‘Calling out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?’
The year is 1985. Picture this: I’m inside Westside Studios in Holland Park, London, perched in the control room behind a massive SSL mixing desk. Just ten feet away, the legendary Mick Jagger is unleashing that iconic line from Martha Reeves and The Vandellas’ Motown classic, ‘Dancing In The Street’. It marks a year and a day since I landed my dream job in a professional recording studio – a monumental leap from my previous role in a makeshift studio in my dad’s Hampshire cowshed. The sheer luck of it all is still sinking in. And incredibly, David Bowie is up next to sing!
The day began unusually early at David Bowie’s request – 9 am, hardly a typical rock ‘n’ roll start time. We had already laid down the brilliant backing track for ‘Absolute Beginners’, the title song for the movie of the same name (starring Bowie himself). The session was proving to be remarkably productive and successful. My bosses, renowned producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (known for their work with Madness, Dexys Midnight Runners, Elvis Costello, and Lloyd Cole And The Commotions, among others), were overseeing the soundtrack for ‘Absolute Beginners’. Bowie had been a regular presence at Westside Studios for some time during this project.
Around midday, whispers began circulating that Mick Jagger was expected at the studio. The rumour was that he was coming to collaborate with Bowie, potentially ‘to do something with Bowie for Live Aid’, as someone mentioned. Then, at approximately 1 pm, a percussionist arrived, confirming, ‘I’m here for the Bowie/Jagger session.’ ‘What?!’ I thought, my mind racing. I had envisioned Jagger’s visit as a simple radio recording with Bowie – perhaps a spoken word piece like, ‘I’m David Bowie’, ‘I’m Mick Jagger’, ‘Please donate to Live Aid!’ The idea of recording a brand new track hadn’t even crossed my mind. Bowie, meanwhile, remained tight-lipped about the surprise collaboration, though I suspect he had already briefed Clive and Alan, instructing them to keep it under wraps. Shortly after, two backing singers arrived, also announcing, ‘We’re here for the Bowie, Jagger session!’ The studio atmosphere was electric with anticipation.
Around 5 or 6 pm, Bowie finally announced a temporary halt to our work on ‘Absolute Beginners’. ‘Mick Jagger’s arriving in about an hour,’ he revealed, ‘and we’re going to record a song for Live Aid.’ He produced a cassette tape and handed it to one of the band members, instructing, ‘Here you go lads, learn this.’ The cassette label simply read ‘Dancing In The Streets’.
The band assembled for this impromptu session consisted of Neil Conti on drums, the late, great Matthew Seligman on bass, Kevin Armstrong on guitar, and Steve Nieve on piano. They quickly retreated to the live room with the cassette player, huddled together, listening intently and figuring out their parts. I vividly remember Neil Conti, stepping up as the de facto bandleader, efficiently directing everyone’s focus.
Suddenly, the studio started filling up with more people. Producers of the ‘Absolute Beginners’ film and other movie industry figures, who hadn’t shown much interest previously, suddenly found the music-making process fascinating. Word of Jagger’s imminent arrival had clearly spread. In stark contrast to the preceding weeks working on the soundtrack, the studio was now buzzing with extra bodies.
By the time Mick Jagger actually walked in, I counted at least 13 people crowded at the back of the control room, including a few children. I wondered if Jagger would be put off by the unexpected audience, but he took it in stride. He entered, perhaps momentarily surprised by the scene, but immediately got down to business. He had brought his daughter, Jade, with him.
It became immediately clear that Mick Jagger’s mind was perpetually connected to music. As the band played through sections of the song, stopping occasionally to discuss arrangements, Mick was in constant motion. Even mid-conversation, whenever the music played, he couldn’t help but dance – all while continuing the discussion. His enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself thinking, ‘I want to be Mick Jagger’s mate!’
It wasn’t long before the band felt ready to perform. Mick, David, and the two backing vocalists, Tessa Niles and Helena Springs, were guided to a communal recording booth, separating them from the rest of the band.
They launched into the first take. The extended drum intro initially sounded slightly unusual. Bowie must have instructed the band to include a specific number of drum bars before the main song structure began. Interestingly, on this first take, neither Mick nor David sang during this extended intro – perhaps they were still finalizing who would sing which parts.
