The Atlantic Years

Akkerman was with Atlantic Records from 1973-1978. Atlantic is the company founded in 1947 by the Ertegun brothers and two others. In 1967 it was taken over by Warner Brothers but allowed a measure of independence. Focus recorded with Polydor but Akkerman had previously been with EMI. They published his first album Talent for Sale (later known as Guitar for sale) as a budget album and had produced Profile on their progressive Harvest label.

The Akkerman albums with Atlantic were as follows:

1. Tabernakel

2. Eli (with Kaz Lux)

3. Jan Akkerman (featuring Jan in bed with his guitar on the sleeve)

4. Jan Akkerman Live (at the Montreux jazz festival)

5. Jan Akkerman 3 (released 1979)

Akkerman also appears on the 1978 Atlantic album by Joachim Kuhn Orange Drive. In 1980 Atlantic published the album The Best of Jan Akkerman and friends.

Only Tabernakel was recorded in the USA, the other studio albums being done at Soundpush in Blaricum, Holland. In the case of Jan Akkerman 3 there was a great deal of additional recording in another Dutch studio, and in New York (horns), London (strings and flutes) and California (final mixing).

In 1978 Akkerman moved to CBS where the first album was an orchestral one Aranjuez with Claus Ogerman. It would seem that the costs of producing orchestral albums and the relatively low sales of Akkerman albums meant that Atlantic were no longer willing to fork out the cash necessary. Akkerman did three albums with CBS but in 1982 Pleasurepoint was released on the WEA label (Warner Elektra Atlantic). (Jan also says Jan Akkerman 3 was so called because it was his third album for Warners which makes sense if we discount Eli and the live album.)

Lammy Part 2 Video

Lammy Part 1 Video

The Chorus

The photo shows Bennett and Mondiago and two shots of Zukof and Levine.

Analysis 02

1. A Fantasy. The old second side of the album begins with the fifth and final offering on solo lute. This track by Laurencini of Rome is the longest such track and the only one not by an English composer. It begins slowly but eventually warms up with quite a long run before subsiding again towards the end to something more sedate.

2. Lammy. Most of the old second side is taken up by a long track named for Akkerman's wife at the time. The track is divided into six sections that are fairly easy to distinguish.

1. I am (00:00-00:32)

We begin with alternating heavy organ from Akkerman and the four person chorus directed by Flynn. This is followed by a relatively lengthy caesura (00:33-00:34).

2. Asleep, Half Asleep, Awake (00:35-07:09)

Next comes an increasingly cacophonous woodwind, synthesiser and percussion section (00:35-01:59) which gives way to an again very atmospheric solo on electric sitar by Akkerman (02:00-02:46). It is the drums and bass with the sitar and later electric guitar strokes that wake us up (02:47-03:47). To be certain we are awake, this is followed by a drum solo (03:48-04:29) then bass and drums (04:30-07:09) with Akkerman's guitar coming into the rhythm at 04:51 and adding some runs from 05:51. This increasingly frenetic section ends with the crash of a loud gong.

3. She is (07:10-07:40)

Here we revert to the organ and chorus style of the first section.

4. Lammy (07:41-11:49)

After a caesura at 07:41 the violined and strummed guitars lead us into a beautiful drum backed section that features wonderful strings from 08:10. At 09:02 the romantic style winds down a little and there are a series of fresh injections of energy until we are ready to be led into the next section by the rich strings, which are pretty much unaccompanied  from 11:03.

5. Last will and testament (11:50-12:57)

At 11:50 the strings move on to the next theme, joined by the lute, first with a single strum (at 12:02) then with more. Flutes also come in at 12:04. Again the mood created by strings, flutes and lute is simply beautiful.

6. Amen (12:58-13:59)

The whole amazing piece is brought to a glorious end with a minute long a capella repetition of the word amen from the chorus. Prog rock at its very best.

