Cherry Beat - Recording Sessions (Part Nine - The Band's Eighth Album)

Early - Mid February 1978
The band's 1977 album "A Girl's Mind" had reached #1 in the United Kingdom, as of November 1977. While the album itself was an overwhelming success, the tension between the band members and their producers were increasing.

Peter McDonald was not impressed with Sam Whitby's decision to bring in Riley Ganz as a co-producer for their album "A Girl's Mind". He was also furious with Sam, and Devon O'Connell for letting Riley add percussion overdubs to the band's recordings without letting him, Torquil Dohrn, and Chudley Maron know.

Sam Whitby believed that bringing in Riley as a co-producer was for the best, and that another producer was necessary to freshen the band's recordings. It was his opinion that Chudley Maron needed a break from producing, and to focus more on his role as the band's music supervisor.

Peter fumed and said that he would rather record and produce his own tracks himself, than to have Riley, or his fellow band members screw up his material. And that's when the next course began. The individual band members of Cherry Beat would now have full control over how their songs would be recorded, who would produce them, and how they would be produced.

The recording sessions for the band's eighth album marked the first time, the band members weren't expected to record music solely as a complete band unit. The individual band members no longer felt that they were obliged to partake in all the recordings issued under their name.

Peter McDonald had in-fact recorded his own composition "Think" in 1975 without the involvement from the other band members. But that was only because Peter wanted to replicate the same approach that Paul McCartney had used to record his song "Yesterday" in 1965 while he was still a Beatle.

Although the band members of Cherry Beat weren't always recording together in the studio at the same time, most of the songs recorded for the band's eighth album would feature the participation of at least two members of the band.

15th February 1978
This was the first official recording session for the band's eighth album. Riley Ganz would serve as a co-producer for this recording session, as most of the tracks recorded for the band's eighth album were to be produced or co-produced by a member of the band. On this day Sam Whitby recorded a new composition "You Make Me Shiver" which he'd written himself.

The recording featured only Sam, his wife Amber Whitby, Riley Ganz, and a group of Japanese musicians. But co-producer Riley would later add overdubs to the initial recording. It is the second Cherry Beat composition to reflect the influence of Japanese rock, and use japanese instruments. The first composition was "Ultra-Passion".

23rd February 1978
Devon O'Connell recorded a new composition on this day "Shannon" which he'd written about his girlfriend Esther Lynmore. This day's recording featured only Devon, his girlfriend Esther, Riley Ganz, and a group of session musicians.

However due to a conflict in May later that year, Devon had to bring in Sam Whitby to record overdubs for the track, since it was made illegal for any tracks to be issued under the band's name without the participation of one of the two key band members.

4th March 1978
Torquil Dohrn recorded a new composition on this day "Let Us Ride" which he'd written himself. This day's recording featured only Torquil, his wife Charlotte Dohrn, Chudley Maron, and a group of session musicians. The song was banned from certain radio stations upon discovering the meaning of the song's lyrics.

But due to a conflict in May later that year, Torquil had to bring in Peter McDonald to record overdubs for the track, since it was made illegal for any tracks to be issued under the band's name without the participation of one of the two key band members.

9th March 1978
The band recorded a new composition on this day. "Vision of My Life" which was written by Peter McDonald. This was the first track recorded in 1978 to feature all four members of the band.

10th March 1978
Peter McDonald and Torquil Dohrn respectively record cello and moog synthesizer overdubs for "Vision of My Life".

22nd March 1978
The band recorded two original compositions on this day. "Ambushed" which was written primarily by Peter McDonald, with input from Sam Whitby, and "Kingside" which was written primarily by Sam Whitby, with input from Peter McDonald.

Both band members explained that they had written dozens of songs over the last few years, but there were still plenty of songs that the band had yet to record.

"Ambushed" and "Kingside" were actually supposed to be recorded during the sessions for the band's fifth album, but they'd misplaced one of their songbooks during those sessions.

7th April 1978
The band recorded a new composition on this day. "Mulberry Street" which was written by Sam Whitby. Sam Whitby and Devon O'Connell were the only band members that actively participated in the track's creation.

Peter McDonald and Torquil Dohrn were on separate holidays, but their relationships with Sam and Devon were tense at the time, so it is unknown if either of them would have participated in the recording of the song anyway.

8th April 1978
Sam Whitby records backing vocal and Moog synthesizer overdubs for "Mulberry Street". Riley Ganz records a triangle overdub for the song, and then records a shaker overdub.

21st April 1978
The band recorded a new composition on this day. "Stand with Me" which was written by Peter McDonald. Peter McDonald and Torquil Dohrn were the only band members that actively participated in the track's creation.

