The Disgruntled Butler and Other Random Tales

by ADRNEL

SAPPHIRE SHORES: Chapter S

"I'm sorry Miss Shores, but we're going to have to scratch that take, you sounded a bit off-key during the middle eight there." announced the producer from the control room to Sapphire Shores in the recording booth.

"Sorry, it has been a while since I last used the whistle register." apologized the singer with a hint of sass in her voice. "Can we please call it a night and try it again tomorrow?"

"Okay, we'll meet back here tomorrow at 10:10 Miss Shores." instructed the producer.

"Thanks Red." smiled the singer as she removed her headphones and walked out of the recording booth. She walked to the control room to grab her personal items. She just sighed.

"You okay Miss Shores?" asked Red with some concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, just tired from the long session." she answered, but there was something more to that.

"Anyways, before you leave, I managed to assemble a nice and sexy beat for the other song you asked for." stated Red as he set everything up on the counsel to play the recording.

"Can it be replicated live perfectly?" Sapphire asked with interested.

"Yes it can be replicated live perfectly." Red jokingly rolled his eyes. "I tried to use as little programming as possible." he pressed a button and a nice smooth instrumental track started to play.

Sapphire nodded her head to the song and was immediately hooked. "Ooooh Weeee...now there's a beat I can make love too." she was impressed. "Now I see why you come highly recommenced."

"Thanks." the producer chuckled and blushed a bit.

"I'll tell ya, keep up the good work, and I may use you for ALL of the songs on the album." she sat down next to Red at the counsel.

"You serious?"

"Serious as a heart attack." chuckled the mare. The instrumental track soon stopped playing. "Hard to believe that came from a first timer."

"I always try my best Miss Shores."

The diva just smiled. "I feel so much better and at home in the recording studio, no loud cheering, no annoying fans, just myself and the music...this place is my sanctuary, all my albums were recorded and produced in this very studio."

"You don't like performing?"

"I DO love performing, it's one of my favorite things...it's the manure the goes along with it that I hate, such a grind." she sighed. "It gets annoying." she looked at the clock, it read three in the morning. "Anyways, I'm off to get some rest, same time tomorrow then?"

"You know it Miss Shores." Red assured as he started to turn everything off.

"Great. I'll see you then." Sapphire got up, grabbed her things and walked out of the studio. Red finished up several minutes later and locked the door shut. Next to the door was a name plaque with a picture of a dolphin on it to symbolize who was the most frequent user of that studio and her original dream before she became a famous singer.

---

"So, in order to capitalize on the Hearth's Warming Day market, we're thinking of doing a cover album of traditional winter time songs instead of your planned studio album." announced an executive to Sapphire Shores. She found herself in the worst aspect of doing music; dealing with executives.

"And what's wrong with the album I am working on now?" she asked incredulously behind a pair of sunglasses and an afro.

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with that, it's just that it has been 15 years since your last Hearth's Warming album and I believe it is time to satisfy the public's demand for another one."

With annoyance, Sapphire removed her sunglasses to make eye contact with each of the members of the board. "If there is one thing I learned from nearly twenty years in the industry, it would have to be that you leave the public wanting for more!" she exclaimed. "Despite the fact that I had such a debilitating case of stage fright at the time that prevented me from going on tour for another three years, my debut album managed to earn FIFTEEN times platinum and EIGHT number one singles!" she continued. "How many debut albums received such a distinction?"

"No one close ma'am." answered one of the execs.

"I have proven myself time and again to be THE greatest music artist in Equestrian history, which means I EARNED my right to decide what I can or cannot release under my name!" she pounded a foreleg on the wooden table.

The entire room went silent in shock.

"So I propose that we release an album of number one songs instead." she announced.

"But that's nearly thirty songs-"

"Then make a double album! Just get it done!" Sapphire Shores demanded. She annoyingly got up and stomped out of the board room.

---

"Sorry I'm late!" announced Sapphire Shores as she ran into the recording studio. The producer Red had been waiting for her. "I had some 'politics' to take care of." she sat down at a couch in the control room.

"I know the feeling." chuckled Red as he started to get everything ready. "Anyways, I was thinking."

"About what?"

"I was thinking that, it would be an honor for me to produce the entire album." Red smiled.

"You really do want to produce the whole album?" the diva was stunned, no producer in years took her offer seriously before.

"It would make the album sound more coherent and unified." explained Red. "Besides, I already came up with the hooks for the other songs."

"Oh you did?" the diva smirked. "Let's here them all."

Red happily started to play the first track and Sapphire Shores quickly liked what she heard.

Soon, evening gave way to night as both producer and diva happily worked together alone, recording songs, brainstorming styles and coming up with better beats and hooks.

"Can it make it sound more gospel?" "Can you slow it down a bit?" "Can you add more drums to that?" she would ask of Red.

"Can you sing higher?" "Can you put emotion into that?" "Can you do it again so I can double-track you?" he would ask of Sapphire Shores.

The diva has never enjoyed recording in years. She was glad of all the progress that was being made for this new album. She never had this great of chemistry with her producer before.

Finally, dawn came, but the two ponies in the windowless recording studio never noticed they were there all night apart from a wall clock that told them the time.

"That's it! It's a master Miss Shores!" happily announced Red as recording stopped. "Come on in to hear it."

Sapphire happily did as told and once in the control room, gave Red a tight hug. "This album is going to be great! Thank you so much for all your help Red!"

Red blushed "No problem." he smiled as the diva finally broke the hug.

They both smiled at each other in silence until the diva came in and tenderly kissed Red on the lips. The producer kissed the diva back but with more passion. The singer didn't mind it and welcomed it as the kiss turned into a make-out session. Both continued their hot and heavy kissing as they took it to the studio couch to continue the fun.

"This escalated quickly...in a very nice way" smiled Sapphire in response to this latest turn of events. She was going to enjoy working with him that's for sure.