The first session slated for Hamilton/Lambert was on September 20, 1987. The song was "Under The Same Sky" and was recorded onto a TEAC 80-8 eight track recorder with DBX NR. This particular track found its way onto the "Little Rock Rocks" LP released later on in the year. The drums were cut "wet" (with effects) in a stereo image onto two tracks. We had two acoustic guitar tracks and one electric guitar track. Only three tracks were available for vocals, so we had to really think about our arrangements before recording them. On the original rhythm track I played drums to Jai's guitar and Joe's scratch vocal track. Jai added the bass on an overdub later in the session and then re-cut the guitar tracks from the control room. This is such a good tune that a lot of production technique was not necessary.

The second session (October 11, 1987) yielded "False Attachments". The 8-track master was "bumped" up to the new 16-track recorder and leans heavily on vocal harmonies, so the extra tracks came in very handy. Six tracks were used for vocals, three of them featuring the "chorus of lost souls". Another four tracks were used for drums (kick, snare & everything else in stereo) and there were four guitar tracks. The entire track has a "jangly" feel to it, due largely to Jai's style of playing on this cut. Those guitar tracks were recorded direct into the board with lots of compression. They were also brightened up a bit with an Aphex Type "C" exciter.

In December of 1987 we recorded "The Wind". This was the last track we recorded using the 8-track recorder before the studio upgraded to 16-track. Oncwe again the drums were mixed "wet" to a stereo pair of tracks. Five tracks were used for guitars. This was one of my favorite tunes penned by the duo. We recorded "whisper parts" that can only be heard using headphones. Jurgen Lottman adds a lot to the percussion on this arrangement. An additional three tracks were allotted for background vocals. One track was used for the "whispers" and the wind soundeffect, but don't worry folks.... there's no mackward basking.

After almost a year we recorded again in September 1988. This time we recorded "Space Of A Moment", which features the classic "Ham n' Lamb" style (acoustic guitars accentuated with some periodic Marshall crunch. I started expanding my palatte of drum tracks, this time using five (Kick, snare, stereo toms and 1 overhead mic). Seven tracks were used for all the guitas and three tracks were assigned to vocals. We got an interesting guitar effect - running guitar harmonies through a Quadraverb with a fast stereo leslie patch. All other guitars were direct and without any effects. The arrangement really allowed the lyrics to stand out.

The July, '89 session produced two great songs. "Tuesday Train" is pure adrenalin charged rock and roll, with lots of up front drums and killer guitar riffs throughout. A 751ms synchronous delay was used on key phrases of Joe's lead vocal track. Six tracks of drums were recorded, four guitar tracks (one with a Nashville tuning), and three tracks for vocals. This track has a nice stereo image with lots of space created by six digital reverbs. The second track, "Man Out Of Town" has a broadway show kind of feel to it. The acoustic guitars and bass keep this one going under the layered vocal tracks. Jai and Jow have a keen understanding of vocal harmonies and show off a little here. The song shines during the acoustic guitar lead track.

Two months later we cut two more tracks, "I Knew Candy"and "Sailor Girl". "Candy" is a sweet song with gentle vocals. When I hear it I think of summertimes long past. Jai does some very tasty guitar patterns, complimenting the "J&J" harmony structures. There's even a nice little piano fill part which rounds out the arrangement. The percussion parts were added using hand claps and rim shots from a Roland 707 drum machine played on the fly. It is very simple but effective. We dropped in a subtle string part on the ending. "Sailor Girl" was a fun tune to record. It's a real swashbuckler and you can almost taste the saly spray in the air! We relied very heavily on Jurgen for the percussion tracks on this arrangement. I also added some Mirage sampler tom tracks to make it "gallop". Jai performed another stellar acoustic guitar solo performance on this song. The "island drums" fade out into surf sounds at the end.

Our next sesson was March of this year. We recorded what was to become the title track "Letters From The Earth" By this time we all knew what to expect from each other and the sessions started running more smoothly from the start. This tune was one of the easist to record. It sounds simple and clean but all 16 tracks were completely filled up. Five tracks were allocated for guitar. Six tracks for drums. Jurgen enjoyed recording his conga tracks. We left him plenty of "holes" to fill with percussion. Four background vocal tracks were mixed to a single track and Joe....as usual.....only needed one track.

The next session, in April, produced "Girl I Know", another up tempo pop tune. it's a tighter mix. The only long reverbs were applied to the strings. WE also added a bit of delay to key vocal phrases. A second snare was added later to fatten up the solo section. The second half of the solo was reversed; achieved by turning the tape around and running it backwards while telling Jai to "go for it!" If you think that was easy, try it sometime. I wore my Ringo hat for the drum tracks on this tune.

We couldn't schedule the next session for two more months, but on June 23rd we knuckled down and completed two more tracks. The first one, "Early Days", is a free flowing melody with Eric Johnson-influenced riffs over acoustic rhythm guitars. We even threw in a 12-string for good measure. I played you basic "meat and potatoes" (kick/snare/hi hat) style with sparce tom fills. Three tracks were used for vocals. It's difficult to pick out the five distinct guitar parts, but Jai always seems to know ahead of time where everything fits. Not to mention he rarely needs two passes on any bass or guitar overdub. The second song we recorded that day was "Temporarily Like Delores" and it's a ballad of sorts. That is, if you would call "Me & Bobby McGee" a ballad. I only used five tracks for drums and then mixed them down to mono so they'd always be up front and in your face in the mix. Jai laid down bass, two acoustic guitars (one was 12-string), sampled piano, B-3 organ, strings, and two lead guitar tracks. Joe's lead vocal track is pure personality. By the way - this was a first take drum track for me despite the fact that I had never heard the tune before the session. Brag! Brag! WE even decided to throw in the kitchen sink for the final mix by flanging the entire mix to the section that fades out on the ending. Shades of the psychodelic '60s!

"No Body Here" was recorded at the end of August and is the craziest track on the album. Jai plays drums (?) on this one and it has no less that eight sound effects tracks. I guess we were all in a Beatle frame of mind at the time. This one was the most fun (and the silliest) session for us. You just have to hear it to believe it. "Honest, officer, I tell you there's nobody here!!"

The next day we recorded "Last Night's Dreams", our last song for the project. It sports a really solid drum track supporting three guitar parts. Three tracks were used for vocals. In addition we slated six drum tracks, vibes, and cabasa. As in all the songs on this project, I mixed Joe's lead vocal right up front. He has such a great voice and you won't find a more talented lyricist. With that kind of voice you never need to bury it in the mix. It worked for the Beatles and it still works for us! Jai also added some tastful Stephen Still style guitar solos that really dressed up the track.

I think there is something for every musical taste on "Letters From the Earth". Joe writes meaningful and relevant lyrics and sings with a refreshing purity. Jai is just an incredible musician, no matter what instrument he happens to be holding at the time. It is easy (and fun!) to work with artists that have such an insight into musical structure and arrangements. I am most impressed with their approach to vocal harmony and Susan really enjoyed being asked to help flesh out the harmony parts.

If this project doesn't get some musical attention, it will be the band's fault. For my money, this music stands up to the majority of what I hear on the radio. Maybe I am idealistic or biased or perhaps too close to the music, but I ask you to listen and judge for yourselves. Look for Hamilton/Lambert's "Letters From The Earth". The songs are published by Dime-A-Dozen Music (BMI) and the label order number is HYPE Records #1108-90. The CD will be available by the first of the year in Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Fayetteville. If you can't find it, order direct from Cedar Crest Studio via the website at www.cedarcreststudio.com or by calling 870-488-5777.