Porter played on the classic For Your Pleasure album, but refused to be photographed with the group for the album because he didn't wish to be seen "dressing like a pansy," and besides, he didn't really like the music.
I, on the other hand, think it's one of the greatest albums of all time.
Pleasure did extremely well, and Ferry, itching to try his hand at a solo effort, asked Porter to help him produce it. Porter hired some musicians he knew, including members of the Average White Band, Roxy-drummer Paul Thompson, and future-Roxyite Eddie Jobson.
These Foolish Things would establish Ferry's pattern of recording idiosyncratic versions of standard tunes ("A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall," "The Tracks Of My Tears," the title track) for his '70s solo albums, while keeping his original material for Roxy Music. Porter played on three more Ferry albums before a dispute arose regarding credits and they parted ways.
I also spoke with Rhett Davies, who worked with Roxy and Ferry a few years later.
Davies replaced his friend and mentor Phill Brown as engineer on the Roxy Music reunion album Manifesto in 1978, when Brown had to be hospitalized for a time.
Roxy had been recording in the band format: a song would be rehearsed, the band would set up in the studio, get appropriate levels and then record the song live five or thirty times until they got it right. Then they would record the vocals and solos and whatnot over that backing track.
Davies showed leader Bryan Ferry a new way, the "rhythm box" [click track] method he had learned from Eno. "In the old school method the drums are the most important part when you are cutting a backing track," Davies says. "Paul Thompson was a fantastic live drummer, but he was difficult to work with in the studio - there was a certain disinterest, and that frustrated Bryan as he was trying to get what he wanted out of him. But with the rhythm box you can lay
down tracks and not worry about the drummer until later.
"When it came to making Flesh and Blood, we basically cut everything from the groove upwards. Phil Manzanera had built a studio down at his house, so we laid all the backing tracks down there. Bryan really enjoyed that way of working and we had about four or five pieces down, but he was feeling a little bit uncomfortable that this was Phil's studio.
Article comments
1 - Bill Sherman
Great piece: one of my personal fave Roxy discs has to be Stranded. It was the first of theirs that I heard, and I can still recall the chill of opening cut "Street Life," as Ferry cries out to be left alone. Later, the Brit punks would sneer at Roxy Music, but I've long felt that song had as much urgency and emotion in it as anything to come out of the punk movement. . .
2 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Bill, I think the first song I heard was "Do the Strand" from For Your Pleasure, but I immediately went back to the first album, which i think came out the same year, and was with them in real time from then on.
Cleveland was THE hotbed of Roxymania in the US. They were amazing, timeless, magical - I get bored very easily typically, but I can sit and listen to their entire catalog and just groove.
Another great sing: I think every one of their albums was my favorite at some point in time other than Manifesto, which I never really got into.
Much of the Ferry solo stuff is great also, but it's Roxy that encapsulates popular music for me, perhaps even better than the Beatles or Stones.
3 - Merv Black
Who is ever free from the pangs of deceit and love. I agree with Eric Olsen. For Your Pleasure started Roxy internationally and Bryan Ferry ended Roxy with Avalon.
Strange how Jerry Hall graced an album cover but nothing like that with Lucy
4 - Eric Olsen
Certainly no one is free from such things - thanks Merv.
5 - Mark Solomon
Merv:
Actually, the model on the cover of Avalon is Lucy Ferry who at the time was pregnant.
I think the cover photo was shot in the west of Ireland!
6 - Amanda
I saw Bryan live in Cardiff last year, he was amazing. I was right at the front,by the stage, and he looked the same as ever - like his music, he just doesnt age.The Roxy song I'm playing most at the moment is "If there is something", which is beautifully constructed - a mix of tongue in cheek upbeat humour, haunting romanticism and dark edginess.
7 - Eric Olsen
Amanda, sounds great! I haven't seen him in about ten years, glad to hear all is well. I love almost all Roxy, but "If There Is Something" is one of the greats. Thanks.
8 - Sarah
the comment in the piece about jerry hall having been bryan's wife is incorrect. they were engaged but never married.
9 - JOB
Bryan gets a bit of respect back after Jerry Hall's latest divorce. While vacationing in Mexico the press ask her who gave her the ruby ring she was wearing; she replies Ferry, a real gentleman. Now will Bryan get the energy to get rid of the 22 year old model girlfiends and give Jerry a call for a date?
10 - Eric Olsen
hmm, interesting info, thanks!