Mystery Train from MODEL 59 by Jackson Moon

🎸 The idea was to record a full song in under an hour, the caveat being time involved mixing the track isn't counted. Fair enough. Anyone who has recorded a song knows mixing is the time intensive part of the song/album process.

Mystery Train is one of my favourite tunes, written by Junior Parker way back in 1953. I had a heap of fun laying down the tracks - no pun intended. With the clock ticking down and no real plan, it was up to the parts I had in my head translating through my fingers. The Telecaster rhythm guitar, acoustic bass and acoustic guitar are the first takes.

The first solo played on a late 1940's Rickenbacker slide was a last second decision. I already had the 2 solo sections played out on my Telecaster. Then I spied my Ricky out the corner of my eye and kinda felt sorry he wasn't invited. A quick tune up check (.... never goes out of tune), plugged in and went for it.

The track features my Fender Telecaster loaded with original Kinman broadcaster pickups. Somethin' special about this Tele. There's my ol' Martin acoustic, a Fender acoustic bass I bought off my buddy Greg Goris and a 1948 Rickenbacker lapsteel. I created my own drum pattern and played all the stringed parts.

I used my trusty ol' Australian made RODE NTK2 valve mic on the vocal tracks, splashed with a dash of slap back echo. For the technically minded, I used UAD's Teletronix Compressors and Pultec EQP1A's and that's about it.

And so it came to be. Mystery Train recorded in its entirety in just under 60 minutes, vibrant and loose like they did back in them good 'ol days.

JM.

Jackson Moon is eclectic creative in music, photography, video and writing. Other works can be found on YouTube (Jack's Place-Australian Music) and social media sites.

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