All Together

Bedrock was a rock and local music programme that ran on BBC Radio Newcastle from 1974-1984.  Created and originally produced by Dick Godfrey I took over as producer around 1980 when Dick left to go off and do other things.

Unlike the programming heard on Metro Radio and the other North East independent stations, Bedrock was a big supporter of local rock music. We had a signature tune written and played by Newcastle’s Steve Brown Band and it was only a matter of time before the Bedrock team (a loose bunch of volunteers who got involved in the programme from early on) began organising gigs. Encouraged by Newcastle Festival director Andy Hudson Dick came up with the idea that we should stage our own ‘Bedrock Festival’ to spotlight local bands. And, as well as that, we should get Wallsend’s Impulse Studios (soon to become the home of Neat Records, the UK’s premier heavy metal indie label) to record and issue an album where each of the bands playing contributed a track.

All Together was recorded over three days by eleven bands and sold at the shows we staged at Newcastle’s University Theatre in the bar and within the venue in July 1977. The album has been unavailable for 40 years and with no masters at his disposal original engineer Mickey Sweeney has artfully nipped and tucked a vinyl copy.  There’s nobody famous on the album but the tracks still stand up as choice slices of musical history. Give it a listen! – Ian Penman/Ravendale

The recollections of recording engineer Mickey Sweeney

‘I was working with Alan Hull and we went to Impulse to record some demos and (studio owner) Dave Wood asked me if I wanted to work for him. I didn’t actually know what it was Dave did! After I arrived there he left it up to me!

I started recording comedy showgroups like the Don Juans. And Bobby Thompson! We made The Little Waster album which involved me following him around for four weeks. Just me, a Revox recorder, a Neumann mike that I hung in the audience and a very expensive Xaudia ribbon mike that I made Dave buy me. There was no splitters and I was in the dressing room with the two mike leads coming though to the Revox. I trailed round Working Men’s Clubs and there was always some problem or other- hums, buzzes or glasses clattering. Then, at Ryhope Poplars Club we got it! Bobby’s complete act, all in one go!  He had this trick where he’d deliver the joke then smack his lips three times before he hit the punch line. That made Bobby a doddle to edit!

For the All Together album I had eleven bands, ten channels, eight tracks and three days to do it in.  When I listen to it back I think; ‘How did I get all that on eight tracks?!’ With the likes of Southbound there was a guide vocal, two guitars, bass and drums. And that was it! Then we’d get rid of the guide vocal and do a proper vocal take with the harmonies and couple of lead guitar licks. That was the eight tracks full!

Mostly the tracks were as live as possible. It was like a gig, but the musicians were listening to what they were playing through headphones. I had the lead singer in the control room which I think was the first time I’d ever done that! That way he wouldn’t leak into any of the other mikes. There was great musical communication because he could speak to all the guys in the band.

Of the bands that we recorded that ones that stood out for me were; Southbound-High Time was a cracking track-CIA by Kip was a very interesting song-Curley by Sidekick and Hard Drivin’ Man, by the Juncos Partners. I always loved the Juncos!

When I came to remaster the album the first task was to do something about all the crackles and clicks. Fortunately modern tehcinoligy allows for such extraneous sounds to be analysed and removed digitally. Then I added a small amount of reverb, just to glue the whole thing together and compressed and EQ’d each song individually to make sure all the levels were the same’.

The original masters of the Bedrock album, of course, are long gone. At Impulse, by the time a band had got to the bottom of the stairs the eight track masters would be wiped and ready for the next band! Eight track tapes were pretty expensive at the time so the tapes we had were constantly being re-used.

Eleven bands, ten channels, eight tracks and three days. All Together!

(Mickey Sweeney was talking to Ian Penman/Ravendale)

Produced by Mick Sweeney and Dick Godfrey and recorded at Impulse Studios, Newcastle England © David Wood Entertainments Ltd, original artwork by Magda of Artworks. Audio transferred from Ian Penman’s pristine LP by Vinyl Guru, and re mastered with love by Mick Sweeney.