10th Planet Recording Studio

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10th Planet is a two-fold operation run by Pat Fitzgerald and Robin Dale Ford that includes their own independent record label, 10th Planet Records, and recording studio, 10th Planet Recording, recording great Alaskan music in the Interior.

Above is a photo of Pat's brother Kevin, Robin & Pat in August standing in the rain after touching the Gulkana Glacier. (Who's not shown is the lovely & talented photographer, Toni Wells). Despite this moment of wilderness bliss, the reason for the pic is to mention the return of Kevin's alter ego (yes, a superhero term is appropriate) DJ Kave-In and his fabulous Wiggle Room show. He's been off the 'net for a while ferreting out more deep deep cuts from days gone by of the funkiest music in the universe but his triumphant return is here! What a show! You gotta hear the 5 year old phenom Lucky Peterson on vocals and Hammond B3 (see below). Unbelievable!!! Note: The "return" show put Kev in the "Movers & Shakers" category of the top 50 among the top 500 podcasts that got the most hits the day it appeared. Way ta go, Bro!
Also, as promised, a word about studio renovations: We're putting the finishing touches on a vocal isolation booth at the Planet that, as well as giving more area to the studio room itself, will allow for the usual great vocal tracks but also give us the isolation to record live bands without the drums and amps climbing all over the vocal/guitar tracks. More changes coming up, we'll keep ya informed!
Don't forget you can listen to the whole of the CDs over there on the right. If you like 'em, buy one. Helps us keep 'em coming. Browse 'round and keep the e-mails coming. You're cracking us up!

Thursday, October 14th 2010
Okay, settling in for winter here at the Planet. Work has begun on our new renovations (more on that later). Just wanted to mention the Hammond B3 Organ and Leslie tone cabinet. Mostly because they're often the unsung heroes of rock & roll music (as well as jazz to tell ya the truth). And more over, mention the people who play this beast. Think of the sound of Good Lovin' by the Young Rascals (Felix Cavaliere), Gimme Some Lovin' by the Spencer Davis Group (17 year old Steve Winwood singing and playing the B3), Soul Sacrifice by Santana (Greg Rolie), any song by Bruce Springsteen (Danny Federici) or the Allman Brothers (Greg Allman). That's the sound! And locally, until his untimely death earlier this year, Charlie Hardage kept that light lit. (Check out his work on Pat's Ghost Of A Chance.) So did virtuoso Barney McClure (who left to return to the Northwest this past summer.) Big mention here of Chris Alexander who both played live with us in the Flyers at one point but also figures big on Pat's new CD (out soon!) Don't forget Pat's brother-in-law Mike Thibodeau, who came to Alaska playing B3 in a Top 40 dance band.And then there's our favorite Hammond player of all, the inimitable Dave Wanderer (known to the rest of the world as Dave Pellicciaro) one of our oldest friends and former B3-ist for the P.F. Flyers. This is all to say our hats our off to the instrument and the players. Attention should be paid and, above all,the music should be enjoyed! Check out the On The Turntable for a sample of reggae B3 great, Jackie Mittoo.

Downtown Fairbanks 1950's
August Days: Rain, sun, take 'em as they come. We're enjoying them to the last drop (pun). Had a good time playing at the Tanana Valley Fair, first time in a while. Now we're off to pick blueberries.--food of the gods (along with popcorn,sez Pat). Check out our CD page to the right there and click on" listen". You can now hear the entire songs from the 3 CD's pictured. And if you like what you hear, buy one and at the same time help toward production of the next ones. Browse around the site and keep the e-mails coming. We love 'em!

Thursday, June 24th, 2010
The best time of year in Alaska! Good pal Grant Dermody (harmonica wizard) was visiting during Solstice and we all took part in the Midnight Sun Run & had a great campfire at the Planetation! Laid down some tracks for our own recordings too. The photo above is yours trulys with the famous Moe Samuelson, long time Yukon 800 racing boat owner ("Slo Moe's Kayak") and band leader. We met him last year after a noon concert downtown at the Golden Heart Plaza. This year we'll be there every Tuesday in July from noon to 1pm. Come on down, folks. You never know who you gonna meet!

