TIM COFFMAN: This Is Fun

Tim Coffman

This Is Fun

© 2003 Rolltop records

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Movie theme music-Smooth Jazz to Orchestral strings to Hawaiian- Instrumental pop music with authentic vintage 60s tones

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Independent music reviewer
This is Fun
©2002 Rolltop Records
Produced by Tim Coffman
There's a saying in the world of professional musicians: Every now and then ya gotta do one just for the band. After almost 30 years in the music industry on both sides of the mixing board, independent producer Tim Coffman has finally done one just for himself.
This is Fun - a collection of vintage instrumental originals penned and arranged by Coffman - is just that: fun, and a whole lot of it. Reaching back over a 10-year stretch to material he originally penned and left on the shelf, Coffman has produced an easy listening album that is at once engaging and highly enjoyable.
Half the fun of Fun is in knowing some of the behind the scenes details. In his efforts to capture the authentic "soundtrack" texture of the 60s, Coffman eschewed the digital world for the drums, guitars, horns, tube amps and mics of the era. Indeed, there's nary a drum machine on the whole album, which should earn him an appreciative nod from listeners who are weary of the seamless artificial intelligence of the digital recording world.
Reading over the list of instruments and equipment involved in the recording of Fun is simply a trip into the past. For guitars, Coffman used a 1961 Epiphone Wilshire - the model once favored by Jimi Hendrix in his pre-Fender days, and a Gibson ES125. Amps include a 1959 Silvertone and a 1965 Fender Princeton. For drums, Coffman used a 1965 Ludwig kit and a variety of acoustic snare drums dating back to the 1920s.
The result is a delightfully authentic album that sounds at once familiar yet new. Read on for a track-by-track snaphot of this simple but pleasing album guaranteed to make you smile.
Track 1. MONACO NIGHTS. Lush Mediterranean texture highly evocative of a '60s Audrey Hepburn movie. John Rekevics melodic sax work saves the tune from being bogged down in the theme and gives it a sharp, contemporary feel while maintaining the integrity of Tim Coffman's arrangement.
Track 2. HIGHWAY 1. Succulent and melodic, without being cloying. Top-down cruising music for the beautiful stretch of road that graces the California coast. Think Big Sur with the fog breaking over the mountains and the sun shining through the trees.
Track 3. SLINKY FEET. Nice work reminiscent of Chicago from the horn section - especially Mitch Manker on trumpet - and a special guest appearance from guitarist T.J. Tindall keep this highly listenable tune from sounding like just another John Tesh knock-off.
Track 4. FRESH ROSES. Greg Sardinna - arguably one of the best Hawaiian steel players around - and some Duane Eddy-style lead work from Anthony Da Luz add an exotic and wistful texture to this sweet little tune.
Track 5. VISION OF GREATNESS. It's obvious that Tim Coffman's strength leans to the orchestral, string- and synth-dominated arrangement, a tendency that would be repetitive and annoying if he weren't so good at it. Vision... is deeply reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac's gorgeous Sunny Side of Heaven.
Track 6. WITH HOPE. Tim Coffman handles the lion's share of the work on this one, laying down synth strings, bells, arpeggios, and bass. All this works to the benefit of the listener as he does an excellent job of finding balance and clarity while avoiding slogging through simply another exercise in electronic excess.
Track 7. SECRET EXPECTATIONS. A tribute to Henry Mancini, with a taste of spaghetti western style from Hugh Montenegro thrown in for good measure. Outstanding work from Archie Thompson on piano, though it would have been nice to hear more of his piano in this delightful trip into the past.
Track 8. LOW TIDE. Anthony De Luz again takes center stage in this blissful guitar-driven ballad that borrows shamelessly and lovingly, "the vibe" from the seminal surf picture "Endless Summer."
Track 9. SUNSET AT WAIKIKI. Anthony De Luz and Greg Sardinna play off each other on guitar and Hawaiian steel respectively in this faithful homage to the closing credits of every surf movie ever made.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
pam
E-mail: pam@rolltopmusic.com

