Hi, sorry this took so long.

Part of Paris Avenue was recorded in 1986 and some in 1988, all of it in New Orleans at the home studio of Mike Carson. We lived in the house and recorded in the back. The machine we used to record on was not real reliable, hence some sixteen-track recording sessions were actually fifteen- or fourteen-. Eric Peterson was on lead guitar throughout, and his playing was splendid and inventive. Jimmy Descant, who took the picture on the back of us on a French TV stage, was dispatched to find rollercoaster noises for one song, and we used a brake drum that just happened to be under the stairway on another. I guess I produced that stuff, if you consider it produced... Five years later, I was living in that selfsame house, but that's another story altogether.

Thanks for the reply, Peter. I can't wait to see you guys on September 20th!

A follow-up to my question: Were these sessions in New Orleans carried out with an eye towards an LP release, or were you just demoing material? Or a combination of the two? How did the eventual release of this stuff (in 1994) come about?

Thanks again for replying,
Phil