Friday, June 11th, 2010
My, my it's been a while. But that's to be expected in the flurry that is Springtime in the Northland. First of all, above is a photo of an actual working phone booth at a pulloff between Delta and Tok. We present it at the news that most of the payphones in Alaska will soon be decommissioned. Wonder if this one will... Studio's been hopping. See the Studio page but two projects of note: Dave from Delta sent a cassette from the 1975 visit of John Denver to McCarthy. Recorded in the old McCarthy Lodge (now the dining room) the tape player was losing it's batteries so when played at normal speed all sounded like chipmunks. Pat got the proper speed from the key of the song "Calypso" that Denver sang. (It came out that same summer.) and cleaned up much hiss. Not bad for a 35 year old cassette. Also we're transferring interview tapes of conversations with one of Pat's dad Bill's best friends, Einar "Red" Anderson, an old timer of the highest order. Bill said Red knew the Interior like the back of his hand. Born in 1890, these tapes are an important insight into the old Alaska. Happy Summer--we're back & we're bad!!!

Earth Day! And we love our spot on it so here's some pics of our glorious Spring road trip to the Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau (4/5 thru 4/11). They speak for themselves but as for the festival well, not to be regionally biased or anything but Fairbanks was well represented. First off, the fest paid specially tribute to Doc South (see Song O' the Week page) for bringing old time music to Alaska, starting in Fairbanks in the 1970's. Then there was the fine sets by Hunt/Bayer, Ice Jam,Bac'untry Brothers, Mariah Ver Hoef, Slim Pickin', Will Putman, Sabe Flores, and yours truly on separate sets. Also the former Fairbanksans that we claim: Grant Dermody, Forrest Gibson, Scotty Meyer (when together, known as the Improbabillies.), Joe Page, Caitlan Warbelow & adopted son Tim Easton! Ya made us proud, one & all! It's on to Spring and be good to Mother Earth!

We here at the 10th planet are as concerned as anyone about the way our country is being led down the path of sin and degradation by a foreign-born marxist and his sycophants. But we're here to tell you it's nothing new. It's been going on behind our backs for a long, long time. Exhibit A below is a letter from FBI files concerning the danger that was known as "Louie, Louie". Read the fear in this parent's words and know how easily it can come to this. (What we won't print are the words that poor FBI hacks came up with when tasked to figure out what was sung on the above 45 rpm record.)

However anyone who took the time to listen to the version by the author, Richard Berry, would have easily heard the lyrics in the Kingsmen's version. No filth but d'you suppose there might be hidden socialist messages?
A fine little girl she waits for me

(Once more now...)
If you've read this far, you deserve to hear the story of the recording of the Kingsmen's record. Close you're eyes and listen while Little Steven (Van Zant, Bruce Springsteen's guitarist and fan of all things garage music) tells the tale in an episode of his fabulous show Little Steven's Underground Garage.
Here's The Story of Recording Louie Louie!!!!!!!

So what's with the little jolly guy above? Well, Pat says that when he was a kid this little guy, called a "billiken" was all over Alaska. Sold as good luck charms from some Alaska Native tradition, Alaskans and visitors ate 'em up. The craze was evidently as popular as the "tiki" craze in the 50's and thus the photo below. This place, the Billiken Lounge was on Third across from the Northward Building (the parking garage is there now). It later became the Pipeline Bar and then, when our pal Alex Clarke ran sound for a band named 34th Parallel, the Mexican Village. But where, oh, where are those big billikens today?! At any rate, and much to our surprise, the origin of the lil' fella is stranger that you could imagine. Read all about it here.