It was exhilarating to witness the entire band and vocalists performing live together in the studio. This approach was becoming increasingly rare, especially in the 1980s, when recording techniques were becoming far more clinical and segmented. They delivered two fantastic takes, and then came into the control room to listen back. After hearing both, everyone agreed that the first take captured the best energy and ‘vibe’.
The decision was made to re-record the vocals. This wasn’t due to any performance issues, but because the singers were all in the same room, resulting in vocal ‘bleed’ onto each other’s microphones. While this was standard practice in recording during the 1960s and earlier, it would have complicated the mixing process with modern techniques. The backing singers stepped up first and quickly laid down their vocal parts with professional precision.
Next, it was Mick’s turn. True to form, Mick approached his vocal performance as if he were commanding a packed Madison Square Garden. Witnessing this legendary performer up close was truly captivating. Alan Winstanley entrusted me with the responsibility of recording Mick’s vocals, placing me directly in Jagger’s line of sight! Talk about pressure!
Mick powered through two takes. The live room was dimly lit, and he would occasionally disappear from view as he strutted and moved around the room between lines, only to reappear perfectly on cue to deliver the next brilliant lyric. There was absolutely no need to ask Mick to inject more feeling into his performance; he was giving it his all from the outset.
We all listened intently to both takes, acknowledging to ourselves that they were both undeniably fantastic. However, Clive Langer, who had indulged in a few glasses of white wine to perhaps ease his nerves in the presence of these two music icons, slurred slightly, ‘I think there was one word on the second take that was marginally better than on the first.’ All eyes turned to Clive, then back to Mick, who responded with something along the lines of, ‘Oh yeah? Let’s have a listen.’ I can’t recall if a word was indeed taken from Mick’s second take or not, but Clive, looking like a mischievous schoolboy who’d been caught out, gave me a knowing glance that suggested he might have been better off keeping quiet.
Finally, with limited time remaining before Mick and David were due to be whisked away to London’s docklands for a video shoot, it was David’s vocal turn.
David’s artistic approach was markedly different from Jagger’s. His method for recording lead vocals initially baffled me. He would sing along with the band during the live backing track sessions with incredible skill and passion – to the point where any of those takes could easily have been considered master vocals. He never delivered a phoned-in performance; his singing was consistently exceptional. However, when it came to recording dedicated lead vocals, he adopted a meticulous, almost piecemeal approach. He would record one line at a time, then pause, listen back to it critically, before moving on to the next. I could understand this level of detailed work from a less confident singer, but David’s vocal talent was undeniable. He frequently consulted a demo version of the song, meticulously checking his lines before recording the new take.
At one point towards the end of the song, I had to execute a very precise ‘drop in and out’ of record mode because David wanted to re-record a specific line. I had to ensure I switched out of record just before the subsequent line began. There was very little margin for error – and in those days, working with analog tape machines, there was no ‘undo’ button like in modern digital recording! I managed to get it right, flawlessly. And with that, the vocals were complete.
It was time to create a rough mix for the sound engineer on the video set, who would play back the song for Mick and David during filming. Being a conscientious engineer, I always recorded onto two cassette players simultaneously during sessions. I thought Mick and David might appreciate having a cassette to listen to on their way to the film set. Towards the song’s conclusion, David’s manager, Coco, noticed one of the cassette players recording and exclaimed, ‘Are you recording a cassette?!’ ‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘I thought you might need one.’ She didn’t mention the second cassette player, so neither did I. ‘I’ll take that please,’ Coco said curtly. I handed her one cassette. Then, when she wasn’t looking, I quickly grabbed the other cassette and discreetly slipped it under the mixing desk, out of sight. This is how I came to possess a copy of that initial, rough mix!
David generously invited everyone present at the studio to join them at the film set. I was tempted, but I was utterly exhausted – mainly from nervous exhaustion after such an intense and momentous day! Plus, frankly, I desperately needed a shower; I had sweated profusely while recording those vocals that night!
Following the video shoot, Mick took the tapes to New York, where brass instruments and additional bass parts were added, apparently. At some point in the post-production process, prog rock keyboardist Rick Wakeman also contributed some additional piano. The song was then mixed by the legendary Bob Clearmountain. I was, to say the least, incredibly happy to see my name listed as an engineer in the album credits for this iconic track!
