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The
Memphis Horns
Introduction
By Producer Johnny Guerrero
Any horn player can relate to this dilemma — how do you practice
at home without disturbing the neighbors? One afternoon in Nashville
after blowing my sax for a couple of hours, a man approached me
as I was walking to my car. “Was that you playin’ the
horn?” His smile and friendly tone quickly allayed fears that
my playing was going to get us kicked out of the neighborhood. “My
name is Wayne Jackson, I play with The Memphis Horns.” Needless
to say there was a mixed moment of euphoria that I was standing
in the presence of an icon, and horror that he had actually heard
me practicing.
Wayne Jackson, Andrew Love and their Memphis Horns sound had been
an inspiration to me as a kid growing up in Los Angeles. Now through
this chance encounter I had the rare opportunity as a young producer
to be able to work with the incomparable Barons of Brass —
or so I thought. Every time I was working on a project and needed
to record horn tracks, they were either in the Bahamas recording
with Lenny Kravitz, overseas with Robert Cray, in LA working with
Seal… always somewhere.
When our schedules allowed, we would hang out with our wives and
our friendship deepened. But after six great years of working in
Music City, my roots began to call me home and my wife and I made
plans to move back to LA. We had planned to spend our last evening
in Nashville with Wayne and Amy. Over dinner, I shared something
with them that had been heavy on my mind.
If I was having a hard time booking the guys, there must be other
producers out there who were finding it hard to schedule The Memphis
Horns or didn’t have the resources in their budget to bring
them in. There was only one way to remedy this. As someone who regularly
utilizes sample libraries, it made perfect sense to me that The
Memphis Horns should be captured in this medium. Creating their
own CD-ROM would allow music makers worldwide access to arguably
the greatest horn section in musical history. Wayne’s eyes
lit up. We all knew that something special was about to happen.
Immediately Wayne shared the idea with Andrew, the excitement caught
on and it was to time get to work. I knew exactly who I wanted to
engineer the project so I scheduled time at Bent 6, a studio located
in the pastoral outskirts of Nashville owned by engineer Ken Landers.
Ken is a well-rounded engineer who has worked with everyone from
David Byrne to NSYNC and for this project in particular, I knew
that his days spent as trumpet player would be invaluable.
Since the goal of this project was to recreate the classic Memphis
Horns sound, we approached the sessions in exactly the same way
Wayne and Andrew have recorded for the past 40 years. First we created
some scratch tracks of various songs in numerous styles and keys
that the guys could listen to and play along with. Then true to
form, the horn licks and lines were made up on the spot, with no
transcriptions, using just their experience and emotions to guide
them. (Check out The Memphis Horns 101 section later in this booklet.)
Andrew and Wayne played through a single Neumann U-87, their long-time
mic of choice, and parts were overdubbed two to four times. To record
the guys we used Focusrite mic-pres, Apogee converters and Pro Tools.
But without a doubt, the most important ingredient in capturing
the true Memphis Horns sound was using that U-87.
Inspired by the masters themselves, we then set out to do the mixes.
By liberally and creatively panning the horns across the stereo
spectrum, we were able to capture the fullest, “in your face”
sonic experience possible. No effects or EQ-ing were applied so
that the user could compress, EQ or add any effects he or she might
desire.
Wayne and Andrew had assumed we could finish the project in a few
days, I thought a few weeks… it ended up being a few months.
Fourteen and fifteen-hour days became the norm and for all you horn
players out there you know how impossible that sounds! We worked
through cracked and bleeding lips, sore backs, mental and emotional
frustrations and obstacles of every kind. It was a challenge Andrew
and Wayne were willing to face head on and in the process, they
were stretched seemingly beyond what even they thought they were
capable of. Don’t get me wrong; we still had a great time.
There were four decades of road and studio stories, first-hand accounts
of what it was like to be on tour with the Doobie Brothers or recording
in the studio with Otis Redding. In the end, it was the very combination
of both the fun and the frustration that brought forth the richness,
depth and character you can hear and feel on every track.
Andrew and Wayne were always willing to get it and get it right.
We knew we hadn’t gotten it “right” until their unique
sound was captured. Their sound, which is not just playing in tune,
not just playing tight but something that reaches beyond finite
human understanding — that’s when you know you’ve
captured The Memphis Horns.
Speaking as an individual I feel most fortunate to be able to call
Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love my friends. As a producer, the hours
spent in the trenches with these consummate professionals will unquestionably
go down as some of the most cherished of my life. After all, this
is more than just another sample library, it is a musical legacy.
Johnny Guerrero
Memphis Horns 101
By Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns
The first time Andrew Love and I played together, around 1964, it
was obvious we had something special, something recognizable and
good! Our tones matched perfectly and blended together. It was just
real bright. It had punctuation to it. I liken it to a sibling harmony,
like the Everly Brothers had. That’s how it was with us. We
blended and we have stuck together ever since, making music, raising
families and lending credibility to the old saying, “If it
works, don’t fix it!”
