Answers from Angel Ballestier, engineer on the 3rd LP

[falconwhit]

While at the NYPL exhibit, I noticed Angel Balestier's name attached to the 3rd album alternate mixes.

I decided to reach out to him and ask him a few questions about his experience recording the 3rd lp.
Didn't get any earth-shaking revelations but still wanted to share a summary of what he said below.

-------

Angel was 24 years old at the time. He appears on a couple of shots in the I Met Myself in a Dream book ( #3398-17 behind the console, his face partially hidden)

He was a staff engineer at TTG and was not aware of the VU until he worked with them - for him it was just another MGM session.
Since some of his previous gigs included the Animals, I wondered if he had maybe been put on the session because of Vic Briggs, the former guitarist w the Animals who was supposed to produce the album. However Ballestier had no recollection of Briggs being there for the first few days of the sessions.

It was pretty much just the band and Ballestier. Sesnick was around some of the time, he doesn't remember him making any creative suggestions to the band.

When I asked who "produced" the album - Lou, or the band, he replied: "Lou was in charge, that's who we answered to".
"It was democratic but we all knew who was in charge and it was Lou".
"As all bands do, [the other members] contributed [ideas] and Lou always accommodated them.
Lou was particular about the guitar sound he had in mind.

The band worked very fast, there wasn't any time wasted. They didn't use many takes, they seemed to have everything down after a few run throughs.
The songs were pretty much rehearsed.
When I asked about Murder Mystery however, he clarified that that one was improvised.
He used slices on a few songs, but otherwise they were complete takes.

There were never arguments or disagreements - these were very pleasant sessions , "everything was groovy".

The atmosphere was "great vibes." They would often have guests just peek in, but visits were short.
Not many people showed up during the sessions. Only one person from the record company that showed up was Jesse Kaye, the West Coast A&R rep from MGM.

On some of the photos in the I Met Myself in a Dream book taken in the control room there is an African-American gentleman - this was Cliff Goldsmith who was the producer for the Olympics, they did "Western Movies". Cliff wanted to learn the engineering side of the business so he asked Ami (Hadani) if he could join the staff and stayed at TTG for some time.

I asked Who was around for the mixes - were you alone, or was the band there? or was it just Lou Reed? Steve Sesnick?
Ballestier: "Sometimes members would be there. We didn't have the typical audience. Usually Lou and I"

I always assumed the album was recorded on an 8 track as it doesn't sound like they used any more tracks than that.
However, according to Ballestier, they used TTG's custom 16 track machine, which would have been quite cutting-edge then (they were the second studio after Mirasound to have 16 tracks)

Finally, Angel Ballestier confirmed what I've long believed, which is that Val Valentin, who was his boss, would put his name on every single record that came out of MGM as "Director of Engineering", which didn't mean he actually mixed the records. (This would have been impossible considering the amount to product MGM was putting out, and he would have had to fly coast to coast non-stop) The engineers who actually did the mixes were never credited. Angel Ballestier recalls mixing the album, although he didn't seem to be aware (or remember) there being two sets of mixes being done (aka "Val Valentin" followed by "the Closet Mix").
Because he said that sometimes the band was there for mixes, and sometimes it was just him and Lou Reed, I wonder if he worked on both versions without being aware of what was happening.
He remembers that the tapes were sent to NY after he was done mixing, presumably for Val Valentin to do a mix, which would be the reverse order from what is usually said (Valentin mix first, then Lou's closet mix). However his memory seems a bit fuzzy, so it's hard to know for sure what happened.

[Mark]

Great work! Like you say, no big revelations, but nice to get an insight from someone we've not heard from previously.

[bradski]

What a great post. V interesting, thanks a lot!

[Driven Insane]

While at the NYPL exhibit, I noticed Angel Balestier's name attached to the 3rd album alternate mixes.

I decided to reach out to him and ask him a few questions about his experience recording the 3rd lp.
Didn't get any earth-shaking revelations but still wanted to share a summary of what he said below.

-------

Angel was 24 years old at the time. He appears on a couple of shots in the I Met Myself in a Dream book ( #3398-17 behind the console, his face partially hidden)

He was a staff engineer at TTG and was not aware of the VU until he worked with them - for him it was just another MGM session.
Since some of his previous gigs included the Animals, I wondered if he had maybe been put on the session because of Vic Briggs, the former guitarist w the Animals who was supposed to produce the album. However Ballestier had no recollection of Briggs being there for the first few days of the sessions.

It was pretty much just the band and Ballestier. Sesnick was around some of the time, he doesn't remember him making any creative suggestions to the band.

