Chart Toppers (Star Maker Book 3)

by J. M. Nevins

  She headed out moments later and as she was making her way across the all too familiar expanse of green grass that led up to the backyard studio; she noticed Giselle coming toward her smiling.

  “They’re all stocked, Kit. They’ve got booze, mixers, soft drinks, nuts, chips, fruit and bottled water. Caterers will be here at seven with dinner. Anything else you think they might need?”

  Kit shook her head, relieved that Giselle was happy to be a studio assistant for them during the duration of recording. “Sounds you got it all covered, G. Call me if you need me. I’m going in.” She chuckled.

  Giselle nodded. “Got it. If you need anything let me know.”

  Kit thanked Giselle and confidently walked into the studio. The guys were spread out throughout the studio, with the majority of them hanging out in the lounge where the bar and TV were located.

  Tony looked up when she walked in. “Do we get breaks tonight to watch football? My Vikings are playing.”

  She chuckled. “What the hell? It’s preseason. Preseason doesn’t matter. Tony, you can do whatever you want, but whatever time you take for that game you’re going to make up on the backend tonight. And I don’t think Fred is going to want to be here late recording your sorry ass at three in the a.m. We’ll break for dinner at seven. You can check the score then.”

  Tony nodded. “Ok. I can handle that. I don’t want to fuck with anyone’s mojo. Especially your mojo, Ms. Producer.” He snickered.

  Kit smiled. She had anticipated a little teasing from them in the beginning. “Ok, guys. Let’s get started.”

  She watched quietly and waited patiently for them to huddle together and say some unifying cheer before the start of the session. It was a custom they had done since she had met them and one they still did right before stepping on stage before a show.

  She usually wasn’t included in the huddle—it was an unspoken rule. The only time they waived it was when she was subbing for Jimmy on tour. They weren’t huddling together this time, though, and she was baffled. They stood there staring at her.

  She frowned. “Why are you all staring at me like that? C’mon, do your thing and let’s get a move on.”

  Sully smiled. He waved her over. “Get over here. You’re the producer. You’re supposed to be in the huddle this time. We’re all making an album, and you’re our leader this time around.”

  She walked over to them reluctantly, feeling awkward, and sandwiched herself between Remo and Jimmy. They all huddled for a few moments and then disbanded quickly, all laughing. Remo and Tony headed toward the live room where they would start tracking the first song, ‘Pretty Poison.’

  Laying down the rhythm section had been surprisingly smooth and seamless. Kit was pleased that Remo had brought his A game. He was always a loose cannon, sometimes hard to control, but not today. He was a professional, and his tracks were finished quickly.

  She stood in the control room with her arms folded across her chest while Tony and Remo returned to the lounge to relax. When the rest of the band was in place, Sully gave her a thumbs up.

  She looked at Fred. “Start tracking.” She pointed at Sully, and they started playing the song, instruments only. She took a seat next to Fred and changed a few levels. She looked over at him.

  He nodded. “That was a good adjustment, Kit. Do whatever you want. Don’t be shy. Even if you fuck it up, we can fix it all in the end when I mix it. Pro Tools is very forgiving.”

  She nodded. “Ok, thanks. They sound good, but I want another take. Something’s missing.” They finished, and Kit grabbed the microphone that fed into the headphones the guys were wearing in the live room. “Do it again, from the top.”

  They started playing again, and Kit looked at Fred. “We need to punch Jimmy’s guitar. Punch it and then isolate it so I can hear the difference.”

  Fred made an adjustment and looked at her. “Was that what you were hoping to hear?”

  She nodded. “Yep. That’s it.” She leaned forward and silenced the tracks of the other instruments on the boards so that only the guitars were isolated and audible. She shook her head. “You fixed the problem, Fred, but it’s not what I want.” They had already come to the end of the song, so she waited until they were finished.

  “Bry, you’re good. You can take five. Jimmy and Sull, I need you to give it a go again from the top. Jimmy, I need you to get more aggressive with your solo. Make it spicy.”

