- The place – Different Fur Studios – San Francisco
- The time – December 1983
- Artist – Sir Douglas Quintet
- The producer – Kenny Denton
Five days and counting
On the Monday we arrived at Different Fur studios. I only had five days to record the album so I used the studio engineer, Stacy Baird, to record the tracks.
By the time we got the band set up and we were ready to record everyone, except for me, was completely stoned.
After rehearsing the song a couple of times, it wasn’t sounding too good so I suggested we put one down so the band could have a listen and we could discuss any changes that were to be made.
Everyone came up to the control room for the playback. When it finished, Sahm and the band agreed it was great.
“Let’s move on to the next title.” Doug said,
For a few seconds I thought it must be me, even though they were all stoned how could all these people think this piece of shit was anywhere near acceptable?
The circus and the ringmaster
I realised this was a circus that needed a ringmaster, I had to gain control. I told Doug,
“This is not good enough, the band’s playing out of time, out of tune and, it sounds like, out of desperation!”
Sahm looked at me in complete bewilderment and remarked,
“Man – this is the way we make our music.”
Now, in a raised voice I said,
“Well, you’re making it fucking wrong. I’m the one who has to sit in the office in Sweden playing the finished album having spent the record company’s money and this isn’t good enough.”
Reluctantly, like a scorned child, he agreed to do a couple more takes until I was happy.
Living in Doug’s time zone
Being late at the studio on the Monday and Tuesday we were losing valuable time. It would not be unreasonable to say Doug lived in his own time zone.
On the Wednesday morning at breakfast, I told the band we would be leaving for the studio at 11.30am sharp to start recording at midday.
With Doug not joining us for breakfast I knocked on his door at 9.30am to advise him what time we would be leaving.
He opened the door wearing in only his long-johns underwear, I needed to make him aware of the importance of getting to the studio on time.
“Sure I’ll be ready,” he said.
At 10.30am I knocked on his door to remind him once again, still in his underwear he said,
“I’ll be ready, just a minute – I’ve got a letter here, put it in the mailbox for me.”
I said, “Why don’t you do it yourself.”
“It’s nothing man, just put it in the post for me.” he replied.
“If it’s nothing you fucking do it” and I walked away.
At exactly 11.30am I knocked on Doug’s door, sure enough he was still in his underwear.
“It’s 11.30am Doug and I’m leaving for the studio,”
I started to walk down the hallway, he stood in the hallway screaming at the top of his voice
“You crazy English fuck,” along with a tirade of unrepeatable expletives.
The rest of the band hearing the commotion all came out of their rooms. I stood at the end of the corridor and said,
“If anyone wants to come and make a record, I will be outside for two minutes then I’m leaving for the studio.
Finally
Louie Ortega the guitarist came downstairs and got into my car a minute later.
I explained to him that Doug could do something to me in twenty-seven seconds that no one has managed to do in twenty-seven years.
We waited a few more minutes then Louie and I left for the studio and worked on one of his songs called Little Georgie Baker.
Doug arrived around two o’clock with the rest of the band as if nothing had happened.
It was almost about to get better.
The rest of the day was going fine until Patrick, the studio owner asked to see me. Apparently Doug had cancelled the last two days studio time telling him we wouldn’t need it.
This is when I realised that any money left from the budget would go to Doug. I told Patrick I was in charge of the project and that we would need every minute of the time we had booked.
My first ever argument with an artist I was recording
I returned to the studio to confront Doug about the studio time issue and had the first and only stand-up argument in a studio with an artist during my entire career.
During the argument he lit a huge joint and disappeared behind a large cloud of smoke, I could only hear his voice but I knew he was back there somewhere.
Once I got everything clear and told Doug I wouldn’t be handing any money over to him until Friday after we had completed the recordings. From that moment on he became a lot more understanding and reasonable.
Sweden Phones for an update
Dag Haggvist phoned me later that day to see how it was all going, I told him,
“This is, without a doubt, the toughest gig I had ever worked on. This guy doesn’t need me, he needs a yes man, a gofer who is a psychiatrist.”
Dag asked me to persevere and get as much down on tape as I could.
Sending to the UK for help.
At this point I was feeling suicidal, so my next call was to my wife Susan in England.
After explaining what was going on I asked Sue to organise the children to stay with my mother and for her to fly out immediately.
