In collaboration with songwriter John Easdale, the JBHS VMA (alumni and current students) are recording a 30th anniversary version of Dramarama’s modern classic “Anything, Anything.” The song has been given a spectacular new arrangement by JBHS alumni Joe Leone, preserving the song’s primal urgency, while incorporating some dynamic choral flourishes. The completed single will be posted to Bandcamp.com, where 100% of sales will go toward funding this public school music program (which receives only 1% of its annual funding from the State of California). It will also be serviced to KROQ, where Dramarama maintains a warm friendship, as well as to booking producers at The Ellen Show. The song will also be performed at JBHS’ Alumni Pop Show—Easdale with JBHS VMA current students and alumni—on Friday, Aug. 21 at the JBHS auditorium.
WHAT WE NEED
A few hours of studio time with an experienced engineer, preferably as follows:
Recording The Band – Sunday, Aug. 16, after 6 pm or Monday, Aug. 17, after 9:30 pm
The combo that will lay down the instrumental backing for “Anything, Anything” is superlative, seasoned studio veterans, sidemen/session guys/real pros. They’ve got the song down and its sizzling. They shouldn’t need more than a couple of takes—bass, drums, guitars.
Recording The Vocals – Tuesday, Aug. 18, after 9:30 pm
For the purposes of recording the single, we’ve whittled down our vocalists to a “studio team” of 12 (aka The Dirty Dozen). They, too, are consummate professionals and know the song backwards and forwards. (They have recently performed with Seal at LACMA’s 50th Anniversary Gala, Hollywood Bowl, Dancing with the Stars, The Voice and more). A couple of takes on “Anything, Anything” should do the trick.
Rough Mix – by end of Wednesday, Aug. 19
Easdale is currently touring on the East Coast and has requested a rough mix of band/choir via email so that he can rehearse ahead of the show, Friday, Aug. 21. He’ll be tracking his vocals at his leisure (but by Sept. 10). If you are amenable, we’d love to work with you on a final, radio-ready mix.
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Public relations professionals will present the entire project to media and social media. The project will also be serviced to radio, with a particular emphasis on the all-star collaborations.
The full project will be released on Bandcamp.com in early 2016, pegged to the high school’s annual extravaganza, Pop Show, with 100% of proceeds going directly to the vocal music programs (establishing a grant/scholarship fund for underprivileged choir members, purchasing sheet music, covering travel and production costs, and more).
For more information on the Fundraising CD and the Choir Programs, visit jbhsvma.com/raiseyourvoice.
For those interested, reach out to: [email protected].
