Inside the Mix: Sennheiser catches up with John Delf on the Louis Tomlinson Tour
Feb 11, 2024
Sennheiser caught up with John Delf as he prepares the stage on the Louis Tomlinson tour. With 33 years of experience under his belt and as the proud owner of The Edge Studios in Cheshire, UK, John's expertise extends across both studio and live sound.
In this exclusive interview, Sennheiser catches up with John during a stop in Nashville in July. As an engineer for the Louis Tomlinson tour, John shares insights into his craft, highlighting some of his favorite Sennheiser products and offering a glimpse into how he integrates them seamlessly into his setup.
Join us as we delve behind the scenes with John Delf, gaining valuable knowledge about the tools and techniques that elevate the live sound experience for audiences worldwide. Get ready to unlock the secrets of audio excellence and discover your best mic setups!
there's a character on nashville whose name is will and his first hit song which he sings over and over in the early seasons is. it's. it's called "what if i was willing". and his name is WILL. and i think out of all the crimes this show committed over six seasons, the very worst one is that they never even once acknowledged that there's an incredibly obvious joke in there
Hank Wilson's Back, Vol. I
Leon Russell
1973, Shelter
Leon Russell’s Hank Wilson’s Back Vol. I ends with a sudden burst of hysterical laughter, which is usually what I feel Leon’s doing at my expense when I listen to his records, but Hank is a pretty straight affair. We’re looking at 13 classic bluegrass and country standards, most such obvious choices that it would be a real challenge to record one of the thousand best versions of a given song, let alone a newly definitive one. None of these are that, but the record’s a breezy listen. Russell was a prolific session player before his songwriting career took off, and he puts together an all-star crew of sidemen, including J.J. Cale, Billy Byrd, and members of the Wrecking Crew, Nashville Cats, and Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. (Plus a sleeve design by Eve Babitz!) This’ll shock, but they sound pretty good.
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The more reverent arrangements (mostly on side one) are nice but not necessarily thrilling. When Russell and company give a swampier Tulsa Sound read though, you’re in for a ball. The credits to his rollicking take on Jimmie Driftwood’s “The Battle of New Orleans” list no less than six guitar players, and you can hear all of them putting in work: crunching riffs, high sitar-like accents, even a spacy steel guitar bridge. We get a nice take on Leon Payne’s “Lost Highway” too, Russell singing like he’s got a wad of chew stuffed in his cheek, the whole track bobbing along like R. Crumb’s “Keep on Truckin’” guy. Russell’s not bad on the ballads either: there’s a splendid version of “Am I That Easy to Forget” that compares well to Gram Parsons’ work from the same year on Grievous Angel.
If I were rating the record, I’d say side one is a respectable 3/5, and side two a strong 4/5—so split the difference and call it a 3.5, well worth a grab for fans of great country-western musicianship and appreciators of the ‘70s Russell/Cale/Clapton sound.
I can't with Elvis' voice in this tune, it's so... ugh. Marvelous. It goes to the depths of my soul. The melody... the background singers... This is pure gold. A GEM. The whole "Elvis Now" album is. One of my favorites. ♥
First release on "ELVIS NOW" album, released in February 1972. The tracks were recorded between January 22, 1969 — June 8, 1971 at American Sound (Memphis) and RCA Studio B (Nashville). This specif track was recorded on May 20, 1971.
I just thought I heard a small voice crying
Looked again and saw that it was me
I feel like a little boy denying
That he fears the night 'cause he can't see
Then a larger thought said stop your crying
Don't be scared to search 'cause you may find
Fate holds out a candle for your footsteps
Time rolls back the shadows of your mind
It's a long, long lonely night
You can make the morning if you try
It's a long, long lonely night
Oh, we can make the morning if we try
Girl, we can make the morning you and I
Together, together, together
Loneliness is darkness' first companion
Spend the night alone and faith may bend
Share it all and see how fear starts fading
Chase away the shadows with a friend
Dawn's elusive light is just beginning
Now the day can push away the night
Dreams can make the sun feel much brighter ♪
Hope creates a foothold for the light ♪
It's a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It's a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
Girl, we can make the morning you and I, Oh
Together
It's a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It's a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try
It's a long, long lonely night
We can make the morning if we try