Here’s a follow-up to our post on Thursday about Doyle Lawson and his Quicksilver brethren recording with Paul Simon for his next CD.
Carol Beaugard called after her show on Friday with Doyle Lawson to share a bit more about what he had to say about his time in the studio with Simon last week. We also heard from Suzanne Lawson, Doyle’s wife (known as “Sister” to insiders) who had accompanied the band to the sessions.
Carol had pre-recorded an interview with Doyle and the guys the day before they tracked with Simon in New Jersey, and decided to include a second live interview by phone at the end of Friday’s (3/26) show to find out more.
“Doyle said that he had never in all of his years working with so many legends and musicians been so impressed as he was working with Paul Simon. He said that Paul was down-to-earth, one of the guys… but no there was no mistaking that he was in charge and knew what he was doing. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he was describing it.
He even said that with all he has done in 31 years in the business, he feels that this was the high water mark of his career.”
Suzanne, who sent along these studio photos, also described Simon as warm and approachable.
“Our youngest daughter, Kristi, sent her box set of Paul Simon CDs for an autograph. Doyle asked [producer] Phil Ramone if Paul would mind, and he said absolutely not. When we were about finished, I asked Paul if he would autograph it for Kristi. He asked the spelling of her name and personalized it for her. She had been to see him with Bob Dylan several years ago in Raleigh, but as you know, only in bluegrass music do you get close enough for an autograph.
Paul couldn’t have been nicer and even ate lunch with us, moving down the table across from Doyle when he was through. He wanted to talk politics! It was very interesting.”
Beaugard told me that Doyle was impressed by the way everything went down in the studio.
“Quicksilver played on 3 tracks, and sang on 2. He said that the recording process was so different – very challenging.
Rather than start a song from the beginning, Simon would start at the end and have them sing with the scratch vocal on a loop. This was their rehearsal and Paul suddenly said, ‘lets try one.’
When Paul said ‘we got it,’ Doyle was surprised, but then after thinking about it, realized that it was a very efficient way to get the vocals done quickly.”
You can hear her entire March 26 show, with both Doyle Lawson interviews, online.
Suzanne also reminded me that Doyle’s new Gospel CD, Light On My Feet, Ready To Fly, will be officially released tomorrow, March 30, on Horizon Records.
She has copies ready to ship from the Doyle Lawson online store, and it will be available everywhere bluegrass and Gospel music are sold.
“We feel God had his hand in this recording because Doyle was down to the wire, and this was the second fastest CD he has ever recorded in his many CD recordings with DL&Q.”
