7
Park Avenue
(Pete
Ham demos)
compiled
by Tom Brennan
last
updated: June 16. 2023
7
Park Avenue photo (back of booklet)
Booklet notes: Part
1 | Part
2 | Part
3
Inner
tray photo
Europe release: 1997 March 17
U.S.A. release: 1997 March 18
Technical Notes:
Many of the existing demos of Pete Ham were technically cleaned up for dropouts, clicks, and extremely dull sound in 1993. The songs had been recorded in the late '60s and early '70s on a Revox Sound-On-Sound tape machine. This device has two record heads. Each overdub Pete Ham would lay down meant the simultaneous bouncing of his previous track, and an eventual mono master. The difficult nature of this process sometimes resulted in a great imbalance to the final vocal and instrument levels. In order to even out some of the sounds, there were new overdubs added to a number of Pete's demos. A decision was later made to musically enhance additional demos. Great effort was taken to retain the integrity of the era for which the songs were recorded in.
Every vocal line, lead guitar solo, and guitar lick you hear, are Pete Ham's original performances. He also played most of the keyboards, some of the percussion parts, plus a few of the drum tracks as well. The new overdubs were performed in 1994 and 1995; the majority by ex-Badfinger member Bob Jackson, ex-Iveys member Ron Griffiths, bass player Derrick Anderson of The Andersons, and Los Angeles based drummer, Rick Cammon. No demos were utilized which included and performances from original Badfinger members Joey Molland, Tom Evans, or Mike Gibbins.
Thanks:
Many thanks to the following people who also contributed a variety of technical, logistical, and instrumental support to this project: Travis Woodard, Terry Messal, Jonathan Lea, Chris Von Sneidern, Mike Romanowski, Jim Mills, Guy Slater, Adam Marsland, Tony Perkins, Kent Gray, Anthony Gliozzo, Damon Fox, Donnie Bott, Andy Jones, Tom Sullivan, Richard Anton, Scott Bledsoe, Steve Refling, Chris Lambert, Eric Nielsen, Tim Douglas-Jones, Mike Snowdon, Andy Davis, Anne Herriot, Petera Ham, Beverley Tucker, and John Ham.
Project produced and edited by Dan Matovina
Mastering Engineers: Mike Romanowski, Chris Von Sneidern, John Golden
Mastering Facilities: Rocket Lab, San Francisco, CA; Ordophon-Upon-Avon, San Francisco, CA; John Golden Mastering, Newbury Park, CA
Front cover photo by Barry Plummer; photo of 7 Park Avenue by Joe Black; other photos courtesy of the Pete Ham Estate.
Package design by Barbara Longo.
U.S.A. release: 1997 March 18
Technical Notes:
Many of the existing demos of Pete Ham were technically cleaned up for dropouts, clicks, and extremely dull sound in 1993. The songs had been recorded in the late '60s and early '70s on a Revox Sound-On-Sound tape machine. This device has two record heads. Each overdub Pete Ham would lay down meant the simultaneous bouncing of his previous track, and an eventual mono master. The difficult nature of this process sometimes resulted in a great imbalance to the final vocal and instrument levels. In order to even out some of the sounds, there were new overdubs added to a number of Pete's demos. A decision was later made to musically enhance additional demos. Great effort was taken to retain the integrity of the era for which the songs were recorded in.
Every vocal line, lead guitar solo, and guitar lick you hear, are Pete Ham's original performances. He also played most of the keyboards, some of the percussion parts, plus a few of the drum tracks as well. The new overdubs were performed in 1994 and 1995; the majority by ex-Badfinger member Bob Jackson, ex-Iveys member Ron Griffiths, bass player Derrick Anderson of The Andersons, and Los Angeles based drummer, Rick Cammon. No demos were utilized which included and performances from original Badfinger members Joey Molland, Tom Evans, or Mike Gibbins.
Thanks:
Many thanks to the following people who also contributed a variety of technical, logistical, and instrumental support to this project: Travis Woodard, Terry Messal, Jonathan Lea, Chris Von Sneidern, Mike Romanowski, Jim Mills, Guy Slater, Adam Marsland, Tony Perkins, Kent Gray, Anthony Gliozzo, Damon Fox, Donnie Bott, Andy Jones, Tom Sullivan, Richard Anton, Scott Bledsoe, Steve Refling, Chris Lambert, Eric Nielsen, Tim Douglas-Jones, Mike Snowdon, Andy Davis, Anne Herriot, Petera Ham, Beverley Tucker, and John Ham.
Project produced and edited by Dan Matovina
Mastering Engineers: Mike Romanowski, Chris Von Sneidern, John Golden
Mastering Facilities: Rocket Lab, San Francisco, CA; Ordophon-Upon-Avon, San Francisco, CA; John Golden Mastering, Newbury Park, CA
Front cover photo by Barry Plummer; photo of 7 Park Avenue by Joe Black; other photos courtesy of the Pete Ham Estate.
Package design by Barbara Longo.
Dan
Matovina has remastered 7 Park Avenue for
its 2nd pressing in Japan. The remastered disc sounds much cleaner
overall and has some other surprises as well. See details on the sonic
differences below.
