John Mellencamp chose to begin recording his twenty fifth record, “No Better Than This” in the unlikely surrounds of the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia. The church is steeped in history,
the vibe in the church is profound. During the sessions, John and Elaine Mellencamp got Baptized underneath the altar where they were recording. The LP was produced, as was the 2008\’s Life Death Love
and Freedom, by noted producer T Bone Burnett.
Here’s the producers account of the events:
“We next met up in Memphis at 706 Union Avenue, the site where the great record maker and civil rights pioneer, Sam Phillips, recorded Howlin Wolf and Elvis Presley. Mr. Phillips had put black x’s on the linoleum floor where each of the musicians was placed for the historic sessions with Mr. Presley. We set up on those x’s and put a ribbon mic between them. As soon as the band hit the first note, the room came alive. John was standing about five feet from the microphone. The
room is the perfect size to record a four-piece band. The room compresses the sound in a distinctive and exciting way. The band blended itself – there was no need to mix it.
We ended up in room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio where Robert Johnson first recorded. He recorded \”Terraplane Blues\” and \”Dust My Broom\” in that room. We set up as Don Law did – the recording equipment in one room and the microphone next door. We had heard that Mr. Johnson had sung into the corner, so John did the same. He sang into that corner like there was a hellhound on his trail. I have to say, that is one killer sounding corner.
All those ghosts. All those spirits. This is a haunted record.\”