Mavericks Sessions Showcase Band's Strength

NASHVILLE--If the atmosphere surrounding the recording of an album has much impact on its reception in the marketplace, then the Mavericks' next record should definitely be a big one. The MCA band has been in the studio working on its January 1998 release, and the members readily admit it's been an adventure.
'This time out, we wanted everything to be bigger--the production values, the room, everything,' says lead vocalist Raul Malo. 'We wanted more of everything, and we went after that.'
Produced by Don Cook and Malo, the project, which is still untitled, was recorded at Ocean Way Studios, a large, posh facility that opened its doors on Nashville's 17th Avenue earlier this year. The building was once a church, and the stained-glass windows that remain in the sanctuary-turned-studio provided a serene contrast to what was, literally, a circus-like atmosphere surrounding the recording.
For the sessions, the Mavericks had the room adorned with a variety of circus props to offer an interesting backdrop to the proceedings. They did other things to enhance the mood. One night they asked family, friends, and everyone else coming to the session to dress in black formal wear.
'Mavericks album sessions are like a Fellini movie,' says Cook. 'You see people and ask, 'Who in the world are they and what are they doing here?' Then somebody in the band will run up and hug them, and you realize it's part of the process, and you roll on, and it's fun.'
The atmosphere was definitely loose. 'We were cutting a Spanish number, and a catering guy walks in with a whole tray of margaritas because we were thirsty,' says Malo. 'That's the way it's been. Any number of times we've had 100 people here.'
Atmosphere aside, the major difference with this album is that it was recorded live--with the band joined by the Nashville String Machine, made up of members of the Nashville Symphony.
'We basically cut the whole thing live--the sections, the strings,' Malo says. 'I sang out there in the middle of the room, and everybody played live, basically how old Motown records and all those records were cut. The room was full of musicians. It's been nerve-racking. Probably three or four years ago, we couldn't have done it this way because of the pressure of all of the musicians, also (having) five cameras around all the time (shooting video). Now that we're big time, this stuff doesn't faze us. We can handle it.'
Although Malo makes that last remark with a sarcastic grin, there's a lot of truth in the statement. Bassist Robert Reynolds says that the band--also composed of drummer Paul Deakin and guitarist Nick Kane--has reached a maturity level that makes this kind of recording feasible. 'It's been really fun because the years we've worked together have finally paid off in the studio, where we can take all the road experience and play live in a studio and still be together. It holds up.'
Malo says that, from the moment the songs were written, the group agreed that recording live was the best way to present them.
'It was a challenge in a lot of ways, but it was probably the most exciting time I've had as a singer,' he says. 'Just singing with a powerful orchestra was terrific, and, of course, now I'm spoiled because I won't do a gig unless it's with the Cleveland Symphony. We are really screwed for the next year, because we are doing a club tour, and I don't know how we are going to fit the symphonies in.'
Says Malo of the studio vibe, 'A lot of people get caught up in making sure the kick drum is perfect or this guitar lick is perfect, and the truth is nobody really cares. The audiences don't care about stuff like that. Regular folks don't care about things like that. Musicians care about their licks. What I want to be concerned with, and I think we're all concerned with the most, is the energy of the record and the energy that came across in the recordings, and that's real good. You can feel it on the record.'
The increased energy level no doubt came from the excitement of performing live, but the fact that the Mavericks are in the midst of taking a year off from the road is also a contributing factor.
'Against the odds, we took time off so this record would be a standout record,' Reynolds says.
In addition to recording the new Mavericks album, Reynolds and Malo engaged in some musical extracurricular activities. Malo has been performing around Nashville in various clubs doing swing music and old pop standards. Reynolds has been immersed in writing songs. Two of his new tunes landed on the current Cheap Trick album.
The Mavericks are booked by Creative Artists Agency and managed by FCC Management's Frank Callari. Having just finished the new album, they will take time off this fall before gearing up for its release. During the recording session, there was a great deal of video footage shot by director Gerry Wenner of Planet Inc. At press time, plans for the video's usage had yet to be finalized.
