Since it’s back-to-school time (my daughter is starting kindergarten in September) I thought I’d reflect a little on “how I spent my summer”. In thinking back on the many things I did, one project sticks out in my mind.
In late spring we started pre-production on an album project for a new record label – Slick Puppy Music. The label is headed up by a client we’ve worked with for years, so it was a blast to be able to re-connect with him on his new venture. The album, titled One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple Puppy Dog, features 10 all-time hits for kids who love dogs.

One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple Puppy Dog Album Cover
Prior to setting foot into the studio he (and his attorney) invested a lot of time (and money) obtaining the proper rights and permissions to reproduce classic songs like “Wake up Little Susie”, “True Fine Mama”, “Village of Love” and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. It’s always a good idea to have all permissions in place before you make a recording investment.
My task (and challenge) was working with Ray Rettig (engineer) and Al Quaglieri (musical director) to help find the right cast of players, soloists and singers to make each cut sound like the original song.
It was an amazing line-up of regional talent like Kelly Bird, Garland Nelson, Dave McCarthy, Michael DeAngelis and newcomer Matt Scaptura on lead vocals. We had the famed Jim Dawson, Randy and the Rainbows and Eugene Pitt and the Jive Five travel to the studio to give some tracks just the right sound and feel.
The core band of Chad Ploss, Ed Tourge, Cliff Brucker, and Rob Cohen was solid and extremely versatile in their ability to switch styles effortlessly. The album also features some instrumental soloists including Cliff Lyons, John Haggerty, and the All Seasons Ensemble.
Bobbie Van Detta and Sherry-Jean Waite helped with the background vocals, and I actually got to sing on one piece, which was great fun and a little intimidating since I usually only sing lullabies or children’s songs with my kids.
The project took about 4 months to complete and while challenging, it was a great fit for the organizational skills, professionalism, musicianship and depth of knowledge that I feel our Cotton Hill team possesses. I really hope to do more of these in the future.
How did you spend your summer? Are there any interesting projects that you worked on?