wannabestartinsomthin21
Proud Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 1,013
- Points
- 0
Hey guys, I guess I'll start this thread here. I was sent this interview with Bruce Swedien from Black & White Magazine from around 1995. Its a great read. Its translated from French, so its a bit choppy at times, but its easy to understand, and Bruce say's some really amazing things about Michael and the album History, and provides some cool insight into Michael and his creative process. I agree wholeheartedly with everything he says. I'm going to have to post it in sections because its too long for one post.
“Black &White: Bruce Swedien and MICHAEL JACKSONin studio inNew York, time has changed. After all those years of success in California, why is that change?
Bruce Swedien: New Yorkis,cuz we had to take a break. We recorded the rest of the albums back in L.A., it was time to take a step back.We needed something new for HISTORY. Everything is so different in here. The fact it self we are entering the studio felt good, the sounds the street scent – N.Y.CITY is a whole new source of inspiration. This is what we were looking for, and to tell you the truth the last earthquake was the last straw. ( Bob Jones who is about to leave the room interrupts Bruce laughing:”What you really like here in N.Y.is,that you are coming to the studio in a limo!”)
“Black &White: For how long have been in here?
Bruce Swedien: We came to the studio on February the 5th.
“Black &White:Compared to the studios in California, how is the „HIT FACTORY” doing?
Bruce Swedien: This is the best studio in the world...for real...
“Black &White: Even though it doesn't have your famoust mixer, this unbelievable machine, is known for the greatest in the world?
Bruce Swedien: Yes, it was the best in the world. It had 80 tracks for recording, but i built a new one, it is here in front of you. Now this is the biggest mixing table in the world, it has 96 tracks, which can be used for recording of a symphonic orchestra using a single track for each instrument.
“Black &White: When you leave NY you are taking it with you, correct?
Bruce Swedien: Nope, it stays here, i made it and it belongs to the studio.
“Black &White:Isn't it weird to see you here atHIT FACTORY, when couple of blocks down the road is the brand new SONY studio?
Bruce Swedien: Some people expected us to be seen in there, it is true. The SONY studio is brand new, but it doesn`t mean it is better than this one. Michael prefers HIT FACTORYbecause of personal issues he has. When he is here, he knows no one will be here bothering him .At SONY's is way much more different. A lot of people are coming and going. This is not the surrounding of Michael.
“Black &White: You have been working on the new album for 9 months already. The project must have some kind of a shape already?
Bruce Swedien: For now we are talking about a double CD The first CD is going to be GREATEST HITS, the second one new songs.
“Black &White: I heard something about 5 - 7 new titles, but obviously they'll be more?
Bruce Swedien: It has always been possible for us to create a whole new album. We've always been leaving the door opened for that kind of stuff.
“Black &White:SONY MUSICmust be hurting because of that. Upon what conditions they might be able to built the promotional campaign, if you keep changing direction?
Bruce Swedien: We really drive them insane.
“Black &White: How is the selection for the new songs done? How's got the last word?
Bruce Swedien: Michael has it. Майкъл. He's the only one who makes the decision. Im giving him my opinion, but he would not let anyone do the final cut. In the studio there is a little board over which we put stickers. On each one of them, there is a name of the new song. That board is the final selection of the songs the album will contain. Every day Michael changes the place of the stickers. He takes a song off, replaces it with another, changes the order of the titles... Every time I look at the board, something has been changed. That has been going on for months and it will be going until Michael makes the perfect selection.
“Black &White: So, HISTORYwill be 50% GREATEST HITSand 50% new material?
Bruce Swedien: In fact, yes, this is the point we are aiming at.
“Black &White: Is it possible for us to expect some versions of the Michael's classics remixed?
Bruce Swedien: I don`t believe that people who are buying the CD, would want to hear remixes. It wouldn't be loyal from us. Anyway, would be possible for a person to make a remix of a song like Billie Jean for example? No. That's not the deal...
“Black &White: What would you say about the remixed singles from theDANGEROUS album?
Bruce Swedien: Some of them are done well, but overall I don`t like them. Songs which have been remixed have the tendency to butcher the original.
“Black &White: So, the fans won't find anything new in the GREATEST HITS, which will be inHISTORY?
Bruce Swedien: It is not quite like that. if you are familiar with Michael's set list, you will be surprised. We haven't mixed the old classic versions, but what we did was - we took off the old tapes of the songs and re-recorded them again. The purity of the record is amazing. You are going to re-discover songs like Thriller, for example.
"Black &White:Isn't the selection of the classics which will be in HISTORYcheating, a lot of songs deserve to be in the album?
