The Tell-Tale Hearts: From the vaults

(Ray Brandes shares a long-lost track from his formative San Diego band, created with some production wizardry from Unknowns sonic prodigy Mark Neill.)

Towards the end of 1986, as the Tell-Tale Hearts were heading toward an inevitable break-up, we headed back into Mark Neill’s Swinging Studios in Dulzura, Calif., to cut what would be the band’s final recordings with its first edition. Neill had produced the band’s highly acclaimed six-song EP earlier that year, and we hoped we might be able once again to pick up a little of his studio magic.

The band’s line-up included Mike Stax; Bill Calhoun; David Klowden; Peter Miesner (who had taken over guitar duties from Eric Bacher); and myself. Three songs were recorded: The Scorpions’ “Too Many Lovers”; “Promise” (Brandes); and “Nothing You Can Do” (Brandes). The first two were released as a single on Australia’s Cavern 7 label the following year, but “Nothing You Can Do” stayed in the can. (Bart Mendoza’s Sound Affects magazine included the song on a giveaway cassette with one of its issues.)

I recently discovered a rough mix cassette recording of “Nothing You Can Do” and rescued it with a little help from Audacity. I hadn’ heard the song in more than 20 years. Listening to the recording brought back vivid memories of the sessions, which were held on a rainy Saturday in November, 1986.

I was still a very tentative rhythm guitar player then, so I had my amplifier turned down very low. I suggested to Mike that he play like the Stones’ Bill Wyman on “Bye Bye Johnny,” and he kindly obliged. The song was right in Peter’s bailiwick, as they say, and he nailed the guitar leads effortlessly. Bill and David were in fine form as well.

Mark Neill was the producer, and Dave Doyle his engineer and assistant. It was always both thrilling and intimidating to be in the studio with Mark. His knowledge is vast, and his musical ear is uncanny. Like the best producers, he is brilliant at coaxing, cajoling and demanding the best performances possible from an artist.

Mark Neill wins a Grammy!

Unfortunately, the version you will hear does not reflect the quality of the original recording. It is a digitized version of a cassette copy of a cassette copy of a very rough cassette mix we took home from the studio after the session. I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless.

Join Neill and Doyle when the Unknowns reunite Sept. 3 …
Supported by the Sidewalk Scene, featuring Brandes, Bacher, Piper, Zadarnowski and Peñalosa!

Here’s the song:

— Ray Brandes

Music history from Ray Brandes:

• It’s 1985: Do you know
  where your bell-bottoms are?
• ‘Sweet Kisses from Mommy’: An introduction to an old friend
• The Mystery Machine in motion!
• “You’re way on top now”: Gary Heffern meets Iggy Pop
• Tell-Tale Hearts take on New Colony Six!
• The train keeps a-rollin’: The story of the Nashville Ramblers
• Hallelujah! The story of Glory
• The Tokyos over San Diego
• The Hitmakers’ hit that never was
• Sensational: The All Bitchin’ All Stud All Stars and the roots of Country Dick Montana
• The Penetrators: Walking the Beat
• Dream Sequence: The history of the Unknowns
• Let the Good Times Roll: The untold history of the Crawdaddys
• The Zeros: I Don’t Wanna Be a Hero, I Just Wanna Be a Zero
• Lend Me Your Comb: A short history of the Hedgehogs

Music and culture by Ray Brandes:

• Remember Walking in the Sand? Sunscreen, lemonade and summer radio
• No Particular Place to Go: Four-wheeled memories
• Everybody Is a Star: The ideal supergroup
• Radio days
• “Puberty Principle”: First sonic crushes
• Helter Skelter: Tate-LaBianca at 40
• Guess who’s coming to dinner?
• My favorite things: What are you listening to?
• Footloose: Rockin’ the ’80s
• “I don’t get it”
• Me and my monkey: Guilty pleasures
• Man-eaters and mad crushes
• Our Lady of Chula Vista
• You Never Give Me Your Money: IOUs and the Che Underground