released 11 April 2012
Produced by AM & Shawn Lee
Mixed by Shawn Lee and Pierre Duplan at Trans Yank, London, England
Mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Mastering, Berkeley, California
London sessions recorded by Pierre Duplan at Trans Yank
Drums recorded by Shawn Lee
Los Angeles sessions recorded by Brad Gordon at BG's Magic Carpet Studios
except "Winter Sun" recorded by Mike Sawitzke

Music by AM & Shawn Lee. Lyrics by AM. All songs published by Celestial Electric Music/ASCAP except "Jackie Blue" written by Larry Lee & Steve Cash and published by Irving Music/BMI

Artwork and design by Andy Votel

From: ANDY VOTEL
Date: 26 May 2011 18:49:52 BST
To: SHAWN LEE, AM-MUSIC
Subject: LINER NOTES

Hi Shawn / AM

Greetings from Barcelona. Sorry for the slight delay. Just stuck in the longest airport queue I've seen since Majorca in 1982, I can almost hear a ghost transmission of late period Las Grecas on the airport tannoy, I know you both love that shit. I think that cosmic volcanic dust must holding up ATT (and I'm not talking about the stuff that the customs sniffer dogs are addicted to). I can't help thinking about the artwork for the LP when anyone mentions these volcanic clouds.

I agree with your idea about doing some liner notes, it's certainly something that is lacking in modern music. The majors have pretty much succeeded in eradicating that physical element out of buying 'records' by shrinking down the artwork to approximately "non-existent" and without that art/sound unison it seems liner notes have become endangered speeches. I wonder what's next, drum-tax? Maybe they'll create music that self-destructs at the age of 30 like Logan's Run. Perhaps they'll just inject a fake musical memory into your head just to cut out the studio costs.... Or will it all end up in a second hand mp3 shop? XMP3-VG+? I think an LP like yours would defo suit some liners. Taking these things out of pop music is like taking costume away from opera, or acting away from film (or has someone already done that? Sorry)

I DJ'ed in the lobby of a very futuristic hotel last night. You two woulda loved it. Very Italo Giallo, Profondo Rosso meets Woody's Sleeper. It looked like an Eames showroom with a lot of expensive molded plastic in there, was gonna try and order a shot of Moloko Velocet from the bar until I saw the prices! Have you seen that episode of Space 1999 where Big Jim Sullivan does an electronic sitar recital to a seated audience of 60's proto-thinsulate jumpsuits... I like to think he kept that outfit on at the Melody Nelson sessions... Maybe you could base your live show on that scene! Would also suit the line-up. Barcelona is looking very futuristic nowadays but I still managed to hit the old flea markets, bought a lot of 80's library stuff which sounds very much like some of Celestial Electric. I had to pass on a bunch of 16mm Italian and Spanish horror stuff, a few Ray Lovelock bits, they were pretty trashed. Maybe we could have sellotaped them altogether and made a feature long video for the album (or AM could use them for visuals at Rendezvous???). It's hard to concentrate on the wax when you’re tripping over mountains of second-hand foreign language games consoles, VHS tapes and lost Terminator X sunglasses. I felt like saying "how much for the lot?" but then there's probably a kid back at that hotel who has the content of the whole market downloaded onto his phone... including the sunglasses.

I'm Glad you're digging the Kollywood stuff btw... Plenty more where that comes from! I love the fact that it sounds like it was recorded at a religious ceremony in 1955 until that huge DX7 bass line kicks in with an electronic tabla. Ticks all your boxes eh? Celestial Electric indeed.

Anyway, I'm nearly at the front of the queue now, better sharpen up and smile so I can take this record bag in the cabin. I hope you've raised enough pledge-funds for your gigs (and your tour DJ!!! Hint) Hopefully I haven't missed the deadline for the liner-notes... Maybe you should just use this email instead.

