09-22-2016, 05:45 PM
Man, some great questions written in this thread. I'd love to see them all answered.
Gord Sinclair: You are responsible for penning the Hip's first "hit", Smalltown Bringdown, in addition to possibly the band's most requested B-side, Get Back Again. Did you stop writing lyrics in the late 1980's or have you continued to compile song lyrics all these years, just waiting for a vehicle to release them? Will we ever see a Gord Sinclair solo album?
Paul (an extension of Dana's question): Your background vocals are an essential part of many Hip songs. Do you contribute the words to these or is all background vocal writing also the domain of Gord Downie? Do you and Gord ever vocally riff back and forth in the studio while trying to create the right sound combination? Can you describe the process of coming up with great background vocals?
Rob: You mentioned during an interview conducted at the time of the MMP album release that In a World Possessed was not the consensus first single and that Gord Downie campaigned on that song's behalf against the rest of the band's first choice, Machine. The Hip has always been a democracy (or at least Gord Downie has been a benevolent dictator!) and it is no doubt difficult to get five people pulling in the same direction. Is there a particular song in your catalogue that you remember being a very divisive inclusion on an album, maybe one that you felt very passionate about and had to fight hard to have it included on an album?
Anyone: Metallica has always talked about the riffs they collect, usually numbering in the hundreds, before recording an album. I'm wondering if the band has a treasure trove of guitar riffs recorded and saved somewhere or does the band tend to flesh out the guitar parts into lengthier pieces before deciding whether it is worth working up into a full song. Do members of the band record song ideas on a regular basis when the muse strikes (e.g. on your phone) or is writing a more forced and dedicated effort?
Anyone: Saskadelphia was the reported original title for Road Apples and was subsequently changed at the record label's behest. Are their any other creative decisions, particularly early on in your career, where you had to fight the suits in order to maintain what you felt was your artistic integrity?
Gord Sinclair: You are responsible for penning the Hip's first "hit", Smalltown Bringdown, in addition to possibly the band's most requested B-side, Get Back Again. Did you stop writing lyrics in the late 1980's or have you continued to compile song lyrics all these years, just waiting for a vehicle to release them? Will we ever see a Gord Sinclair solo album?
Paul (an extension of Dana's question): Your background vocals are an essential part of many Hip songs. Do you contribute the words to these or is all background vocal writing also the domain of Gord Downie? Do you and Gord ever vocally riff back and forth in the studio while trying to create the right sound combination? Can you describe the process of coming up with great background vocals?
Rob: You mentioned during an interview conducted at the time of the MMP album release that In a World Possessed was not the consensus first single and that Gord Downie campaigned on that song's behalf against the rest of the band's first choice, Machine. The Hip has always been a democracy (or at least Gord Downie has been a benevolent dictator!) and it is no doubt difficult to get five people pulling in the same direction. Is there a particular song in your catalogue that you remember being a very divisive inclusion on an album, maybe one that you felt very passionate about and had to fight hard to have it included on an album?
Anyone: Metallica has always talked about the riffs they collect, usually numbering in the hundreds, before recording an album. I'm wondering if the band has a treasure trove of guitar riffs recorded and saved somewhere or does the band tend to flesh out the guitar parts into lengthier pieces before deciding whether it is worth working up into a full song. Do members of the band record song ideas on a regular basis when the muse strikes (e.g. on your phone) or is writing a more forced and dedicated effort?
Anyone: Saskadelphia was the reported original title for Road Apples and was subsequently changed at the record label's behest. Are their any other creative decisions, particularly early on in your career, where you had to fight the suits in order to maintain what you felt was your artistic integrity?