Calypsography

From the 2002 compilation “Jeff Recordings” liner notes:

The Gay Flamingoes were rehearsing on a green, the so-called pan yard. Pans are instruments made from oil barrels, varying in size and tuning. Whilst I was listening, I had a feeling that a recording outside was impossible. In the studio, however, the pressure from the sound of 70 steel drums (!) would be so high that this would be a flop, too. Together with the band leader and arranger I went into the rehearsal space next door, and we discussed the matter. Suddenly I had the solution: the recording would have to take place in here! The building had a concrete floor, the stone walls were not plastered and could thus absorb pressure, four windows on every side were open, and the saddle roof made from reed was not panelled on the inside, i.e. it would also absorb the sound. There were also wooden planks to set up the big bass pans, which otherwise would have created too much resonance on the concrete floor. Ideal conditions, my fairly experienced ears were telling me. But there would be room for only 40 pans. If the band leader would agree to that, I wondered? He did. When the band was playing outside, we walked along the individual pan beaters and discharged those whose playing wasn't sound enough. The rest of the band set up inside and played. That was that.

In terms of the equipment, I chose my almost new REVOX instead of the chunky and age-old AMPEX-machines from the studio, plus the small UHER-mixer, a few good microphones and my high-quality headphones. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of mistrusting glances when I turned up with the stuff on the agreed night. But I was not fazed. I set up my things on a table outside the entrance. Micro-cables were quickly laid, and off we went. It all went well, but we finished long after midnight. Not only because the band leader and arranger ruthlessly stopped whenever there was the tiniest mistake. But also because the building was not sound-proof, and we had to interrupt every time a dog barked or a car passed by. This was particularly annoying with the nine-minute track "BLACK MAN'S CRY," when a moped roared past during the fade-out, of all moments—the track had been finally perfect after several attempts. Not for the faint-hearted!

Soon I realised I did a good job. The LP "Secrets Of The Pan", including "CATERPILLA", has not only been sold in the Caribbean, but also in the US, Canada and the UK. Only years later, at the end of 1975, came the perfect surprise when a New York association of critics for black music awarded our LP with the title "Best Steel Band Record Of The Last 25 Years." We collected our trophy and certificate at a reception at the Waldorf-Astoria in a cold New York.