Recording annA rydeR: The Art of Making Something Brilliant
If you know annA rydeR, you will know she is special.
A super musician.
A mult-instrumentalist.
An extraordinary song writer.
She really is that good!
I have known annA for years, in fact we lived in the same road in Warwick, although I always said she lived at the posh end. Our kids used to know each other, I knew Noel, himself an accomplished musician, but I also knew him as an IT technician. So it was no surprise when we talked about recorded an album.
The initial idea was to record a few songs – nothing fancy – just for posterity – but things started to develop and sure enough an album was formed.
My recording kit isn’t very mobile but having known annA, she has this wonderfully old grand piano (with 3 legs) the 4th supported by something but I seem to remember it was wearing a wellington boot at the time although my memory isn’t what it was – I might have dreamt that bit. But there is no way you can record her without recording her piano.
Her house was full of musical instruments, With annA being a mult-instrumentalist, it isn’t a surprise that there are lots of instruments, but some of them are not you usual instruments. annA can make anything sound good!
annA also plays wonderful acoustic guitar in various open tunings – oh, and she is amazing on the accordion and the trumpet and…. Yes, I could go on.
The best way to describe her playing is this… she plays things I cant even think of playing. I’ve been her sound man at her gigs and I’ve recorded her – so I know what I am on about. She plays stuff and I have no idea how she does it.
So, we recorded her album – called “The Art of Making Faces” and annA being annA she recorded some seriously great songs, layering the vocals, rich with harmonies, glorious piano, wonderful guitars etc but there is one song on the album I will never forget.
annA asked me to record her playing piano and singing live, in a church hall – complete with a 50 strong choir. I had limited inputs, limited mics and in those days limited knowledge of recording. But I said we would give it go.
I miked up annA’s vocals, then the piano and put a few mics quite high up to record the ambiance of the church hall.
The end result was absolutely beautiful. I get shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
The album features Dave Pegg, Clive Bunker, Alan Thomson, Spencer Cozens, Chris Leslie, Oonagh Ryder, Mason Le Long, Noel Le Long, Simon Nicol, Chas McDevitt and others, there are 17 musicians on this album – although I didn’t record all of them! The album was also recorded and mastered at Blue Moon Studios and Steinway Recording.
If you want to listen to anna ryder check out one of her CD’s. Her website is worth a visit https://www.annaryder.co.uk/
“The Art of Making Faces” is here http://www.annaryder.co.uk/shop/cd/the-art-of-making-faces/
annA is also an artist, a cartoonist, she gives music lessons, and she has “The Fat Chance Show” which includes film and songs working with the fabulous Nicky Cure.