January 1st a true original passed away. Charlie Hardage was one wild piano player and story teller. Many was time we were regaled with stories about his youth in Oklahoma and that great Okie piano-player known simply as LEON (Russell). And we'll never forget the time he brought his B3 out to the Planet and played on a song of Pat's called "Ghost Of A Chance". We salute you brother Charlie!

Lastly it's that time of year again. The International Ice Carving Competition. Read the true story of it's origins on Pat's Blog from 3/11/2008 and thank your lucky stars for "old timer outrage".

This weather's got us jumpin'! Makes us wanna pull out the Hawaiin duds and limbo 'round the room! Above is an actual photo of your truly(s) feeling all Spring-like and letting it show. Here's hopin' noone out there's mopin'. AND that the weather will stay respectfully below freezing until a more suitable time...like April. That way we can get all the Spring skiing in that we can stand AND limbo 'til we drop. Check out the studio page (the place is shaking with music!) And a recent bit' o' historical sound on the Song O' The Week page. Also keep an eye out on Pat's blog for part 2 of his firefighting story. It'll curl your toes!!!

8th Of January party...Clockwise from bottom left: Laura Vines, Andy King, Pat, Robin, Richard Fineberg...[Photos: Jamie Smith-Thanks Pal!]

Robin decided to revive and old (timey) tradition by calling for an 8th of January party at the venerable Golden Eagle Saloon in Ester. "Eighth of January" is an old tune that became popular after the American victory against England in the last battle of the War of 1812. The battle was called the Battle of New Orleans and an Arkansas singer named Jimmy Driftwood put words to it and had a hit of that name in 1959! In short, in true old timey tradition, any excuse for a party...The week before that we attended the yearly concert by Clinton Fearon and band at the Loon. Despite the cold and being the day after New Year's Eve (that would be New Year's Day) the place was packed, Josh Bennett ran exceptional sound on the newly acquired P.A equipment, the place was non-smoking and we danced all night with a couple hundred people. Fitting way to usher in 2010...Check news on the Studio page--the joints jumping!...Music on the Song O' The Week page...New post on Pat's Blog...And congratulations to Susan Grace for the arrival of her beautiful new CD with help from a large cast of Fairbanks finest!

Sending out a hearty wish for good things in the coming year to all fellow Planeteers! May you be soothed and wooed by the strong medicine of music--especially the music that's next door, down the street & around the corner in this wonderful Tanana Valley!

We're glad to be settled in for another Tanana Valley winter. It seems the musicians come out of the woodwork in the winter and start preparing next summers crop of recorded music to cast to the eagerly awaiting Alaskans. Cruise on over to the Studio page to see what's up and while you're there take a listen to all the great artist we have in the Interior. Then buy a CD or download at their websites. It helps them and it'll surely help whoever gets them as gifts.... All we need now to complete our cozy little winter is MORE SNOW!!! We're asking everyone who loves snow to stand up and do a little snow dance...or a wiggle...or a song! Whatever you can do is appreciated. And don't forget the Song O' The Week page for a bit of historic Fairbanks music, a bit of what we're listening to on the turntable and some favorite radio stations. Keep writing too. We love ya one and all!

It's been a heck of a fall. Two falls actually. The quick one here and a second in Arkansas where we went to play with our pal Dave Stancliff and a great band doing an Alaskan show. 3 or 4 days of music then off on our own floating around the Ozarks. Amazing area and we got in some great hikes...We're back now to winter and studio (see Studio page). BIG NEWS! Pete Bowers, erstwhile guitarist for Dang! finished his article on Alaska Old Timey music for the Old Time Herald.

In honor of that we're posting a handful of tunes on the "Song O' The Week" page by a band that features prominently in the article: Fairbanks own Sidewinders! (See Pat's blog of 1/28/08) The Sidewinders filled bars back then like a rock band. And of course the band included none other than Robin Dale Ford on bass and banjo. The songs we're presenting are from the only known studio recording of that band, recorded at KUAC by Gary Westcott. The tape was being thrown out at the station in one of their senseless purges and saved from that fate by our pal, Trudy Heffernan. Phew, close one! Enjoy and stay tuned...

