THE MAKING OF FEEL :: A Look Behind The Scenes

all text and pictures (copyright 1995/1996) by Marc Fevre & glennhughes.com

Napa, CA, 1996 - It was back in March of 1995 that we went into the studio to begin work on what was to be Glenn's "follow-up" to the musical groundwork he first laid out in 1977 on his initial solo album, "Play Me Out".

(Click to enlarge)
Living For The Minute had been the most recent working title for this, Glenn's sixth official solo effort but, as with both Against The Grain and Speak Your Mind before it, Living For The Minute was ultimately eschewed in favor of the title that came to best represent the album as a whole; namely, FEEL.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
It had been Glenn's intention for some time now to record an album that went back to his roots and which fused together the myriad of his own musical interests in a fresh, new, and exciting way. Jazz, soul, rhythm and blues, (and yes, rock, too), were all to be represented on this record, and shortly before Glenn finished writing the material that would comprise his new album, he decided that this time around he'd be doing things a little differently.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
As opposed to writing and recording this album with a band in place, Glenn had decided that he'd work with a series of guest musicians instead, players who would come and go throughout the process, lending their talents to the songs for which they were best suited along the way.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
"I'm going to be fitting the musicians to the songs this time out," Glenn told me before we went into the studio, "and not the other way around. I think the songs will be the better for it. You know? Not compromising anything to fit solely within the abilities of a fixed band."
(Click to enlarge)
And so it was in this way that friends and musicians like Matt Sorum, Richie Kotzen, Pat Thrall, Bruce Gowdy, and Gary Ferguson - to name but a few - would all come to be involved in the making of FEEL, and it would be their job to help Glenn fully realize his vision along the way. It would be my job to capture all of this on film.
(Click to enlarge)
Glenn and I had known each other for almost two years at this point, having first met one another back in 1993 to begin collaborating on an, as yet, ongoing project of mine; specifically, Glenn's biography. It was in this capacity, as Glenn's would-be biographer, that I myself came to be involved with the making of FEEL.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
It had originally been my intention to cover some of the sessions for my book but, over the course of talking with Glenn about this, I was ultimately afforded the opportunity to do something more; that is, to photograph the better part of the project for inclusion in the album's booklet art itself!
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
Glenn had had a definite idea at that time of what he wanted the album to look like, to feel like, and - in part inspired by the interior photography he'd seen included on Richie Kotzen's own Mother Head's Family Reunion album - Glenn had decided that what he wanted photographically speaking was to capture the feel, so to speak, of the album's creation in the studio.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
And so, over the course of the next seven days or so, I shot roll after roll of film, capturing the images of Glenn and his collaborators on film as they worked. It wasn't always easy going. The studio was small, the lighting was at best difficult to work with, and the hours were oftentimes very long. Moreover, as with any recording session, there were moments of frustration and/or tedium, and the added pressure of having some guy lurking about with a camera just waiting to jump out and take your picture was bound to add to some of this. Still, it was a lot of fun, and by and large we had a good time, and, in the end, some great moments in and around the studio were captured on film.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)

Ultimately, however, when all was said and done, it was decided - perhaps by the label - that a more "high fashion" look was wanted for the whole of the album, and so my work was out and Burrn! photographer William Hames' was in. For my part, while I felt ( and still feel) that the album ended up with a great look and sound, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed as well. It would have been nice to have given Glenn's fans a look behind the scenes at the making of this remarkable album - to say nothing of the self-satisfaction that would have come with seeing my work at home, sandwiched in between the covers of a Glenn Hughes album! - but, alas this time out it simply wasn't to be.


(Click to enlarge)
Now, however, courtesy of the editors of Coast To Coast, some of my favorite photography from those sessions has at last found an outlet, and I couldn't imagine a better home for them than this. I hope that you enjoy looking at these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.
(Click to enlarge)

Go Back





[ Another great place where you can check out loads of pix & video of Glenn's tours is in the Picture Gallery ]