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Episode 24: Ken Stringfellow
Recently, I had
the good fortune of landing same-day, back-to-back interviews
with Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer. I took the opportunity
to ask them each about their contributions as songwriting
partners in The Posies, and to chat with them about some of
their solo recordings. We also discussed their 17-year
collaboration as one half of the reformed Big Star, along with
founding members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens. To get the full
picture on Stringfellow and Auer, you should definitely check out both interviews.
Each Artist Sampler features different songs. In this intriguing interview, I ask Ken about the origins and the ongoing saga of The Posies, plus the backstories for his four solo albums, along with the legacy of the reformed band, Big Star and much more. To reach Ken about studio recording or remote producing and mixing, or just to see what he's up to next, visit his Guest Website link, below. Photo: White Light Photography
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| Album | Artist | Producer | Song | ||
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Failure (1988) |
The Posies |
Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow |
Ironing Tuesdays | |
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Dear 23 (1990) |
The Posies |
John Leckie, The Posies |
Apology | |
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Frosting on the Beater (1993) |
The Posies | Don Fleming |
Solar Sister Ken used the word "melismatic" to describe one of the catchiest elements of this song. Here's the definition from Free Dictionary dot com: "Melismatic refers to a style of singing first started in 900 AD and culminating in the Boroque era in which a single syllable of text is sung carried through many notes." |
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Amazing Disgrace (1996) |
The Posies |
Nick Launay, Steve Fisk |
Ontario | |
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This Sounds
Like Goodbye (1997) |
Ken Stringfellow |
Ken Stringfellow |
Aware that The Posies albums were being perceived as more heavily prepared, carefully produced and polished, Ken set out to make his first solo album the opposite of that. By design, each track is an improvisation, with no fine-tuning, no punching in, and no manipulating the sound afterward. The idea was to record each instrument and vocal in a single, first take. | |
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Success (1998) |
The Posies |
The Posies, Johnny Sangster, Conrad Uno |
You're the Beautiful One | |
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Touched (2001) |
Ken Stringfellow |
Mitch Easter |
Find Yourself Alone
Here's to the Future |
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Private Sides (2003) |
Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow |
Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow |
Beautiful | |
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Soft Commands (2004) |
Ken Stringfellow |
Ken Stringfellow |
When U Find Someone | |
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Every Kind of Light (2005) |
The Posies | Ineptunes | I Guess You're Right | |
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In Space (2005) |
Big Star |
Big Star, Jeff Powell |
Turn My Back On the Sun | |
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Blood/Candy (2010) |
The Posies | The Posies | Take Care of Yourself | |
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Danzig in the
Moonlight (2012) |
Ken Stringfellow |
Ken Stringfellow |
Pray | |
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Solid States (2016) |
The Posies |
Jon Auer, Ken Stringfellow |
We R Power! | |
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Sideways (Single) (2020) |
The Posies | The Posies | Sideways | |
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Reveal (2001) |
R.E.M. |
Patrick McCarthy, R.E.M. |
I asked Ken to
choose a few songs that exemplify his years as a support musician on tour
and in the studio for the band R.E.M.
Saturn Return
Imitation of Life |
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The Record: A Country
Concept Album (2015) |
Holly & Ken |
Ken Stringfellow |
Here's an audio description of this album by Ken Stringfellow, extracted from our interview. Also heard on the album are the voices of Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, and Vicki Peterson of the Bangles. | |
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