(JB) Damn, it’s the LAST day at Masterlink. Pretty much feel like it’s the end of Christmas day, when all the presents are opened and it’s just another day. Today was more about some overdubs and pianos, but the most fun was doing the video interviews. I think people will see another side to the guys and a perspective on how things went these past 5 days. The “artist” is demanding my attention…Gotta run!

(VC)  Yes, we are all feeling sad that the fun is over.  How often do you really get to do this?    Especially with a funny bunch like this, not a dud in the group (except maybe Monte), just kidding.  Actually we are trying to get Monte to take this solo ballad seriously and stop clowning around.  Everyone seems a bit punch drunk today, Jessica and David are giggling like teenagers, checking out a mass murderer fan of David’s.   They are about to get kicked out of the control room.

Rob Clark is impressing John and Monte with his vast knowledge of recording equipment.

We are gearing up for the big wrap party tonight; the boys are threatening to get nekkid.  Can’t wait for that.  I’ll be sure to post those photos!

David Piggott here – This record rocks. The live vibe you Monte fans have wanted has been captured. So move over First and Repair and Mirror there is a new record in town. Get ready.

Jessica- My first official day in the studio sadly fell upon the last day of recording the album. 

(VC)  Young Jessica, as we call her, is Monte’s everyday girl.  She’s the one that has to endure him on a day to day basis.   He did write a song for her yesterday, however, we will try to You tube that once it’s edited.

So we were sadly done with recording and all headed over to the Indigo Hotel West End for the wrap party.  Geoff Mason, General Manager at the Indigo and an all around great guy, took good care of us.  We had a deluxe spot in a suite on the 8th floor with a deck that overlooks downtown Nashville.  Wine, Beer and Tequila (yes tequila) started to flow.  Beth Hooker arrived with her usual entourage that gave just the right party atmosphere.  After noshing and drinking for awhile we walked back over to Master Link Studios to hear some rough cuts.  Didn’t sound too rough to me.  We had theater style seating in the sound room to accommodate our growing party.  Topping off at about 25 people, the boys kicked me out of the control room.  Quite insulting I’ll tell ya.

Then Bekka Bramlett arrived and both of us being Aries we bullied our way back in.  Bekka has a recording studio at her house and was quite blown away by what she was hearing.  Friends from the Delbert McClinton Blues Cruise, Bekka and Monte re-connected.   We laughed about the time we all ended up at Bekka’s with Bekka and Beth singing “Sara Smile” with Monte.  Quite the pipes, those two.

The night then becomes a blurr for me as I stumble in to a taxi, declining the invitation to go out for a night cap with the boys.  Who knows what happened next?

Here are some cool pictures from the wrap party of the recording of the new Monte album:

Wrap Party Photo Album

Monte's management has promised to provide videos from the recording sessions very soon. Please come back soon to check them out here!

Hi Folks – I’m going to start you off with John Billings thoughts from yesterday…..

Yesterday was a 4 song day, culminating in a beautiful "How Far". We also got "Let's Go", "Be Still" and "Could Have Loved you Forever", the last having one of the most inspired 3 piece jam sections of the entire CD. These guys were locked together SO tight. We just sat back and marveled at the trio as they locked up and delivered another classic performance.

David and Phil are playing as one person and Monte's using this to propel himself into delivering unique takes every time we start recording. I don't ever think I've seen a 3 piece sound so HUGE! Today we knock out our 3 big rocking songs and start working up some of the ballads.

David Piggott weeps like a baby every time he hears some of Monte's new stuff. Well, actually, it's me. David only cries on the inside! ;) Phil will still keep it funky and solid as a rock. I love this guy! Yesterday we had Janice from Sweethearts of The Rodeo in on the control room couch. I'd like to ask all beautiful women that grace the session in the future to please dress down, they're TOTALLY distracting me and Rob, the engineer.
LOL!! Off to work now, if you can call it that. Can't wait to hear what they're gonna deliver today!

(VC) When I arrived, the boys were suffering from Post Lunch Coma, so coffee was a necessity. As I have apparently been named Vice-President in charge of coffee runs, a special song was penned for me. 

Check it out on Montiacs.com

I’m not sure it was exactly penned, but instead think it was another thing that Monte made up.  Imagine that.  Sounds a bit abusive, don’t you think?  I think they have forgotten who’s boss.