Analysis 01

1. Britannia. What was originally the first side of Tabernakel begins with a Dowland track that at first features only solo lute. The lute is bright and brisk for a moment but then fairly sedate. It is supplemented firstly (from 00:48), under Flynn's baton, by flutes and strings. Then (at 01:18) a brisk beat is set up by Ray Lucas's drum kit (Akkerman also plays bass). At 01:46 Flynn brings in the horn section and we are soon in full concerto mode as the tune is explored by the various instruments. The contrast between horns and flutes is delightful. A brief ritartando brings us to a false ending at 03:16 and the briefest caesura before taking off again with a very jolly section that begins in “Camberwick Green” style but soars on horns before ending with the sonorous and satisfying twang of a deep bass lute string at 03:49 (the reverb taking us into 03:50).

2. Coranto for Mrs Murcott. Next come two solo tracks that feature only the 13 string lute Akkerman uses on the album. The first of these is by Francis Pilkington and is only 84 seconds long. It is played slowly and deliberately but very clearly. Mrs Murcott would be delighted.

3. The Earl of Derby, his galliard. Then comes a slightly longer Dowland track (01:50). This is the second track to feature only the lute. It starts quite slowly and with an air of mystery. The runs slowly pick up pace, however, and by the end there is some pace, the final one ending with some satisfying bass notes.

4. House of the King. We then have a contrast, with a fast and furious version of the first Focus hit. Appice's drums briefly introduce the piece (00:00-00:03) before the electric sitar Akkerman had recently discovered at this time takes up the lead (00:04-00:23). The orchestra then becomes more evident as does Akkerman's mad beating of a tambourine, which adds to the eastern feel of the piece. At 00:40 Flynn's strings become perhaps more lush before the sitar reasserts itself at 00:51. The middle eight (01:12-01:49) is ushered in and left behind with a gong and drums (01:08-01:11 and 01:50-01:53). The section itself makes full use of strings, flutes, guitars and some deft jazz drumming. The last 27 seconds whip through the sitar-led theme one final time before ending with a gloriously resounding gong.

5. A galliard by Anthony Holborne. After the excitement of House of the King we come back to earth with three more solo lute tracks. The first is by Holborne. Sedate and whistful, it is just over two minutes long and beautifully evokes a bygone age.

6. A galliard by John Dowland. The liveliest of the solo lute tracks comes next. Simply entitled A galliard here, Dowland wrote it for the Earl of Essex. It is only a shade longer than the second track. Basically brisk, it shows some variation in pace and volume with features akin to a sort of fanfare.

7. Pavan. The third lute track is a pavan by Thomas Morley. It is mostly very slow, slightly eastern, and, at just over three minutes, rather longer than the previous solo lute tracks. It takes us to a different place.
8. Javeh. Side one closes with the evocative Javeh, named for God, and co-written with George Flynn. Akkerman abandons his lute for a moment and takes up the Spanish guitar, which begins the track in rather eastern style (00:00-00:08) followed by a house of horrors interjection on the harpsichord by Flynn. The woodwind and strings then add to the mystery, the horns helping out too before drifting (at 00:45) into a paradisaical desert island theme produced by the guitar and orchestra that eventually becomes mournfully whistful, even nostalgic. A harp (01:23) and cymbals (01:31) can be heard as this theme is developed. At 02:01 the harpsichord draws us back in a more uncomfortable direction, the flamenco style guitar and orchestra continue to wrestle with the theme until a fairly satisfying resolution (via a glockenspiel trill and cymbals at 03:02-06) is reached at 03:20.