Peter and Torquil's relationships with Sam Whitby and Devon O'Connell were tense at the time, which may explain why Sam and Devon did not participate in the recording of the song.

22nd April 1978
Peter McDonald records backing vocal and drums with brush overdubs for "Stand with Me". Torquil Dohrn records baritone saxophone overdubs for the track. Peter, Torquil, and Chudley Maron also record additional handclaps for the song later that day.

1st May 1978
A law was passed, following a recent agreement made by Peter McDonald, Sam Whitby, and Chudley Maron, that made it illegal to release Torquil Dohrn's composition "Let Us Ride", or Devon O'Connell's composition "Shannon" under Cherry Beat's name, because neither of those two tracks featured the participation of Peter McDonald or Sam Whitby who were the leaders of the band.

Torquil was initially upset by this news, because his composition "Let Us Ride" had already received an enthusiastic response from Cherry Beat parties, and was planned for release as the band's next single. But all he and Devon had to do was to get Peter and Sam respectively to record overdubs for their compositions.

Under the supervision of Torquil and Devon, Peter and Sam respectively recorded Moog synthesizer overdubs for "Let Us Ride" and "Shannon".

13th May 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "Rocky Journey" which was primarily a Sam Whitby composition, with input from Peter McDonald.

Torquil Dohrn was absent from this session's recording, so Sam Whitby would play lead guitar on this track.

14th May 1978
Peter McDonald and Sam Whitby respectively record rhythm guitar and electric piano overdubs for "Rocky Journey". Sam also records an additional backing vocal.

15th May 1978
The band members, minus Torquil Dohrn, record and add sound effects to "Rocky Journey".

16th May 1978
Peter McDonald and Sam Whitby respectively record cello and Moog synthesizer overdubs for "Rocky Journey".

17th May 1978
Session musicians Darin Askins and Erich Phong record trumpet overdubs, and Delmer Matousek, Johnathan Martz, Teodoro Orterga, and Wilburn Charboneau record trombone overdubs for "Rocky Journey". This was the final recording session for the song.

27th May 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "Rainbow Walk" which was primarily a Peter McDonald composition, with input from Sam Whitby.

Devon O'Connell was absent from this session's recording, so Peter McDonald would play drums on this track.

28th May 1978
Peter McDonald, Sam Whitby, and Torquil Dohrn respectively record drum kit, electric spinet, and wind machine overdubs for "Rainbow Walk". Peter records an additional backing vocal overdub for the song, and Torquil triple tracks his lead guitar.

29th May 1978
Peter McDonald and Sam Whitby respectively record Moog synthesizer and lead guitar overdubs for "Rainbow Walk". Sam's lead guitar is also triple tracked.

30th May 1978
Session musicians Elisha Bedsole, Patricia Cockrill, Tracey Lessman, and Ned Morphis record cello overdubs, Grady Ashman, Neal Nobriga, and Gonzalo Northup record viola overdubs, and Marcellus Folger and Terrance Bustamante record violin overdubs for "Rainbow Walk". This was the final recording session for the song.

3rd June 1978
Single Release — Let Us Ride / Vision of My Life

7th June 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "Shoot 'Em Up" which was a Torquil Dohrn composition.

Sam Whitby was absent from this session's recording, so Peter McDonald would play rhythm guitar on this track.

9th June 1978
Peter McDonald, Torquil Dohrn, and Devon O'Connell respectively record electric piano, bass guitar, and percussion overdubs for "Shoot 'Em Up".

14th June 1978
The final overdubs are added to "Shoot 'Em Up" on this day. Peter and Devon added tape loops, while Torquil added a clarinet overdub.

23rd June 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "I Love You Girl" which was a Torquil Dohrn composition. Peter McDonald was absent from this session's recording, so Torquil Dohrn would play bass guitar on this track.

As Torquil later stated "At this time, my relationship with Sam Whitby and Devon O'Connell was unpleasantly tense. And without Peter, I decided to request that a couple of outsiders in addition to Chudley Maron supervise the recording sessions for "I Love You Girl". To calm any tension that may arise while I was in the presence of my two band-mates".

27th June 1978
Torquil Dohrn and Devon O'Connell respectively record bass guitar and cowbell overdubs for "I Love You Girl". Torquil's lead vocal is also double tracked.

9th July 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "She Hangs In" which was a Torquil Dohrn composition.

Overall, the tension within the band was slightly better than before, but still present. It had gotten to the point where the band no longer enjoyed recording music together.

