Page 78 - The Westerner Magazine Halloween 2018
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well. “It’s Nice To Be Around” is the song to do.” Within a minute and a half, he was
on the album I’m most proud of. ready to record the finals. He wasn’t the first
person to be intimidated by the size of that
It’s really a very straightforward album. recording studio. The control rooms were
It’s really no different to any of his other intimidating too. These places looked like
regular albums. the Star Trek control room.
Yep. No hit singles. His love was to hit the Johnny Mathis had no input whatsoever?
golf course. He liked to perform a little bit,
although he was terribly shy in those days, Nope. D'Arneill Pershing told me, “Thing
and make those quick albums. We had no for you to know about John Mathis is that
creative control. I had zero. The only thing he’s not Tony Bennett. Tony Bennett wants
that was different was that when it was time creative control and wants to experiment.
for him to do his final vocals where he sang John just wants to sing what you give him
live with the orchestra, he couldn’t hit it. He and go back to the golf course.” I think he
came to me in the control room. “How can I recorded them all in one night and just came
help?” I said. “I’ve had something like back for one re-record.
seventeen producers over the years and I’m
just not feeling it,” he said. This was studio Well, thank you for this great interview,
B at RCA’s music center and it was a John. It’s been a pleasure spending time
gigantic room. Like a gymnasium. He’s got with you.
a new engineer, he knows D'Arneill You’re welcome. It’s been great.
Pershing, and there’s me who he barely
knows. We had only met briefly when we
went over the songs we would be recording.
He was uncomfortable. In his case, I said,
“Just for fun, take off the headset and I’m
going to put a radio speaker out there. Sing
along with the speaker while we decide what
