Transcript
Alan Cross (0:00)
Hey, it's Alan and I just wanted to let you know that you can now listen to the ongoing history of new music, early and ad free on Amazon Music included with Prime. This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Feeling lost? Stressed out? Anxious? Welcome to the club. The 24 hour news cycle and doom scrolling and the constant bombardment of information from all directions affect all of us. Yet we're expected to hold it all together. Something that's easier said than done. Men have this thing too, that we're supposed to be strong and steady performers and providers. And you know what? A lot of us do. We just push it down into that black ball inside of us because, well, that's what guys do. We're tough, right? But that leads to depression and burnout and other, shall we say, unhealthy activities as we try to cope. Here's the truth. It's okay to admit that you're struggling and that you need someone to talk to. Doing something about your mental health takes strength. And once you begin to open up and admit all the burdens that you're carrying around, you can work on being the best you can be for yourself, your loved ones, and everyone around you. Now trust me on this. Once you start talking about the things stuffed into your black ball, the whole universe begins to open up. BetterHelp is there for you. With more than 35,000 therapists available, BetterHelp is the largest online therapy platform. It has an App store rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on 1.7 million reviews from clients all over the world. It's so easy and convenient, too. An online session starts with the click of a button at any time of day or night so you can fit therapy into your busy schedule. Learn how to set boundaries, deal with anxiety, and learn positive coping skills. And you can switch therapists anytime. There should never be any stigma around mental health. You take care of your physical health, right? So why should your mental health be any different? As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of experience. Guys, talk it out with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com ongoing today and get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P.com ongoing.
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Alan Cross (2:35)
Learn more@WhatsApp.com it's one thing to simply listen to a song. We find certain forms of this organized noise very pleasant and it can be great. But there's a way to make listening to music even better. And no, I'm not talking about using certain recreational substances, although that'll work too. I'm talking about knowledge. Streaming is great, but that's what it is. A continuous stream of sounds coming at you with zero context. With physical media like vinyl and CDs, we get artwork and liner notes and lyric sheets and a lot more. And this fills in gaps that you might not even realize exist. Knowing something about what you're listening to can greatly enhance what you get out of a song. Its backstory, the meaning behind the lyrics, who's playing on it, where it was recorded. Quirky and interesting things to listen for, that kind of thing. Oasis was one of the biggest bands of the 90s. Noel Gallagher went through a period where he cranked out hit after hit after hit. Even B sides bonus tracks could be better than another band's official singles. And now that the band has reunited, there's a renewed interest in what made Oasis Oasis, if you know what I'm saying. I've compiled a list of some of the best known Oasis songs and we're about to go deep into them and how they were created. And when you're done, I guarantee that you won't listen to any of them the same way again. This is in the studio with Oasis. This is the ongoing history of New Music podcast with Alan Cross. Hello again, I'm Alan Cross and I've always been fascinated with the songwriting process and with recording studios, especially recording studios, you know, there's the atmosphere, the equipment, the musical gear, the slight scent of ozone from all the electricity running through the circuits. And yeah, you know, you can make very good records at home. But there's something special about recording a song or making an album in a professional recording studio. And this time we're going to look at some of the stories behind their recording of seven Oasis songs and everything that went into their creation. Now, we might as well start at the very beginning. Noel, who was working as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets, spent his downtime writing songs. By September 1989, he he already had a set of home demos. The following year, April 16, 1990 to be exact, a group called Rain was co founded by guitarist Paul Bonehead Arthurs and a singer named Chris Hutton. They started playing gigs at a venue called the Boardwalk in Manchester in late 1990. By mid year, Noel had joined up and taken over and his little brother had become the singer of Rain. The group's first gig as Oasis was, was on August 9, 1991. Shows continued at small venues through 1992. There were also a few recording sessions along the way and many of the songs would end up on subsequent albums. The very first single Oasis recorded was Columbia, which was written about an infamous hotel located near a lot of record company offices. Bands in London on official business often stayed there, not only because of the convenient location, but because management had a rather, let's say just lenient policy when it came to its guests. For example, Oasis once emptied out the bar, and by that I mean they threw all the furniture in the bar out the window. Not so lenient. That got him a lifetime ban from the place. This was the very first song that Noel wrote for Oasis. It appears he was inspired by Swamp Thing, a 1986 song by the Chameleons, another Manchester band. And he probably also found something he liked in a track by an obscure group called Tortuga called Axe Corner. If you want to go even deeper, you should Google those two songs. Columbia was first performed in early 1992, either on January 14th or on Valentine's Day during the group's fourth gig at the Boardwalk. We don't really know. Records weren't that accurate a little more than a year later, it was part of their set on May 31, 1993, when they played King Tut's Wawa Hut in Glasgow. They'd blogged a ride up from Manchester with a group called 18 Wheeler and literally bullied the owner into allowing them to play a four song set. This was the night Alan McGee, the head of Creation Records, accidentally showed up early and inadvertently, against his will, caught the Oasis set. But it was enough for him to sign the band. December 1993 saw the release of a white label demo which was recorded in the studios of a Manchester band called Real People. And buried in the mix of this song are three samples, one from a movie that no one seems to be able to identify, some kind of chant