12th July 1978
Riley Ganz perfects his wall and sound, and percussion technique for "You Make Me Shiver" on this day. Session musicians Tracey Lessman, Ned Morphis and Dallas Guertin contributed cello overdubs. Grady Ashman and Neal Nobriga contributed violas. Bennie Mourer, Taylor Stgermain, and Coleman Lovell respectively contributed cymbals, wood block, and tambourine.

17th July 1978
Riley Ganz perfects his wall and sound, and percussion technique for "Shannon" on this day. Session musicians Tracey Lessman, Ned Morphis and Dallas Guertin contributed cello overdubs. Grady Ashman and Neal Nobriga contributed violas. Bennie Mourer, Taylor Stgermain, and Coleman Lovell respectively contributed cymbals, wood block, and tambourine.

25th July 1978
Torquil Dohrn, Riley Ganz, and session musicians Wiley Stancill and Ricky Stanbery respectively record alto saxophone, percussion, baritone saxophone, and tenor saxophone overdubs for "Kingside". Sam Whitby's lead vocal is also double tracked.

27th July 1978
Riley Ganz adds percussion overdubs to "Ambushed" on this day. Peter McDonald's lead vocal is also double tracked.

6th August 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "If I Lost Your Love" which was a joint effort between Peter McDonald and Sam Whitby.

9th August 1978
Torquil Dohrn, and session musicians Wiley Stancill and Ricky Stanbery respectively add alto, baritone, and tenor saxophone overdubs to "If I Lost Your Love".

12th August 1978
Riley Ganz perfects his wall and sound, and percussion technique for "If I Lost Your Love" on this day. Session musicians Tracey Lessman, Ned Morphis and Dallas Guertin contributed cello overdubs. Grady Ashman and Neal Nobriga contributed violas. Bennie Mourer, Taylor Stgermain, and Coleman Lovell respectively contributed cymbals, wood block, and percussion.

18th August 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "Treasure Hunt" which was primarily a Sam Whitby composition, with input from Peter McDonald.

26th August 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "At the Station" which was primarily a Peter McDonald composition, with input from Sam Whitby.

4th September 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "The United States of America are Getting High" which was primarily a Peter McDonald composition, with input from Sam Whitby.

Although Peter claimed that the song was about certain people in the United States of America thinking that they were better than foreign countries of the English language, the song was banned from many radio stations because of it's sexually suggestive lyrics, and supposed drug references.

In many parts of the world, the title of the song was shortened to "'Getting High" to reduce offence from American buyers.

10th September 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "Vicky-Li" which was a Sam Whitby composition. This was one of the last songs to be recorded during the sessions for the band's eighth album. However it was recorded instead for the band's ninth album. A slightly different mix with the same instrumentation was featured as a bonus track on the 1995 Compact Disc reissue of Rocky Road.

Between the 1978 stereo mix that was released as a bonus track on the 1995 reissue of Rocky Road, and the 1979 stereo mix that was released on Drink Up, there isn't much of a difference, except the alto-saxophone, trumpet, and oboe riff played by session musicians Darin Askins, Bob Brannon, Horace Voris, Wilburn Charboneau, Rafael Branum, and Raphael Carnegie is more restrained on the 1978 stereo mix.

While Lacy Gram, Erich Phong, and Dominick Stowell's respective alto-saxophone, trumpet, and oboe playing which is distinguished from the riff played by the other saxophonists, oboists, and trumpeters is less restrained on the 1978 stereo mix.

19th September 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "Liquor Lords" which was a Peter McDonald composition. It is the first Cherry Beat song to reflect the influence of Australian pub rock.

29th September 1978
The band recorded an original composition on this day. "I'm Touched By Your Love" which was a Sam Whitby composition. It is the third Cherry Beat song to reflect the influence of Japanese rock. This was the last song to be recorded during the sessions for the band's eighth album. However it was recorded instead for the band's ninth album. A slightly different mix with the same instrumentation was featured as a bonus track on the 1995 Compact Disc reissue of Rocky Road.

Between the 1978 stereo mix that was released as a bonus track on the 1995 reissue of Rocky Road, and the 1979 stereo mix that was released on Drink Up, there isn't much of a difference, except the Japanese instrumentation - not counting the Shime-daiko played by Devon O'Connell - is more restrained on the 1978 stereo mix while the other instrumentation including Devon's Shime-daiko playing is less restrained.

Other differences are that the 1979 stereo mix is sped up by 5 seconds, changing the duration from 4:00 to 3:55. It also has a gradual fade-out despite the fact that the song already had an obvious ending which can still be heard even over the fade. The 1978 stereo mix is slightly different as it plays at the proper speed though it has a sharper ending resulting in a duration of 3:55 rather than it's natural duration of 4:00.

13th October 1978
Album release — Rocky Road