Graeme Jaye
When I conceived the idea for a recording studio, I did not have a clue about putting one together but I did know an 'electronic expert', (his words) who's life's ambition was to have a recording studio.
Having been assured by the 'electronic expert' that he would be able to cover all the technical problems regarding the setting up, I began to look for suitable premises.
I spoke to Dave Kerr Clemenson about it, and we formed a company with two other friends, raised the capital, and found some premises.
Dave was going to take care of the building alterations, I was to bring together all the elements, (at the right price)
and the 'electronic expert' was going to justify his directorship by working his bum off in the techno department and getting us ready to roll before our 'period of grace' ran out.
Equipment was arriving all the time, Dave was building, I was out getting deals for more eqipment, and it was all coming together except that our 'electronic expert' never appeared, and he was difficult to find.
I discovered, after a week or two, that apart from still working during the day, he was running 'discos' in the evening.
When I asked him where he was going to find the time to fulfill his promise to us and the studio equipment, he said he would sort something out.
I arrived at our embryonic studio one day, to find somebody I had never met before, furiously wiring away at our embryonic desk, which I had been assured by our 'electronic expert' would be okay, if HE gave it a few tweeks here and there. (For the technically minded, we were aiming for an 8 track studio, so we had to turn a 20 into 4 desk into a 19 into 8)
When I asked Dave who this hairsute stranger was he said he didn't know, so I went and introduced myself and asked who he was.
He told me he had been sent in by our 'electronic expert' to help do 'some' wiring.
This was my first meeting with Graeme Jaye, who as it turned out, did ALL the wiring, ALL the setting up, in fact, virtually everything that our resident 'electronic expert' was supposed to do, and then some!
When he'd finished the wiring and setting up, he showed us how to work the equipment, and taught us the finer points of editing!
I think in retrospect, (as I thought at the time) he saved our backsides.
Needless to say, we dispensed with our 'electronic expert' and took on Mr Jaye as an engineer, where he remained (with a short break) until I sold the place.
He now resides in Spain where he has a couple of flourishing businesses and can be reached on the following addresses :-
Audio Restoration and CD Repair http://www.personal-cd.com
Hobby Musician - find some of my stuff here http://www.mp3.com/graemejaye
(The pictures at the top represent Graeme in various stages of decay!)
(and these show just how far the decay has gone!)
First pic is Greame trying to remember where the note is on the fingerboard.
Second pic shows Greame looking at the music trying to remember what those 'little black symbols' mean,
and why he is looking at them anyway!
Ed Hamilton