  He looked at her through the thick pane of glass and grinned as he leaned forward to speak into the mic in front of him. “Spicy?”

  She nodded and grinned. “You heard me. Spicy… hot. I’ve seen you do it before. Do it again.”

  Sully laughed and nudged Jimmy, completely entertained by the comment, like he had just gotten into trouble for being too boring. Jimmy glared at him and nodded his head to Kit.

  She looked over. “Fred, start playback.” As she took her seat at the console, she was unaware that the rest of the band had congregated behind her. Once Jimmy and Sully started playing again, she isolated the lead and rhythm guitar tracks separately and concentrated on the sound. She shook her head. She still wasn’t hearing what she wanted.

  When they were done, she got on the mic again. “Sully, you’re fine. Jimmy, c’mon man. What’s going on? Where’s the solo? You’re giving me mediocre. I want hard rock guitar god. Bring him out. I know he’s in there.”

  Jimmy frowned at her. “I dunno what you mean, Kit.”

  She stared at him intently through the glass. “Don’t fuck with me, Jimmy. We’re just getting started. You can do a better solo, we both know that.”

  He stared back at her with the same intensity, egging her on. “Come in here and show me what you want to hear.”

  She sighed and got up, muttering “goddammit Jimmy,” under her breath. She was surprised for a moment noticing the band standing behind her, including Sully, all smiling. Sully leaned forward. “I love how you’re busting his chops. It’s really sexy.” He smiled, bit his lower lip, and ran his finger down her arm slowly.

  She grinned and shook her head. “Well, mister, you better stay on top of your game, or you’re next.” She raised her eyebrows.

  He laughed. “Ooh, really? You promise? Hurt me. Don’t tease me like that, babe. It’s just not fair.” He winked at her as she headed into the live room.

  She looked at Jimmy and chuckled. “Really, Jim, you’re being ridiculous.”

  He shook his head and grinned. “Kit, honestly, I do not know what’s missing. It sounds good to me. Seriously. Show me.”

  As she put on Sully’s guitar she looked at Jimmy. “We don’t want good, Jimmy. We want brilliant, ok? I need you to pump it up a bit. Put some more creativity into it. More spice.”

  He stared at her. “There’s that word again. Why don’t you do the solo on the playback and show me what you mean.” He sat back on the barstool behind him and raised his eyebrows.

  She rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She grabbed a pair of headphones and put them on, as she leaned forward and spoke into the mic that broadcasted into the control room. She noticed Sully had taken over her chair and was hunched over the boards next to Fred, chatting.

  She spoke assertively. “Fred, take me back right before the solo on playback and then cut the feed after the solo is complete. Do not track this, ok?”

  His voice came through her headphones. “You got it, Kit. Playback comin’ at ‘cha.”

  Moments later she heard the familiar spot she was looking for and played in sync, then took full opportunity to launch into complete creative license with reckless yet fully calculated abandon. When she finished, she looked over at Jimmy. She noticed the entire band out of the corner of her eye clapping and cheering in the control room.

  She stared at him. “That’s what I had in mind, Jim. Make sense?”

  He chuckled. “Damn, Kit. We should have tracked that. It was pretty fucking amazing. I got it. I know what you’re looking for now.”

  She sat back on the barstool b
ehind her. “Good, ‘cuz I’m going to sit here, and we’re going to work on this until you get it.”

  She pointed to Fred, who already knew what to do. Seconds later, Jimmy took his guitar solo to a whole new level trumping what Kit had played. She was pleased, grinning with satisfaction. That was exactly what she wanted. She had hoped by going in and playing the solo; it would fuel Jimmy’s competitive spirit and push him to the edge to create a kick-ass solo. It worked.

  When he finished, she nodded. She took off Sully’s guitar and placed it in its holder. She patted Jimmy on the shoulder as she headed for the control room. “Now that’s what I was talking about Jim, great job. That’s the hard rock guitar god I know and love. Let’s go hear the playback and see if we can move into vocal tracking.”

  As she and Jimmy walked into the control room together, the band clapped. Sully grinned. “Nice work you two. Sounded great in here.” He stood up and pulled out the chair for Kit who took her seat again.

