Since 2003 Nigel and I have been playing on the odd Sunday afternoons at Mills Reef Winery in Tauranga. It’s a very pleasant way to pass a lazy day making music, accompanied by a bottle or two of fine wine. This album is a small record of many happy hours we’ve spent there, and was only really recorded because so many people asked us to do it.
Our choice of songs comes from sitting out on various back porches with musicians and other friends, playing old favourites on long summer nights. It’s been a real pleasure putting down our own particular take on music that has influenced and inspired us through the years.
The album was recorded over the course of one long and very enjoyable afternoon at The Boatshed. Brian and Tracie de Jong brought their computers, mics, etc over from Pongakawa – where they are in the process of setting up a digital recording facility (in the middle of a cow field!), and recorded us, so all we had to do was play and have a few drinks.
And what a great afternoon it was! They have great gear, and Nigel and I trust their judgement, so we didn’t even stop to listen back to songs after we played them – if Tracie and Brian said they were OK, we just moved on and played another one. All up we recorded 20 songs, most of them first takes, all totally live. We cleaned it up a little bit but there were no overdubs at any point on this album.
Derek
September 2005
The Self-Righteous Brothers
Derek Jacombs – vocals, guitar
Nigel Masters – vocals, upright bass
Produced by Derek Jacombs, Nigel Masters, Brian & Tracie de Jong
Recorded totally live by Brian de Jong at The Boatshed Studio, Tauranga, 7th August 2004
Mixed at The Boatshed and The Warmerer
Cover photos by Jane Siene
Cover design by Graham Clark
