Spinal Tap’s 25th reunion album, Back From the Dead, arrives on June 16. You’ve probably been wondering how they get that massive drum sound and those superhuman vocals. Here is the secret, from my Mix magazine interview with the band’s producer/mixer CJ Vanston:
(L-R) David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, and Derek Smalls. Photos by Mr. Bonzai ©2009
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.
BONZAI: How do you get those superhuman vocals?
VANSTON: Well, I insist on cutting them live, all three guys in the room, no tricks. Then we comp them, tune them, compress them, fix the timing issues, use special de-essers that take the natural harshness out of their voices, fly all the choruses, and re-cut whatever isn’t working. All in all we try and keep it natural and live.
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