The Road We've Taken (Pt 1)
Well I guess if we're gonna have a blog tab on the website then we ought to populate it with something.
But where to begin? And what to include?
We figured it'd be kind of fun to create a diary of the Raw Silk journey. It's been a really interesting one for all of those involved whether they're still part of it or have moved onto other things and we really wanted to have it recorded somewhere to look back on. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading it too and we'd love it if you sent in questions or suggestions for content you'd like added.
A lot of advice suggests that when you are beginning a blog you just start writing and things will gradually fall into place so let's get things started with something simple - the lyrics (available here) from the 1st Raw Silk album - SILK UNDER THE SKIN - and a bit of trivia about the tracks and recording of it.
Beginning with track one....
SECOND ADVENT: have you ever thought that the intro to this is a bit bare? Well that's down to the fact that the 2nd rhythm guitar track was inexplicably lost somewhere between the recording and mixing sessions. As there wasn't time to re-record it the decision was made to go ahead and finish the album without it. Presumably it was accidentally erased in a momentary lapse of concentration which is not surprising when you consider that a lot of the mixing was being done through the night - grabbing studio time when it was available - usually between 10pm and 6am! Raw Silk drummer and composer Kostas Kyriakidis remembers often falling asleep in the studio and waking to find awesome producer Kostas Kalimeris of Prism Studio, Athens and Black Rock Studios, Santorini still bent over the mixing desk hard at work twiddling the knobs like the true, dedicated professional he is.
JOURNEY OF NO RETURN: we reckon the intro to this one makes up for any potential lack in the previous track. Lights were inexplicably flashing on and off in the studio during the after hours mixing session of this. Spooooky!
Backing vocalist on the recent The Borders of Light album, Stephanie Fowler says -
"It really gives me chills and is up there with my other favourite amazing track openers Dire Straits' Money for Nothing and Duran Duran's Rio. I first heard it during the live reunion gig in Club 22 Athens in 2005 where it was played as the band entered the stage. I actually thought it was a new piece Kostas had composed specially for the gig as it had such a contemporary sound and feel to it."
It's on youtube via this link in case you fancy a listen.
Speaking of live gigs, we're in the midst of preparing for the one on February 24th 2018 at Modu Club Athens where we'll be introducing the new album The Borders of Light and considering which tracks to include from Silk Under the Skin. We'd love to know which, if any, songs you'd consider to be a 'must'. Or maybe we'll have time to do the full complement of both albums!
NEXT TIME we'll say a bit about how the first line up of the band came about for the album plus some background to the next couple of tracks from it
IRENE and the classic ballad HEROES DON'T CRY.