In February 1993, Jeff Buckley was, as far as recording artists go, nobody.
I was starting to get pressure about, Well, what record is Jeff Buckley going to make?
But I wasnt paying much attention until Steve called me.
Credit: David Gahr
From the first five minutes of the sessions, you could hear that voice.
He didnt have that much material yet, but Id never worked with anyone so diverse.
It wasnt like he did one thing not so bad and one thing great.
Berkowitz: Jeff only played good, better than good, and great.
And he had so many areas of focus and ability and styles that he could play.
Addabbo: So we set up different areas for him.
He could just do one thing and move on to the next.
And the first day he was really focused on getting good takes.
It was fantastic, really.
Berkowitz: [Dream Of You And I] was really spur of the moment.
During a lull in the sessions on then the second day Jeff went, Well, thats about it.
Addabbo: Jeff was aware that the next big hurdle for him was starting to write his own material.
So Steve was, in his own way, like You got anything you been thinking about?
Anything going on lately?
Until he played it, I dont know that he knew he was going to play it.
Berkowitz: Jeff, in a way, was a little bit like a Jazz musician.
He made music and art and it would come out different every time he played it.
He was of that moment in his delivery.
1 idol, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
For Nusrat, it was all about spiritual release, and I think it was for Jeff, too.
Addabbo: You And I is very representative of the session.
Once Jeff got comfortable, it was just three guys in a studio seeing what happened.
And some hysterical things would happen.
Theres barely 40 minutes of music here, but we recorded for three days.
There are over six hours of recording.
You hear him screwing up, you hear him forgetting words he does these funny parodies of Jim Morrison.
Its tasteless and terrible, but its hysterical.
Berkowitz: He was hysterical.
Jeff was a full service human being.
Sometimes he was lost in his thought and his moods and quiet and deep, but he was hysterical.
Like, Robin Williams and Jim Carey-hysterical.
He had the ability to mimic all sounds and instruments and voices and eras.
He was a bright light.
Addaboo: [HearingYou & I] brings me right back to the studio.
We werent cognizant that we were making history, we were just getting through three days of recording.
But this holds up to [Buckleys 1994 album]Grace.
Its just as interesting, and its more intimate.
For 23 years Ive been trying to get these out because theyre so amazing.
Not because I did it, but because it was.
What a great moment to capture.
Berkowitz: I love hearing them.
I miss him tremendously.
[But] I cherish having it, and other people getting to have it.
HearYou and I, out Friday, below.