Oh, how people love round numbers! And we rose to the occasion at our 20th Labor Day extravaganza in McCarthy. For the uninitiated, McCarthy is a big slice of heaven on earth 60 miles past Chitina and we've been going there to close out the tourist season with a big dance and an acoustic singer/songwriter night on successive evenings. A while back a half marathon & 10k benefit race was instituted so you know the weekend was busy, especially for Pat who ran the 10k on Saturday and played drums all night at the dance! We brought a cavalcade of stars this year: Gene Ryder and Lorie Lawson from Virginia, Gary Westcott from Seattle, Esther Golton from Talkeetna plus the usual Fairbanks chuckleheads, Pat, Robin, Alex Clarke, Pete Bowers, Will Putman and Trudy Heffernan (with the addition of Ann McBeth and Mike Stackhouse on the songwriter night.) Alex & Ann's son Riley and Will & Trudy's daughter Molly sat in at the Rock and roll dance playing electric guitar and sax respectively. The following weekend we "brought it all back home" for a rollicking acoustic concert at the Loon followed by a r&r dance. What a rich 2 weeks!

Who's this guy Gene Ryder anyway? Well, if you ask us here at the Planet we could gush for hours. In a nutshell though he's a fantastic songwriter encompassing the territory between Guy Clark and Ryan Adams but he long ago went off into his own unique realm that contains bits and pieces of the American song and the American landscape (including the American inner landscape). He was here in Fairbanks in the late 1970's/early 80's as not much more than a kid and has a bag of songs rising from each year since. He's a big influence on us and we're proud to be able to bring him to the music fans of Fairbanks. An added plus is that the beauty and wildness of Alaska has never left him and we may just be lucky enough to see him up here a little more often. After the concert September 12 we'll have a dance party. For 20 years we've taken a band to McCarthy to play the season-closing dance but never brought it back the town. Come on out to the Loon September 12th and say hi. In the meantime, head on over to "Song O' The Week" give a listen to Gene.

In between the building projects and revamping the studio (unhooking the mixing board,sending it off to be cleaned, fixed and reloaded with new software--sounds better that ever!) and dodging forest fires and ducking smoke, we found time to hit Tangle Lakes in the Isabel Pass area to sit around a campfire with friends and pick blueberries. After a couple days, as others headed back to town, we camped a night near the Gulkana Glacier and hiked the trail. Returning to town, we found the Gulkana in the news as one of three national glacier studied that are retreating at a rapid rate. We recommend seeing this one while you can. At present time you can walk right up to it and, as an added bonus, cross a "Indiana Jones"-style rope bridge on the way!

We want to wish Mariah Ver Hoef a rousing congratulations on the arrival of her 2nd CD, So Far Away. A beautiful recording, beautiful cover and a very inspired singer/songwriter. Check out a song on the Studio page jukebox and get this CD now! Also head on over to the "Song O' The Week" page for a big dose of our pal Gene Ryder and get ready for him and a cast of many in McCarthy on Labor Day Weekend and the Saturday after that at a special concert/dance at the Blue Loon Saloon!

Thanks to all for birthday greetings to Robin. Because her birthday is in the summer, near solstice, it's a good excuse to "get out in it." First of all was the hike from Angel Rocks to Chena Hot Springs (top photo above taken from the ridge looking north). Beautiful day and we got to the hot springs just in time for a short soak). Next up, after a day packing, was a 3 day trip to Mount Prindle. We got farther than last time but again weather turned us back from the summit. No tears though as we got to the second, more dramatic tors. (Alas, we brought everything but the camera.) Another day home then a trip up the Dalton Highway to Wiseman with our musical pals for the 4th of July. (See middle photo above for a little flavor: The Bowers dog Andra enjoying music her way). Afterwards, we drove through the very dramatic Atigun Pass to Pump Station 4 to visit one of several camps where Robin worked during the building of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The bottom photo is looking back to the Brooks Range from north of the pass.

