Billion Dollar Babies ( album )

[pitkin88]

Amazing piece of work. Couple of questions:

1) The so called Superstar Jam. Where you there for that and if so what do you remember? By all accounts it was a drunken mess. I remember Michael saying Nillson was an ass hole. How did you find Bolan, Donovan etc. Also did you ever hear what was recorded.

2) I Love The Dead was a song written by Dick Wagner and bought by Bob and Alice. Was it presented as a completed song? Did Wagner write the music and lyrics? Or did Alice write the lyrics.

3) Unfinished Suite had an unused piece that I love that can only be found on the back of the Slick Black Limousine flexi. It's the " have you ever had gassss before " segment. Any idea why it was removed from th final version? The album is I think the longest band album. Time constraint maybe?

4) Where you present in the studio when Wagner and Hunter played their solos? Also How did you feel about it not being Glen.

5) How easy was it to adjust to Bob Dolin and Mick Mashbir joining the band for the live shows?

Thanks again and more to come!

[Dreary]

I was at the super jam. I was playing until Rick Grech of Blind Faith showed up and then I handed my bass to him. Yes, for two days both Harry and Keith Moon kept barging in and disrupting our session. They were so drunk they could barely walk. Moon couldn't play but Harry still managed to sing and play. The recording sounds more like a loud rowdy pub with dirty jokes and lyrics flying every which way.
The highlight was Bolan playing "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" with Flo and Eddie singing background like they had on the record.
Wagner and I sat face to face while I worked out my bass parts for his song "I Love the Dead". I had also written songs that I felt I should have gotten co-writing credit for "Billion Dollar Babies" and "Desperado" but the pace was blistering fast and if you blinked you missed the boat. I'm fine with it.
I'd have to hear the missing segment from "Unfinished Suite" but it wasn't omitted for the running time of the album. Our songs were forever evolving and many ideas fell by the wayside. That one just happened to be recorded. If we had run a tape recorder during rehearsals, you would hear hundreds of wayside parts.
Wagner and Hunter are exceptional guitar players but since the very beginning Glen's fiery attitude was a main element of our music and our image. But Glen's excessive drinking caused him to have occasional unproductive days, and our schedule had no time to spare.
Mick Mashbir was a long time friend. By that time, our recordings had so many overdubs that we felt the need for another guitar and keys. Bob Dolan was actually a guitar player that played keys. He had perfect pitch and could sing the high parts. The extra musicians added a sophistication that we felt was suitable for the Billion Dollar Babies concept. Having Mick and Bob also allowed us more leeway for our stage antics.

[steven_crayn]

I'd have to hear the missing segment from "Unfinished Suite" but it wasn't omitted for the running time of the album. Our songs were forever evolving and many ideas fell by the wayside. That one just happened to be recorded. If we had run a tape recorder during rehearsals, you would hear hundreds of wayside parts.

Here it is https://vimeo.com/379233843

[pitkin88]

I'd have to hear the missing segment from "Unfinished Suite" but it wasn't omitted for the running time of the album. Our songs were forever evolving and many ideas fell by the wayside. That one just happened to be recorded. If we had run a tape recorder during rehearsals, you would hear hundreds of wayside parts.

Here it is https://vimeo.com/379233843

Thank you for posting that!

[mestreech]

I'd have to hear the missing segment from "Unfinished Suite" but it wasn't omitted for the running time of the album. Our songs were forever evolving and many ideas fell by the wayside. That one just happened to be recorded. If we had run a tape recorder during rehearsals, you would hear hundreds of wayside parts.

Here it is https://vimeo.com/379233843

Indeed very special, thanks.

[Dreary]

That reminds me that when I was recording that Fuzz-Wah section in "Unfinished Suite" someone barged into the studio. It was very hard to maintain my focus because I thought it was Harry and Moon again. It wasn't them. It was someone else that realized I was recording so they stood still and remained quiet.

[pitkin88]

Here is a very short but cool clip of Donovan talking about Billion Dollar Babies the song.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3R9jmCVgads

Where you there when he cut his vocal and if so what do you remember about it?

[Dreary]

Here is a very short but cool clip of Donovan talking about Billion Dollar Babies the song.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3R9jmCVgads

Where you there when he cut his vocal and if so what do you remember about it?

I was in the studio control room when Glen was playing "Billion Dollar Babies" on Donovan's purple acoustic guitar with the crescent moon sound hole while Bob and Alice went over who would be singing what in the song. Donovan was very attentive and picked it up quickly. And then they moved into the studio face to face on the same microphone. That's when Donovan surprised everyone when he cut loose with his powerful high voice. It didn't take long for them to record the track.