SP STUDIOS (Johannesburg South Africa):

Hi,
John may remember Paul Wright at Sonovision Studios in Johannesburg South Africa? I did a fair amount of work with him during this time. Good to see a Mutt Zone Page.
Cheers, Paul.

My career is sound engineering, since leaving school in what was then Salisbury Rhodesia. Came to South africa and spent many years doing radio drama, commercial spot recording and music engineering. Mutt was working at one of the studios I joined around 1972/3 I think, doing sound engineering and things like cutting acetate disc for commercial flighting (things HAVE changed).

At that time he was leaving Sonovision to focus on his music. I recall this story about our well meaning Managing Director advising Mutt that this was a dangerous choice as there was very little security in being a musician - thank goodness he ignored this!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course for anyone else, this would have been sound advice..... While at Sonovision I had these musical aspirations and someone decided I would make a seven single... I mean sing it!!! Mutt worked on the track with us and I believe that once he realized I was really a singer, he kept telling me to practice because we needed to do it in a higher and higher key! Panic of course set in at being listened to by these real musicians. When we hit the studio he just dropped the key back to where we had started.. and with all that practice I sang the thing reasonably well... So John was producing right from the start. Getting the best out of people.

So ..Fame at last - I have a seven single with Mutt Lange's name on the label just below mine!! Jokes aside, I did realize that singing was not going to keep me fed and clothed... After this I moved on to do music engineering at Gallo and EMI studios where I did quite a bit of mixing with John.

Although not easy to get to know, I felt we became good friends. I was always amazed at his absolute focus and passion...he was like a single clear thought, but always relaxed. This came out strong in those early days of multi-track recording. While most people were putting lots of layers down and then "fixing it in the mix"!, Mutt would know EXACTLY what picture he was creating right from the start.

It was a great experience to work with him. I learned a lot. I remember him telling me one day that he was going to change his bass guitar technique because he wasn't fingering the best possible way. Of course, he just went out and did exactly that. I also recall his comments making me aware of just how important the bass guitar is in the scheme of things.. if you can sort of imagine all those harmonies building up out of the bass line ...great things happen.

Paul Wright (SP STUDIOS -- Johannesburg South Africa)