Akkerman Schedule 1973

Akkerman's Schedule 1973

(JAN 01-06)

JAN 07 UK MANCHESTER HARD ROCK (Interview with NME)

JAN 08 UK BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL

JAN 09 UK NEWCASTLE CITY HALL

JAN 10 UK GLASGOW CLOUDS Suppt Harvey Andrews

JAN 11 UK BRADFORD ST. GEORGES HALL

JAN 12 UK EDMONTON SUNDOWN

JAN 13 UK BRACKNELL SPORTS CENTRE

JAN 15 UK NORWICH ST. ANDREWS HALL

JAN 16 UK GUILDFORD CIVIC HALL

JAN 17 UK IPSWICH ST. MATTHEWS BATHS

JAN 18 UK WESTCLIFF QUEENS HOTEL

JAN 19 UK HANLEY VICTORIA HALL

JAN 20 UK CAMBRIDGE COM EXCHANGE

JAN 21 UK LIVERPOOL EMPIRE THEATRE

JAN 22 UK SHEFFIELD CITY HALL

JAN 23 UK LEEDS TOWN HALL

JAN 24 UK SOUTHAMPTON TOP RANK

JAN 25 UK BOURNEMOUTH HARDROCK

JAN 27 UK DAGENHAM ROUNDHOUSE VILLAGE BLUES CLUB Suppt Slowhand

JAN 28 UK BRISTOL HIPPODROME

JAN 29 UK PLYMOUTH GUILDHALL

JAN 30 UK LONDON (BBC)
JAN 31 UK MANCHESTER HARD ROCK CONCERT THEATRE

(Extra gig added at the end of the tour because it had been so successful)

FEB 22 BEL LOUVAIN
SWI MONTREUX
24 GER DUSSELDORF INTERVIEW WITH TONY STEWART APPEARS
(Flight to USA)

MAR 02 USA MIAMI FLORIDA

MAR 03 USA AUGUSTA

MAR 04 USA NEW ORLEANS THE WAREHOUSE

MAR 05 USA NEW ORLEANS THE WAREHOUSE Both with Foghat

MAR 06 USA COLLEGE PARK

MAR 07 USA COLUMBUS OHIO

MAR 08 USA ST. LOUIS MISSOURI

MAR 09 USA YPSILANTI MICH E Michigan Uni With J Geils Band/Marc Almond

MAR 10 USA NEW CONCORD OHIO

MAR 11 USA CLEVELAND OHIO With Gentle Giant/Marc Almond

MAR 12 USA YOUNGSTOWN OHIO STATE THEATER With Gentle Giant

MAR 13 USA OLD ROSLYN NY

MAR 14 USA OLD ROSLIN NY

MAR 16 USA ASBURY PARK NJ SUNSHINE INN

MAR 18 USA WEST HENRIETTA NY

MAR 19 USA NIAGARA FALLS UNI STUDENT CENTER With Foghat/Gentle Giant

MAR 20 USA PHILADELPHIA

MAR 21 USA PITTSBURGH

MAR 22 USA MIAMI UNIVERSITY Open Air

MAR 23 USA NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC HALL

MAR 24 USA CHIGACO KINETIC-With Foghat & Hookfoot

MAR 25 USA MILWAUKEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

(MAR 28-APR 15 Helping Cyril Havermans record his album in Los Angeles)

MAR 30 USA LOS ANGELES CAL Hollywood Paladium

MAR 31 USA FULLERTON CAL

(APR 01-05)

APR 06 USA SAN FRANCISCO WINTERLAND

APR 07 USA SAN FRANCISCO WINTERLAND With Poco and Yes

APR 08 USA TUCSON AZ MCKALE CENTER UNIVERSITY With Frank Zappa
(APR 9, 10)

APR 11 USA KANSAS CITY MEMORIAL HALL With Blue Öyster Cult, Joe Walsh, Barnstorm

APR 13 USA TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA With The Beach Boys

(APR 14-27) Flight to Europe
APR 29 SWI  MONTREUX
APR 30 NL VOORBURG

MAY 01 BEL DILBEEK
(02-03) Recording Hocus Pocus US version?