  She nodded. “I hope so. Fred, give me the playback from the top, please.”

  They all listened intently. After Jimmy had heard his solo, he looked at Sully and nodded. “Wow! That turned out amazing. Thanks, Kit.” He rubbed her shoulder affectionately.

  She held her hand up signaling that she needed a minute and then nodded. She leaned over and mentioned something to Fred. She turned around and smiled. “Great job guys. Ok, Sull. You’re up.”

  He looked around. “Where are Ria and Debra for backup?”

  She shook her head. “They’re not scheduled until tonight. We’re doing backups with them and the band later. You’re doing lead vocals right now. No chorus.” She looked at the rest of the band. “Guys, you’re done for now. Feel free to roam. Dinner is at seven.”

  Tony headed into the lounge with Remo to catch the beginning of his football game while Jimmy and Bryan remained in the control room sitting on the back couch. Sully got positioned behind the mic in the live room and gave Kit the high sign that he was ready. Fred rolled playback, and Sully started his vocals. Kit knew he was usually a one-take wonder, but didn’t want to assume that would be the case. She listened intently.

  He finished the song and stared at her awaiting feedback. She nodded at him. “Again, Sull. This time with more feeling.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me? What?”

  She heard Jimmy chuckle behind her as she answered his question succinctly. “I said do it again, this time with more feeling. Don’t just sing the song, feel the song when you’re singing it. Don’t half ass.”

  “Ok.” He grinned mischievously, looking like a naughty little boy. His steel blue eyes twinkled as he spoke. “Are you busting my chops?”

  She tried to stifle a giggle but was unsuccessful. She spoke into the mic, suppressing her smile. “Yes.”

  He smiled. “Mmm, I love it.”

  She shook her head grinning. “Sully, the song, please.”

  He nodded, still smiling. He was having fun playing with her. “In a minute. So, tell me. What happens if I don’t track well on the next take? Will you like… spank me?” He snickered and raised his eyebrows while Jimmy and Bryan erupted into laughter at the back of the control room.

  She rolled her eyes and looked over at Fred, who was chuckling. “Start playback, Fred. I’m going to pretend that joker didn’t just ask me that.” She pointed to Sully and spoke into the mic and nodded. “Go, Sull. And don’t throw the track, please.”

  When the playback started, Sully smiled at Kit again and winked. As he sang, she and Fred worked frantically making adjustments along the way. By the time the song had finished, she had what she was looking for.

  She reached over and dialed Giselle. “G, see if you can get Ria and Debra in here quicker, preferably before we break for dinner.” She hung up the phone and noticed that Sully had surfaced in the control room and was hovering over her.

  He looked down at her and grinned. “How was the second take?”

  “It sounded good from here. Let’s take a listen.”

  Fred pressed play, and the song bounded loudly over the speakers in the control room. Sully nodded, and Jimmy gave Kit a thumbs up. As the song ended, the phone rang and Kit answered immediately.

  She hung up the phone and looked over at them. “Ria and Debra are on their way. As soon as they arrive, we’re starting the backup vocals.”

  Jimmy leaned back on the couch. “Are you cutting your backup vocals with us?”

  She was fiddling with one of the faders on the board in front of her. “No.”

  Sully looked surprised. “Wait, wait, no. You have to.”

  She smirked and looked up at him. “I need to stay focused in here, Sull.”

  He shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. “No, no, no. That’s a non-negotiable.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It’ll take more time.”

  He frowned and stared at her like she was crazy. “I don’t care. Jimmy?”

  He shook his head. “C’mon Kit. Just do the vocals with us. Yeah, it will take more time, but we’ve got it right now. We’re just starting. If we’re running behind schedule at the end, we can make it up in mixing.”

  She knew arguing her point was futile based on the looks they were giving her. “Ok, guys. I’ll sing with you.”

  The night went much longer than Kit had anticipated. The backing vocals for the song were much more involved harmonically than she had anticipated. She decided to give everyone two more takes and then call it a night. After the last take, she felt good about it.