with unknown origins and. And a clip of a British politician named Tony Benn that came from a BBC interview. When the song was released, it came as a piece of vinyl with very little information about the song or the act. And it was a 100% independent release with no record company affiliation at all. In this case, There was music on just one side of this 12 inch. The sticker on the plain wrapper read, not wishing to wind everybody up, but Oasis have got everything. Hear for yourself. And this is the only demo. Anyone up for more? Very few copies were pressed and most of them went to journalists and radio DJs, and it turned out to be rather successful too. It was on December 6, 1993, that Columbia was the first Oasis song ever played on the radio. It was featured on a BBC Radio 1 show called Evening Session. It would later be re recorded for the Definitely maybe album. And but since we like to go really deep on this program, let's have a listen to that original white label demo, Columbia. The very first song Noel wrote for Oasis, and the very first thing Oasis officially released to the public. The second song we're going to dig into is Supersonic, one of the big singles from the debut album, Definitely maybe. After Alan McGee signed Oasis, they began booking studio time. The first sessions were at a Manchester place called Pink Museum Studio, which was owned by Andy McCluskey of Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark. Producing was Mark Coyle, the Oasis sound engineer. The original goal was to record a song called Bring It Down, a massive hit with audiences when Oasis was playing at that Boardwalk club in Manchester. But for whatever reason, they just couldn't capture the live magic in the studio. Noel blamed drummer Tony McCarroll for not being able to keep a steady beat. So, frustrated, everyone decided to take a break and everyone ordered some Chinese food. Noel was determined that they weren't going to leave the studio without having recorded something. So while everybody was in the next room chowing down on kung pao chicken or whatever, Noel retreated to the back room and started noodling with a riff he'd had in his back pocket. By the time everybody had hoovered up all that Chinese food, Noel had come up with Supersonic. Even though Noel was constantly being pestered by Elsa, the studio's extremely farty resident Rottweiler. Which explains the lyric, a girl called Elsa, she's into Elka Seltzer. Okay, not exactly profound, but as Noel explains, I'm writing pop songs, not novels. They messed with it and they finally found a groove that worked with Tony McCarroll's style. And in less than 12 hours, the song was done. When Alan McGee wanted to hear what they'd been up to, Noel said the recording session was rubbish, but it doesn't matter because I've written a smash. So, yeah, a smash. In the time it took, the four remaining members of the band and the producer to eat a Chinese meal in the other room. And it's still Noel's favorite Oasis song. Nobody. Song number three on our list is Live Forever, which Noel has claimed that it's the first good song he wrote for Oasis. Its origins go back to 1991, when Noel was working for British Gas in Manchester. A big steel cap from a large gas pipe had fallen on his foot, causing a serious injury, so he was reassigned to the parts desk storeroom. This wasn't a particularly strenuous job, which is exactly how he liked it, because there were days when no one would show up. So after about a month, he started bringing his guitar to work and wrote songs when no one was asking for a new fitting or elbow joint or whatever. Live Forever took years to come together. At first it was just a mess of chords with a rough melody. The opening chords were first played when Noel was working for Inspiral Carpets. He would play them over and over and over as part of his sound checking duties for the band. Then one night he was listening to the Rolling Stones song Shine A Light from the Exile On Main street album. And that's when something clicked and the words maybe I don't really want to know popped into his head. It was around this time that Kurt Cobain died, something that greatly annoyed Noel. He couldn't understand how this guy with all his fame and money and talent could be so miserable. He'd later say that Live Forever is supposed to be an answer to to the Nirvana song I Hate Myself and Want to Die. When he finally presented the song to the band, they didn't believe that he'd written it. It was too good, in their opinion. Once it was sufficiently rehearsed, it was recorded in a Manchester studio called clear on August 8, 1994. It became the third advanced single for the Definitely maybe album, which came out 21 days later. This was the song that brought Oasis their first worldwide attention. More Oasis stories from the studio coming up, including the band's most famous brotherly duet. This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. Feeling lost? Stressed out? Anxious? Welcome to the club. The 24 hour news cycle and doom scrolling and the constant bombardment of information from all directions affect all of us. Yet we're expected to hold it all together. Something that's easier said than done. Men have this thing too, that we're supposed to be strong and steady performers and providers. And you know what a lot of us do? We just push it down into that black ball inside of us because, well, that's what guys do. We're tough right? But that leads to depression and burnout and other, shall we say, unhealthy activities as we try to cope. Here's the truth. It's okay to admit that you're struggling and that you need someone to talk to. Doing something about your mental health takes strength. And once you begin to open up and admit all the burdens that you're carrying around, you can work on being the best you can be for yourself, your loved ones, and everyone around you. Now, trust me on this. Once you start talking about the things stuffed into your black ball, the whole universe begins to open up. BetterHelp you is there for you. With more than 35,000 therapists available, BetterHelp is the largest online therapy platform. It has an App store rating of 4.9 out of 5 based on 1.7 million reviews from clients all over the world. It's so easy. And convenient, too. An online session starts with the click of a button at any time of day or night so you can fit therapy into your busy schedule, learn how to set boundaries, deal with anxiety, and learn positive coping skills. And you can switch therapists anytime. There should never be any stigma around mental health. You take care of your physical health, right? So why should your mental health be any different? As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of experience. Guys, talk it out with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com ongoing today and get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp H-E L P.com ongoing Eczema.
