Valley Hi

[Jules Gray]

Hi Iain

I wondered if you had any recollections of working with Michael Nesmith on your Valley Hi album.  Was it fun to be recording in LA, or did you feel like a fish out of water?

Jules

[thatswine]

Of course it was fun. I was in LA and it was the early 70's. It was dream come true.
At the same time, Michael was very preoccupied with getting his label affiliated and studio established. So there was a lot of distraction for him. It's common knowledge that I mixed most of the album myself, with the engineer. Michael was there less and less. For the tracking he was around most days. Overdubs, maybe every other day. It wasn't as though he was gone, just on the telephone a lot and in meetings.
I think by mixing time he figured I could handle it and he would just come in and check them and give a yeah, or a nay.
But, it was worth it for the Monkees stories alone. Michael is a very gifted musician and an extremely generous guy, with his time, his friends and his posessions. He and his family took me in and helped make my transition from Europe to USA very comfortable and I'm indebted to him for that.  

[Jules Gray]

Thanks Iain.  Do you remember any of those Monkees stories, or are they the kind you can't repeat in public?

Jules

[John From Austin]

Valley Hi is an incredible album from start to finish.  I return to it again and again.

The Eagles need to dash off a check (cheque?) to you for their note-for-note copy of your vocal arrangement of "Seven Bridges Road."  And unlike the American boys, you nailed the high notes effortlessly ("sometimes there's a part of me...).