Tag Archives: Axis

Michael McDonald: Take It To Heart

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On May 15, 1990, “Reprise” label released “Take It to Heart”, the third Michael McDonald studio album. It was recorded in 1989, at “A&M” in Hollywood, “Can-Am” in Tarzana, “Smoketree Ranch” in Chatworth, “One on One” in Hollywood, “Axis” in New York City, and was produced by Ted Templeman, Michael McDonald, Don Was, David Gamson and Gardner Cole.

Personnel:

  • Michael McDonald – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Peter Leinheiser – synthesizer programming and sequencing, guitars
  • Michael Hanna – keyboards, synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • John Tesh – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Don Was – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Michael Mason – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Gardner Cole – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • David Gamson – synthesizer programming and sequencing
  • Bernie Chiaravalle – guitars, sitar
  • Michael Landau – guitars 
  • Charles Frichtel – bass
  • Abraham Laboriel – bass, acoustic guitar
  • George Perilli – drums
  • Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion, African log drum
  • Debra Dobkin – congas
  • Paulinho da Costa – percussion
  • Terry McMillan – percussion, backing vocals
  • Vince Denham – saxophone and solo
  • Kirk Whalum – saxophone
  • Stan Getz – saxophone
  • Paul Riser – string arrangements
  • Brian McKnight – backing vocals
  • Chuck Sabatino – backing vocals
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – backing vocals
  • Harry Bowens – backing vocals
  • David Lasley – backing vocals
  • Kathy Walker – backing vocals
  • Amy Holland – backing vocals
  • David Pack – backing vocals
  • Maureen McDonald – backing vocals
  • Ed Cherney, Jeff Hendricksen, Ross Pallone, Bob Schaper – engineer
  • Ed Goodreau, Bob Schaper, Brian Schuble – additional engineering
  • Elaine Anderson, Michael Douglass, Lori Fumar, John Jackson, Rob Jaczko, Calvin Loser, Michael Mason, Eric Rudd, Scott Symington, Michael Tacci, Toby Wright – engineer assistant
  • Shep Pettibone – remix
  • George Marino – mastering
  • Martyn Atkins – art direction
  • Andy Earl – photography
  • Joan Parker – production coordinator

Track listing:

  1. All We Got – Peter Leinheiser, Michael McDonald
  2. Get the World Started – Michael McDonald, David Pack
  3. Love Can Break Your Heart – Paul Carrack, Michael McDonald
  4. Take it to the Heart – Michael McDonald, Diane Warren
  5. Tear It Up – Gardner Cole, Seth Swirsky
  6. Lonely Talk – Michael McDonald, Chuck Sabatino
  7. Searchin’ for Understanding – Darrell Brown, Michael McDonald
  8. Homeboy – Michael McDonald, Ed Sanford
  9. No Amount of Reason – Michael McDonald, George Hawkins
  10. One Step Away – Chris Thompson, Tom Whitlock
  11. You Show Me – Harry Garfield, Michael McDonald

Pet Shop Boys: Bilingual

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Pet_Shop_Boys_-_Bilingual

On September 2, 1996, “Parlaphone” label released “Bilingual”, the tenth Pet Shop Boys album. It was recorded 1995 – 1996, at “Bunk Junk & Genius”, “Sarm West”, “Sarm Hook End” in London; “Axis”, “Bass Hit” in New York City; “The State House of Broadcasting and Sound Recording” in Moscow, and was produced by Pet Shop Boys, Chris Porter, Danny Tenaglia and K-Klass.

