Gold Star Studios

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This article is about the recording studio in California. For the recording studio in Houston with the same name later known as SugarHill Recording Studios, see SugarHill Recording Studios.
Gold Star Recording Studios
IndustryRecording studio
Founded1950 (1950)
Founder
  • David S. Gold
  • Stan Ross
Defunct1984 (1984)
Headquarters6252 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Websitegoldstarrecordingstudios.com

Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world.

Founded by David S. Gold and Stan Ross and opened in October 1950, Gold Star Recording Studios was located at 6252 Santa Monica Boulevard near the corner of Vine Street in Hollywood, the studio name was a combination of the names of the two owners -- (Dave) GOLD and STA(n) R(oss). The studio was renowned for its unique custom-designed recording equipment, which was designed and built by Gold,[1] and for its echo chambers (also designed and built by Gold), which were utilised heavily by producers, most notably, Phil Spector.

Many big bands and orchestras recorded at Gold Star. Band leader

Phil Carreon and Vocalist Ray Vasquez
recorded at the facility in the 1950s.

Peak years

In the mid-1950s, aspiring pop star and future record producer

Smile
project.

The studio was known for its echo chambers. According to Gold, who designed the chambers after years of research and experimentation, they were built in an area of about 20 ft (6.1 m) x 20 ft and were complementary trapezoids 18 ft (5.5 m) long. The walls were thick, specially-formulated cement plaster on heavy isolation forms. Entry into the chambers was through a series of 2 ft (0.61 m) by 2 ft doors, and the opening was only about 20 in (51 cm) wide and high.[2]

Gold Star was responsible for what is believed to be the first commercial use of the production technique called flanging, which was featured on the single "The Big Hurt" by Toni Fisher, written and produced by Wayne Shanklin, who also originated the flanging technique. This was done by placing his thumb on the "flange" of the recording tape reel during vocal playback, which caused the flanging effect when mixed in with the original vocal track. Another of Gold's innovations was a small transmitter that allowed him to broadcast mixes so that they could be picked up on a nearby car radio, which was especially important to recording artists in the era when AM radio was the dominant broadcast medium.[3]

Artists

The studio was the venue for hundreds of chart-topping recordings by scores of leading pop and rock artists including

The Ramones, Flamin' Groovies, Blondie, Dan Hartman, Gary Numan, Legs Diamond, Led Zeppelin, Herb Jeffries, The Association, Art Garfunkel, Neil Norman, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Maurice Gibb
.

It was also widely used by music, film, television, radio and Broadway artists including

Louis Bellson
.

Singer-songwriter Johnette Napolitano, co-founder of Concrete Blonde, was the studio's receptionist in the early 1980s.[5]

Closing

Shifting economics caused Gold Star to close its doors in 1984, as newer technology allowed bands to make their own recordings. Several months after the studios were vacated, a fire destroyed the building. A mini-mall was later constructed on the site.

On March 11, 2011, Ross died of complications following an operation to correct an

abdominal aneurysm. He was 82.[6]

References

  1. ISBN 978-0634055607
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0879308643
    .
  3. ISBN 978-0879309558
    .
  4. ^ "Donna Loren Discography". Donna Loren Official Website. DonnaLoren.net. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  5. All Media Network
    . Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  6. ^ Nelson, Valerie J. (17 March 2011). "Stan Ross dies at 82; producer-engineer co-founded Gold Star studio". Los Angeles Times.

External links

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