See you next Friday
A.V. (ator)

1. City Boy
AM - nylon string guitar, electric guitar, Roland 09 synthesizer, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, bass, 12 string guitar, glockenspiel

2. Lonely Life
AM - electric guitar, Roland 09 synthesizer, lead vocal, claps
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, bass, glockenspiel, marimba, claps
Jesse Nason - Roland SH-101 synthesizer
Brad Gordon - claps

3. Can't Figure It Out
AM - bass, 12 string electric guitar, Casio SA-38 synthesizer, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, glockenspiel, backing vocals
Brett Bixby - Korg Micro synthesizer
Jesse Nason - Roland Alpha Juno 1 synthesizer

4. Dark Into Light
AM - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, Moog Rogue synthesizer, Casio SA-38 synthesizer, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, claps, backing vocals
Brett Bixby - Korg Micro synthesizer
Jesse Nason - Yamaha PSS-480 synthesizer

5. Different Forces
AM - lead vocal, backing vocals
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, bass, acoustic guitar,12 string guitar, nylon string guitar, piano, vibes, Crumar Multiman-S, Phillips Phillicorda organ, Casio MT 400V synthesizer, backing vocals
Brad Gordon - backing vocals

6. Jackie Blue
AM - electric guitar, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, bass, piano, electric guitars,Yamaha PSR-6 synthesizer, Phillips Phillicorda organ, Crumar Multiman-S, Casio MT 400V synthesizer, Hohner E6 clavinet, harmony vocals

7. Somebody Like You
AM - bass, electric guitar, Roland Juno 106 synthesizer, claps, snaps, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, electric guitars, piano, Casio MT 400V synthesizer, Yamaha PSS-380 synthesizer, Phillips Phillicorda organ, claps, Yamaha CS 5 synthesizer
Brad Gordon - claps, snaps

8. Promises Are Never Far From Lies
AM - bass, Yamaha PSS-480 synthesizer, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, electric guitars, Hohner E6 Clavinet
Brett Bixby - Moog Lil' Phatty synthesizer
Brad Gordon - Nord Electro 2 Synthesizer, Voce V5 organ

9. Down The Line
AM - electric guitar, banjo, Yamaha PSS-380 synthesizer, Yamaha PSS-480 synthesizer, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, bass, glockenspiel, virginal harpsichord
Brad Gordon - flugelhorn

10. The Signal
AM - 12 string electric guitar, electric guitar, Yamaha PSR-12 synthesizer, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, bass, electric guitars, Yamaha PSR-6 synthesizer, Yamaha PSS-380 synthesizer, Crumar Multiman-S, Casio PT-20, Casio MT 400V synthesizer, Yamaha CS 5 synthesizer, glockenspiel

11. Winter Sun
AM - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele, Casio PT-80 synthesizer, lead vocal
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion, bass, piano, Yamaha CS 1 synthesizer, Roland Rhythm 330 drum machine, glockenspiel, snaps

12. Callahan
AM - bass, Casio SA-38 synthesizer, Yamaha PSS-380 synthesizer, Roland 09 synthesizer
Shawn Lee - drums, percussion
Brett Bixby - Korg Micro synthesizer, Moog Lil' Phatty synthesizer
Brad Gordon - tack piano
www.amandshawnlee.com
www.amsounds.com
www.shawnlee.net

AM thanks - Shawn Lee for the inspiration to make music in an entirely new way, Mia for doing more work than anybody realizes, Brad Gordon...thank you for all your hard work and invaluable input, Brett Bixby for your groovy parts and continued dedication even through your most difficult times, Jesse Nason for synth-tastic contributions...and for loaning me your Yamahas, Mom, Dad and Erin for continued support, JJ for lifting my spirits daily, Blake West for the countless contributions, Mike Sawitzke for stepping in on "Winter Sun", Pete McNeal for helping us bring this to the stage, Andy Votel...still freaking out that you did our artwork, Jason Bentley, Ariana Morgenstern and all at KCRW who supported this record early, all my friends who heard this record along the way and encouraged me, Michael Castro for lending me the Rogue, Gary Jules, Marlene Tsuchii and Spencer Sherman at CAA, Visionworks Music, ASCAP, ESL, the crew at Rendezvous, Killer Rock From Space

Shawn Lee thanks - AM - you have inspired me on this album and done many incredible things. Much more to come....Mia - for all your hard work and vision on this project, Andrew Jervis & Michael Mcfadin at Ubiquity for helping us launch this record, my wife Kiren and my girls MELA & SEELA for always sticking with me and your precious love, Pierre - thanks for always pressing record and your lovely French ears! Jason Bentley and all the good people at KCRW, Brett Bixby the legend, Jesse Nason, Brad Gordon and your magic carpets, Pete McNeal my brother from another mother, Andy Votel-for all the things you do. You are an inspiration. Adrian Quesada, Adrian Younge, Bruno Ybarra, Nick Luscombe, Rob Garza and everyone at ESL, Casio & Yamaha for all your cheap plastic goodness! Dengue Fever, CAA, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Kramford Look, Virgil Howe, The Superimposers, Killer Rock From Space