Personnel:

  • Neil Tennant – vocals
  • Chris Lowe – keyboards
  • Hugh Burns – guitar
  • J. Belle– guitar
  • Johnny Marr– guitar, additional vocals
  • Greg Bone – guitar
  • Aidan McGoran – additional guitar
  • Sylvia Mason-James– vocals
  • Ritchie Birkett – keyboards
  • Pete Dao – keyboards
  • Pete Dao – keyboards
  • Eddie Montilla – additional keyboards
  • SheBoom – drums, percussion
  • Robin Jones – percussion
  • Davide Giovanni, Joseph De Jesus, Weston Foster, Lino Rocha – additional vocals
  • Trevor Henry/The Ignorants – scratching, additional keyboards
  • Kevin Robinson, Bud Beadle, Fayyaz Virji – brass
  • Andy Hamilton– saxophone
  • Mike Innes, Noel Langley, Richard Sidell, Andy Hamilton– brass
  • Chris Cameron – additional keyboards, string arrangement, conductor
  • Andy Duncan – drums, percussion
  • Sheboom – drums, percussion
  • Robin Jones – additional percussion
  • Oli Savill and Lilliana Chacian – percussion
  • Danny Tenaglia and Louie ‘Balo’ Guzman – drum programming
  • Alyosha Zolotukhin – choir arrangement
  • Graeme Perkins – choir co-ordinator
  • Victor Popov – choir director
  • The Choral Academy of Moscow – choir
  • Barbara Tucker, Karen Bernodand Carole Sylvan – additional vocals
  • Katie Kissoon– additional vocals
  • Danny Tenaglia, Louie ‘Balo’ Guzman – drum programming
  • Phil Pagano – programming
  • Simon Cotsworth – programming
  • Pete Gleadall – programming
  • Pete Gleadall – programming
  • Sylvia Mason-James – additional vocals
  • Katie, Kisson, Davide Giovanni, Joseph De Jesus, Weston Foster, Lino Rocha – additional vocals
  • Vanessa Ichak – Banji girl vocals
  • Alyosha Zolotukhin – choir arrangement
  • Graeme Perkins – choir co-ordinator
  • Victor Popov – choir director
  • The Choral Academy of Moscow – choir
  • Throusers Enthusiasts – additional production
  • Richard Niles – orchestra arrangement, conductor
  • Steva Rodway/Motiv8 – additional production
  • Mark Farrow Design – design
  • Chris Heath, José Cea, Andy Earl – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.

  1. Discoteca
  2. Single-Bilingual
  3. Metamorphosis
  4. Electricity
  5. Se a vida é (That’s the Way Life Is)
  6. It Always Comes as a Surprise
  7. A Red Letter Day
  8. Up Against It
  9. The Survivors
  10. Before
  11. To Step Aside
  12. Saturday Night Forever

Depeche Mode: Violator

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Depeche_Mode_-_Violator

On March 19, 1990, “Mute” label released “Violator”, the seventh Depeche Mode studio album. It was recorded May 1989 – January 1990, at “Logic Studios” in Milan, “Pukrecording Studios” in Gjerlev (Denmark), “The Church” and “Master Rock Studios” in London, “Axis” in New York, and was produced by Flood, Dave Gahan, Alan Wilder and Martin Gore. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 342 on its list of the “500 greatest albums of all time” and on number 57 on its list of “100 best albums of the nineties”.

Personnel:

  • Dave Gahan – vocals
  • Martin Gore – keyboards, synthesizers
  • Alan Wilder – synthesizers
  • Alan Gregorie – engineer
  • Goh Hotoda – engineer
  • Peter Iversen – engineer
  • Dennis Mitchell – engineer
  • Pino Pischetola – engineer
  • Phil Legg – engineer
  • Steve Lyon – engineer
  • Dick Meaney – engineer assistant
  • Daryl Bamonte – engineer assistant
  • David Browne – engineer assistant
  • Mark Flannery – engineer assistant
  • Flood– mixing
  • François Kevorkian– mixing
  • Daniel Miller– mixing
  • Area – sleeve
  • Anton Corbijn– sleeve

Track listing:

All tracks by Martin Gore.

  1. World in My Eyes
  2. Sweetest Perfection
  3. Personal Jesus
  4. Halo
  5. Waiting for the Night
  6. Enjoy the Silence / Interlude Crucified
  7. Policy of Truth
  8. Blue Dress / Interlude
  9. Clean