- Place – KD’s Studio, Chiswick, London
- Time – 1994
- Artist – Alisha’s Attic
Alisha’s Attic was a successful duo in the mid-nineties.
The two sisters Karen and Shelly are the daughters of Brian Poole, who with his backing band the Tremelos had several hits in the mid 60s.
Alisha’s were nominated for a 1997 Brit Award for best newcomer but Kula Shaker pipped them to the post.
From 1996 until 2001 they had nine single chart entries in the UK.
There are various stories on the internet as to how Alisha’s Attic achieved their recording deal
Now, here’s the truth!
The Beginning
I was on the rebound from my Cajun experience when an associate, Laurie Jay, asked me if I would meet with a couple of girl singers.
He was thinking of offering them a management deal and asked me if, assuming I liked their material, I would produce some tracks he could to play to a record company in order to obtain a deal.
He told me should a record company be interested I would get the job of producing the album.
Laurie had started his career as a drummer playing with The Shadows, The Echoes (1960-62), Dusty Springfield, Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent and Jerry Lee Lewis, he also fronted Laurie Jay combo (1962-1965).
He later went on to manage Elkie Brooks, Billy Ocean and Shirley Bassey.
I had worked with Laurie many times over the years.
Most people that had done would say he was difficult to work with, something I found out for myself, but he was a true character and really did have a great ear for talent.
Laurie Jay
The girls, Shelly and Karen Poole came to my studio for a meeting and introduced themselves.
We all got on really well and discussed what kind of music we liked and chatted about life in general.
I told them of my recent upset with my Cajun artist, (Cajun Advenure Part 1)
“How could he do that to you?” Karen asked.
I wish I had had a crystal ball, I would have told them,
“You’ll both do the same to me in a couple of years.”
The girls were very pretty and full of charm with fabulous singing voices although the demos they played were very amateurish.
The Plan
I decided to choose and work on just one song, it was called Natural Thing.
Next it was contacting my good friend and music programmer, the very talented Danny Saxon.
Danny and I had teamed up a few years before, writing and recording with many varied artists such as Anthony Newley and Feetwood Mac’s Peter Green.
Danny was a key ingredient, with his musical talent and programming skills, he was instrumental (excuse the pun) to all my Cajun recordings.
We had written many great songs and worked really well together for many years.
I called Danny and told him about Laurie’s new act and the overal plan but warned him that there was no budget.
He also knew Laurie very well and was slightly cautious.
But Danny was a good friend and, despite his misgivings, agreed to work with me on the recording.
Within the next few weeks, we had completed the track and everyone seemed very pleased.
Silence
Then everything went silent and around a year passed with only minimal contact from the girls or their management.
Eventually Karen phoned and asked if she and her sister could come and have a meeting.
In the meeting they revealed that they were very frustrated with their management and desperately wanted to get back in the studio to record some new tracks.
They brought along a cassette with three demo songs recorded on a four-track cassette machine at home by Karen’s boyfriend Terry.
The recordings were, as you would expect, very poor, but the songs had something very special.
There was one great lyric in one of the songs that really knocked me out – Dreaming With A Capital D.
I contacted Danny again to tell him the girls had called me and wanted our help. I explained that I really believed in the girls and their new material.
I was sure that we would get them a record deal and we would all share in the success.
After listening to the demo Danny really didn’t share the same excitement for the project as I did
However, once again, his belief was in me rather than the girls so he agreed to work with me on the project for free.
Another freebie
First, we had to be pretty brutal, cutting bars and lines from the songs and lyrics. Their song writing definetly had potential however crafting a song properly was not yet within their grasp.
At the time they were very happy with our input and could see why the changes were being made.
We ended up with three songs that we had knocked into shape. We recorded the three titles, Toy Box, Alisha’s Rules The World and Air We Breath.
Danny had done amazing job and reallt was a genius at interpreting the best from their material.
This was proved later by Dave Stewart, he copied exactly the string lines as well as various instrument sounds and riffs on the hit version of Alisha Rules The World.
