This was an interesting turn of events, because we were finishing up Paisley Park when I got the call that let me know we would be recording and working on some of the album at Herbie Hancock’s project “Possibilities”. Over the years Herbie and I had talked about more of the project work being done at his home facility. It seemed as though it was about to happen all at once.

I got together via phone and e-mail with Brian McCullough, and the team in Los Angeles to design and implement a plan for the total transformation of his studio, complete with a new Digidesign Icon and expanded Pro Tools system. We were going to replace the existing Euphonix CS 2000 console and we had less than 4 weeks. It was down to the wire we (the engineering crew and I), actually flew in the night before the Christina song was to be tracked. We had been working as a team in Minneapolis and so it just seemed natural for Lisa and Khaliq to Track the song and make it happen just as we had been doing. Herbie always liked to record on dual formats so we recorded on both Protools and 2”. Coming from the pressure of making it happen for Prince, you learn that the only thing that matters is getting it recorded.

Mitch and I monitored the technical aspects of the day as this was the first time everything had been fired up under session conditions, and we had musicians coming to play.

Well, everything worked, music showed up, the song was tracked with Christina Aguilera cutting her vocals at Record Plant when her schedule allowed. The musicians had a great time and were happy that they could lay things out so quickly. Mitch and I got to see what further work was needed on such issues as headphones and patch bay adjustments.

It would go on to be the only song to get a nomination from that album. All of us involved in putting that day together feel that our energy and time put in way in advance of that day helped to set the stage for great musicians to come in and create the magic that is a hit song.

I love the pressure of our business. I have to thank Herbie for that experience because he was the main one who encouraged me to go to Minn. when Prince called me. If I had not have gone I would not have been able to work with such a great team of people, and I wouldn’t have met my wife. Past making music my time spent with Herbie Hancock are some of the most memorable years of my career. He invested in me at a time when I really needed mentor-ship. I know why all these years later the time I shared and lessons learned are imprinted so clearly in my mind. This home studio should be called the “Hancock University”. To attend is a privilege few have had.