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.

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.