Loading summary
Transcript9 lines
- [00:00]
Alan Cross
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.
- [02:12]
Commercial Announcer 1
When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom's 60th and never miss a meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.
- [02:36]
Alan Cross
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.
- [15:28]
Commercial Announcer 1
Isn'T always obvious, but it's real. And so is the relief from EBGLIS. After an initial dosing phase, about 4 in 10 people taking EBGLIS achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.
- [15:46]
Commercial Announcer 2
EBGLIS Lebricizumab, LBKZ, a 250mg 2ml injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Ebglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Epglis. Before starting Epglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection searching for real relief?
- [16:20]
Commercial Announcer 1
Ask your doctor about epgliss and visit epgliss.lilly.com or call 1-800-LilyRx or 1-800-545-5979.
- [16:27]
Alan Cross
Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change your receipt did the sausage McMuffin with egg extra Value meal includes a hash brown and a small coffee for just $5 only at McDonald's for a limited time. Prices and participation may vary. For this show, we're looking at Oasis in the studio and how some of their most famous songs came together. Song number four on this list is the group's most famous duet with Noel and Liam. This, you may have forgotten was originally a B side. The hit with this CD single was, Some Might say, the first single from the what's the Story Morning Glory album, and it's a great example of how Noel had so many great songs. Even the B sides and bonus tracks were better than most band's singles like Supersonic. Acquiesce came together at the very last minute in February 1995. Noel was heading to a studio in Wales called Loco. He was on the train. Noel, of course, didn't have a driver's license, and he still doesn't. But then the train broke down in the Severn Tunnel and he was stuck in the dark, sitting there for four hours with four or five other people in the smoking car. He heard another passenger on the phone explaining why they would be late, and that person, whoever he or she was, apparently used the word acquiesce in their conversation, and Noel liked the sound of that. So he strummed the opening chords over and over and over again, something that eventually prompted one of the passengers to scream, do you mind, mate, we've heard enough of the guitar now. And that was fine, because by then Noel had worked out 90% of the arrangement. When the song made it to the studio, it was decided that Liam would sing the verses and Noel would take care of the chorus because Liam just couldn't hit those high notes. The band had just come back from a series of dates in Japan and Liam was recovering from a throat infection. When Alan McGee first heard the song, he freaked out. He wanted that to become the single, not Some Might say, But Noel was married to Some Might Say, so Acquiesce became one of the bonus tracks. The song eventually did get its due, though, when Creation released the Master Plan, a 1998 compilation of Oasis songs. To date, it was promoted with acquiesce as the single. It also appears on the Stop the Clocks compilation. So, a great story about brotherly love, right? No, no. Noel says that it's just bs, but he's going along with the story we are gonna uncover. We're sleeping in our soul. Moving on from acquiesce, let's get the story behind the making of the Big One. Wonderwall. Its original title was Wishing Stone. What's it about? Well, it depends on when you asked Noel that particular question. At first it was about his then girlfriend and soon to be wife, Meg Matthews. After they divorced in 2001, it morphed into being about an imaginary person who had come to save Noel from himself. And still later, he said it had something to do with the title of a 1968 album by George Harrison called Wonderwall Music. Wonderwall was written very quickly. In the months leading up to the recording of the what's the Story? Morning Glory album, Noel had become fascinated by the stripped down sound of the Portishead album Dummy and and was looking to create that vibe without going into trip hop territory. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios, a facility in rural Wales. On one part of the grounds, there's a brick wall and Noel would often sit on that wall strumming his guitar. So there's another interpretation of the title. The brick construction was perhaps his songwriting. Wonderwall recording happened in May 1995 and took place over the course of just half a day. NOEL PLAYS GUITAR AND BASS Geeksy apparently couldn't come up with a groove that pleased Noel, and new drummer Alan White contributed a shuffling sort of groove. Then producer Owen Morris used a technique known as brick walling. There's that word again. To give the song some extra intensity, Morris then brought in a cello and suggested the four note piano motif that ends everything off. When it came to recording the vocals, Noel gave Liam a choice. You do this one or don't look back in anger. Whichever one you don't choose, I'll do so. Liam ended up obviously going for Wonderwall. The first time anyone heard this song was backstage at Glastonbury on June 24, 1995 for a behind the scenes BBC TV special. Oasis had headlined the night before, but had elected to stick around for the weekend. The song was performed sporadically over the summer of 1995, leading up to the release of the Morning glory album on October 30th. And for a song that's become so popular and so iconic, Noel once told me that he makes about 3,000 pounds a day from the song. It was released as the fourth single from the album, and even then, with its hey Jude type ubiquity, Wonderwall could only reach number two on the UK singles charts. Elsewhere, though, it was number one in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In America, though, it only climbed as high as number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Although it was the number one alternative song. There have been many covers of this track, ranging from near parody to takes that are much darker. And Noel has performed and recorded his own solo version of the song. But the definitive recording remains the one made in about six hours at that studio in Wales in May 1995. The sixth track I want to Talk about is one with Noel on lead vocals, the aforementioned Don't Look Back In Anger, the fifth single from Morning Glory. It's also the first Oasis single to be sung exclusively by Noel. We can track this song right down to the date Tuesday, April 18, 1995. Noel wrote it in a day, or more specifically, on a rainy night in Paris as Oasis was opening a show for the Verve, or even more specifically, after Noel had come back from a strip club. His inspiration was the Bowie written Mott the Hoople performed Hit all the young dudes from 1972 and a tape that had been apparently stolen from John Lennon's apartment at the Dakota after