“Can’t Fool Everyone” is first up after lunch and that gets them back in the pocket, as they say.  David’s a bit suspicious about my blogging but he’ll have to read it on the net like everyone else.  No censorship here.  He’s just afraid that I’ll mention his convulsing turtle antics that occur when he’s really hitting his stride.  He was right!  John Billings reports that David has consistently knocked everything out of the park on this record, but of course he’s never satisfied so off he goes to fix the non-existent “problem”.  As he conjures up some Hank Hill, the boys go in to yet another round of studio humor.

Now they are on a roll as Monte announces “Man, I’m awesome”, right on to the next number.

We finish up with “Six String Wooden Friend”, which is pristine as always.

Hi again Folks,

We had such an amazing day,  

Woody, his wife Tammy and her son Trent were in the studio today.  Woody and Tammy are considering relocating to Nashville so I took them on an excursion out in the country to look at a farm for sale.  Woody’s vision is to have a recording studio on the farm and as they are both outdoorsman, the country appeals to them both.  Trent chose to remain in the studio, as he is a guitar player as well, and an amazing guy so they welcomed him there.

I’m going to let him go now as he spent more time today with Monte than I did……….

Today I had a lot of fun. I thought it was a great experience since I’ve never been in a real studio before. While you’re in the studio you have to be extremely quiet but other than that it is really amazing. All the guys in the  studio are really cool and I’ve also had a good experience getting to hang out with them. All and all I had a lot of fun.

Virginia here…… so Trent what was the most surprising thing that happened today?  What was the one thing that made you think?...........

When I assumed that it would be a little more serious. All the guys are havin a lot of fun with everything.

Virginia back again….. we had the pleasure of having Janis of Sweethearts of the Rodeo stop by today…… any thoughts Janis?

Yes…. Janis here…I’d love to make a brief comment… I am a new fan of Monte’s…. and having a fondness for guitar players of high caliber, I can more than appreciate Monte’s other-worldly talent.  Cutting live is not always a guarantee that magic will be in the air, but it’s obviously the case here tonight.  And I get to watch.

Thanks so much to all that got to experience the magic………………………Virginia…talk to you tomorrow.

(MH) I have something to say; David Piggott is a rock god.  Pure and simple.

Hi Folks, 

Day Two, amazing, Moonlight Tango, Everything About You and Weight of the World.  I got in the studio in time to hear the end of Weight of the World and then on to Moonlight Tango.  Truly a joy. 

Today Linwood “Woody” Thompson arrived.  Friend, Fan Extraordinaire, and instrumental in the opportunity to make this record.  He shows up during Moonlight Tango, solo, having flown in from Dallas.  His wife and son are driving in from their home in Atlanta and will arrive shortly now.  Having met them at Work Play in Birmingham, I was delighted to reconnect. 

Woody was telling the story of one of the times he had dinner with Monte, in Boca Raton, and after about 45 minutes he asks Monte “Can I pay you a compliment?”  Monte says “Man, it’s been 45 minutes I’ve been waiting”  Woody replies “You are the second best quad, I’ve ever heard”  Monte says “Quad?  What the hell is that?”  Woody says “You know, “The Quad”…  Singer, Songwriter, Guitar Player, Front Man…Monte says “Yeah, who’s the first?”. Woody -  “I’d have to give that to Paul McCartney”  Monte replies, “Well that’s about the only guy you could name that wouldn’t piss me off” 

I’m going to turn this blog over to Woody as he is bursting with the energy that only being in the same room with Monte brings………………….. 

So I walk into this studio in Nashville to watch Monte perform his magic… the studio is large but amazingly intimate and very cool. I try to blend in but cannot keep the grin off my face when I see Monte and David Piggott in the studio playing Moonlight Tango… and then I realize that Phil Bass is behind the kit… and then the smile grows as I anticipate this reunion. 

One thought that sticks out is how laid back the man behind the soundboard seems… just bobbing his head in tempo and tweaking an occasional dial… I watch this for some time and then at the end of one of the final takes of Moonlight Tango… I hear him say, “The kick drum on the fifth beat of the section after the chorus was late… we need to redo that… And then I realize I am surrounded by pros… wait a minute… was this guy who seemed to just be bobbing his head just say, The kick drum on the fifth beat after the chorus was a bit late”?  These guys are pros. 

Monty Hitchcock:  It’s great to see Woody and his lovely wife Tammy along with their “cool as all get out” son Trent.  There’s a nice air in the studio today.  Sort of an inspired feeling.  Everyone is sworn to secrecy at this point but I can say this; something extraordinary happened in the studio tonight.  That’s all I can say, but I’ll say it again.  Something extraordinary.  Get ready.