Smithereens 11: Guitarist Jim Babjak Breaks Down 11 Essential Smithereens Tracks
Smithereens lead guitarist Jim Babjak breaks down 11 essential Smithereens tracks.
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"Something New"
From Green Thoughts (1988, Enigma/Capitol Records)
The first two days of the Green Thoughts sessions were dedicated to recording the basic tracks for the entire album and concentrating on keeper takes for the bass and drums. The guitars and vocals were re-recorded later with the proper amps and microphones.
I arrived in the studio early one day and our producer, Don Dixon, suggested we start without the other guys. I wasn't really clear on how the song "Something New" should sound. I think the band had a dirtier guitar sound in mind, but when I picked up Pat's late-'50s Lime Green Gretsch, I had to use that sound for the rhythm part. The tone was just so clean and pretty, it fit the track like an old shoe.
I always liked the way Buddy Holly used the bottom two strings in harmony like on his song "Heartbeat," so I took that approach for the solo. After I played the part on the bottom two strings, we decided something was missing. Don suggested I play a counter melody on the top string on another track to give it more depth. It worked really well, and the song is a real standout, adding a nice variety to the album.
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brofan
June 20, 2012 at 3:40pm
P.S. Saw you guys at Cabaret Metro in Chicago right after Green Thoughts came out in '88 I think? One of the best shows I've ever seen and I'll never forget you slinging sliders out into the audience and laughing your butt off during the White Castle Blues encore.
Yesterday I listened to a tape of the 5-6-88 show from the Bottom Line that was broadcast on WNEW....man, those were the days. Those first 2 records had more great tunes than most bands write over a career. You guys ruled - and still do. Thanks for all the great music over the years.
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brofan
June 20, 2012 at 3:33pm
Hey Jim, Carr Amps are built by Steve Carr by hand right here in Pittsboro, NC. From Wiki: "Founder Steve Carr said of the company: "We try to figure out the great things about forties, fifties, and sixties amps and throw in some new twists. But our amps don’t have a whole lot of knobs or switches. They’re super-useful but very simple."
Steve's Rambler amps have gotten rave reviews and Guitar Player said the Rambler's "layout and wiring are absolutely flawless." Jazz Times called the Carr Rambler's "top-notch craftsmanship, hand-wired electronics and thoughtful, well-researched design."
Also from Wiki: "The Carr amplifiers with 6L6 tubes are compared to classic Fender amps; the Slant 6V, which also has 12AX7 and 12AT7 tubes, was praised as "an amazingly useful and versatile amp" and was a "Guitar Player Editors' Pick" in 2009. The "exceptional" Vincent was praised for "its rich tone, variable power, and compact size."
I'm not a player but as a resident of Pittsboro I think it's awesome that a true craftsman like Steve Carr still takes the time and considerable effort to make the best possible product right here in the USA. Kudos to him.
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toothmonkey
June 20, 2012 at 1:08pm
Great story, Jim! I saw you guys at Abbey Road on the River in Kentucky (I think) in 2006 (I think). Anyway, it was great!