In The Beginning
We learned to do what we do growing up at Stax Records in Memphis,
Tennessee. We were very young and had little musical training, but
nobody stopped us from trying out our ideas and making arrangements
on the spot, all the while being careful not to step on the singer.
Otis Redding was a natural horn arranger, all passion and genius,
and we learned a lot from him.
Legendary producer Willie Mitchell and horn arranger Bo Legs Miller
over at Hi Records were great teachers, too. And also coming into
our lives at that time were producers Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and
Arif Mardin from Atlantic Records in New York City. They were a
great learning experience! Jerry began sending us out on rock and
roll projects for the likes of Stephen Stills and Rod Stewart. They
expected us to arrange, and we did. We haven’t stopped since.
A Little Theory
Our philosophy hasn’t changed either. Don’t step on the
singer. Be cute when you have to, and always lean hard into emotion!
Don’t forget what you learned in high school… long notes
get louder as they go on and softer before they end!
Make the singer step out and shine, and maybe within the song, the
horns will get to make a statement so strong as to be unforgettable.
Like “Knock on Wood” for example. That horn solo was so
dramatic, but look what it achieved.
We make a song within a song, so to speak. Our horn arrangements
have a beginning, a middle and an end. Like a rainstorm, we pitter-patter
in, then shake the roof, then pitter-patter and shout on out into
the distance. Often there is a thunderclap in the beginning!
The approach to our horn parts can go one of two ways. Either the
horns are part of the background, or they are a part of the song.
It’s important to make that determination when you first hear
the piece you are to work on. If the piece really “needs”
you then you are probably a part of the song. In the other case,
you are like background singers, using “oohs” and “ahhs”
to hold the lead person up, or stabs to add impact to rhythm punches.
It’s important to know the lyrics of the song and to get your
emotional reading from them. We use them for queues also, because
often we don’t use charts. But we do use the number system
in our musical conversation, like short hand. As in, “I’ll
play the ones and fives in the fifty-five eleven, and you play the
threes and sevens.” (ed. note: In this case, “fifty-five
eleven” refers to the dominant chords in the 11th and 12th
bars of a standard blues progression.)
We generally just go out on the floor and sit in our straight back
chairs, listening to the music through the head phones and letting
the feeling of the song get into our minds and souls. Then we wait
for something to “come up” to the surface.
The next step is crucial for us. Never question what comes, no matter
how silly it may seem at first! We just perform it, and usually
it will be the right thing. Remember the horn intro in “Try
A Little Tenderness?” There’s no better high for us than
cheers from the control room when something has really worked!
There’s a phrase we’re used to hearing quite a bit, “Out
of left field.” That’s a compliment, so don’t worry.
Lots of our stuff comes from there! It’s that pure creative
place. It’s where the line in the second verse of “Sledgehammer”
came from. One week we did a session for Cinderella down at a studio
in the country, near New Orleans, then we came back to Nashville
and did Charlie Pride. Later that same week, we were on the road
with Robert Cray after completing his new album, “Midnight
Stroll,” and then recorded with a white gospel group back over
in Nashville. All that stuff came from “out of left field.”
We did basically the same thing for everyone, letting our spirits
guide the way, and it worked every time. Like being a medium in
a trance. You just have to follow your heart and trust. Imagine
that!
Early on I remember Willie Mitchell saying,“ Horns are just
like salt and pepper.” Of course it helps to have Al Green
to sprinkle yourself on. We seasoned up some mighty fine Memphis
Soul Stew in those learning years! And with the material you now
have in your hands, you can too!
The Ultimate Test
When Andrew and I went in the studio with Johnny G. to make this
library, we had no idea what to expect. Johnny had tried to tell
us, but we didn’t know enough to understand what he was talking
about! We thought three or four days would be sufficient to do what
was needed! Well, HA, HA on us!
We were in the studio on and off for four months and worked hard!
Starting at 10 o’clock in the morning and often going till
9 o’clock at night! Ouch!
The part that made it tough was getting the emotional thing right.
Instead of having an energetic music track with a powerful vocal
to get in “tune” with, all we had was a metronome and
a piano chord! Whew! With no other music to cloak us, we were naked
as bare butt babies and had to wear each other like kid gloves!
Now, do that in five keys and three tempos and don’t loose
intensity or feeling either. Talk about fatigue! We slept well at
night.
Luckily we had a trumpet player for an engineer, and Johnny G. producing,
who plays saxophone among other things, so the control room was
sympathetic and understood what we were going through. We were in
a glass booth with a Neuiman U-87, two straight backed chairs and
us, and tons of material to get through! We learned what a “full
file” was pretty quickly, let me tell you! They’re not
easy to come by!
So here is a big helping of “The Memphis Horns” to put
on your plate! We hope you enjoy stirring them up, adding salt and
pepper and arranging them in an order that pleases both you and
your music! And we hope you have as much fun with it as we have
had over the past 35 years or so!
