The L.A. Project “From the Algarve to L.A. ” part 3: A long flight to Music Land
The L.A. Project is an album recorded and produced in L.A. In this series of articles I will take you back to the start of my music career, back to how it all started.
After the initial euphoria over being invited by Tony Guerrero and Gary Wagner to record an album in Los Angeles (see: The L.A. Project “From the Algarve to L.A.” part 2), a period of serious preparation started, with plans taking more and more shape and the long flight approaching rapidly.
Ready for take-off?
The evening before our ‘big flight’ to L.A. on Friday 28 February 1992, Frank (Giebels) and I stayed with my brother in Amsterdam. Feeling excited (and possibly slightly nervous about our big adventure), we had a few too many, and that morning in Amsterdam we awoke… a bit late and possibly still slightly inebriated, at which point a drive to Schiphol at breakneck speed was the only way for us to narrowly avoid missing ‘the chance of a lifetime’ due to a silly hangover!
The flight to L.A.
Obviously, we were severely punished for our foolish actions the night before. An 11-hour flight in a cramped, hot and incredibly full plane is no picnic, especially if you are feeling the worse for wear. After a few hours and a couple of drinks (needs must!), the sensation of misery started to make way – helped along by Californian wine – for impatience and eager anticipation. Curiosity about what lay in store for us, who we were about to meet and what it would lead to…
Frank, completely unhindered by any kind of fear of flying, spent the flight quietly watching movies and listening to music, while I was busy battling my love-hate relationship with air travel using a combination of wine, Beatles, Eagles and Mozart. As you would expect from real musical heroes, they managed to get me through it. Their music in my head, the smooth wine in my veins and the promise of what was to come…
After a long, long flight, we touched down in L.A. at precisely 13:15.
Let the musical adventure commence…!
This article is a sequel to previously published blogs:
