Velvet Darkness (album): Difference between revisions
From Allan Holdsworth Information Center
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Reissue mixed by Mark Wilder<br> | Reissue mixed by Mark Wilder<br> | ||
Produced by Creed Taylor<br> | Produced by Creed Taylor<br> | ||
=Summary of quotes on Velvet Darkness= | |||
Allan expressed deep dissatisfaction with his 1978 album, "Velvet Darkness," recorded under unfavorable conditions with no rehearsals. He called it a rip-off and an embarrassment, citing thin sound and lopsided balance. He also lamented the lack of royalties due to contract issues and unauthorized releases, stating that the album was never fit for release and was a complete disaster. ''[This summary was written by ChatGPT in 2023 based on the quotes below.]'' | |||
=Quotes on "Velvet Darkness"= | =Quotes on "Velvet Darkness"= | ||
==[[Player Of The Month (Beat Instrumental 1978)]]== | ==[[Player Of The Month (Beat Instrumental 1978)]]== | ||
He had failed, however, to mention something that happened in New York just before he came home. As I mentioned this omission in his life’s history, Allan’s normally placid and amiable expression darkened in-to a scowl. The event? An invitation from Creed Taylor, boss of CTI Records, for Allan to record a solo album. He hates that album with a passion. It was recorded in nine hours; there were no rehearsals. "It’s just a jam. The sound is disgusting. I mean, I’m really particular about my guitar sound, especially over the last two or three years, cuz I reckon I’ve now got that part of it together. We got into the studio, and we never had what you might call a balance check. None of that happened, man. They set the mikes up, and they had two mikes for a double drum kit. Really crazy. We’d play the tunes once, and that was it. Finished. Next tune. We’d just let one tune run down even if it didn’t have an ending. And that’s literally how that album was made." | He had failed, however, to mention something that happened in New York just before he came home. As I mentioned this omission in his life’s history, Allan’s normally placid and amiable expression darkened in-to a scowl. The event? An invitation from Creed Taylor, boss of CTI Records, for Allan to record a solo album. He hates that album with a passion. It was recorded in nine hours; there were no rehearsals. "It’s just a jam. The sound is disgusting. I mean, I’m really particular about my guitar sound, especially over the last two or three years, cuz I reckon I’ve now got that part of it together. We got into the studio, and we never had what you might call a balance check. None of that happened, man. They set the mikes up, and they had two mikes for a double drum kit. Really crazy. We’d play the tunes once, and that was it. Finished. Next tune. We’d just let one tune run down even if it didn’t have an ending. And that’s literally how that album was made." | ||
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==[[Allan Holdsworth (Guitar Player 1980)]]== | ==[[Allan Holdsworth (Guitar Player 1980)]]== | ||
Along with Williams, bassist Tony Newton and keyboardist Alan Pasqua, he recorded two albums - Believe It and Million Dollar Legs - and toured in 1975 and ‘76. After bad management drove him away from that ensemble (at one point during a tour he ended up stranded in San Francisco with neither money nor a place to stay and had to pawn his guitar to get back to England), Allan recorded his first solo album, '''Velvet Darkness'''. | Along with Williams, bassist Tony Newton and keyboardist Alan Pasqua, he recorded two albums - Believe It and Million Dollar Legs - and toured in 1975 and ‘76. After bad management drove him away from that ensemble (at one point during a tour he ended up stranded in San Francisco with neither money nor a place to stay and had to pawn his guitar to get back to England), Allan recorded his first solo album, '''Velvet Darkness'''. | ||
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==[[The Unreachable Star (Guitar World 1989)]]== | ==[[The Unreachable Star (Guitar World 1989)]]== | ||
I wish I could go back and do ‘em all again [laughs]. | I wish I could go back and do ‘em all again [laughs]. | ||
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==[[Mike Pachelli Show (video transcript 1991)]]== | ==[[Mike Pachelli Show (video transcript 1991)]]== | ||
MP: How do you feel about that first recording? | MP: How do you feel about that first recording? | ||
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==[[Creating Imaginary Backdrops (Innerviews 1993)]]== | ==[[Creating Imaginary Backdrops (Innerviews 1993)]]== | ||
The single most frustrating thing for me, is to be in a situation where you can’t get a record deal because for whatever reason they won’t sign you up, but the same people will take complete advantage of you by bootlegging things and putting out other albums. Sony just did that with that old '''Velvet Darkness''' album. They re-released it, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stop them right away. But they [the lawyers] stopped them eventually and they’re not going to make that album anymore, because that whole project was a rip-off in the first place. Sony re-released it and packaged like a new album. So, those kind of things make me go crazy—they make me want to tear my hair out. | The single most frustrating thing for me, is to be in a situation where you can’t get a record deal because for whatever reason they won’t sign you up, but the same people will take complete advantage of you by bootlegging things and putting out other albums. Sony just did that with that old '''Velvet Darkness''' album. They re-released it, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stop them right away. But they [the lawyers] stopped them eventually and they’re not going to make that album anymore, because that whole project was a rip-off in the first place. Sony re-released it and packaged like a new album. So, those kind of things make me go crazy—they make me want to tear my hair out. | ||
