MIX MASTERS
Not a single note of Sam Smith’s vocals has been tuned, swears producer Stephen Fitzmaurice. Well… there was one note. “It bothered Reuben James, the piano player,” explained Fitzmaurice of the solo offender. “Then Sam asked me to try it without that note tuned, and it was fine. So we ended up with no tuning whatsoever on this record.”
He’s talking about The Thrill of It All, Smith’s latest album, and a continuation of his and Smith’s creative partnership that’s included mixing, engineering and co-producing uber-hit Stay With Me and the award-winning James Bond song, Writing’s On The Wall. Keeping the vocals ‘honest’ is integral for Smith, and Fitzmaurice knows it. Those marks of authenticity and vulnerability are what distinguishes him from the sugar-coated pop perfection of Katy Perry, Britney Spears and Taylor Swift, despite sharing a long list of co-writers with them.
TAPE TRACKING AT RAK
Fitzmaurice is required personnel when it comes to a Sam Smith record, but not until the day comes to set up mics. The entire songwriting process of The Thrill of It All, including choosing co-writers, was masterminded by Smith, co-producer Jimmy Napes, Smith’s label, and his managers. “Sam tried lots of people,” explained Fitzmaurice, “and many songs were written, some of which ended up on the record. I didn’t play a part in any of that. I was booked in January (2017) to start recording on May 1st at RAK Studios in London, the same place where I recorded his previous album.”
From his studio at Pierce Entertainment in West London, the Irish producer detailed what happened next, beginning with the broad brush strokes. “Sam was very adamant he wanted to record with the same band, so we did with the exception of a different guitar player,” he began. “Sam also wanted to record the album in the same way as last time; the band playing live in the studio with him singing at the same time.
“Both Sam and Jimmy really On the other hand, Sam’s voice benefitted from recording to tape, because I hit it quite hard with his vocal which smoothed out some of the hard transients.”
