I’d been anticipating recording another album for more than a year. I’d been looking forward to working in Nashville my whole life. I have always been fascinated by the sound of the records made in Nashville. Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, Neil Young’s Harvest and R.E.M.’s Document were all albums that had a great sound, andContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 12 by Steve Louw”
Category Archives: Steve Louw
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 11 by Steve Louw
Pat Thrall called me from Atlanta in September 2003, where he was working with Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart. They were coming to Cape Town and wanted to record with local musicians, in preparation for an album and concert to raise funds and global awareness to help fight the AIDS tragedy. I knew Dave Stewart as aContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 11 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 10 by Steve Louw
It felt like my nervous system had been flayed from my body, stripped bare and draped over my shoulders, that I had been recalled and rearranged. The world stopped turning in November 2001. My mother had died in a violent attack in her garden in Cape Town, and it felt as though I couldn’t speak. IContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 10 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 9 by Steve Louw
Rodriguez arriving in Cape Town, 2nd March 1998 Rodriguez walked into the UCA rehearsal studio in Cape Town, grinning, looking fit and healthy, despite having just got off of a flight from Detroit, leaving the freezing winter behind him. It was the 5th of March 1998, the day before the first show of Rodriguez’ sold-outContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 9 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 8 by Steve Louw
I was back in Brooklyn Recording, in early 1997, and the room felt familiar. We were tracking the songs that would become the album, one of which was “Going Down with Mister Green”, and the band that played on Horizon was back in the groove. We were friends, and I was getting used to producing. I figured it wasContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 8 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 7 by Steve Louw
“What are we doing, a polka thing?” Scott Crago laughed as he breezed past me into the studio. With long blonde hair and Southern Californian surfer vibe, he looked the part for the gig he had just landed as the Eagles’ drummer for their reunion tour. It was May 1994, and I was in BrooklynContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 7 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 6 by Steve Louw
It was past midnight when Jimmy Iovine and The Edge walked into the studio where we were mixing “Waiting for the Dawn”. He was producing Rattle and Hum with U2, and they were recording guitar in the room next door. The studio sheet showed that “MaWayJa” was in with Shelly Yakus, and they wanted toContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 6 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 5 by Steve Louw
Tony Visconti wore leather pants, his greying hair slicked back. I was straight out of two years of smoky, sweaty clubs and other dives. He was straight out of stardom, working with David Bowie. I had been asked by my record label to look after him during his trip to Johannesburg to record local stars,ContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 5 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 4 by Steve Louw
It was Kevin’s 25th birthday and he was leaving South Africa for Australia. He had hired Rita’s, a big underground club, and all of the artists with whom Kevin had made records were playing. We had just finished the second All Night Radio album, and Tim Parr of Ella Mental had come in and playedContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 4 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 3 by Steve Louw
Little Steven – Voice Of America It was a hot summer in 1984 in Johannesburg when Little Steven (aka Miami Steve van Zandt) looked straight into my eyes through the lens of my camera. He was listening to the live recording of my band, All Night Radio, and I could see he was into it.ContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 3 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 2 by Steve Louw
All Night Radio (early 80’s) with Steve Louw (centre) AUGUST 1981: The Stones’ ‘Start Me Up’ echoed off every wall, and blared out of every cab window and shop door in the hot August weather in New York City. Their groove and the pulse of the city seemed to be superimposed, laying down a thickContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 2 by Steve Louw”
The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 1 by Steve Louw
MARCH 2020: It’s a cold winter Sunday morning in Nashville, Tennessee. We stopped next to the big black idling tour bus parked outside the studio. Joe Bonamassa climbed down grinning, wearing his trademark baseball cap and hoodie, carrying his Les Paul and a small vintage Fender Deluxe amp. Joe Bonamassa, Nashville, TN, March 2020. LayingContinueContinue reading “The Cold Facts…. A Journey On The Road Ahead, part 1 by Steve Louw”
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