Bruce Swedien: This is a dilemma all the time. May be we could make something like a "to be continued" of HISTORY, so we won't cut off some of the really good songs.
“Black & White” - December, January and February issue 1994/1995 NY City Nov. 5th 1994
“Black &White: Bruce Swedien and MICHAEL JACKSONin studio inNew York, time has changed. After all those years of success in California, why is that change?
Bruce Swedien: New Yorkis,cuz we had to take a break. We recorded the rest of the albums back in L.A., it was time to take a step back.We needed something new for HISTORY. Everything is so different in here. The fact it self we are entering the studio felt good, the sounds the street scent – N.Y.CITY is a whole new source of inspiration. This is what we were looking for, and to tell you the truth the last earthquake was the last straw. ( Bob Jones who is about to leave the room interrupts Bruce laughing:”What you really like here in N.Y.is,that you are coming to the studio in a limo!”)
“Black &White: For how long have been in here?
Bruce Swedien: We came to the studio on February the 5th.
“Black &White:Compared to the studios in California, how is the „HIT FACTORY” doing?
Bruce Swedien: This is the best studio in the world...for real...
“Black &White: Even though it doesn't have your famoust mixer, this unbelievable machine, is known for the greatest in the world?
Bruce Swedien: Yes, it was the best in the world. It had 80 tracks for recording, but i built a new one, it is here in front of you. Now this is the biggest mixing table in the world, it has 96 tracks, which can be used for recording of a symphonic orchestra using a single track for each instrument.
“Black &White: When you leave NY you are taking it with you, correct?
Bruce Swedien: Nope, it stays here, i made it and it belongs to the studio.
“Black &White:Isn't it weird to see you here atHIT FACTORY, when couple of blocks down the road is the brand new SONY studio?
Bruce Swedien: Some people expected us to be seen in there, it is true. The SONY studio is brand new, but it doesn`t mean it is better than this one. Michael prefers HIT FACTORYbecause of personal issues he has. When he is here, he knows no one will be here bothering him .At SONY's is way much more different. A lot of people are coming and going. This is not the surrounding of Michael.
“Black &White: You have been working on the new album for 9 months already. The project must have some kind of a shape already?
Bruce Swedien: For now we are talking about a double CD The first CD is going to be GREATEST HITS, the second one new songs.
“Black &White: I heard something about 5 - 7 new titles, but obviously they'll be more?
Bruce Swedien: It has always been possible for us to create a whole new album. We've always been leaving the door opened for that kind of stuff.
“Black &White:SONY MUSICmust be hurting because of that. Upon what conditions they might be able to built the promotional campaign, if you keep changing direction?
Bruce Swedien: We really drive them insane.
“Black &White: How is the selection for the new songs done? How's got the last word?
Bruce Swedien: Michael has it. Майкъл. He's the only one who makes the decision. Im giving him my opinion, but he would not let anyone do the final cut. In the studio there is a little board over which we put stickers. On each one of them, there is a name of the new song. That board is the final selection of the songs the album will contain. Every day Michael changes the place of the stickers. He takes a song off, replaces it with another, changes the order of the titles... Every time I look at the board, something has been changed. That has been going on for months and it will be going until Michael makes the perfect selection.
“Black &White: So, HISTORYwill be 50% GREATEST HITSand 50% new material?
Bruce Swedien: In fact, yes, this is the point we are aiming at.
“Black &White: Is it possible for us to expect some versions of the Michael's classics remixed?
Bruce Swedien: I don`t believe that people who are buying the CD, would want to hear remixes. It wouldn't be loyal from us. Anyway, would be possible for a person to make a remix of a song like Billie Jean for example? No. That's not the deal...
“Black &White: What would you say about the remixed singles from theDANGEROUS album?
Bruce Swedien: Some of them are done well, but overall I don`t like them. Songs which have been remixed have the tendency to butcher the original.
“Black &White: So, the fans won't find anything new in the GREATEST HITS, which will be inHISTORY?
Bruce Swedien: It is not quite like that. if you are familiar with Michael's set list, you will be surprised. We haven't mixed the old classic versions, but what we did was - we took off the old tapes of the songs and re-recorded them again. The purity of the record is amazing. You are going to re-discover songs like Thriller, for example.
"Black &White:Isn't the selection of the classics which will be in HISTORYcheating, a lot of songs deserve to be in the album?
Bruce Swedien: This is a dilemma all the time. May be we could make something like a "to be continued" of HISTORY, so we won't cut off some of the really good songs.