MAY 04 UK LONDON RAINBOW THEATRE

MAY 05 UK LONDON RAINBOW THEATRE (Recorded  and including lute encore)

MAY 06 UK LEICESTER THE DE MONFORT HALL

MAY 07 UK SHEFFIELD CITY HALL

MAY 08 UK PRESTON GUILDHALL

MAY 09 IRE DUBLIN STADIUM

MAY 10 IRE DUBLIN STADIUM

MAY 11 UK EDINBURGH EMPIRE THEATRE

MAY 12 UK GLASGOW KELVIN HALL

MAY 13 UK MANCHESTER HARDROCK

MAY 14 UK BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

MAY 16 UK HANLEY VICTORIA HALL

MAY 17 UK CROYDON FAIRFIELD HALL

MAY 18-31 SESSIONS IN CHIPPING NORTON (some eventually released on Ship of Memories)

(JUN 01ff) Completing recording of an album in London with Peter Banks

MONTREUX FESTIVAL? (Flight to USA)

JUN 29 USA SAN FRANCISCO BERKELY COMMUNITY With King Crimson, Procol Harum, Johnny Winter & Doobie Brothers

JUN 30 USA SAN DIEGO
JUL 01 USA SANTA MONICA CIVIC AUDITORIUM With Joe Walsh

(JUL 02-11) Concerts cancelled as Van Leer had appendicitis

JUL 12 USA ARLINGTON, TEXAS
JUL 13 USA HOUSTON, TEXAS
(JUL 14-25 When I thought Tabernakel had been recorded)

JUL 26 CAN MONTREAL CAPITOL THEATRE With Chick Corea

JUL 27 PASSAIC NEW JERSEY CAPITOL THEATRE Santana/Beach Boys/Three Dog Night

(JUL 28-31) (Flight to Europe)

AUG 01 NL LEEUWARDEN VEEMARKTHALLEN
AUG 1 NL LEEUWARDEN

(AUG 02 Flight to USA)

AUG 03 USA BUFFALO
AUG 04 USA NEW YORK
(AUG 05-09)
AUG 10 USA WHEELING ILLINOIS FIELD HOUSE AUDITORIUM Suppt Blue Ticket

AUG 12 USA PASSAIC NJ
(AUG 13-18)
AUG 19 USA NASHVILLE

AUG 20 USA SAN DIEGO CIVIC AUDITORIUM
(AUG 21,22)

AUG 23 USA NEW ORLEANS THE WAREHOUSE

AUG 24 USA ST PETERSBURG BAYFRONT

AUG 25 USA HOLLYWOOD SPORTATORIUM FLORIDA

AUG 26 USA ATLANTA

AUG 28 USA ALBAQUERQUE
AUG 29 USA PHIOENIX
AUG 30 USA KANSAS CITY 

AUG 31 USA SANTA MONICA CIVIC AUDITORIUM With Little Feat

SEP 01 USA SAN FRANCISCO
(SEP 02-04)
SEP 05 USA KANSAS CITY
(SEP 06-08)

SEP 09 USA ALMEDA MUSIC HALL With Barnstorm – Joe Walsh, REO Speedwagon

(SEP 10-14)
SEP 15 USA COLLEGE PARK
(SEP 16-23)

SEP 24 USA ARLINGTON TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY With Joe Walsh

(SEP 25-29) (Flight to Europe)

SEP 30 BEL TURNHOUT TURNHOUT FESTIVAL With Kayak

OCT REHEARSALS IN KASTEEL GROENGUID FOR HAMBURGER CONCERTO

OCT 05 NL ROTTERDAM
OCT 06 NL AMSTERDAM, CONCERTGEBOUW, With Sandy Coast
OCT 10 UK GLASGOW CLOUDS

(Flight to USA)

OCT 12-25 Tabernakel must have been recorded some time in this period

OCT 26 USA HAMMND, IND Supporting Spencer Davis Group

OCT 27 USA DETROIT Supporting Spencer Davis Group

OCT 29 CAN TORONTO MAPLE LEAF GARDENS

OCT 30 USA YPSILANTI MICHIGAN EASTERN MICHIGAN UNI

NOV 02 USA BLOOMINGTON INDIANA UNIVERSITY

NOV 03 USA WEST LAFAYETTE IND. PURDUE UNIVERSITY

NOV 04 USA COLUMBUS OHIO AGORA CLUB
(NOV 5,6)

