CJ Vanston is one of the most gifted and diversified musicians I have met in my Hollywood decades. He’s a composer, keyboardist, bandleader, engineer, producer, and he also knows where to find the best restaurants.
This year, Spinal Tap re-recorded their entire first album, This Is Spinal Tap, with additional new songs and a DVD, at The Village in Los Angeles, with Vanston producing and ace engineer Ed Cherney recording what must be one of the most anticipated juggernauts of comedy music mayhem ever conceived! Back From the Dead is out June 16, 2009.
Pictured (L-R) are CJ Vanston, David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls.
BONZAI: What is the biggest mistake of Spinal Tap’s career?
VANSTON: Letting Marty DiBergi do that hatchet job of a movie, This is Spinal Tap. The album was a bit of a hatchet job also, that is why the band is finally re-recording it, the way it was originally visualized. My job is to realize what was visualized, to visualize what wasn’t realized.
BONZAI: How do you get that massive drum sound?
VANSTON: We have a massive drummer, Skippy Skuffleton. We really tried to fatten him up for this record. He lives in a motor home that he parks outside the studio, and we send Mexican food out to him at regimented intervals. Of course it takes a special engineer to capture the sheer violence when Skippy is trying to finish the track to make a run for the loo. That would be Ed Cherney, the only guy Skippy will let closer than 10 feet to his drums.
Much more of this interview, as well as a chat with the members of Tap will appear in the June issue of Mix magazine. We’ll also have two short films of my interview with Vanston and the Tap. Stay tuned for details.
You will find more bits of this interview at my Berkleemusic Blog. Click HERE.
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