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Cheiron and the golden days => Cheiron Classics => Topic started by: turnaround on February 15, 2014, 01:45:35 PM

Title: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: turnaround on February 15, 2014, 01:45:35 PM
bsbband.com was the website of the live-band of the Backstreet Boys.

There are some fun facts on this site, for example on the FAQ section:

QuoteI'm a huge fan of Max Martin. His songs are not only flawlessly produced but excellent songs in themselves. You alluded to a conversation with him. How well do you know him and what is he like?

Ditto, I'm a huge fan too. I met Max on my first tour. Dennis Pop was there too. This was when Quit playing games was just released in Europe. I told him it was my favorite song on the album and he said something like "there is lots more where that came from". He wasn't kidding. He told me how he got the idea for the song, sitting on a bus waiting for the driver to stop a conversation and impatiently wishing he would quit playing games and drive the bus. I think Max Martin (and Denniz Pop) has defined the pop sound at this moment and hopefully, for some time to come. Max is a very down to earth, decent person. Not at all what you would expect from such a contemporary pop producer. No flashy jewelry, no expensive clothes or stuff like that. And you'd never expect from looking at him that he's worth millions. He's taught me something about humility. I have had many memorable conversations with him. One that sticks out happened recently in a sushi bar in New York. He took the whole band out to dinner, Max likes the band. We had a talk about my writing and I asked him some advice. He replied simply to keep writing, all the time, don't worry about the business too much or where the money will come from. "If you take care of your art" he said, "It will always take care of you"

I needed to hear that, Thanks Max.


https://web.archive.org/web/20010614232935/http://www.bsbband.com/faq-14.html
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM
Post by: turnaround on February 15, 2014, 01:47:53 PM
There are more questions/answers where Max is involved :)

QuoteIs it my imagination or are the songs on Millennium in lower keys than those on the first album? I was listened to the three albums consecutively and I could have sworn that the songs on Millennium are in lower keys, than the songs on the first album and even Backstreet's Back.

I'm not sure about that. I know that the boys are getting older and probably don't sing as high as they did once. But we have never lowered any keys to songs so they could sing them easier. Every song that we do is in the original key as it was written. I know that Max Martin has played around with different keys. 3 songs on Millennium are in F# minor, a new key for him. Brian likes to sing in the key of A major. Or near it. All 3 songs that we have written have been in A. Nick still sings Lets Have a Party in B major, a tough job considering he was 13 at the time. D minor is also a big key for the dance songs, from I wanna B with you to Its Gotta B You. I think that the keys might be different, but the vocal ranges have remained consistent.





QuoteWhat instrument makes the sound at the beginning of "Larger Than Life"?

That is a sample of a guitar effect called a "Talk Box"  I play it live.




QuoteOn the credits for Don't Wanna Lose You Now, it said taht nick carter was responsible for additional vocal arrangements....What does that mean exactly???

It means he wrote some of the parts that the rest of the boys sing on that song.




QuoteHow come the Boys always talk about how "Show Me the Meaning..." was Denniz's last song, but he's nowhere in the credits?

He died before the song was ever recorded. But he did do some pre-production work on it. It was the last song that he worked on with the boys. After he died Max Martin took over.




QuoteWhen you and Brian write a song (and not some songwriter) it seems like the songs don't have those computers playing the music, they have an orchestra. But what a song is just co-written by one of the boys, and also written with a songwriter, the song seems to be kind of of computerized, do you know what i mean? Like, Larger than Life is CO-WRITTEN by Brian, and has kind of computer sounds in it, but in the case of that's what she said and the perfect fan (which don't have songwriters, just you and Brian) the song doesn't sound computerized. Do you get what i mean? Am i right?

The Producer and writers of a song determine the direction of the sound of a song. In the case of Larger that Life, the song calls for that famous Max Martin sound. What you would call a computer sound. Brian and I think in a more traditional approach to the songs we have written so far. But we could very well write a song that is heavily sequenced. It really doesn't have much to do with who is writing it. More what the writer wants the song to be like and what the Producer think is the best way to deliver the idea that the writer wants to convey. 




QuoteWhy is the "As Long as You Love Me" on the American album different then the "As Long as You Love Me" on the Backstreet's Back albulm? The Backstreet's Back version sounds more electronic or something, i can't figure out really how they're different...they just are.

Very astute of you. I asked the same question. You're right, they are different and its all do to a mistake. Before a song is finished it has to be "Mixed". This is like a fine tuning of all the vocal and instrumental levels, adding different sounds and fixing any problems that linger. The resulting version is called the "final mix". The final mix of As long as you love me was included on the Backstreet's Back album. However on the American album, someone at Jive made a mistake and put the "Demo mix" on there instead. Max Martin, who wrote the song was not too happy about this. He told me this story himself. There are other differences as well. See if you can pick them out.
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: nznexus on February 15, 2014, 03:14:50 PM
i always wanted to know what effect sound they had at larger then life..

talk box. thats interesting
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: B Steady on February 15, 2014, 03:25:19 PM
i thought it was just a synthie

Britney Spears' Lucky and Westlife's Dreams Come True (such an underrated song btw) contain that talk box effect too (prolly there are more songs)

EDIT: I just noticed how similar the Dreams Come True-pre is to the Billie Jean-pre :o
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: nznexus on February 15, 2014, 03:40:38 PM
Quote from: B Steady on February 15, 2014, 03:25:19 PM
i thought it was just a synthie



i tought that too
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: Rebecca on February 15, 2014, 11:05:34 PM
wow, fascinating. I had never heard of that site. good find Turnaround.
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: Raul_esp on February 17, 2014, 01:09:15 PM
Wow , How interesting! Thanks for it!
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: Linda on February 17, 2014, 10:00:57 PM
I liked reading about how Quit Playing Games was inspired.
I wish we knew more about other songs like this.
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: ZachJames on April 23, 2014, 07:45:14 PM
Great find, thanks!  8)
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: j.fco.morales on April 24, 2014, 05:16:34 PM
Oh, this made my day.

I read an article about creative persons some time ago and inspiration comes from anywhere.
Love that.
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: cheironlover on July 08, 2014, 05:58:02 PM
It's a good thing both versions of As Long As You Love Me are out, it's maybe one of the best mistakes ever made in my opinion.
Title: Re: Old Website BSBBAND.COM (Max Martin fun facts and studio talk etc.)
Post by: ferser1 on October 10, 2014, 11:17:12 AM
The demo mix of ASAYLM sound better and has more energy, the backstreets back album version sounds calmer and cleaner