"Imperfect" Peter Bliss

“Imperfect” features my wonderfully talented friends Janie Barnett on backing vocals with Kaitlyn Raitz and Ben Plotnick who perform as Oliver the Crow. I discovered Kaitlyn and Ben at a NERFA music conference in one of the many guerrilla showcase rooms and was moved by their musicianship and composition skill. I asked them to create and record a violin / cello arrangement and they captured the nuance of the song. Oliver The Crow has a new CD in the works. Janie has a great new CD entitled, “You See This River”. And being ….. Imperfect….. is perfectly OK!

 

Imperfect / Peter Bliss

Peter Bliss LP / United Artists

Produced by Michael Sherman / Original Release Spring of 1977 on United Artists Records UA-LA728G. List price: $6.98 Recorded at The Hit Factory, NYC by Ed Sprigg with Dave Prentice & Ted Spencer and at Atlantic Studio NYC by Bobby Warner with Tom Heid Mixed at The Hit Factory NYC. Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound. Dedicated to Flora & Ben Bliss / Thanks to Lynn, M.E. & Paul and to Butch Jones for the AD conversion and the wonderful turning "50" gift of my LP on CD!

"I had just turned 22 - and was living in Boston recording and touring with many of the well known performers from Beantown - when i got word that I had received interest from a manager in NYC. I moved to NYC and over the course of the next few months auditioned and recorded demos for many labels. I met Michael Sherman while doing demos for Columbia Records. A production company was formed and I found myself in the studio with drummer Rick Marotta, bassist Tony Levin, keyboardist Ralph Shuckett and guitarist John Tropea the first week of November 1976. We sweetened tracks with some background vocals with the group Rosie (Lynn Pitney, David Lasley & Arnold McCullar), flute and double bass. We cut and mixed five songs in a week. The week after we went label shopping. The deal with United Artists came 20 days from the time we entered the studio.

I returned to the Hit Factory January 5th, 1977 to begin recording the next five songs. The song “Angel” was recorded live with a 40-piece orchestra with me at the piano. I wasn’t much of a piano player but I somehow got through three takes without a mistake. Producer Bob Ezrin looked on from the control room. Mark Doyle (of Andy Pratt fame) later added a wonderful guitar solo. The Brecker Bros. came in a week later to lay down horns. We remained at The Hit Factory recording the rest of the tracks in the same studio where John and Yoko’s Double Fantasy album was recorded which later became Sear Sound. So much joy making this record with all those incredibly talented people. Laying down basic tracks with that rhythm section and capturing "the magic take" was just amazing.

It is a wonderful snapshot of my life in 1977. The innocence of a 23 year old writing and singing his heart out. I am fortunate to still be doing the same today." P. Bliss

Peter Bliss LP / CD Baby