EASY GOING REMIXED "FEAR"/NICKNACK

[DISCODISK]

ive just found myself a copy of easy going remixed "fear" and i believe our very own NICKNACK did some guest backing vocals 8) whats the story nicky and how did this come about would love to hear :P oops gotta go someones coming gotta get this off the turntable :oops: if i get caught playing this ill be sent to my room without any supper :lol: :lol:

[NickNack]

Oh, Gawd! Now I'm in deep howdy-doody :) . First let me clarify and say that my contribution of "backing vocals" had nothing to do with singing. :-? you say? Let me explain.

"Captain" Mike (Wilkinson, Disconet) asked me after a night working the Anvil to do some studio work for him. He also recruited Chico Starr, another Anvil dj. Mike didn't explain the project so of course I was wishin' & hopin', thinkin' & prayin' that this might be my shot at a remix. (Go ahead and :lol: .) Anyway, we show up and in the studio with Mike are two lovely ladies and, behind the console, Jellybean (Benitez). (I really can't remember the names of the ladies but I always thought it was the Poussez girls. I'll explain that later.) We learned Mike wanted to change the feel of Easy Going's "Fear". The concept: Young ladies out for fun, young boy confused about the fun he wants, chicken hawk skulking.

Actually, I don't remember us talking it out as much as just getting into the song. The ladies opened it up over a stripped down intro with their oh-sooo-sassy:

SCAREDY CAT, SCAREDY CAT, YOU'RE SO FULL OF FEAR.
SCAREDY CAT, SCAREDY CAT, GET A GRIP MY DEAR.
SCAREDY CAT, SCAREDY CAT, BOY YOU GOT IT MADE.
SCAREDY CAT, SCAREDY CAT, WHY YOU SO AFRAID?

COME ON AND DO IT HONEY, COME ON AND PUSH.
COME ON AND EAT SOME CHERRY, COME IN MY BUSH.
COME ON I DARE YOU HONEY, COME GET IT ON.
COME ON AND BEAT SOME CHERRY WITH YOUR BATON.

Now you don't need a road map to see where Mike wanted this to go. And, if you check out the lyrics in italicized bold red, you can see why Poussez came to my mind. Mike wrote these lyrics and I thought they were an acknowledgment to the ladies' hit song the year before as well as a name drop. (Poussez = Push, en Francais.)

As the song continues, Chico enters midway and displays 'fear' about putting his head into a "dark bush". Gay alert? The ladies think so and tell the young man he's looking for the same thing they are. Enter, moi, chicken hawk out of the dark. I've always thought I didn't quite deliver what Mike and Jellybean were looking for. They wanted this deep, moaning, maybe horny-sounding grown followed by, I don't know, chicken sounds :roll: . Anyway, my entire vocal contribution is a repeated, "Ummm, puck, puck. Ummm, puck, puck." It was deep. I was growning. Does it come off as 'hot sex'? I doubt it. All this nonsense continues with the ladies and Chico adding climax noises.

That's it. Nothing heavy or outrageous. What it was, was sheer fun. Those women were so sweet and you could tell they were used to being in a studio. Their attitude to the song was totally uninhibited. They were there to have fun and they did. So did we. I always regretted not taking their invitation to hang out afterwards. I was too beat. I had worked the night before and had to work again after this was over. All I wanted was sleep.

DISCO LIFE --- GOTTA LUV IT! 8)

_________________________
The Sly, The Slick & The Wicked
Nicky

[hotdiscomix]

Julie and Barbara Bent was the name of the girls.



Disconet DJ News description of this remix:

Jellybean remixes Easy Going: Pink Floyd meets Poussez with an Evita groove with the new "Fear Medley"

"Fear" was originally about 8 minutes at a very intensive 145 BPM. It happened so fast and furious hat many of the great sounds were lost on each other. John "Jellybean" Benitez, who anchors Electric Circus and also plays with Tony Smith at Xenon in New York City, has slowed it way down to an easy going 128 beats per minute, with a different presentation of the rhythm section, violins, horns and vocals.

It all took place at Boris Midney's Eras Studio in living 32 tracks. Chico Super Starr and Nicky Nicholson, from The Anvil, provide additional rap sections which turn "Fear" into a show with four acts. Julie and Barbara Bent provided additional vocals. In Act I (entitled "Scaredy Cat"), the girl wants him to get it on. Act II is "Fear" with Pink Floyd overtones, going into one of the most exciting breaks of the season thanks to Jellybean's fine ear and Ray Volpe's black boxes which can even harmonize every other conga note. Act III ("Come On In") restates what's on her mind, but he's so scared... until some subconscious "Mmmm, puck puck!" inner drive gets everyone to get it on in Act IV, appropriately entitled "Climax". We hope every psychology teacher makes recordoms first aural threesome mandetory listening. It'll go gold in no time, and forever end all doubts that disco has gone flacid.

[NickNack]

Hey Hotdiscomix,

Thank you! It's good to know that if I can't remember everything that happened in my wildlife there's some proof out there that I'm not totally crazy. So, I had the wrong girls but the right attitude 8) . It's good to know I created "inner drive" :lol: for the climax. Like I said, it was pure fun.

This pic and article, it's from the Disconet newsletter insert that comes with the volume release, correct? You'd think I would have kept one for myself. I have to look, it might be stuck in the jacket. Thanks for bringing back the memories. I already printed a copy for my lover who doesn't remember seeing a copy.

You put a smile on my face this morning and I appreciate it. Feels good. :) :) :)

[Paulo]

Interesting story. Nick, what was the year the remix was made?

[NickNack]

Originally Posted by Paulo

Interesting story. Nick, what was the year the remix was made?

Hi Paulo,

The year was 1980. First released as a Disconet remix for dj's only, then released commercially on the IMPORTE/12 label.

[Paulo]

Nick :D
Forgive my ignorance, but as I am not a DJ, a remixer, not even a professional musician (just amateur, I play guitar), I'd just like to know some technical details: In your post you described what happened in the recording session. I'd like to know if the remix was done over the record itself or did Jellybean have access to the master tape (I am asking you this just to know how it happened. I neve heard the remix).

[NickNack]

Hi Paulo,

I can say with certainty the remix was not done over the vinyl. Jellybean was working the studio mixing console and the way it looked the vocal tracks (we four) were the last step. All the instrumental tracks were completed but I can't tell you if he had been given access to the master tape or even a copy. If I had to guess, I would say, "yes". The reason being, the import version wasn't getting as much play in some clubs because of the tempo (145 bpm). If they (Unidisc) were hoping to make more money, they would have allowed Mike and his team access to the original in hopes of a good result from the project. There was no way this was a bootleg operation without the permission of those who had the rights to the music being given.

Also, remember Jellybean had dropped the beats per minute by 17, from 145 to 128. And although you haven't heard it, the entire sound and feel of the remix is quite different from the original Canadian 12". I mean, you know who and what it is but it's not as bright and frantic. More high energy disco than D.O.R. (Dance-Oriented-Rock).

[Paulo]

Thanks Nick. You should post memories like those more frequently!