  She rushed out to the control room and looked at Fred. “I think that one was it. How did it sound from your end?”

  He nodded. “It sounded great on my end. Best take of the night. You be the judge.” He started the playback as the band and the backup singers meandered into the control room.

  She sat back, listening intently and then nodded her head. “Ok, that’s it. That’s the one. We’re done for the night everyone. Guys, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  They said their goodbyes while Kit remained glued next to Fred, talking about the events of the day, the song they had just finished and what was coming up on the schedule for the next day.

  She patted Fred on the back. “Thanks for everything today, buddy.”

  He nodded. “Long day, but worth it. See ya tomorrow, Kit-Kat.” He got up and left.

  She glanced at her wristwatch and sighed as she put her head in her hands. It was three in the morning. The last part of the session had been the longest and most complex vocal arrangement she had ever run into in her career in music. She started to wonder if she had bitten off more than she could chew.

  Sully took Fred’s vacant seat and rubbed her back. He grinned proudly. “You did great today, baby. Amazing stuff. The song sounds incredible.”

  She looked over at him, her right cheek resting on her hands that were still lying on top of the boards. “Thanks. I think I’m going to organize things a little differently going forward. Not so much chaos.”

  He chuckled. “Tracking is always chaos, babe. You know that. It’s a version of controlled chaos. That’s the whole fun of it. What’s on tap for tomorrow?”

  Her emerald green eyes twinkled as a content grin spread across her face. “Anything For You.”

  He smiled, seeing look in her eyes. “We’re going to start that song tomorrow, huh?”

  She nodded. “We probably should have started with that one initially. It would have been easier. It’s a much simpler song. Has the band played it with you yet?”

  “Nope. That’s why we went with ‘Pretty Poison’, remember? You, Jimmy and me wrote that when we were on tour and the band was familiar with it. We played it onstage toward the end of the tour, so it was fairly easy. We’re gonna need rehearsal time with ‘Anything for You.’”

  She sat up and nodded. “Ok.”

  He stood up and took her hand, leading her up out of her seat. “C’mon, let’s go to bed. Stop worrying about this. Let’s get some good
rest and worry about it when we’re back in the studio at noon.”

  She grinned and snuggled up to him. “That sounds like a great idea.”

  As she shut down the studio’s power, she felt a sense of accomplishment. One song down, eleven more to track.

  CHAPTER 9

  Pete Lundy sat across from Kit with a large smile on his face after listening to a preview of Gypsy Tango’s sessions. He nodded proudly. “I love the direction so far. Nice job, Kit. You’re certainly turning out to be quite a producer. Sounds like their new stuff is headed down a great path. At the rate you’re going, it may give the previous album a run for its money once it’s finished. An amazing feat considering it’s reached five times platinum now.”

  Kit’s eyes widened. “Five times platinum? When did ‘Dangerous Curves’ hit that?”

  “Last week, officially, but you knew this was coming. I wanted to wait until our meeting today to spring the news on you.”

  She was completely astonished. She could have never imagined this level of achievement. “Wow! I knew it would do well, but this is unprecedented. Now, I’m feeling even more pressure for the new one. Crap!”

  He laughed. “How far along is the album right now?”

  “We’re cruising along well, right on schedule. Half of the songs are done. We’re putting finishing touches on the others from a writing perspective. Sully’s got some up his sleeve that he hasn’t even shown me yet, so that should be interesting.”

  Pete nodded. “I’m sure they’ll be good.”

  She grinned in agreement. “No doubt.”

  The agenda in her mind quickly shifted from Gypsy Tango’s new album to artist development. Balancing her producer duties in the studio, and her responsibilities as chief creative officer were no small feat and Kit was relishing it.

  She had recently found a hot new grunge band out of Seattle called Jade Riff who was giving the successful grunge bands stiff competition. She was eager to start development as soon as possible. The green light she had been waiting on from corporate was still a paltry yellow. She decided to pump Pete for information, knowing he was in the office more than her these days. “Ok, so what are we looking at for Jade Riff?”