Knowing Sue was on the way gave me some sanity which allowed me to continue the sessions without killing Sahm.
Back to the recording
The band was recorded totally live with Doug singing a guide vocal.
During the recording, Doug without any warning, would shout someone’s name and that meant play a solo, the order of the name would vary from take to take, this certainly kept everyone on their toes.
The band would usually get a maximum of three chances to get the basic track down, after that Doug would say,
“I’m kinda burnt out on this one now, let’s do something else.”
Louie Ortega once told me
“The reason I stand so close to Doug when we are recording is so I can see what chords he is going to play next.”
The last day I was still one track short for the album so Doug suggested we do a version of Sugar Bee. This turned out to be my favourite track on the album.
Doug sang live with the band with the biggest joint I’d ever seen sagging from his lips. This gave an extraordinary his voice a peculiar sound which, strangely enough, really suited the recording.
Back to the England to mix the album
I returned to the UK and mixed the album and sent it off to Dag in Sweden.
I think Dag had assumed from our telephone conversation that there might not have been enough good material for an album.
Having delivered eleven finished tracks, it was a pleasant surprise for him. To my astonishment he loved the album which went on to sell better than anyone could have imagined.
With the success of Midnight Sun I was asked to produce a second album.
After much consideration and now knowing what I was letting myself in for, I agreed. I also knew I would have the full support of the band.
Doug staying with us in our cottage in Buckinghamshire England
Here we go again
During the recording of this next album I saw through the lunacy of Doug and learnt to cope with his strange behaviour, which allowed me to discover a really gifted artist.
The day I joined SDQ. Louie, KD, Augie, Doug & Ernie. The cover of the Rio Medina Album
My short time as a member od SDQ
His respect for me had also taken a turn for the better. I made a total of three albums with SDQ, although it felt like six.
They were all fraught with their own Doug Sahm eccentric nuances. I grew to love and admire Doug greatly; he was a truly bizarre complex amazingly talented character. I miss him to this day.
Doug & I had nicknames for each other. I was Flakey & he was Iffee. Above letter about album release 1985
Some Doug Sahm Moments
On the first day of recording the second album “Rio Medina”, we were about to start when Doug turned to Augie and said, “I think we’ll cut the hits tomorrow Augie, do you wanna do some of your songs today.”
At the rehearsal of a Swedish TV show, which was to go out live, Doug true to form turned up late.
The Swedish TV director was organising his camera shots and explained to Doug, that once he had been introduced he would like him to enter the stage from the left.
Doug said, “Man, no that won’t suit me I kinda wanna come out from the right.”
After much discussion the director for an easy life reset his camera positions for Doug’s entrance from the right.
The rehearsal went well. That night when the show went live on air, the host introduced Doug.
The cameras were aimed at the right of the stage and of course Doug appeared from the left.
Dag” Letter To Governor Bush
Whilst touring Scandinavia
Whilst SDQ were touring Scandinavia, the band would always keep their luggage to a minimum, having their clothes washed and dry-cleaned on the road.
Doug on the other hand would travel with six or seven suitcases so he could just have clean clothes without the hassle or expense of sending them to be cleaned.
This was a bind for the rest of the band because they would always end up carrying Doug’s luggage for him.
In Trondheim Norway, everyone from the band except Doug, had arrived early at the station to get the train to the next town to continue the tour.
They were all sitting playing cards in the train compartment when Doug arrived and came into ask the guys to give him a hand with his luggage.
Reluctantly they agreed.
When they went to put his bags on the train in their carriage Doug said,
‘No man I think I wanna go in the carriage behind.”
Augie said, “But Doug we are all in this one.”
“No, I wanna go in the one behind.”
So the guys did as Doug asked.
They then went back to playing cards.
As the train was about to leave Doug’s face appeared at the compartment window, shouting frantically to Augie and the guys saying,
“They”ve unhooked the back part of the train, quick I need you all to get my bags.”
Everyone continued playing cards as the train pulled away, with Doug’s image disappearing from the window as he was left standing on the platform.
Unfortunately, he had to arrange for a helicopter to take him and his baggage to make it in time for the next gig.
Thats Doug.
Reply from Governor Bush
Who would have thought I would end up loving this crazy Texan
One of the toughest Albums I ever produced.
I O W Festival 1970 Stories from the Pye Mobile
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