In this episode, John is joined by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and producer James Ford, to talk about how they wrote, recorded and produced the album ‘The Ballad of Darren’. With Damon’s initial demos to hand, the pair give us a guided tour of the record, right through the early versions and studio sessions, from the moments that reignited the feelings they had when writing in the 90s, to piecing together the musical jigsaw that forms the Blur sound. Along with stories of Damon’s inspirational chickens and the dangers of making pesto while writing an album, we’re treated to an in depth production and songwriting masterclass, with details on manufacturing the sound of a room, and the importance of energy and intention behind a song. Listen to find out what makes the first performance of something so special, why a 4-track recorder can sometimes be a great replacement pillow, and what benefits come with giving yourself distance from a record. Tracks discussed: St. Charles Square, The Everglades (For Leonard), The Narcissist LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES   linktr.ee/tapenotes  Listen to ‘The Ballad of Darren’ here   Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company Intro Music - Sunshine Buddy, Laurel Collective GEAR MENTIONS Eventide H3000 U47 Mic Neve 1073 Preamp Neve Desk TON-1501 Analog Strings Synthesizer Powertran Transcendent 2000 Coles 4038 Mics Mellotron Whurli Clavinet Fender Amps Semler Amps Garageband OUR GEAR https://linktr.ee/tapenotes_ourgear HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to help support the show you can donate as little or as much as you'd like here, (we really appreciate your contributions :)  Donate Or you can join us on Patreon, where among many things you can access full length videos of most new episodes, ad-free episodes and detailed gear list breakdowns. KEEP UP TO DATE For behind the scenes photos and the latest updates, make sure to follow us on:  Instagram: @tapenotes  Twitter: @tapenotes  Facebook: @tapenotespodcast   YouTube: Tape Notes Podcast Discord: Tape Notes Patreon: Tape Notes To let us know the artists you’d like to hear, Tweet us, slide into our DMs, send us an email or even a letter. We’d love to hear!  Visit our website to join our mailing list: www.tapenotes.co.uk TAPE NOTES TEAM Will Brown - Executive Producer, Engineer & Editor Tim Adam-Smith - Executive Producer Will Lyons - Editor Videographer - Andy Tindall/Herbie Elton-Rowley Guy Nicholls - Production Assistant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices