California Breed frontman Glenn Hughes has revealed he didn’t know he’d recorded vocal tracks for the band’s debut album, because producer Dave Cobb recorded without telling him.
And he’s admitted to being amazed that he managed to keep quiet about the new project while it was coming together.
He cut the record with Black Country Communion colleague Jason Bonham – although the drummer is now concentrating on other projects – and 22-year-old guitarist Andrew Watt.
Glenn tells Technology Tell: “Dave said to Andrew and Jason, ‘Why don’t you go out there and record? Glenn, do you have lyrics? Do you have melodies? Just go sing while the guys are tracking.’
“So I did that, and overdubbed the bass. The next morning I said, ‘I’m going to sing.’ Dave said, ‘You’ve sung the album.’
“He didn’t trick me, but he was recording everything I sang. He’d recorded every song twice and comped the vocals. So he said, ‘I’m going to play you what appears to be your vocal on the album.’ And it’s the first time ever I’ve done a live vocal.
“What Dave brought to this is an element of sheer energy. It’s the most live album I’ve ever made in the studio.”
Hughes and Bonham took a cautious approach to working with Watt – and the frontman is surprised they got away with it. He says: “We decided we’d get together every month either at my place or Jason’s. We kept it quiet because when you’re working with an unknown, you can’t really go on the internet and start talking about it. People get freaked out.
“We kept it quiet successfully – I’ve got a big mouth and so does Jason.”
California Breed was released in May, after Hughes lived through a “dark and strange” recovery from heart surgery. They open for Slash during his UK run starting at the end of November:
Nov 28: Manchester Phones 4U Arena
Nov 29: Leeds First Direct Arena
Dec 01: Birmingham LG Arena
Dec 02: London Wembley Arena
Dec 04: Glasgow SSE Hydro
Dec 05: Planet Rockstock
