(click thumbnail)“Have A Nice Day” Bon JoviSingle: “Have A Nice Day”
Album: Have A Nice Day (Island/Universal)
Date Mixed: May 2005 at TwentyOne Studio in London
Single Producers: John Shanks, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora
Executive Producer: Desmond Child
Engineers: Obie O’Brien and Jeff Rothschild at Sanctuary Sound II in New Jersey and Henson Studios in Los Angeles
Assistant Engineer: Mike Rew
Mix Engineer: Jeremy Wheatley for 365 Artists
Assistant Mix Engineer: Richard Edgeler
Mastering: George Marino at Sterling Sound in New York City
Other Projects: Wheatley has produced, engineered, edited, and/or mixed projects for such varied artists as Depeche Mode, U2, Dave Stewart, Duran Duran, Daniel Bedingfield, Goldfrapp, Moby, Keith Urban, Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue, and The Dandy Warhols, among others.
Single Songwriters: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, John Shanks
Mixing Console: Solid State Logic 4064 G+
Recorder: Digidesign Pro Tools|HD
Mix Monitors: KRK 9000B, Yamaha NS-10M, Genelec 1035B
Mix Processing: Esoteric Audio Research 660 limiter/compressor, Chandler LTD-1 mic preamp/EQ, Chandler TG1 compressor, SSL G Series equalizer, “various filters and EQs” within Pro ToolsAs a successful British mixer, producer and engineer, Jeremy Wheatley is used to internationally high profile recording artists calling on him for the benefit of his notable talents. But in May 2005, Wheatley was reminded of that fact in an unusually big way. His “European-only” mix job for “Have A Nice Day” — the huge title-track anthem from multi-decade-spanning superstar rock & roll band Bon Jovi — was chosen at the eleventh hour as the song’s singular interpretation to be heard worldwide.Working at TwentyOne Studio, his own private facility in South London, Wheatley began by quickly reviewing what was then the single’s mix for the American market. Wheatley’s unique and lively mix — featuring equal measures of lush layering, spirited dynamics shifts, and solid punch — is his sole mix upon Bon Jovi’s new 12-track album. (The remainder of Have A Nice Day alternates between mixes by brothers Chris and Tom Lord-Alge.)
“We had a brief discussion about what the changes should be,” explains Wheatley of initial requests from Tony Swain, head of international A&R at Universal. “Then I mixed it without necessarily overthinking things. Luckily everyone was really happy with the results; they liked it to the point that it was stripped onto the album and used for the single.”
Delivered as Pro Tools files, raw tracks for “Have A Nice Day” were mixed from and back to TwentyOne Studio’s Pro Tools|HD workstation via an SSL 4064 G+ console, Wheatley’s audio desk of choice. “It’s what I’ve used for so long,” he explains. “I tend not to use a huge amount of external EQ, but if I do, it’s usually on vocals. I’m relatively happy just to use the G EQ.”
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Alongside a variety of PT-based plug-ins, mix processing on “Have A Nice Day” was provided by Wheatley favorites such as the EAR 660 limiter/compressor, Chandler LTD-1 mic preamp/EQ, and Chandler TG1 compressor. Wheatley cites the 660 — a “Fairchild-esque compressor” — as an integral sonic component of the mix but is quick to explain that he depends on no specific processor, console, or component. “I try not to get too hung up on that,” explains Wheatley. “You work with whatever you have and your results are because of how you use it.”