In the studio we had another enjoyable visit from Ken Waldman and in a quick afternoon recorded his 10th project of the decade--stay tuned for release date...After a stifling day in the studio we went for a swim at Chena Lakes with Ken and his partner Rosalyn. Get that swim in while the getting is good!...After the great birthday trips, we're deep into building work around the Planetation, including finishing a new roof and retrofitting the walls on our office building. Be sure to check out "In The Studio" for a full roundup and keep an eye on the "Song O' the Week" page. And always, always, WRITE! We love hearin' from you!

What an amazing time of year! At 2 in the morning, when the air is cooler, the sound of birds singing reverberates through the woods at the "Planetation". The wild roses have come and (mostly) gone and now it's on to fireweed time...Congratulations are in store for Steve Brown & The Bailers on the arrival of their fine new CD, "How Things Start"... And though we mentioned it on the Studio page recently, we'll say another congrats to O Tallulah for their new self-titled CD. Lots of hard work went into both...We're saying that every leaf on every tree around the 10th Planet is dedicated to the brave people of Tehran. Our comfort only makes them more remarkable...We were sitting in the sun this morning planning the big changes coming to the studio. They've been in the planning stages for awhile but now are about to be implemented. More later but we will say that they include a vocal booth that will make live recording easier. Stay tuned...Wish Robin a Happy Birthday on June 28th. She just gets better and better...Look for some new postings on the Song O' The Week page to coincide with an article in the Old Time Herald magazine about Alaskan old-time music. (And read Pat's blog about his first introduction to that music from the legendary Sidewinders in the 1970's)...Keep the cards and letters coming folks. We love to hear from you...And by all means, Summer is what we wait for all year--get out in it and enjoy!

We have been to the mountaintop! Meaning that lofty place of transcendence where only the most mystical music can take you. For those of you who missed the Fairbanks debut of The Subdudes: You'll be hearing about it. We'd heard them before. Even played a couple of their tunes back in our cover band days. But we weren't prepared for what we witnessed Friday night at the Pioneer Park Theatre. And as good as the songwriting, harmony, musicianship and funky grooves were, the encore was sublime. They unplugged and came out into the audience, stood in the aisle and did two more songs (one in each aisle) that evoked the Persuasions and all manner of New Orleans soul. Get a CD here. And by all means let's make Fairbanks their second home, huh?

Leaves sprouted some time ago then seemed to say, "Whoa, what's going on here. This ain't spring weather." And they've been in a holding pattern ever since. As have we all. Some are saying, "How'd you like summer?" in reference to the few very warm days a couple weeks ago but we're not buying it. We demand some warm sunny days. As Alaskans it's our right for making through another winter. Uh, pretty please?!!

Ah, Spring! That time between winter and the green of summer--or between snow and trash pickup. And we're caught between exhilaration and the horror of the unsightly mess on the roadsides. Ever the optimist though, Robin has found a way to see through the clutter to an intriguing form of the art. You see, toss out a piece of cardboard on the snow (and people do) and as the sun gets some heft to it in April, the snow melts all around but the cardboard (or appliance or shoe or...) shades the snow and voila! The Trash Tower! Robin named this one The Magilla. Happy motoring!

BIG BLOW! While Mt. Redoubt is erupting elsewhere in the state, thing are exploding around here with great tunes. (Check "In The Studio"). Besides that, we thought the thaw was on last week but we've got a reprieve for a short time: Sunny, warm (but not too warm) days and cool nights are making this the kind of weather we usually hope for in March. Time to be outside movin' and groovin' on the boards (skiis to you non-believers out there). Big changes planned for building this summer. Part of that will be the 10th Planet recording space. (More on that as we proceed but let's just say it's gonna be good!) And, says Pat, Opening Day ( baseball jargon) is right around the corner. In Fairbanks that means Spring!