NOV 07 USA MONROE LOUISIANA NORTH EAST UNIVERSITY

NOV 09 USA UPPER DARBY TOWER THEATER with Gentle Giant

NOV 10 USA NEW BRUNSWICK STATE THEATRE

NOV 11 USA WASHINGTON DC CONSTITUTION HALL

NOV 12 USA NEW YORK STATE UNIVERSITY

NOV 13 USA BOSTON ORPHEUM THEATRE

NOV 14 USA LOUISVILLE CONVENTION CENTER

NOV 15 USA BALTIMORE MARYLAND MARYLAND UNIVERSITY

NOV 16 USA BLOOMINGTON, ILL

NOV 17 USA ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

NOV 18 USA TERRE HAUTE INDIANA INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

NOV 21 USA MADISON SQUARE GARDEN FELT FORUM

NOV 22 USA PROVIDENCE CIVIC HALL

NOV 23 USA HEMPSTEAD NY HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY

NOV 24 USA GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL (Interview with Veronica Mag)

(NOV 25-29)

NOV 30 USA GETTYSBURG COLLEGE

DEC 01 USA ITHACA COLLEGE
DEC 02 USA OTTAWA, CALIF

(Flight to Europe)
(DEC 03-06)
DEC 07 NL
(DEC 08-31)

(In the year 1973 Focus did more than a hundred gigs and spent some five months in the USA)

MM Articles 1973

A Melody Maker article by Chris Welch from May 1973 can be found here.
Another less relevant one from the same newspaper later in the year can be found here.
And a reply on a technical guitar question here.

Interview 3

Tony Stewart talks to Jan Akkerman

In a small office at the Manchester Hardrock, reeking of stale beer and dirty ashtrays, Jan Akkerman is struggling to light a cigarette. Outside, where half an hour earlier Focus had closed the final date of their British tour, the Hardrock discotheque was in operation.

Hesitant dancers are making for the office, young guys hustling their way in, arms thrusting paper and pens at the guitarist. Akkerman is detached and a little moody as he scribbles illegible black lines, which will be undoubtedly, be pasted on a bedroom wall next to the "Moving Waves" sleeve.

One guy wants to shake his hand. "You", he tells Akkerman, "must be the best guitarist I have set eyes on." A wry smile curls the guitarist's lips.

"Where in Holland will you be playing next week 'cause I'll be over there?" inquires a 17-year-old, meticulously folding a signed cigarette box. "Ask him" retorts Akkerman, indicating the manager. "He knows all about it."

Peter Banks once nominated Jan Akkerman as his choice in the NME Guitarist's Poll and I sniggered, unaware of how good he was. But now, as Focus score four British chart positions (two albums and two singles) and the memory of two big crowd drawing tours remain fixed in the mind, few people in Britain will be unacquainted with Focus and the man who picks out beautiful lines on a black Gibson Les Paul.

But even though the rest of the band is over the moon about the British tour, Akkerman plays it cool. "I played several times good, but most of the time rotten. Just because we were working too hard. Four weeks in a row every day, with one day off."

Yet in Holland, I point out, Focus does three-hour sets. Akkerman nods in agreement. "But that's just three, four or five times a week. At least the other two days in the week we have off, and you need that desperately to come to your senses again and rebuild whatever needs rebuilding."

Whether Akkerman admits it or not, the challenge of such arduous roadwork gets him high. He is a proud and determined man who, like Thijs van Leer, sneers at glam rock and all its connotations.

His interest is purely for the music, and another challenge in that field is his current preoccupation with the lute.

"To me, with 13 strings, it's the most difficult instrument," he comments, before going on to talk about 16 century music he loves. "It's music in its most primitive form but, to me, it's the most honest music."

"There are also a lot of commercial tunes in other people's stuff, strong melodies. Julian Bream, for example. Everybody knows I love him, the way he plays, his approach to the lute and guitar. I especially like his lute playing."