he was murdered on December 8, 1980. Lennon had started to record his memoirs on tape. After the theft, the tape became widely bootlegged and Noel had a copy. He was particularly impressed by this quote from Lennon trying to start a revolution from me Bed, referring to his famous Bed Ends for peace back in 1969. Plus the bits of the piano sound sort of similar to Lennon's Imagine and his late in life single Watching the Wheels. Six days later and Back From Paris, Liam heard Noel strumming the song at Soundcheck for an Oasis show in Sheffield, their first ever arena headlining gig. He hadn't got the lyrics right yet. He was just sort of making things up as he went along. You know, just nonsense stuff to keep the melody. And Liam asked, are you saying Sally can wait? And Noel says, I don't know what I'm singing. But after the comment from Liam, Noel went to the dressing room and finished the song with the words don't look back in anger just popping into his head out of nowhere. A few hours later, Noel performed it live for the first time. This was part of a now standard two song acoustic portrait, which allowed Liam to rest his voice. All right, you're going to ask this who's Sally? No one in particular, although it might be a nod to the Stone Roses song Sally Cinnamon. But like I said, it was probably something that Liam thought he heard misheard his brother singing at that sound check. The song was recorded in the same two week span as Wonderwall at the studio in Wales. Its official release as a single was February 19, 1996, and since then it's become almost a second British national anthem. It's constantly sung at funerals and weddings, and it even became a healing song for the general public after the horrendous Manchester concert bombing on May 22, 2017. Noel has been quoted as saying back in the that'll be pretty good when we record it. But if I'd known that night what I know now about people playing it at funerals and weddings, I'd never have finished the song. Too much pressure. Yet today, it's one of Noel's all time favorite Oasis songs. There's one more song I want to talk about, and it's one of the longest recordings in the Oasis catalog. I'm Scott Hanson, host of NFL Red Zone. Lowe's knows Sundays hit different when you earn them. We've got you covered with outdoor power equipment from Cobalt and everything you need to weatherproof your deck with Trex decking. Plus with lawn care from Scotts and of course, Pit Boss grilles and accessories, you can get a home field advantage all season long. So get to Lowe's, get it done and earn your Sunday. Lowe's, official partner of the NFL mint is still $15 a month for premium wireless, and if you haven't made the switch yet, here are 15 reasons why you should 1. It's $15 a month. 2. Seriously, it's $15 a month. 3. No big contracts. 4. I use it. 5. My mom uses it. Are you playing me off? That's what's happening, right? Okay, give it a try. @mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment of $45 for.
- [26:43]
Commercial Announcer 1
Three month plan $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. Cmno.com in the 70s, four young women were found dead for nearly 50 years. Their I'm Nancy Hickst, a senior crime reporter for Global News. In the season finale of Crime Beat, I share how investigators uncovered shocking evidence of a serial killer and hear exclusive interviews with the killer's family. Listen to the full season of Crime Beat early and ad free on Amazon Music by asking Alexa to play the podcast Crime Beat.
- [27:20]
Alan Cross
We have time for one more deep dive into an Oasis song, and that's Champagne Supernova, the closer of on what's the Story of Morning Glory and the sixth and final single from that album. The title was originally inspired by the Pixies, specifically something from their 1990 album Bossa Nova, combined with something Noel misheard on a BBC documentary about champagne. Now, let's just get this out of the way. No one, including Noel, has any idea what the song is about. Whatever you get out of it and however you interpret it is just fine with him. I mean, slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball, like what Noel says, I should know what that means because I wrote it, but I don't have a clue. He does admit, though, that this is the most psychedelic song he's ever written. Champagne Supernova features a notable guest appearance, Paul Weller. Ever since he was a kid, Knoll idolized Weller's work in the Jam, the Style Council and his solo work. They became friends, and for a while they even lived across from each other in London. Weller's balcony looked into Noel's kitchen, and by the time the Morning Glory album was being recorded, they were close enough for Noel to ask Paul to play on the record, which he did. And that's him playing lead guitar. He's also whistling and offering background vocals. Oh, one last thing about this song. Maybe it does have some meaning, but only in retrospect. On April 24, 2003, two deep space telescopes in Hawaiian 1CO, built by Canada, discovered SN 2003 FG, a type 1A supernova, in a galaxy 3.5 billion light years away in the constellation of Boots. Researchers at the University of Toronto made the discovery with the announcement coming from David Branch. Without getting too deep into the cosmological weeds and the physics behind exploding stars, it got bigger and more massive than it should, and before long, it blew up. SN2003FG isn't, of course, a very romantic name for something so big and wondrous. So the astronomers who discovered SN 2003 FG gave it a name. This is the Champagne Supernova. You see what I mean about context and knowledge adding to the enjoyment of a song? And frankly, we could have done these deep dives in a couple of dozen Oasis songs, but we just don't have the time. If you'd like to do that on your own, I highly recommend a book called A Sound so Very Loud. The Inside story of every Oasis song ever recorded. It was written by Ted Kessler and Hamish McBain. If Oasis recorded it, the story is here. Meanwhile, if you're looking for more ongoing history, there are hundreds of podcasts available for download wherever you download podcasts, which should keep you busy for a while. I have another podcast too. It's called Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry. And it's just like it sounds music meets true crime. And they're available everywhere too. We might run into each other on social media. I'm on pretty much every platform and also on my website, ajournalofmusicalthings.com which is updated with music, news and information every day. Finally, if you have any questions or comments, just send them to AlanLancross CA I read and answer all my own email Technical productions by Rob Johnston. Talk to you next time. I'm Alan Cross, Limu Emu and Doug Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. But now we want you to feel it. Cue the emu music. Lemu Save yourself money today. Increase your wealth. Customize and save. We save. That may have been too much feeling. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.