walking two miles there and back!!) his 76 banana yellow Precision bass from his place in Kidbrooke. Sometimes Pete would give him a lift home in his old Volvo, (at that time Andy hadn't learnt to drive).
Usually, they would create a simple drum pattern without taking much care about the actual parts and just start playing along swapping between guitars and keyboard to see what would turn up. Once something had arrived the drum machine was properly programmed and the different parts arranged (really boring bit). We had no other sequencers or Midi in those days you know, everything had to be done by hand and played, often recording drums and bass together to save tracks.
They didn't always have lyric or melodic ideas until the backing track was done and again just start singing along to see what would happen. Turn the vocal track down and listen to see what it sounded like was being sung and go from there. This method meant that things were unexpected and unusual.
It didn't always work but usually, that was how it was done.
Pete was offered the opportunity to record some of his songs with Roger as producer. They wanted a drummer and bass player for the session.
Pete knew Andy from his days with the Red Lights and they joined forces with Steve Forward and Paul Gunn to record a track for a French publisher after Andy, Steve and Paul had finished a short tour of Parisian nightclubs with Frankie Marshall. The session led to the formation of another band "Paris" with Pete as the lead vocalist. The band focused on Pete's songs and it sounded pretty groovy but it all got a bit complicated.
Ok, back to the beginning.
So, Pete asked Andy to do the session in Rockfield to demo his songs with the promise of a bit of cash and therefore, without any hesitation, Andy said yes.
Steve Corduna joined in on drums and the scene was set. Session date 10th - 17th August 1981.The tracks were "Say you Wanna Love Me" (see audio player on home page), "Substitute" ne "Feather in My Hand", "Long Cool Glass" and the mighty "Say you Will". Things went well and Steve went home after his allotted time (three days) but Andy stayed on to watch and make the tea. As the session continued Andy got more involved even doing some backing vocals and a few other bits. Then as the session drew to a close Roger and Pete invited Andy to join the project and to start writing with Pete. It was a short time later that Andrew Lauder joined with Riviera Global and Jake Riviera took the project on and we all , after a pub based brainstorming session, gave it the name Blanket of Secrecy. Later on Jake would get the deal with Warner Brothers in Burbank and the scene would be set again.
Meanwhile Pete and Andy were meeting nearly everyday at Pete's flat in Bennett Park, Blackheath, to write new material.
When the deal was struck, the new material was taken to Ampro Studio's in Shepherd's Bush where we all got to grips with turning four track demo's into 24 track masters. Then we headed back to Rockfield to finish and mix.
Days and days of creativity and copious amounts of tea.
Pete lived in the first floor flat of number 4 Bennett Park in Blackheath with his girlfriend and Bugalugs the cat. In the corner of the bedroom was a table and chair. On the table was a Teac 4 track 1/4" reel to reel machine and a Casio 202 (or was it a 101?). He had a Strat and an old Guild acoustic guitar, a bass (of sorts), a Dr Rhythm drum machine, an sm57 and a distortion pedal. In the kitchen was a tea pot which had it's own built in "cosy".
Andy would lug (walking two miles there and back!!) his 76 banana yellow Precision bass from his place in Kidbrooke. Sometimes Pete would give him a lift home in his old Volvo, (at that time Andy hadn't learnt to drive).
Usually, they would create a simple drum pattern without taking much care about the actual parts and just start playing along swapping between guitars and keyboard to see what would turn up. Once something had arrived the drum machine was properly programmed and the different parts arranged (really boring bit). We had no other sequencers or Midi in those days you know, everything had to be done by hand and played, often recording drums and bass together to save tracks.
They didn't always have lyric or melodic ideas until the backing track was done and again just start singing along to see what would happen. Turn the vocal track down and listen to see what it sounded like was being sung and go from there. This method meant that things were unexpected and unusual.
It didn't always work but usually, that was how it was done.
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