RUSK recording studios, 1551 N. La Brea Ave. Hollywood, CA
When Eric Scheda moved to Los Angeles, CA in 1988 he began working as a sound engineer at world famous RUSK studios on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, CA.
Eric Scheda at RUSK studios, 1988
Eric worked under the tutelage of music producer Elton Farokh Ahi, who is credited with music for over 100 Hollywood major motion pictures including: xXx, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, 27 Dresses, and The Last of the Mohicans, which won an Oscar for sound.
Elton Ahi of RUSK studios
Elton owns Rusk studios in Los Angeles, recording house for artists such as Donna Summer, Billy Idol, Laura Branigan, and Elton John. He co-produced Engelbert Humperdinck and the Patsy Cline “Duets” album with record producer Michael Blakey Ahi adopted the moniker “Elton” during a radio station interview in Iran, when a D.J. dubbed him “Elton Joon” (after recording songs by Elton John).
Rusk Studios, Hollywood CA.
When Eric was my roommate in the house on Berendo Street in Los Angeles, he was able to get us free recording time in RUSK studio. Mostly because he wanted to polish up on his technique of using live drum tracks to trigger digital drum sounds.
Setting up the drums in the sound proof room at RUSK.
Gerry’s North drum kit (hence the name GERRY NORTH)
I laid down the entire drum track for the Parousia’s song “I’m Not Having Fun” in one day. Eric separated each drum onto its own track and then triggered digital drum sounds with it.
Eric strategically places the microphones on the kit
He had one hell of a time doing that and I’ll never forget when late one night he knocked on my door and said, “Congratulations on those drum tracks man, it sounds ‘tight’”. In the song I used poly-rhythmic syncopated drum beats all through the beginning, ending and through each chorus. I varied each section slightly so that no two sections would be alike yet sound cohesive as a whole. I felt as though my mission was accomplished when Eric said that to me because he’s not the type to give out music compliments capriciously.
Gerry lays down the drum tracks old school.
It was cool to have the opportunity to record in such a prestigious studio. Rusk was well known in the industry for churning out the pop hits.
Robert Lowden on the Grand Piano at RUSK studios.
Eric Scheda and Robert Lowden present the mix down tape (with attitude)
Rusk Studios 1551 N. La Brea Ave. Hollywood, CA
Rusk Studios 1551 N. La Brea Ave. Hollywood, CA
I remember playing this song in Buffalo. It was a good song, but it always felt antithetical to what we wanted to achieve. I often wondered, did we really want to perform before 10,000 people and have them singing, “I’m not having fun?” Would Kiss have had such a big hit with “I Don’t Want to Rock and Roll All Night, or Party Any Day?” Why not just go all the way with it and change the words to “This Band Really Sucks?”
LOL! I agree.
We meant the song as a joke. We liked to mock things… everything; church, state, art, science, time and space, our audience, ourselves… I guess this time the joke was on us. When a joke goes on too long, it just stops being funny very quickly.
Ironically, this song contained some my best syncopated drumming. The song had three distinct grooves. One was bubble-gum pop, another was new wave and then an intensely progressive bridge. I put a lot of thought into how I would phrase each section of the song and tried to come up with something unique and complimentary to the music and then pushing it where necessary.
Hi Mom,
That’s Saint Necia in the blue dress at the recording of “In the Land of the Midnight sun” recorded in 2013.