When I asked who "produced" the album - Lou, or the band, he replied: "Lou was in charge, that's who we answered to".
"It was democratic but we all knew who was in charge and it was Lou".
"As all bands do, [the other members] contributed [ideas] and Lou always accommodated them.
Lou was particular about the guitar sound he had in mind.

The band worked very fast, there wasn't any time wasted. They didn't use many takes, they seemed to have everything down after a few run throughs.
The songs were pretty much rehearsed.
When I asked about Murder Mystery however, he clarified that that one was improvised.
He used slices on a few songs, but otherwise they were complete takes.

There were never arguments or disagreements - these were very pleasant sessions , "everything was groovy".

The atmosphere was "great vibes." They would often have guests just peek in, but visits were short.
Not many people showed up during the sessions. Only one person from the record company that showed up was Jesse Kaye, the West Coast A&R rep from MGM.

On some of the photos in the I Met Myself in a Dream book taken in the control room there is an African-American gentleman - this was Cliff Goldsmith who was the producer for the Olympics, they did "Western Movies". Cliff wanted to learn the engineering side of the business so he asked Ami (Hadani) if he could join the staff and stayed at TTG for some time.

I asked Who was around for the mixes - were you alone, or was the band there? or was it just Lou Reed? Steve Sesnick?
Ballestier: "Sometimes members would be there. We didn't have the typical audience. Usually Lou and I"

I always assumed the album was recorded on an 8 track as it doesn't sound like they used any more tracks than that.
However, according to Ballestier, they used TTG's custom 16 track machine, which would have been quite cutting-edge then (they were the second studio after Mirasound to have 16 tracks)

Finally, Angel Ballestier confirmed what I've long believed, which is that Val Valentin, who was his boss, would put his name on every single record that came out of MGM as "Director of Engineering", which didn't mean he actually mixed the records. (This would have been impossible considering the amount to product MGM was putting out, and he would have had to fly coast to coast non-stop) The engineers who actually did the mixes were never credited. Angel Ballestier recalls mixing the album, although he didn't seem to be aware (or remember) there being two sets of mixes being done (aka "Val Valentin" followed by "the Closet Mix").
Because he said that sometimes the band was there for mixes, and sometimes it was just him and Lou Reed, I wonder if he worked on both versions without being aware of what was happening.
He remembers that the tapes were sent to NY after he was done mixing, presumably for Val Valentin to do a mix, which would be the reverse order from what is usually said (Valentin mix first, then Lou's closet mix). However his memory seems a bit fuzzy, so it's hard to know for sure what happened.

Very interesting. Many thanks.

[peppergomez]

Thanks!

[iaredatsun]

The Closet Tape box says 20 Dec. '68
The Valentin box says 23 Jan '69

So if I read those box dates right, it backs up the idea that the Closet came first

I notice now that the Peel Slowly And See box book shows the Valentin tape box. despite the box having the Closety Mix. What's confusing perhaps is that the Jan 69 box still lists Some Kind Of Love with the shorter time of the Closet Mix version

[falconwhit]

Thanks iaredatsun, that makes sense and would line up with what Angel B. said - that he had mixed the album, at least in part with only Lou Reed present, that he wasn't aware of two mixes, and that the tapes were then sent to NY to Valentin.
I always thought that Sterling had said that Lou had gone back to remix the album after the initial mix had been done, but maybe I just imagined that.

[threechordwonder]

I always thought that Sterling had said that Lou had gone back to remix the album after the initial mix had been done, but maybe I just imagined that.

Wasn't that said about "I heard her call my name" where little apart Lou's guitar can be heard? Or is that my imagination?

[iaredatsun]

Thanks iaredatsun, that makes sense and would line up with what Angel B. said - that he had mixed the album, at least in part with only Lou Reed present, that he wasn't aware of two mixes, and that the tapes were then sent to NY to Valentin.
I always thought that Sterling had said that Lou had gone back to remix the album after the initial mix had been done, but maybe I just imagined that.

You're right and what you researched is the first time anyone has questioned the Sterling Morrison version of events. Frankly I only checked those boxes right after reading your post.

But now I think about it maybe Sterling was correct, too. In your interview notes, I think he says that the band were there at the mixing, but then it was just Lou on his own. So that could still be described as 'lou going back and mixing the album', perhaps? Maybe we just all misinterpreted it?

And I should add – a good bit of research. Thanks for posting.

[iaredatsun]

I always thought that Sterling had said that Lou had gone back to remix the album after the initial mix had been done, but maybe I just imagined that.

Wasn't that said about "I heard her call my name" where little apart Lou's guitar can be heard? Or is that my imagination?

Yes but it seems that Sterling complained both timesbout Lou's mixing.