THIS IS FUN "VINTAGE SOUNDTRACKS" FROM ROLLTOP RECORDS
SLATED FOR RELEASE

(San Diego, CA) - This is Fun, the latest release from San Diego-based independent label Rolltop Records, is scheduled for release May 19th. Written, arranged and produced by songwriter, recording artist and engineer Tim Coffman, This is Fun represents a sentimental trip back to the 60s, when melody dominated popular music - Coffman then adds just the right blend of contemporary spices and the result is some very fresh "Vintage Soundtracks."
The nine original instrumental tracks - written by Coffman over a 10-year period - are easy listening tracks intended to evoke favorite memories for the listener. After almost 30 years in the music industry producing hundreds of projects for classical, jazz, rock, blues, Latin, and contemporary Christian artists, this was an opportunity for Coffman to revisit the styles and instrumentation of the music he started with.
"This one was really just for me," Coffman readily acknowledged in a recent interview as he expressed his growing disenchantment with some popular music. "It seems like great melodies have gotten lost in the digital din of the last few years and this (album) was kind of a "renaissance of melody" for me."
This is Fun is a unique project in that the instruments and equipment used to record the album are genuine tools of the trade from the 60s. The well-crafted tunes sound familiar because they capture the essence of the instrumental pop music genre of the time. It's Coffman's relentless and loving attention to detail that sets Fun head and shoulders above generic retreads of the era.
Pre-release reviews of the project have been enthusiastic. "This is Fun is just that: fun, and a whole lot of it," according to independent reviewer Greg Wallace. "Coffman has produced an easy listening album that is at once engaging and highly enjoyable."
Coffman founded Rolltop Records in 1986 as a way to effectively promote the artists he was producing in his studio. A well-respected concert promoter in San Diego, Coffman has promoted artists such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patti, and others.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR INTERVIEWS, PLEASE CONTACT:
pam - E-mail: pam@rolltopmusic.com/ - rolltopmusic.com


# # #

BIOGRAPHY - TIM COFFMAN
Songwriter/Artist/Producer/Engineer
CONTACT:
pam - E-mail: pam@rolltopmusic.com

(SAN DIEGO, CA) - Music industry mainstay Tim Coffman has survived and thrived in a three-decade career that has taken him from sharing the stage with rock music luminaries Steppenwolf and the Dave Clark Five to country legends Roy Clark and Jimmy Dean. He is probably best known, however, as a widely respected songwriter, engineer and producer, primarily in the Jazz, MOR and contemporary Christian music market.
Coffman's natural progression from performer to producer began when he opened a small recording studio in San Diego in 1984 and began building a solid reputation as a music producer and engineer. Just as every producer has a trademark sound, he became known as a quality engineer who placed a higher priority on catchy melodies and hooks than on electronic wizardry.
During the years that followed, Coffman produced hundreds of project including local and national commercials, and full length CDs for Classical, Jazz, Rock, Blues, Latin and Contemporary Christian artists.
Coffman also enjoyed a brief stint in the 80's as a successful concert promoter, working with many of the leading Gospel artists of the day, including Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patti, and others.
In 1986, Coffman founded Rolltop Records as a way to promote the artists he was recording. Rolltop, named for the huge desk in which the studio mixing board was set, became the epicenter for many recording artists in San Diego.
In 1993, Coffman launched a series of CDs that eventually grew to six volumes of praise and worship music. Drawing almost solely on hometown talent, Adventures in Praise has enjoyed national airplay on over 200 Christian worship stations. He has even taken the Adventures musicians out on the road, doubling as manager and bassist.
Fast forward to 2002. Coffman began recording This Is Fun - a personal project of instrumental tunes he had written over a 10-year span but had never gotten around to recording. The resulting nine-track CD, drawing heavily on the "soundtrack" themes and styles of the 60s, is slated for release May 19. This Is Fun was a labor of love for the producer/engineer, who readily admitted, "This one was just for me."
Coffman stayed true to himself on the project, working with outstanding musicians, using vintage instruments and recording equipment of the era, and staying with his own emphasis on melody over gimmicks. In a recent interview he expressed his true feeling about "This is Fun, "Writing the music for this album was a renaissance in melody for me"...."I felt like some of these songs really had a voice that needed to be heard".
Thirty years or so after getting involved in music, Coffman shows no signs of slowing down.
Some things never change.


