during the seasons between winter 2009 thru summer 2010 the sounds and spirit herein where recorded for posterity in the state of new york. live tracking on the cloud banks of the hudson river in garrison. overdubs in a haunted train station near new paltz. mixing in an adirondack cabin outside of woodstock.
of course, that’s not the whole story...
making a record is a lot like building a house or staying in a relationship. you can spend all night putting up a huge wall just to tear it down in the morning. wide eyed enthusiasm can yield to over-introspective depression, so you learn to mediate between ambition and realism – when to strive and when to settle...
i’d say we fell in love a decade ago. me and the vision, that is...and had a long pregnancy of experiences and trying to avoid the inevitable until one man (to whom this is dedicated) midwived what you now have to behold by saying, “you can live your dreams or lose ‘em.” and i was ripe to hear a few sunny words that thawed out all the things frozen in hesitancy.
so, the gang mobilized from different parts of the country to invest three new year weeks into making meals, drinking, playing music, and taking hikes under the extravagant auspices of one, duncan sheik, who left us his home and recording gear while he went to europe. we submitted ourselves to the sonic tutelage of a magnanimous irishman (gerry leonard) and the engineering of detroit’s legendary man of leisure (michael tudor). all tracks were recorded live as a band in cloud bank with overdubs being finished in the ghost house. mixed and mastered in silver hollow with the bears.
thank you for listening
tres altman: piano, guitar, electric sitar & cook
jason harris: bass & blackitude
shaun higgins: drums, percussion, & coors light
donnie mortimer: vocals, backing vocals, piano, electric, acoustic guitar, & catalyst
jim stephens: electric guitar, piano, rhodes, wurlitzer, sobriety, & reason
gerry leonard: producer, electric & acoustic guitar, harmonium, mandolin, & feckin’ spookiness
michael tudor: recording, mixing, mastering engineer, constructive & offensive feedback.
donna lewis: backing vocals on “home heart”
pamela sue mann: backing vocals on “malibu”
duncan sheik: acoustic & organ on “followed my heart” & backing vocals on “hypocrite, home heart, cobweb heart”
doug yowell: percussion on “one track mind, home heart, cobweb heart, i will love, honey icicle, hypocrite”
all songs written by donnie mortimer & © 2010 by al otro lado productions
produced by gerry leonard
all songs were tracked live at the cloudbank studios in garrison ny
overdubs were tracked at the ghosthouse in new paltz ny &
mastered at silver hollow studios in woodstock ny
photography, & cover design by rusty ralston - http://www.rustyralston.com/
packaging layout by jim stephens - http://www.seedsandroots.org/
in no particular order...
duncan sheik for the grand opportunity and for luxury. andy braner. nicholas emory. jeff anderson. rusty ralston for the stalwart brotherhood, magic photos, and manhattans. griffin house a mentor and brother. moms. vince. curtis. alexandra. george bell. the dream team: jim james, lawerence, 3, and big pone - drinks for life. doug yowell, donna lewis, pamela sue mann thank you^10. fae. caroline for taking care of everybody. lashunda for inspiration. angela head. glenn head. the laings. joey johnson. steve & mira. johnny &the all stars at the laughing goat. dechen hawk for the soul. jon tillar. dave & emily burden. chris jacob. rocky & becky phipps. lesley kernochan. steve waitt. jedi healer patrick ‘wookie’ wroblewski. big sista tracey holderman. supreme encourager michael vladeck. flybar. satish kumar. ramin & nat. parker & ashley johnson! clay rose. greg’r isakov. mandy rutherford! the raj. jeb bows. kip & kim. nick rosen. jess bennet. choc & arlie. corey nielsen. juli lunk. rich pinto. hvdp. jacob & athena. pops. marie. bandit. k-t. uncle rick. double rainbows. eric duetsch. the stone cup family, chad eastham. elliot moore. strauss. chris rice, jason & jenny ballard. johannes rath. joseph calitri. jarod sickler. jack fisher. dallas willard. the keplers in maine. dags. andy goldsworthy. molly altman. colin kappler. agusto. paul. jon slattery. josh rosen. aaron strumpel.the sustars. todd roe. jimbo & adrian. david poe. milo decruz. phil. marco for accepting rusty’s shoes. dr. heather brooke. daniel pettys. tami johnson. ezra wimberly. mark nagel. amanda & razor. timmy o neill. bobby anderson. justin perkins & big shot. scott anderson. jone karres. josetxo. stevie ray. roy. mahalia. dan bartkowiak. gerr for irish luck & taking us out of the bar & putting us in the studio. mama for being a somalier of sound and joy. the weir family. dawn & cosmo. supercollider, fab dupont. jill & jake. and anyone trying to be a creative force of love in this world.
thank you.
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