""Famous Monsters"" At The GrammyÆ Awards
By Tom Menrath (menrath@monstercable.com)
Noel Lee, myself and everyone at Monster CableÆ would like to send our congratulations to all our friends who were nominated for, or received the GrammyÆ Award in Los Angeles, California. We are very proud of our contribution to the work of these fine artists. Many producers, engineers and musicians tell us that the improvement our cables have made in the sound quality of their music is absolutely amazing. Our devoted endorsers, known as ""Famous Monsters,"" give us feedback that allows us to continue to push the envelope in our quest to offer the finest audio cable available. ""Famous Monster"" Winners And Nominees Record of the Year Winner: ""Smooth"" (Santana with Rob Thomas) Rob Thomas, Matt Serletic and the entire Matchbox 20 organization are devoted Monster Cable users. Matt's production credits also include Aerosmith (number one single), Edwin McCain, Neve and Celine Dion. His company, Melisma Productions, is currently building a state-of-the-art recording studio in Atlanta, Georgia that will be completely ""Wired with Monster."" Album of the Year Winner: ""Supernatural"" (Santana) Major contributors included Matt Serletic and Rob Thomas, The Dust Brothers (aka ""Famous Monsters"" John King and Mike Simpson) and engineer John Karpowich. Album of the Year Nominee: ""When I Look In Your Eyes"" (Diana Krall) Engineered by ""Famous Monster"" Al Schmitt, who also won the Grammy for ""Best Engineered Record"" for this album (his 7th Grammy!). Song of the Year Winner: ""Smooth"" (Santana with Rob Thomas) The three top awards swept by ""Supernatural"" with major contribution by ""Famous Monsters"" Rob Thomas, Matt Serletic and ""The Dust Brothers."" Special congratulations to Carlos Santana and Clive Davis (who are not associated with Monster Cable). Incredible job by both of you! Female Pop Vocal Performance Winner: Sarah McLachlan (""I Will Remember You"") from the album ""Mirrorball"" Sarah and her band are all ""Wired with Monster Cable."" Female Pop Performance Nominee: Alanis Morisette ""Famous Monsters"" in Alanis's band include Chris Chaney (bass) and Joel Shearer (guitar). Her engineer, Chris Fogel, is a devoted Monster Cable user who's many projects also include ""Nine Lives"" by ""Famous Monsters"" Aerosmith. Pop Duo/Group Nominee: Smashmouth (""All Star"") These guys put on one of the best live shows going and are fully ""Monsterized."" Congratulations on the nomination and all your recent success. Pop Collaboration with Vocal Winner: Santana with Rob Thomas Produced by ""Famous Monster"" Matt Serletic. Congratulations Matt! Pop Instrumental Performance Nominee: Bruce Hornsby ""Spirit Trail"" from ""Famous Monster"" Bruce Hornsby was one of the best records of 2000. The track ""Song C"" was nominated in this category. Pop Album Nominee: ""Mirrorball"" (Sarah McLachlan) Female Rock Vocal Performance Nominee: ""Possession"" (Sarah McLachlan) Three nominations and one Grammy for this incredibly talented artist! She had huge success this past year with her album ""Mirrorball"" and her hugely popular ""Lilith Fair."" Congratulations Sarah! Female Rock Vocal Winner: Sheryl Crow (""Sweet Child Of Mine"") Sheryl's backline crew and band members are all ""Wired with Monster Cable."" Male Rock Vocal Winner: Lenny Kravitz (""American Woman"") Congratulations to Lenny for his fantastic interpretation of this rock classic. Lenny's 1998 album ""5"" was recorded at his private studio in Manhattan (New York) that was completely ""Wired with Monster Cable"" (he has since moved it to Miami, Florida). Male Rock Vocal Nominee: Tom Waits (""Hold On"") Tom's amazing record ""Mule Variations"" was recorded entirely through Monster Cable at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, California. If you don't already have this record, run out and buy it immediately. Rock Duo/Group Nominee: The Goo Goo Dolls (""Dizzy Up The Girl"") The Goo Goo's have been depending on Monster Cable to deliver their signature brand of music to audiences around the globe. Hard Rock Performance Winner: Metallica (""Whiskey In The Jar"") Metallica's album ""Garage, Inc."" was recorded at ""The Plant"" Studios in Sausalito, California utilizing hundreds of feet of Monster Cable to optimize the sessions. Hard Rock Performance Nominee: Korn (""Freak On A Leash"") Hard Rock Performance Nominee: Limp Bizkit (""Nookie"") Both these bands are devoted Monster users and ""Famous Monsters."" They both tour relentlessly and the dependability of our product has made life much easier for their hard working backline technicians. Metal Performance Nominee: Nine Inch Nails (""The Fragile"") Prior to embarking on their current world tour, Trent and Company re-wired their gear with Monster Cable. His private facility in New Orleans, Louisiana, ""Nothing Studios,"" has extensive Monster wiring for MIDI, computer, digital and analog signal runs. Best Rock Song Winner: Red Hot Chili Peppers (""Scar Tissue"") These ""Famous Monsters"" are on the road with a fully Monsterized stage set-up. They discovered