🍿 Trivia PASSAGE: The Recordings, Part 1

[Chris May]

By April, 1977, work on the album Passage was well underway.

Like with any album -- particularly one recorded in the 1970s -- the price tag would be high, making it necessary to schedule musicians for more than one recording on the same date. This however didn't necessarily mean they played on every recording, depending on how the process played out with regard to a song's intended arrangement going into the session, unforeseen changes and/or modifications along the way, etc. Regardless of whether they played a note or not, scheduled musicians for a multi-session date were paid through the union for the entire block-out.

The evening of April 15 involved cutting the basic tracks for two songs intended for the album. Scheduled musicians included Richard Carpenter, Ron Tutt, Joe Osborn, Tom Vig and Tom Scott.

Which two songs were they?

 

[tomswift2002]

I went with B’Wana & One. Neither Vig or Scott is listed for Two, Smile, Argentina or Occupants but they are both on B’Wana. “I Believe You” was recorded during or just before the Portrait sessions, so I don’t think it was that.

 

[newvillefan]

I went with option 3 B’Wana/You’re The One, purely because Tom Vig played conga and percussion on the album sessions and B’Wana sounds like it’s chock full of both. Tom Scott also played tenor sax on the track too and he’s listed for that session.

 

[David A]

Out of my depth here compared to some of you uber-er fans, but I went with option 4 because I know Ron Tutt was there for that one.

 

[Vinylalbumcovers]

If I'm not mistaken, the Overbudget Philharmonic was present for both Argentina and Calling Occupants so I went with that one. Much money could be saved doing both tunes at once.

Ed

 

[A&M Retro]

Pretty sure it was ‘Occupants’ and ‘Argentina’, BUT I know they cut ‘I Just Fall In Love Again’ with the full orchestra, too.

 

[Chris May]

By April, 1977, work on the album Passage was well underway.

Like with any album -- particularly one recorded in the 1970s -- the price tag would be high, making it necessary to schedule musicians for more than one recording on the same date. This however didn't necessarily mean they played on every recording, depending on how the process played out with regard to a song's intended arrangement going into the session, unforeseen changes and/or modifications along the way, etc. Regardless of whether they played a note or not, scheduled musicians for a multi-session date were paid through the union for the entire block-out.

The evening of April 15 involved cutting the basic tracks for two songs intended for the album. Scheduled musicians included Richard Carpenter, Ron Tutt, Joe Osborn, Tom Vig and Tom Scott.

Which two songs were they?

The answer is "B'wana She No Home" / "You're The One."

This was a little bit of a trick question, as "You're The One" had already been laid down in previous sessions. There's some question as to whether or not this was another full take at the entire "track," or just some overdubs with Tom & Tom.

Either way, gives a little look into the process and often the unlikely pairing of certain songs when it comes to what got recorded when.

 

[Geographer]

The answer is "B'wana She No Home" / "You're The One."

This was a little bit of a trick question, as "You're The One" had already been laid down in previous sessions. There's some question as to whether or not this was another full take at the entire "track," or just some overdubs with Tom & Tom.

Either way, gives a little look into the process and often the unlikely pairing of certain songs when it comes to what got recorded when.

You TRICKED us!

 

[tomswift2002]

You TRICKED us!

Not me.

 

[Simon KC1950]

I'm loving these @Chris May , Keep 'Em Coming!

 

[Mark-T]

The answer is "B'wana She No Home" / "You're The One."

This was a little bit of a trick question, as "You're The One" had already been laid down in previous sessions. There's some question as to whether or not this was another full take at the entire "track," or just some overdubs with Tom & Tom.

Either way, gives a little look into the process and often the unlikely pairing of certain songs when it comes to what got recorded when.

This is fun, Chris!

 

[GaryAlan]

If I recall correctly, $50,000 was the ave cost allotted to complete an album in 1969-1973 (Billboard Mag 11/17/73).
By 1979, that average was presumably around $100,000. I am assuming, then, that the cost to produce
Passage album fell between those two extremes.