The Scruffs Return to Ardent Studios
June 29, 2009 by Daniel J Russo
Filed under Ardent Studios, Artist Spotlight, Featured, In The Studio
The Scruffs. From left: Stephen Burns, engineer Geoff Allan, Mark Rodgers, assistant Adam Hill, and guitarist Mike Baillie.
Power pop magnates and Ardent mainstays The Scruffs were back in studio A this June, working on the mix for their forthcoming record. They spent a week and a half mixing with their engineer Geoff Allan, who with the rest of the band travelled all the way from Scotland to be at Ardent. Adam Hill assisted on the mix.
The Scruffs have a long history in the Memphis/Power pop scene, having originally hailed from here and having cut their debut, “Wanna Meet the Scruffs?,” right here at Ardent in 1977. The band spent some time in New York in the early 80′s, but singer/songwriter Stephen Burns moved back to Memphis in 1982 and would remain here until finding a new home in Scotland in 1998. While here, he made the great cult classic recordings that would eventually turn into the album “Midtown.”
Having found his new home in Scotland, Burns pressed on and with the help of friends recorded “Love, The Scruffs” (1998) and “Swingin’ Singles” (2003), forming a new iteration of the band as he came along: Simon Cottrell on bass, Mark Rodgers on drums and eventually Mike Baillie on guitars, etc.
The recordings of The Scruffs evolved, and arrangements became more orchestrally lush, leading up to the recording of “Pop Manifesto,” which was mixed by engineer Geoff Allan and assisted by Adam Hill right back here at Ardent in 2006.
All of this, of course, leading up to their return for the most current project, to be entitled Conquest. The album is already mixed and mastered and is due out sometime in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled! In the meantime, check out The Scruffs’ Web site, or view their previous material on Amazon.com!
