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| 'She Bangs' -- the key single from songwriters Robi Rosa and Desmond Child, and producers Walter Afanasieff and Desmond Child for Ricky Martin's "Sound Loaded" features a unique 'Big dance band for the Millennium' arrangement from 'Late Night' keyboard virtuoso and arranger Scott Healy. |
| It seems that producer Walter Afanasieff was coming to NY in early July
2000 and had an idea for a new Ricky Martin track, written by Robi Rosa and Desmond Child. Walter wanted to try a full Big Band, to be arranged by Scott Healy, playing live in the studio, something that would punch up the track, turn it into (in his words) "a dance band for the new millennium". Afanasieff was flying into NY on a Sunday and time was of the essence. And he wanted NY's best players on the session. This was to be the first single on the new album "Sound Loaded", a sequel to the now-classic 'Livin' la Vida Loca' which so galvanized the music world in 1999. |
| Afanasieff and Childs called Healy over to the Sony West 54th St studios. They gave the arranger an idea of what they were looking for: "something wild, explosive, something that could captures the "high style"1950s Latin dance band sound." |
| "I got the feeling that Walter was giving me lots of creative freedom, while having a definite concept and sound in mind." Healy said. "Pull out all the stops, go nuts", the arranger was told. "He gave me a mix of the rhythm tracks and scratch vocals, but not the huge sound Walter was looking for." |
| "In the chart I tried to use some of the devices that the old dance bands used way back when, like a musical call and response with counterlines, brass shakes, wah wahs, big band "shout chorus" figures, and so forth. The rhythm track was so strong and groovin' that I knew that just about anything I tried would work. The hook to the tune worked really well with the brass and sax counter-lines and rhythm figures, so there was lots of space to evoke the "Ricky Ricardo 2000" sound that Walter was looking for." |
| The session was on July 5th. The engineer, Dave Reitzas used both a new and old school approach to recording the 13 piece band, with a combination of close and room mics. The band comprised NY's finest session players, trombonist Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg, tenor sax player Jerry Vivino, all from the 'Late Night with Conan' band, Earl Gardner and Lennie Pickett from the SNL horn section and legendary bari sax player Ronnie Cuber were among those who played their hearts out. "I had specifically requested lead trumpet player Mark (aka "The Love Man") Pender, and I wrote him a stratospheric lead part which you can really hear well on the record". Healy said: "truly blistering--since I knew what he could do". |
| (Ricky Martin's highly anticipated "Sound Loaded" bowed at No. 4 on the
Billboard album charts with 317,725 copies scanned). |
Derek Power
The Derek Power Co.
(310) 550-0770; Fax: (310) 550-6292
email: iampower@pacbell.net |
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 Gig Magazine - "Deconstructing A Hit" (graphic)
Gig Magazine - "Deconstructing A Hit" (text)
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