Studio Stories - How the Great New York Records Were Made (Softcover) (Book) (Paperback)

~ David Simons (Author) "The bright red awnings of Maxie's Delicatessen add color to the otherwise drab exterior of 723 7th Avenue, an ancient 12-story structure that has played..." (more)
Key Phrases: live chamber, recording room, hit factory, Frank Laico, Mira Sound, Artie Butler (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is an engaging account of some of the most memorable moments in New York's recording history, as seen through the eyes (and ears) of the many producers, engineers, songwriters, and recording artists who helped make them happen. It explores the explosive 30 years between 1950 and 1980 and the numerous ingredients that made them unique: artists performing live in large, vibrant recording spaces; producers and engineers spontaneously creating new effects and techniques; composers writing parts on demand in the studio; and, most important, recording studios that had life, character, and their own fingerprint sound.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879308176
• ISBN-13: 978-0879308179
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #355,498 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All you need to know about New York-made music, right here, November 18, 2004

By	R. Gibson - See all my reviews

This is a compelling read for history buffs and a must-have for anyone who's interested in the great jazz and pop sessions of the 1950's, '60s and '70s (and loves New York as well). The book contains fabulous details about many of the city's fine old recording establishments (Bell Sound, Columbia, A&R, Allegro, many of them long forgotten), the people who worked there, and the artists who recorded the hits on a daily basis. The author sets the scene wonderfully, supplying us with colorful images of Broadway and all of midtown Manhattan as it existed during that time. Nice big studio session shots as well (and not all the usual suspects either). I've been waiting for a book like this to hit the market for quite a while.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Would you believe Elvis?, March 24, 2008

By	JB Moose "JB" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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I am a New Yorker. The first session I ever went to was in Studio B at Columbia 52nd Street around 1966 to watch a group called The Virginians cut a couple of sides. (The Virginians failed but their lead singer later recorded the hit "Good Morning Starshine" under the name Oliver.) Since then I have been in about half the studios in the book as either a musician, a producer or a visitor/hanger on. Until "Studio Stories" I thought I knew a lot about the subject. But I didn't know that Elvis cut "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" here or a pair of tracks on Led Zep II were made here.

"Studio Stories" is also a capsule history of popular music recording from the `50s of Mitch Miller, Sinatra and Tony Bennett to the advent of the Digital Recording Era. It is a mini-encyclopedia of how engineers, producers and musicians got sounds, overcame limitations and made some of the best recordings ever produced.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars nice stories of the fairytale era of sound recording, November 17, 2007

By	plutonic rocks (Chicago) - See all my reviews

Really nice language, gave me some nice confidence about creating my own unique sound and not being intimidated by big labels.