Love & Colors: Part 2
- December 14th, 2011
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It’s really refreshing to blog about the recording of the album. Have you ever listened to a song and wanted more? Why did they do it this way? Why did they choose this lyric?
The morning of Lauren’s studio session, you could tell I had a little “extra” in my step. Instead of a single bowl of cereal, I needed two. Instead of one hour at the gym, I needed almost two. Maybe that’s a bit excessive, but I really needed to kill time until our session that afternoon. Why was I THIS excited, when I didn’t even have to record one vocal?
As I drove to the studio, I took a moment to reflect in the car (I do this a LOT). I thought about how this song almost didn’t happen. Wait…Huh? What I mean is, this particular track was originally for a different song. On top of that, we almost didn’t get the beat in time for our studio session. In the end, I think that all of the obstacles happened for a reason. Without the hassle and trouble, there would be no “Color of Love”, and no Color of Love EP.
This was only our second recording session together. We were still feeling out each other’s style and habits. The first thing I noticed was Lauren’s attire. She really dressed up for the studio session lol! It’s not like she was in an evening gown, but she wasn’t wearing scrubs either. I’ll admit that I also wore a “nicer” t-shirt than the usual, and my good shoes! I think we both wanted to come into this song as professionals and make a statement.
I was so excited to let Lauren hear the work we had completed the previous day, I could barely sit still. I purposely had Lauren record on a separate day because I wanted her to have her OWN session. I wanted her to be able to take as much time as she wanted (and she sure took it lol) to get her vocals perfect.
When Jim first played the song for her, I could see her mind processing. Similar to Dan, she didn’t show much reaction. I could tell she wasn’t crazy about hearing her “phone recording” within the song lol. Once the incomplete song was done playing, she said she enjoyed the lyrics, and was ready to go.
Download: Lauren’s Original Phone Recording
Lauren went through the song, laying her soulful delivery over each section. There were a couple ideas that she seemed on the fence about, but she was able to put her trust in me and give them a shot. That meant a lot to me, and I think we instantly bonded. Lauren was not just the icing on the cake, but the sugar in the batter. We were a team, and everything going on in that room just felt right.
As I sat there amazed by Jim’s guitar additions and Lauren’s harmonizing…I sent a text message to my best friend David Korvah. “We’ve got a BANGER!!!”
— DJ $crilla