the Monster difference during the making of ""Californication"" at the legendary ""Ocean Way"" studios in Hollywood, California. Best Rock Album Nominees: 1) Limp Bizkit (""Significant Other"") 2) Red Hot Chili Peppers (""Californication"") 3) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (""Echo"") All three of these nominees are devoted Monster Cable users. Alternative Music Performance Winner: Beck (""Mutations"") ""Famous Monster"" Lyle Workman is the guitar player for the current Beck tour and two tracks on ""Mutations"" were produced by our pals, ""The Dust Brothers"" (Mike Simpson and John King). Alternative Music Performance Nominee: Nine Inch Nails We are proud to be a part of gear used to create such an important record last year. NIN are currently on an extended world tour with a fully ""Wired with Monster Cable"" stage production. Male R&B Vocal Nominee: Maxwell This ""Famous Monster"" travels with a fully ""Monster-Wired"" mobile recording and songwriting rig built for him by Dave Hampton of Herbie Hancock Music. Best Bluegrass Album Nominee: Bela Fleck (""The Bluegrass Sessions"") This amazing artist and his bass player, Victor Wooten (of the Flecktones), are two of the most incredible musicians working today. Contemporary Jazz Performance Winner: David Sanborn (""Inside"") Two huge Monster fans were involved in this excellent record. Dean Brown (guitar) and Marcus Miller (bass) were among the stellar musicians on the album. Marcus's new facility (Hannibal Studios) is almost up and running. Hannibal is a fully ""Wired with Monster Cable,"" state-of-the-art recording studio. Latin Pop Performance Nominee: Luis Miguel (""Amarte Es Un Placer"") Luis's current world tour is ""Wired with Monster Cable."" Contemporary Blues Nominee: Charlie Musselwhite (""Continental Drifter"") Charlie is a close friend of ours and devoted ""Famous Monster."" He is a living legend and one of the nicest men you could ever meet. If you haven't checked out his fantastic record, ""Continental Drifter,"" you are missing something very special. Three tracks are collaborations with Cuban songwriters and feature some incredible Cuban musicians. Contemporary Folk Album Winner: Tom Waits (""Mule Variations"") Tom's amazing record ""Mule Variations"" was recorded entirely through Monster Cable at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, California. If you don't already have this record, run out and buy it immediately. Soundtrack Album Winner: ""Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me"" (Various Artists) ""Famous Monsters"" Mike Simpson and John King, aka ""The Dust Brothers"" contributed to this excellent soundtrack album. Instrumental Arrangement/Vocals Nominee: David Foster for ""The Prayer"" by Celine Dion and Andreas Bocelli David and long time collaborator, Jay Graydon, were the first artists to help us develop our professional products (15 years ago). A special thanks to these original ""Famous Monsters."" Best Engineered Record Winner: Al Schmitt (Diana Krall) Recording Engineers are the people most directly involved with our cables. The legendary Al Schmitt won his 7th Grammy last night - congratulations! Al is a consummate professional and absolute gentleman. He has worked with hundreds of artists from Frank Sinatra to Steely Dan. We are very proud to have Al as a ""Famous Monster."" He joins our extensive list of dedicated users in the recording industry including Bruce Swedien, Eddie Kramer, Daniel Lanois, Phil Ramone, Joe Chiccarelli, Matt Serletic, Frank Filipetti, Elliot Scheiner, Roger Nichols, Chris Fogel, The Dust Brothers and many, many more. Best Engineered Record Nominees: 1) Elliot Scheiner - Toto (""Minefields"") 2) Joe Chiccarelli - Lorrie Morgan (""For My Heart"") There were so many well engineered records this year. Of the five engineers nominated, three (that we know of) were using Monster Cable to maximize the sound quality of their efforts. Producer of the Year Nominees: 1) Matt Serletic (Santana/Rob Thomas, Edwin McCain, Matchbox 20) Rob Thomas, Matt Serletic and the entire Matchbox 20 organization are devoted Monster Cable users. Matt's production credits also include Aerosmith (number one single), Edwin McCain, Neve and Celine Dion. His company, Melisma Productions, is currently building a state-of-the-art recording studio in Atlanta, Georgia that will be completely ""Wired with Monster."" 2) Rick Rubin (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Red Hot Chili Peppers) Both of the bands Rick produced last year are ""Famous Monsters."" Both of these records are amazing and we are proud to have been part of the process. Music Video/Short Form Winner: Korn (""Freak On A Leash"") Congratulations to ""Famous Monsters"" Korn and everyone involved in this video. Music Video/Long Form Winner: Jimi Hendrix (""Band Of Gypsys - Live At The Fillmore East"") Congratulations to our good friend and huge supporter, Eddie Kramer. Also to everyone at ""Experience Hendrix."" We have enjoyed working closely with you on the ""Red House Tour"" and other projects to perpetuate the legacy of Jimi Hendrix.