Starting To Fly: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:15, 21 February 2024

"Starting To Fly" is the fifth track on Grey Daze's 1994 debut studio album Wake Me.

Background

"Starting To Fly" was Grey Daze's first professionally recorded song. Two takes of the song were recorded at the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences in Tempe, AZ sometime after the band's debut show. At the time, the school usually invited music bands to record them with a help of students. This way, the bands got a free recording and the students had a project to learn on. The band was still called Gray Daze and had Steve Mitchell as their guitarist.^[1] According to Chris Goad, the song was created by Sean Dowdell And His Friends?, Sean and Chester's previous band.^[2]

A new version of "Starting To Fly" was recorded with guitarist Jason Barnes sometime in June 1994 as part of a 6-track demo done at Teething Studios, Scott Crowley’s apartment studio. He was from a band called “Nihil”. Jonathan Krause said, "He had a digital recording studio. I thought the drums sounded cheesy they were way to electronic. But it was free so who's complaining?" Sean Dowdell adds, "It wasn't a studio. It was his apartment and he and I recorded it on a very small recording program on a computer. Home recording though, not studio."^[3]

On October 6, 1994, the very first day of working on Wake Me, the album's producer David Knauer recorded Grey Daze playing live in his studio to see what they had in store for their debut album. He recorded their performance straight to DAT tape and had Chester say the name of every song so it was documented on tape as well.^[4] "Starting To Fly" was among the songs that made the album.

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Starting To Fly	Wake Me	4:38	1994	1994
Starting To Fly	Conservatory Of Recording Arts & Sciences Demo	4:42	1994		Steve Mitchell on guitar. Take 1. Some of the guitar parts & solos are different. The band was still called Gray Daze. Released on LPLive for free download on September 13th, 2015.
Starting To Fly	Conservatory Of Recording Arts & Sciences Demo	4:32	1994		Steve Mitchell on guitar. Take 2. Some of the guitar parts & solos are different. The band was still called Gray Daze. Released on LPLive for free download on September 13th, 2015.
Starting To Fly	Scott Crowley Sessions	4:53	June 1994		Additional backing vocals during the verses. Longer space between the first chorus and the second verse. Released on LPLive for free download on June 14, 2015. Both original and fan made remastered versions are available.
Starting To Fly	Wake Me Pre-Production Live Session	4:46	October 06, 1994		Recorded live at David Knauer's studio. Unlisted on the tape. Released on LPLive for free download on October 31, 2015.

Live

An early version of "Starting To Fly" debuted at the band's very first live performance, which happened on January 22, 1994 at the Thunder & Lightning Bar & Grill in Scottsdale, Arizona.^[5] The album version was played throughout 1994 after guitarist Steve Mitchell was replaced by Jason Barnes. It's unknown in what year the band stopped playing the song.

Personnel

Grey Daze

Jason Barnes - Guitar
Chester Bennington - Vocals
Sean Dowdell - Drums
Jonathan Krause - Bass

Production

Recorded and Mixed by: David Knauer
Produced by: David Knauer and Grey Daze
Mixed at Anthem Recording
Assisted by: Billy Spoon and Dan Manriquez
Mastered at - SAE by Roger Siedel

Lyrics

Album Version

I know the answers from the words of
The prophet
I've seen the light through the fingers
Made of magic
I've seen an image of the future,
It's a vision and I know who you are, yeah...

Go away can't you see you're not real
Open your eye some place far away
I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly
Yeah

I met a poet tonight behind the masses
I sang a song about my many true addictions
I saw myself in a hole, down below
And I know who you are, yeah...

I'm alright though it's hard to feel
Open your eye some place far away
I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly
Yeah

Open your eyes
Look to the sky
Grab your wings
And start to fly
Open your eyes
Look to the sky
Grab your wings
And start to fly
Yeah

I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly

I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly, yeah
Woah, I'm starting to fly
Yeah I'm starting to fly
Woah, I'm starting to fly
Yeah I'm starting to fly
Yeah, hey

Starting to fly
Starting to fly
Starting to fly

CRAS Demo Version

Scott Crowley Demo Version

I know the answers from the words of
The prophet
I've seen the light through the fingers
Made of magic
I've seen an image of the future,
It's a vision and I know who you are, yeah...

Go away, can't you see you're not real?
Open your eye some place far away
I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly

I met a poet tonight behind the masses
I sang a song about my many true addictions
I saw myself in a hole, down below
And I know who you are, yeah...

I'm alright, though it's hard to feel
Open your eye some place far away
I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly
Yeah!

Ooh, yeah
Ooh, yeah

Open your eyes
Look to the sky
Grab your wings
And start to fly, yeah
Open your eyes
Look to the sky
Grab your wings
And start to fly, yeah

I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly

I've seen the ocean and I've seen the sky
I've got my wings and I'm starting to fly
Yeah, I'm starting to fly
Woah, I'm starting to fly
Yeah, I'm starting to fly
No, I'm starting to fly
Yeah, I'm starting to fly
Yeah, hey
Starting to fly
Starting to fly
Starting to fly

Gallery

Wake Me
Wake Me pre-production DAT tape
Wake Me and Scott Crowley Sessions
Handwritten lyrics by Chester Bennington
Handwritten lyrics by Chester Bennington

External Links

Starting To Fly: Grey Daze
Starting To Fly (Demo 1994): LPLive
Starting To Fly (CRAS Demo Take 1): LPLive
Starting To Fly (CRAS Demo Take 2): LPLive

References

↑ Exclusive: Grey Daze - CRAS 1994 Demo - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, September 13, 2015
↑ Sean Dowdell - Going through some stuff today and found a book of..., August 22, 2017
↑ Exclusive: Grey Daze Demos, "Scott Crowley Sessions" - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, June 14, 2015
↑ Exclusive: "Wake Me" Pre-Production Live Session - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, October 31, 2015
↑ Exclusive: Grey Daze's Debut Show (w/ Unreleased Songs) - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, July 11, 2015

[1] Exclusive: Grey Daze - CRAS 1994 Demo - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, September 13, 2015

[2] Sean Dowdell - Going through some stuff today and found a book of..., August 22, 2017

[3] Exclusive: Grey Daze Demos, "Scott Crowley Sessions" - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, June 14, 2015

[4] Exclusive: "Wake Me" Pre-Production Live Session - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, October 31, 2015

[5] Exclusive: Grey Daze's Debut Show (w/ Unreleased Songs) - Newswire - Linkin Park Live, July 11, 2015

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox song
 | Name = Starting To Fly
-| Artist    = [[Grey Daze]]
+| Artist = [[Grey Daze]]
 | Album= [[Wake Me]]
 | Cover  = Album-Wake_Me.jpg
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 | Released  = 1994<!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
 | Format  =
-| Length    = 4:38
+| Length = 4:38
 | Stems  =
 | Time signature  =
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 | Live debut  = [http://lplive.net/shows/db/greydaze/19940122 January 22, 1994]
 | Last played  =
-| Writer    = Chester Bennington, Sean Dowdell
+| Writer = Chester Bennington, Sean Dowdell
 | Producer  = David Knauer
 | Label=
 | Misc  = {{Extra track listing
-| Album   = [[Wake Me]]
+| Album= [[Wake Me]]
-| Type    = studio
+| Type = studio
 | Tracks  =
 # [[What's In The Eye?]]