Interview with Tim Coffman

GW- I listened to your CD "This is Fun" several times yesterday and it sounds like you had a great time recording it.

TC- I had a blast and the musicians had a great time too. We actually recorded it over a 2-month period of time, so it wasn't a long drawn out recording.
It was definitely fun.

GW- How did "This Is Fun" come about?

TC- The decision to record the CD was made about six months ago, but I had been writing these instrumental songs for maybe 5 to 10 years. Most of the songs were compositions that were really for my own personal inspiration.
At first I would made a demo of each one and then kind of throw them in a drawer. It was a way for me to kind of shake off the demands of the music business and go and just have some fun, but as I continued to write, the songs became my own personal renaissance with melody, and I began to devote more time developing the melody lines. About six months ago I started to review the demos and there were some of those compositions that really had a voice that needed to be heard. So I selected the songs that I thought would fit together and we started recording.

GW-Why did you call it Vintage Soundtracks?

TC- All of the songs were recorded at Rolltop Music Studio. We used their extensive collection of vintage recording gear from the 50's and 60's. When you listen to "This Is Fun" you will hear the authentic sounds of an original 1965 Ludwig drum set, some early 60's Sonor, Gretch, Rodgers and Ludwig snare drums, vintage Epiphone, Gibson and Fender guitars and even some very old Fender and Silvertone amps. The instruments were recorded using old RCA and Shure mics into vintage tube pre-amps. The vintage mics and tubes color the sound and give the CD it's warmth and depth. That's why we called it "Vintage Soundtracks". There's one more thing, all of the instruments were recorded onto state of the art 24-bit Hard-Disc recorders which gives the sound it's sonic clarity and brightness.

GW- What made you switch from performing to producing and songwriting?

TC- In some ways with "This Is Fun", I have come full circle back to performing, but I started producing because I have always been intrigued with just the music itself. I've always been interested in records and how they sound. Just that natural attraction of taking an original piece of music, that has never been interpreted before, and being a part of the process of arranging and recording it for the first time is one of the most fulfilling things I can think of doing. You get the opportunity with original music to present it as a recording to the world for the first time. That's been the fun for me. I also love to write. Those two things just took me more in the direction of producing records.

GW- Do you have a favorite style of music and what was it like working with so many different artists?

TC- Actually, the one thing I've enjoyed about my own musical experience is growing and learning about different styles of music. You will be able to hear that on "This Is Fun", you'll hear a lot of different influences in the music.
I have had the very good fortune of being able to work with everything from string quartets to singer/songwriter artists to rock and roll and blues bands and I can't really say I have a favorite style, because all of those styles add something to you. It's like a tapestry of influences. They give you the ability to relate to a new group of people. Many times as a producer, you really don't even understand a new style of music until you actually watch the artist play their songs, and you see what is coming out of their hearts and souls, and then you can understand it. I am always excited to take on new musical challenges.

GW- Was there ever a time when you felt in over your head?

TC- Not really, because I always tried to be honest with any artist that asked me to produce a style of music that I had not done before, and, there's this wonderful thing called research. I would listen to previously recorded CDs and learn the history of the style of music, listen to the recording styles, familiarize myself with the instruments that are played, and understand the nuances of the vibe.

GW-Do you have any plans to do the music from "This Is Fun" with a band?

Several of the players have expressed an interest in performing the music live, and so we'll see where it goes, as there is a demand for the music live, we'll put a band together.


For more information about Tim Coffman contact -
pam - E-mail: pam@rolltopmusic.com
Greg Wallace is a independent music reviewer from Indianapolis, Indiana

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