Two-time Country Music Assn. vocal group of the year winners (1995, 1996), the Mavericks have enjoyed critical acclaim that hasn't consistently translated to commercial success at radio and retail. The act's debut album, 'Hell To Paradise,' was released in May 1992 and attracted the attention of the media but failed to make it onto a Billboard album chart. According to SoundScan, sales to date are 134,000.
The band's sophomore album, 'What A Crying Shame,' peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart in September 1994 and, according to SoundScan, has sold 1.1 million. Its last effort, 'Music For All Occasions,' peaked at No. 9 in October 1995 and has sold approximately 566,000 units.
'The Mavericks have always been steady sellers for us,' says Tower Nashville GM Jon Kerlikowske, who attributes the band's success to its unique sound, describing them as 'a cross between the Eagles, Los Lobos, Lyle Lovett, and Alabama.'
Jeff Stoltz, music buyer for the Torrance, Calif.-based Wherehouse chain, says the Mavericks are his favorite band and agrees that they sell well, adding that those sales are fueled by the act's live shows. 'I've seen them eight or nine times, and they are amazing live performers,' Stoltz says.
However, the musical eclecticism that makes the group's albums and live performances so enjoyable has proved to be a stumbling block at radio.
The band's blend of many different musical elements--from rockabilly to torch songs to Latin influences to Flaco Jimƒnez's Tex-Mex accordion contribution on the tune 'All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down'--sometimes makes it hard for radio programmers to know what to do with the Mavericks.
The band has had 10 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, but its highest charting single was 'All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,' which peaked at No. 13 for the week of May 18, 1996. Of its other singles, one charted at No. 18 and one at No. 20, but the majority of its efforts haven't made much headway on the charts.
So how does a band that has never even had a top 10 single earn gold and platinum albums? Those interviewed for this piece say it's due primarily to a combination of talent, media exposure, awards recognition, and especially the strength of the live shows.
'The fact that they've achieved those kind of sales levels reflects the fans who've seen them perform,' says MCA Nashville chairman Bruce Hinton. 'You can track their sales across America. There are sales spikes in the markets they perform in.'
All of which, of course, bodes well for a new album recorded live.
Stoltz predicts great things on the retail front. 'I like their previous records a lot, but their live performances are miles above those records,' he says. The fact that this album was recorded live is a factor Stoltz says will please fans. 'The sheer musical knowledge they represent is incredible,' he says. 'They are so multifaceted.'
Hinton agrees. 'The magic and energy associated with the Mavericks' live performance is on this album,' he says.
How does the band think the live album will fare at country radio? 'Can you play it on the radio? Sure it will play, just put it in your CD player,' says Reynolds. 'But will it be played on radio? I couldn't say. I know that we made the records by no one's standards but our own . . . For the Mavericks fans that enjoy each new record, all the little differences, they're going to enjoy this one, because it will feel like two or three leaps away from the last record.'
Many radio programmers admit to being fans of the band's music but also to having trouble programming it. WQYK St. Petersburg, Fla., music director Jay Roberts is among that contingent.
'I personally like them a lot and listen to them at home, but I haven't programmed every single,' he says. 'The edginess of their music is a stretch for country radio . . . They are a unique band, and Raul is a great singer, but they are a little left-of-center for country. They are a hard band to define.'
Roberts acknowledges that lack of radio airplay isn't hurting sales. 'That's happening not only with the Mavericks, but other acts,' he says. 'The latest example is Lila McCann. Her album is in the top 10. (Acts like the Mavericks and McCann) strike a passion with the record buyers that hits them in the pocketbook.'
Cook is optimistic about the record's acceptance. 'It's a powerful body of work that we've got coming together, and it feels so strong and good to me musically that I'm not really worrying about marketing issues right now like I would normally be doing,' he says. 'I'm really focused on the fact that I can't wait for people to hear this music, and that's the best feeling you can have when you get through with a record.'
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