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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"Time and Time Again"
From Especially for You (1986, Enigma/Capitol Records)
"Time and Time Again" is the first song we ever recorded. The 1980 version appears on our rarities album, Attack of the Smithereens. I used a 1971 Stratocaster through a Music Man amp for that one.
The early take is very charming, and I like it a lot. It was my first time in a recording studio and I was playing it very safe. That would soon change as my playing became more aggressive.
A few years later I made a trade with my younger brother: his 1972 Rickenbacker for my 1971 Stratocaster. The Rick became my main guitar till 1988, and I still use it to this day at select shows. In 1985 I used that same Burgundy Red Rickenbacker on most of our first album and it's very noticeable on this track. It's got a slightly dirty tone achieved through the Marshall, but it still jangles in certain spots of the song.
I'm especially proud of the ending guitar bit. We recorded the bass, drums and guitar live. I was standing right next to Dennis Diken and was feeding off the energy of his drumming. I didn't even hear the bass because I wasn't wearing headphones. I was on auto pilot. I didn't know what I was going to play at the end because I was told it was going to be a fade, so I didn't plan anything. It was really spontaneous.
I don't know why I threw in that Dick Dale "Pipeline" lick going down and then back up the neck, but it worked. Don Dixon was producing, and when we finished tracking, he said, "That's a keeper!"
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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.
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.
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!
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