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Emmi Publishing Collection
Released:  November, 2000

Band Personnel:   

   John Knutelsky (vocals, guitar)

   Tim Ross (guitar, vocals)               

   John Serros (keyboard)

   Tim Kjeer (bass guitar)

   Gary Fryer (drums, percussion)

Produced and Engineered by Wally Condon

 

Recorded at Platinum Studio,  Finished at S&M and Thunderchild studios. Jax, FL.

 
     
   
     
In December of 1999, Trouble Clef was approached by a Christian organization called 'Extra Mile Ministries International'  to arrange and perform songs written by EMMI founder, Mickey Roman.

Tr:  The deal was that we would arrange and perform songs given to us by Mickey. In return, they would record our material in the same studio. It was a song per song basis. We were given a demo tape with only Mickey and a guitar but the material on the tape and the Trouble Clef sound were poles apart. I don't think we knew what we were getting into and I don't think Mickey knew what he was getting into with us.

 
     
   
     

GF: An early John Denver comes to mind. The good thing was we were allowed creative control on the arrangements and the production of the songs so we were able to salvage most of them.  

 

Tr: Some of the songs on the demo were badly broken. Since we were given total artistic freedom, we put aside some of the music altogether and inserted our own scores to his lyrics. Some times we had to rewrite some of the lyrics to fit the music, as well.   

JK: If we're ever in the Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame, I hope they have a little button people can push to hear the original demo cassette given to us.

Tr: They'd never believe what we did, otherwise.

JK: Change Me is a TC melody.

Tr: So is Diamonds, Murder in the First and Good Friday. There were some beautiful songs like "The Grace of God" and "From the Storm" that didn't need rewriting. We just gave them an arrangement. Some of the other songs were rocked up considerably. There was a song called "Where's Mine" which had a note at the beginning of the sheet music that said "Warring beat". So we started off the song with a soft A Cappella verse of the Lord's Payer. Then we hammered full force with native battle toms yelling HUGASHUCKA HOOGASHUKA. I heard it was played in a funeral home and was a bit unexpected.
 
 
 

     
   
     
   
     

Tr: Some of the band had never been recorded in an actual studio before. The Platinum studio was either in a construction phase or a destruction phase. I'm not sure which.

JK: I had shakes and jitters, but you learn more each time you go into that setting. The first time was more of "What is this? This room is not even put together, man! There's plaster on the walls. There's holes in the ceiling". We're going "This is a studio?" Ours was not so much a studio experience as it was an adventure. It wasn't a finished room and the guy behind the controls wasn't totally polished.

GF: We were on a tight schedule, as well.

Tr:  At that time I was just starting to cut my teeth into the whole 'lead guitar' role which I was sort of slotted into so it was very nerve racking trying to get a guitar lead down in one or two takes with everyone watching through a window.   My favorite part of the experience was being finished with a part and watching someone else in the tank or running to the corner store for a drink.

 There were two songs we were ready to record one day that John had always sung. At the very last minute, Wally put me in the fish tank to sing the lead to "Ten Minus Sin". I'd never sang it before and didn't know the words so I was actually reading the lyrics for the first time as I was singing and being recorded. Ditto with "The Grace of God". To add to the awkwardness, he asked me to sing both of them like David Gilmore of Pink Floyd.  They sound good, though. Despite the fact that I got a  bit lost once or thrice.                

 

     
   
     
JK: A lot of songs are morphed in this band. When I transposed the Melody of "Murder in the First", I started listening to the words about a murder behind the Beaches Hospital and I thought about my brother who was killed at the beach too, but by a drunk driver. Anyway the transition was simple.

Ol' Pete became a live standard for the band and can be heard on TC's most latest release 'Conundrum'.

 
Tr: This was the only full album featuring Big Tim.

JK: He was an easy going guy and we never really had a problem with him.

Tr: That's true. A very good player, too. Not too flashy but always gave the songs what they needed.

JK: Unfortunately he lived on the other side of town and had too many personal obligations and ended up leaving before the release of EMMI. In fact, I don't think he ever got a copy.

Tr: If you're reading this Tim, we've got your cd here. (laughter)

 
     
   
     
Tr: I ended up doing some editing and adding of vocals, tambourine, etc.  to several of the songs after we acquired a copy of the master. The finished product on EMMI sounded very nice but we weren't particularly thrilled with the results of our own songs so we ended up recording them ourselves, anyway. I don't believe we have any regrets, though. I for one, enjoyed the experience. I found it very uplifting recording with God and I'm proud to have been a part of it. It definitely strengthened us as a band and increased our playing skills.

 
 
Eventually, several other artists were added and the project was split into two cds. The original artwork was kept for the first cd renamed "Extra Mile Ministries".  It contained all of the true Christian songs. Tr was asked to vary the artwork for the second cd (containing just the secular works) to include a light house instead of a cross.

Both cds are now out of print but all of the Trouble Clef recorded songs have been compiled as they were originally. This collection is being renovated and will be rereleased in the Trouble Clef store

The Cover

 The artwork for the cover actually is a section of the Sound Room for the apologynone.com sight that Tr made about the same time the album was being recorded.

Original Sound room picture

 

Track List:

Diamonds: Music by TC. Lead vocal- JK

Where's mine:  Lead vocal- JK.  TC and Jefferson as natives

All of Man's Glory is Fleeting: Lead Vocal- Tr

Murder in the first: Music by TC. Lead voacl- JK

From the Storm: Lead vocal- JK  

Ten Minus Sin: Lead vocal- Tr, bk voc by TC and J. Porter

Change Me: Music by TC. Lead voc - JK

The Grace of God: Lead vocal- Tr

Good Friday: Music by TC. Lead vocal- JK 

 
     
   
     
  HCT

Conundrum