So now it’s your turn to be “The Memphis Horns!”
Enjoy with our blessings!
Wayne and Andrew
For more info about The Memphis Horns, including bios, history,
appearances and more go to www.memphishorns.com!
The Memphis Horns
Selected Discography
Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love have appeared on more than 300 hit
records. The following is a partial list (in no particular order)
of the more memorable songs and releases featuring their distinct
sound.
OTIS REDDING
Dock Of The Bay - Hard To Handle - Try A Little Tenderness
Pain in My Heart - Great Otis Sings Soul - Complete and Unbelievable
- Soul Album
Otis Blue - Live In Europe - Otis & Carla, King & Queen
- Immortal Otis - Love Man
Tell The Truth - Remember Me - Definitive Otis - Dreams To Remember
Sings Soul Ballads - Dictionary of Soul
ELVIS PRESLEY
Suspicious Minds (s) - In The Ghetto (s) - Kentucky Rain (s)
Memphis Record - From Elvis In Memphis - Back In Memphis
From Memphis To Nashville - Artists Of The Century Collection
STING
Mercury Falling
BILLY JOEL
Stormfront
PETER GABRIEL
Sledgehammer (s)
ARETHA FRANKLIN
Respect (s) - Think (s) - I Never Loved A Man (s)
Aretha Now - Aretha Live - Young Gifted & Black - Hey Now Hey
With Everything I Feel In Me - Queen Of Soul - Live At The Filmore
West
BONNIE RAITT
Longing In Their Heart
STEVE WINWOOD
Roll With It
COLLECTIVE SOUL
Disciplined Breakdown
JOE COCKER
Joe Cocker Live - Luxury You Can Afford - Best Of
THE DOOBIE BROTHERS
Takin' It To The Streets - What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits -
Best Of The Doobies
U2
Angel Of Harlem (s) - Rattle & Hum
ROD STEWART
Smiler - Atlantic Crossing
STEPHEN STILLS
Stephen Stills 2
AL GREEN
Let's Stay Together - Green Is Blues - Gets Next To You
I'm Still In Love With You - Let's Stay Together - Call Me - Livin'
For You
Explores Your Mind - Greatest Hits - Full Of Fire - Have A Good
Time
Your Hearts In Good Hands - Anthology - Al Green Is Love
JIMMY BUFFETT
Hot Water - Meet Me In Memphis
PRIMAL SCREAM
Give Up But Don't Give Out - Vanishing Point
JAMES TAYLOR
Mud Slide Slim
ROBERT CRAY
Strong Persuader - Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark - Midnight Stroll
- I Was Warned
Sweet Potatoe Pie -Take Your Shoes Off
WILSON PICKETT
Midnight Hour - 634-5789 - Mustang Sally - Land Of 1,000 Dances
NEIL DIAMOND
Sweet Caroline - Holly Holy - Brother Love's Traveling Salvation
Show
EDDIE FLOYD
Knock On Wood
(All Other Stax Titles)
GARY MOORE
Still Got The Blues
SAM & DAVE
Soul Man - Hold On I'm Coming
(All Other Stax Titles)
LITTLE FEAT
Shake Me Up
CINDERELLA
Heartbreak Station
WILLIE NELSON
Shotgun Willie
City Of New Orleans
B.J. THOMAS
Raindrops Keep Falling - Hooked On A Feeling (s) - I Just Can't
Help Believing (s)
You Call That A Moutain - All The Hits - The Very Best Of BJ
BUDDY GUY
Damn Right I've Got The Blues
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
Son Of A Preacher Man (s)
Dusty In Memphis
DELANEY & BONNIE
To Bonnie From Delaney - Best Of
BOOKER T. & THE MG'S
Soul Dressing - Very Best Of - Back To Back
B.B. KING
Blues Summit - To Know You Is To Love You - Friends
King Of The Blues - Greatest Hits
ISACC HAYES
Shaft - Hot Buttered Soul
ALBERT KING
Born Under A Bad Sign - Cross Cut Saw - I'll Play The Blues For
You
(All Other Stax Titles)
JOHNNY DIESEL
Come To Me
THE BOXTOPS
The Letter - Cry Like A Baby
JOHNNY TAYLOR
Who's Makin' Love
(All Stax Titles)
KING CURTIS
Memphis Soul Stew
Live At The Filmore West
KIYOSHIRO
Have Mercy
JOAN BAEZ
Blessed Are
ALEX CHILTON
High Priest - Top 30 - 19 Years: A Collection
ZUCCHERO
Misere - Oro Incenso & Birra - Diamante - Spirito DiVino - Zucchero
YOU AM I
#4
THE STAPLE SINGERS
Soul Folk In Action - Pray On - City In The Sky - Greatest Hits
- Very Best Of
PERCY SLEDGE
When A Man Loves A Woman - It Tears Me Up - Everything - Best Of
- 24 Greatest
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