"It's just incredible what he does. Get any pop guitarist and put a lute into their hands and they can't do anything with it. Because the guitar is easy compared to that instrument."

Akkerman is a rarity, if not unique, in that his style is not derivative of the blues, jazz, or pop - even though they are all influences. He is one guitarist who has his own style completely. In years to come Akkerman's technique will be copied by a new generation in the same way that Clapton's is now.

When I put that to him the hard mask of confidence drops to show a glint of incredulity in the eyes. "In Holland they are doing that already, but I think the only comparison with Clapton is that I also have the warmth in my playing like he has. That's all."

"Technically, I'm far better than him, musically we are probably at the same level. But still I make my own music, and he is a blues guitarist. There's a difference. And I don't say it's worse or better. Clapton's the God of guitar players. He doesn't need that from me, but he's one of the few guys who I would say are good guitarists."

Elaborating on his stimulus for creativity the guitarist says it comes only from his own ingenuity, his head. "I stopped looking at other guitarists round about 18 or 19. I knew what was going on in the world with the Beatles and things like that. Suddenly I said to myself 'shut up'. I don't want to listen to anything except good music. Just practice my own thing."

It is just this attitude of mind which has enabled Jan Akkerman to emerge from a European country previously disregarded here and in America as our poor musical relations and be acclaimed as a great. There are many fine players waiting to come through in his wake, says Akkerman, although he feels many of them are on the wrong track.

"They're still hanging themselves up watching the outside world. If they'd do their own thing they'd win, but they don't. That's the fatal mistake they make. There are beautiful musicians coming out of the Concertorium and going into pop music, and they're going to play Burt Bacharach stuff in a pop way."

In spite of his reputation Akkerman's 'Profile' solo album, which has only seen Dutch record counters, didn't sell well back home. Which is stranger still when Akkerman agrees that he's regarded as the Dutch guitar God.

"I am a name, I am a legend. But the problem in Holland is that they want the Sweet (a British glam rock/pop band) and stuff like that. I agree that doesn't stop me making my own music, outside or inside Focus, which is what that solo album is all about."

"Actually I should give you an explanation of that album. I lived in Amsterdam, and had a very hard time being run out of that group and this group, and I didn't eat and things. And that's what is exactly on the first side of that album. Then the other side is the classical thing, which I love very much."

The style of the set is different to Focus, more abstract and technical. Akkerman insists: "That's actually my part in Focus. I don't care if people are raving or not. This is me. See? Expressive."

"When you listen carefully to it, you see clouds, you see water, you see grass grow. It's answering a question: am I happy that way?"

His conclusion is that he is. And he's content with his contribution to Focus' music: "Otherwise I wouldn't do it. I'd stop writing at this moment if I didn't like it, even if it was going well. Brainbox (his previous band) was going very well financially. There is a certain mentality you've got to have: all or nothing."

To him Focus is an inspirational source for music and playing. Despite performing the same stage numbers for 18 months, it's refreshing and rejuvenating each night. On this basic Akkerman will explain concisely what the group is aiming at.

"It's just like an aeroplane which needs something to take off from," he says. "After that, we take off and go on. That's how we use the tunes. Every night is different. It is actually like building a new word or a new language out of the words you know.
If people have heard us four or five nights, it's all right, because they will still hear new things."

This article was originally written by Tony Stewart and appeared in the NME on 24/02/1973

Dowland at the Rainbow

This is the famous lute encore given by Akkerman following the Focus concert

at the Rainbow Theatre (You will have to watch it on Youtube).

Bearded men

The original album cover boasted these four bearded images featuring

Gene Paul Geoffrey Haslam (both pics David Gahr)

Ray Lucas (pic by Kathy Moore) George Flynn
(Akkerman was also bearded at the time)

The orginal vinyl label

Elegant Leftovers

In 1983 the George Flynn track Journey (a real elegant gypsy) written by Flynn and featuring his piano work appeared on Can't Stand Noise. It appears to be something of a leftover from the Tabernakel period. The track subsequently appeared on different Akkerman solo albums under different titles.

