Palace Terrace is the debut band project from George Bellas (not taking into count guest roles with Mogg/Way and Ring Of Fire).  The album is a rich sonic tapestry quite unlike anything else out there with rich orchestration and very much a classical rock album.  Virtuosity One caught up with Palace Terrace vocalist Jonathan Marshall who’s performance on the album is as breathtaking as the musicianship to discuss the album, its making and his own influences amongst other topics. 

Hi Jonathan, many thanks for participating in this interview.  I don’t think its wrong of me to say that you will be a new name to many on the metal scene, can you please give the readers a rundown of your upbringing and your projects leading up to the new release from Palace Terrace?
I was raised in Chicago, Illinois. Most of my activity after school was writing poems or listening to local radio shows. My father is a great singer, he was my first influence. He would listen and sing along to Mario Lanza, Robinson Crusoe and other tenor vocalist. I started singing at the age of 5. I was in and out of rock and metal bands like and Prodigy with George Bellas. 

When did you first come into contact with George Bellas and when did the initial seeds of what has become “Flying Through Infinity” take place?
The first time was back in 1987, through a mutual friend of our. First time was back in 1987, through a mutual friend of ours. After talking on the phone, George sent me some material he had recorded and I was excited to work with him, his technique and feel was something I had never heard before. We immediately went into the studio and began recording.

It was a Sunday morning when I received a phone call from George, he was asking me if I would write an album with him.  We talked about what he would like to hear on the album and his concept. I had just the story to use for this album, I then began writing the lyrics based on my story for the album "Fly Through Infinity".

The album is a very grandiose album, in many ways its almost opera meets rock with complex vocal parts.  What role did you play in the vocal lines i.e. melody/structure etc?
George had given me the full album recorded along with melody scores to a few of the songs. I then started listening and learning. I have worked with George for over 20 years; we are both very comfortable with each others writing. Between George and the melodies that I contributed to the album, we were able to give life to Palace Terrace.

How challenging is this material for you to sing and which tracks did you particularly find challenging and why?
I found this album to be the most challenging music I had ever done with George or anyone for that matter. The track that was most challenging for me was track 1 - "The Tenth Dimension". I remember recording scratch tracks and after singing for 3 weeks on this song, sometimes as many as 10 hours a day.  This was the first song and I wanted it perfect.

How long did it take for you to record your vocals and how did you and George work on this aspect on the music?
Between my schedule and George's schedule, it took me a little over a year to write and record all vocal tracks. When George and I would track, he would have sheet music ready for me, water bottle and my mic would be live, we would flow through the tracks that George wanted to complete for that given session, it was very smooth.

The lyrics are very picturesque, you have said the lyrics are based on a story you wrote.  Can you tell us more about this.
I started writing the story during a very emotional point in my life and within the story I had somehow wrote myself into the album. The lyrics are based off of a story I have been writing named FATHER. The story is of three close friends growing up but, they seem to have different paths and through perseverance one finds the way to help everyone in the end but, only after death takes its role. It is a story that I hope to have available to everyone soon.

What sort of vocal ranges did you use with this material and what was your goal with your vocals?
When I had talked with George about the approach that I wanted to take, George agreed that I would sing this with a strong tenor style, yet leaving enough room to rock.  Throughout the album I wanted to use my full vocal range so, you will here me singing bass, tenor alto and soprano parts and with George also singing background vocals, our voices bend seamlessly.

Do you feel you accomplished this goal?
I do feel that I have accomplished a goal on this album. This album is a bitter sweet; so much has transpired throughout the writing of this album that it being released is a sigh and a tear.

Please talk us through a typical recording session for the album i.e. how do you warm up, average number of takes etc?
I would drive over to George's house listening to Luciano Pavarotti or just run arpeggios to warm up. George and I work great together in the studio; we would record for about 4 to 8.  When I record my pre-production tracks, the number of takes are insidious.  All my keeper tracks? I would only have 3 or 4 takes; this is after a good warm up.

When did you realise that you wanted to be a singer and who first told you had a “voice”?
I was 5 when I started singing and I always knew, I never thought about not doing it.

Who are some of your influences?
Luciano Pavarotti, Mario Lanza, Robinson Crusoe, Geoff Tate, Jeff Scott Soto, Bruce Dickinson, John Arch and so many others.

Do you teach vocal lessons and what the best advice you can give to vocalists that are reading this?
I do teach vocal lessons.  What is the best advice I can give to vocalist? Practice your scales, discipline is the root of greatness.

What do you hope Palace Terrace will achieve from a personal perspective?
To compose great music for generations to come.

Do you have any other gigs/projects lined up?
I have a few recording projects that I am currently working on and writing for the next Palace Terrace album.

Anything else you would like to add?
Thank you to all the fans and hope to see you all soon. PEACE

Jonathan, many thanks for your time.
Thank you for yours too.

Web Links
www.palaceterrace.com
www.myspace.com/palaceterrace
www.jonathanrmarshall.com
www.georgebellas.com