I  MET BETTA AT WORK (INTEL CORP) IN 1993 IN SAN JOSE CALIFORNIA DURING MY 9 MONTH TRAINING ASSIGNMENT THERE. SHE APROACHED AFTER SOMEONE TELLING HER I PLAYED GUITAR WITH DIFFERENT BANDS FOR MANY YEARS.

  SHE TOLD ME SHE PLAYED ACOUSTIC GUITAR AND HAD WRITTEN SOME ORIGINAL SONGS. WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO PLAY TOGETHER UNTIL WE BOTH RETURNED HOME TO NEW MEXICO.

SHE HAD A NUMBER OF SONGS SHE WAS WORKING ON SO WE GOT TOGETHER AND I LEARNED THEM. WE ACTUALLY PLAYED AT A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP IN RIO RANCHO ONE FRIDAY NIGHT. I SET UP A PA SYSTEM AND BROUGHT MY BASS AND ELECTRIC GUITAR. BETTA PLAYED HER SONGS AND WE PLAYED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO. IT WAS NICE GETTING OUT IN THE PUBLIC EYE AND PLAYING AGAIN.

I HAD JUST PURCHASED SOME RECORDING EQUIPMENT (8 TRACK ALESIS ADAT RECORDER AND A MACKE MIXER)

WE DECIDED TO RECORD ABOUT 3 OF HER SONGS WITH A FULL BAND, BASS - DRUMS- ELECTRIC GUITARS. THE FIRST SESSION WAS DONE AT JIMMY MAGNARELLA'S HOUSE SINCE IT WAS EASIER TO BRING MY RECORDER TO WHERE THE DRUMS WERE. ANOTHER FRIEND AT WORK PLAYED THE BASS (GREG MARTINEZ). HE USED A FRETLESS FENDER. WE WENT OVER 3 OF HER SONGS AND RECORDED THE BASIC TRACKS FIRST. BETTA BOUGHT US PIZZA AND BEER SO AS THE NIGHT WENT ON SOME OF US WERE GETTING QUITE LOOSE. ALL THE PICTURES HERE WERE TAKEN DURING THE FIRST RECORDING SESSION. I DON'T HAVE A PHOTO OF GREG FROM THAT NIGHT.

 

THE NEXT NIGHT AT MY HOUSE BETTA AND I GOT TOGETHER TO EDIT DOWN THE SONGS AND AFTER LISTENING TO THEM THE BASS PARTS WERE A LITTLE MUDDLED PROBABLY DO TO THE FACT THAT GREG USED HIS FRETLESS BASS ON THEM. WE DECIDED THAT I WOULD RERECORD THE BASS PARTS ON ANOTHER TRACK AND SEE HOW IT WOULD SOUND. IT SOUNDED BETTER SO WE WENT WITH THAT. WITH ONLY 8 TRACKS AVAILBLE WE HAD TO MIX WHAT WE HAD DOWN TO 2 TRACKS SO THE BASS, DRUMS AND BETTA'S GUITAR WERE NOW ON 2 TRACKS LEAVING US WITH 6 MORE FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. JIMMY PUT DOWN A LITTLE PERCUSSION TRACK WITH SOME TINY BONGO'S PLAYED WITH HIS FINGERS... IT SOUNDED COOL SO WE MIXED THEM IN WITH A MANDOLIN TRACK I PUT DOWN. I ALSO RECORDED 3 DIFFERENT RHYTHM GUITAR PARTS PLAYED WITH 3 DIFFERENT GUITARS. A STRAT, A TELE AND MY NEW PARKER FLY . LOTS OF GUITAR WORK GAVE THE MUSIC A NICE FINISHED SOUND. I BOUGHT ANOTHER 8 TRACK ADAT RECORDER SO NOW WE HAD 16 TRACKS TO PLAY WITH. EACH GUITAR HAD A NICE DIGITAL EFFECT AND WAS PANNED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT SPEAKER GIVING IT A NICE STEREO EFFECT .  ONCE WE WERE DOWN WITH ALL THE RHYTHM TRACKS BETTA ADDED THE LEAD AND BACKUP VOCALS. HER FRIEND CAME OVER AND ADDED SOME HARMONIES.. BETTA ADDED ANOTHER 12 STRING RHYTHM TRACK ON AN OPEN TRACK AND THEN WE WERE DONE EXCEPT FOR THE FINAL MIXDOWN FROM 16 TO 2 STEREO TRACKS.

 

EACH PAGE HERE HAS ONE SONG PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND. THESE SONGS WERE ALL RECORDED IN THE 1994-1995 TIMEFRAME... BETTA IS A VERY TALENTED SINGER - PLAYER - AND SONGWRITER. IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET TOGETHER AGAIN AND RECORD SOME MORE OF HER SONGS...