The Single

Producer

The overall producer of the album was Geoffrey Haslam, then a staff  producer for Atlantic but now retired in Herefordshire. Prior to his production duties Haslam had been a musician himself playing tenor saxophone in rock and soul bands on the London scene of the 1960’s

Engineers

The engineers on the album were Gene Paul and Joel Kerr, still at work today. (The assistant was Stephen Dowd, son of the legendary Tom Dowd).

Gene William Paul (born August 20, 1944) is an American audio recording / mixing / mastering engineer, producer and musician. He was an engineer at Atlantic Recording Studios during their famed 1960s–80s period and is currently the chief mastering engineer at G&J Audio, a mixing and mastering studio for major and independent labels focused on reissues and new recordings. He has worked on thousands of projects, and has engineered 9 Grammy Award-winning albums with 29 total nominations in 15 different categories. He has engineered many hit recordings, including 7 #1's on the Billboard Pop & Jazz charts, 6 more in the Pop Top 10, 10 more in the Jazz Top 10 and 5 in the R&B Top 20.
Son of famed guitarist and inventor Les Paul, the inventor of the solid-body electric guitar and early innovator of multitrack recording, Gene Paul spent his youth developing his engineering skills in the family recording studio and spent a decade as the drummer in his father's touring band from 1959 to 1969, with singer Mary Ford (his stepmother) for the first half. "Without even knowing it, I was being taught about presenting music, which was a great experience. I worked on putting the shows together with dad. I watched him record his own music as well as groups. If he said, 'Do you want to know about this?' I'd say, 'Yes.' And I'd go set up a mike. By the time I grew up, I knew how to record."
His career took off after joining Atlantic Records in 1969 where he quickly became a world-renowned engineer and producer. "The people there, like Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Joel Dorn, Ahmet Ertegun, they were all gentle people. You would think that they were all superstars, but they never acted that way. Being at Atlantic was like being welcomed into someone's house. It was a house of music. You never knew who was going to come in, one day Aretha [Franklin], the next The Modern Jazz Quartet, King Curtis, Gladys Knight. ... It was truthfully hard to go home at night."

Joel and Gene

Joel Kerr is the founder and studio manager for G&J Audio (formerly DB Plus) from 1987. He envisioned a studio that was ‘musician friendly’, where the artist’s music came first and based on his belief that professional audio services shouldn't cost the farm. It’s a formula that worked for over 30 years. A trumpet player in his youth, Joel ventured into the music world more than 45 years ago as an audio engineer at Atlantic Recording Studios. He has worked with legendary producers Nesuhi and Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler & Arif Mardin and with artists including King Curtis, Steve Goodman, Cissy Houston & The Sweet Inspirations, Gary Burton, Cornell Dupree, David Newman, Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara, Black Heat, Cactus, Hall & Oates, Danny O’Keefe, Donny Hathaway, Neil Rosengarden, Maggie Bell, Barnaby Bye, Margie Joseph, Herbie Mann, Sam Samudio, Les McCann, Oscar Brown Jr, Marion Williams, Doug Sahm, John Prine, Ramatam, Mongo Santamaria, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Chris Brubeck and New Heavenly Blue, Yusef Lateef, Carly Simon, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Keith Jarrett, Eddie Harris and Maxi Priest.

Norman Seeff

The artwork for the album was handled by Norman Seeff. Born in 1939, in 1969, Seeff relinquished his career as an emergency medical doctor in Soweto, South Africa and emigrated to the USA to explore a new vocation in the arts. In New York city, Seeff was introduced to the exciting world of album cover design and photography by his mentor, famed graphic designer, Bob Cato. His first major photographic assignment for 'The Band' album cover, in collaboration with Cato, brought him immediate recognition. In 1972, on the recommendation of Cato, Seeff relocated to Los Angeles to become Creative Director of United Artist Records.