1. Run Us Around 04:04
2. Battle Inside 03:56
3. Mountain 06:19 video
4. No Swerve mantra 00:59
5. Swerve 04:42
6. Never A Right Thing 03:26
7. Colored Glass 05:15
8. If Ever You Need 03:32
9. Perfectly Good Pop Song 04:34
10. Sick And Broke And Hungry (Sunday Blues) 02:52
11. As Cold As Fast 03:58
12. Love Explodes 04:35
Ted Brown – Vocals, Guitars, Harmonica
Mark Bell – Guitars, BV’s
Pete Watkins – Bass
Matt Meehan – Drums, BV’s
Produced by Ted Brown and Jon Cooper
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jon Cooper
Most of this happened last century. If you remember you probably weren’t there.
In memory of Matt – so talented, too soon x
Ted Brown Album – Nonsequential
Something like thirty years ago. When most of the good times I recall involved a guitar an amplifier and a
stale smelling pub or a musty rehearsal space. I’d already stayed a couple years too long at the party, or
at least given it my best shot, but I liked to think no one had cottoned on. I guess I thought maybe my
denial could be yours as well?!
Anyway, most weekends for a couple years I got lucky. Four very talented people gave up their time and
creativity to work on an album project that had begun at Mountain Studios in Tauranga New Zealand,
owned and operated by ACDC drummer Phil Rudd.
We (I) had made the decision to be in the country for a few days to see what we could get done. Jan
Hellriegel and her band had already done it. Seemed reasonable. My memory is loads of disconnected
tile sized pieces, but I remember deciding to sleep in a caravan next to the paddock, while the band and
producer took the quarters above the studio. Mostly I think so I could lay out all my medicinal
accompaniments in peace and quiet.
The first night I woke up in pitch black, freezing cold with a large object banging against the caravan,
rocking it on its wheels. I peeked out the curtains and was confronted by a huge brown bull with its hot
wet snout pressed against the window. After my heart had slowed down and the bovine perp had
backed away, I saw a strange light hovering in the sky above the field. It just hung there for 45 seconds
or so before fading to a dot and disappearing. Now I’ll admit I’d had my paws in the chemistry set…and
just leave it there. But I believe we left early anyway, though I’m not sure if that was the reason? More
likely I ran out of medicine. This I remember.
We worked on the record for the next 18 or so months, tracking guitars and vocals at studios back in
Auckland. The personnel were Mark Bell on guitars, Matt Meehan on drums, Pete Watkins Bass and Jon
Cooper engineering. I guess we all produced as we went but the credit really goes to Jon. We were a
rock band, but I already had some country sensibilities, not super popular in NZ in the mid nineties (fine
exceptions The Warratahs, Al Hunter, Greg Fleming) but you go with what you know. Some of that peeks
through.
And then one day we finished it. By which time I was likely too messy to take the next steps towards
getting it released. Fact is, I don’t remember what happened. It all got sucked in to the unmanageability
of my twenty something existence.
Then I hit bottom and got given my life back, joined the Greg Johnson Band, moved to the USA and put
many things that happened before the year 2000 either in the trash or in mothballs (heavily abridged
version).
Then last year, Jon and I reconnected. We agreed that we needed to try to finally master the album and
do something with it. Unfortunately all we had was a corroded CD copy, dirty and damaged.
Miraculously Jon was able to lovingly restore it with isopropyl alcohol, some profanity and a very soft
cloth! And finally the record got mastered.
So I want to dedicate it to Matt, Mark and Pete and apologize for taking so long. Matt didn’t make it to
see the new century and I’m still sad about that. Pete moved to the continent across the ditch and Mark
went on doing what he does as an amazing, original and creative guitar player. Jon is a brilliant recording
engineer and a fantastic photographer and lives somewhere pretty in the homeland.
And here it is- thirty years late but I hope you enjoy it! It’s called nonsequential because it’s out of
sequence with my current musical progression, but order will be restored again soon.And if you’re wondering what the hell the songs are about, don’t ask me. I barely remember recording them let alone writing them. Ted Jan ‘25
Ted Brown – Vocals. Guitar, Harmonica
Joel Martin – Guitar, Lap Steel
Mark Hart -Keyboards
Tim Walker – Pedal Steel
Dusty Wakeman – Bass
Robert Anderson – Drums
Ben King – Backing Vocals
Recorded by Neil Baldock
Produced by Neil Baldock and Ted Brown
Recorded at PLYRZ, Santa Clarita, CA
Ted Brown – Vocals. Guitar, Harmonica
Joel Martin – Guitar, Lap Steel
Mark Hart -Keyboards
Tim Walker – Pedal Steel
Dusty Wakeman – Bass
Robert Anderson – Drums
Ben King – Backing Vocals
Recorded by Neil Baldock
Produced by Neil Baldock and Ted Brown
Recorded at PLYRZ, Santa Clarita, CA
Best known as long time guitarist, vocalist and collaborator in the Greg Johnson Band, Ted releases his third album Solstice Canyon Loop. Tracked at Plyrz Studio in Santa Clarita CA June 27-28 2020, the songs tell stories of Teds journey from his hometown of Auckland NZ to his current home of Los Angeles CA where he’s lived since 2002.
“Those months, the pandemic, had me reminiscing and transported back in time like I think it did for so many people and the songs I wrote are mostly a product of that period. Moments from the past came back to me in vivid but fleeting pieces, and I found that I’d mix up things that happened in the U.S. with experiences from my hometown! In the end, the songs take place in either the NZ of my youth, or the 21st Century in SoCal!”
Calling on members of his 70’s Country cover band, The Electric Fields, Ted assembled some of his favorite L.A. guys to play on the record. Notably, Dusty Wakeman on Bass (Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Buck Owens), Mark Hart on Keys (Crowded House, Supertramp), Joel Martin on Guitar (Grateful to the Core, Pearl), Tim Walker on Pedal Steel (Glen Campbell, Jimmy Webb, The White Buffalo) and CalArts Alum and musician extraordinaire Rob Anderson on Drums. Ben King, Teds Greg Johnson bandmate added sweet harmonies from his studio in NZ.
“I was fortunate to have NZ Recording Engineer Neil Baldock living and working in L.A. at the time and based at Jim Scotts Plyrz studio. I knew he was planning to return home so I really wanted to get the songs down. Fortunately, Plyrz is a huge space (ideal for social distancing) and basically a playground of instruments and gear where we were able to track the tunes live, including vocals. We did it the old fashioned way with everyone playing together in the room.”
“We tracked seven and I recorded the last song, Lauraly, at my home studio in West L.A. The names have, in some cases, been changed or abbreviated but never to protect the innocent, mostly ‘cos they ‘sang’ better. Post production was a trans-pacific process but I’m stoked that we got there in the end (thanks Neil!).
I’m really proud of this record and everyone who was involved. Hope you enjoy it!
Copyright 2024 Ted Brown Songs