Dave Stewart’s version of Air We Breath would have been so much better had he done the same thing with that one too
The Vocals
We spent a long time working with the girls on the vocals. Danny arranged harmonies so they didn’t sound like Wilson Phillips another girl duo that were having a lot of success around that time.
Whilst working on the lead vocals I spent a lot of time teaching them about reaching the audience.
“If you don’t believe what you’re singing how will anyone else?”
I’ve always believed the difference between a great vocalist and a cabaret singer is;
A cabaret singer just sings the melody and the words.
A great singer sings the melody and the meaning of the words.
When the recording was finished and mixed, we had three fabulous tracks, well worthy of a major record and publishing deal.
Getting a deal
The girls asked me if I could help them get a recording deal.
I suggested that it would be a good idea if they approached the record companies personally and that I would help them put a professional looking package together.
This would include a cheeky letter, a couple of great photos plus a tape of the material.
I explained that I would only put one song on the cassette.
The reason being that if they like what they heard the first thing any record company would ask was if we had any more material.
Before too long A&R were contacting the girls for meetings.
Two or three times a week, usually late at night, I would spend an hour or so on the phone, first with Karen then a few minutes later Shelly would call for another hour, both just needing a morale boost.
I would tell them it was looking good and things would happen, they just need give it some time.
On one occasion, during a conversation with the girls and Terry at a BBQ at my house, they told Danny and I that we were as much a part of Alisha’s Attic as they were.
More and more record companies were showing interest in the band and at this one point the girls asked if would manage them.
I explained I had no idea about management so they should go and see some management agencies and choose the one they felt most happy with, then get back to me.
Within weeks they called me to say they had narrowed the field down but couldn’t decide between two managers.
One had a huge roster of successful acts and the other, Paul White, had managed a successful duo act. He had since retired from the business but was now returning to back full-time management.
I suggested they consider the guy returning to management as they would have his undivided attention whereas they would be at the bottom of a long roster with the other choice.
They decided to take my advice.
Meeting the new manager
With a couple of deals in the offing the new manager was eager for a meeting at my studio with Danny and me, naively I thought it might be to do with our future with the girls.
Sadly, it turned out he had come to see us to explain that, to really seal the deal with a major company, under his terms and in the best interest of the girls, he would need Danny and me to produce three more titles with Karen and Shelly.
He had a publishing deal offered from EMI for £125.000 and record deal on the table from Mercury Records.
For these new recordings, he was prepared to pay us just £600.
I looked over at Danny and smiled.
I explained to Paul that for the last couple of years we had done everything with the band for free and we would do these tracks also for free, but we wanted a guarantee to produce at least two titles on the album.
“No way, I can’t guarantee that.” he told us.
The conversation started to get a little heated. I reminded him of his previous statement,
“To really seal the deal with a major company under his terms” so surely he could write in a small two-track production deal for us.
“£600 and that’s it,” he said.
I then asked if he would give us his word that he would at least suggest the idea to the record company.
Only then, Karen spoke up saying to me,
“Paul (the manager) told us if we give everything away now, we will end up with very little.”
“I agree, but we are baking the cake and have been for a long time before Paul came on the scene and we’re now not even being offered the crumbs.” I replied.
Shortly after the meeting ended.
A sad conclusion
That would be the last time I ever saw them in person or spoke to them ever again.
Once the Mercury deal had been signed, I contacted the record company to ask if they wished to buy my multi- track recordings.
Their legal department informed me they had no interest in these tapes and as I had no paper work with Alisha’s Attic, if I used the tapes in any way I would receive a lawsuit from Mercury Records.
Having spent a lot of money with lawyers protecting my interests with my Cajun artist to absolutely no benefit I mistakenly took the chance of not needing a contract with a couple of young, friendly, talented girls who needed help, hence no paperwork.
Each time I heard Alisha Rules The World on the radio it hurt very much.
But I promise you, it hurt much more, knowing that Danny and I had been used and been taken in by these people who we considered friends and family.
It was sad that the girls went on and forgot about us both and was also a shame that with all their success, they had forgotten, everything we taught them.
If they hadn’t, they would have gone on to be a lot more successful than they were and that’s the truth.
“I taught them everything they know, but not everything I know.” James Brown
Alisha’s Attic
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related