Electronic Musician Editor in Cheif Sara Jones interviewed Howard Massey about his new book, Inside The Great British Recording Studios, published by Hal Leonard Back Beat Books.
Q: "You include so many fascinating "Stories from the Studio" - what were you most surprised to learn?"
A: "I already knew from personal experience that innovation was a hallmark of British recording, but I guess I didn't realize just how much everyone was flying by the seat of their pants! The story behind the origin of the gated Phil Collins drum sound-a creative accident which would come to characterize the sound of many popular recordings for more than a decade, on both sides of the Atlantic-is a good example of how English engineers, producers, and studio designers were willing to take chances that their somewhat more conservative American counterparts probably wouldn't have taken, at least in those days."
