US recording studio (1967?1972) located at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis, Tennessee
35°09′50″N
90°02′12″W
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35.163844°N 90.036715°W
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35.163844; -90.036715
American Sound Studio
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bc/American_Sound.jpg/220px-American_Sound.jpg) |
Industry
| recording studio
|
---|
Founded
| 1964
|
---|
Defunct
| 1972
|
---|
Successor
| American-Recording-studio.com
|
---|
Headquarters
| Memphis, Tennessee
|
---|
Key people
| Chips Moman Don Crews
|
---|
The
American Sound Studio
was a recording studio located in
Memphis, Tennessee
which operated from 1964 to 1972. Founded by
Chips Moman
, the studio at 827 Thomas Street came to be known as American North, and the studio at 2272 Deadrick Street came to be known as American East or the Annex.
More than one hundred hit songs were recorded at these studios, with backing provided by the studio musicians "
The Memphis Boys
", also known as the "827 Thomas Street Band". Artists who recorded at American Recording Studio's included
Elvis Presley
,
Joe Tex
,
Wilson Pickett
,
Bobby Womack
,
Joe Simon
,
Merrilee Rush
,
Aretha Franklin
,
Oscar Toney Jr.
,
Neil Diamond
,
Dusty Springfield
,
B. J. Thomas
,
Petula Clark
,
Roy Hamilton
, and
The Box Tops
.
History
[
edit
]
American Sound Studio was started in 1964 at 827 Thomas Street in
North Memphis
by producer
Chips Moman
[1]
and Don Crews.
[2]
Between 1967 and 1971 approximately 120 hit songs were produced, and listed in the top 100 of
Billboard
, at the American Sound Studio.
[3]
During one week span, 25% of Billboard's top 100 not only came from the same studio, but featured the same band backing a variety of artists. It was further noted that the Memphis Boys recorded 122 Top 10 records using the same rhythm team, and were also known as the “827 Thomas Street Band” after the address of the studio.
[4]
[5]
American Sound Studio folded in 1972 and the building was torn down in 1989. In its place is a
Family Dollar
store with a County historical marker.
American Recording Studio East
[
edit
]
American Sound Studios and the Memphis Boys were in high demand, and had to use other studios in Memphis, such as Royal Studios (where "
Dark End of the Street
" was recorded), Sounds of Memphis,
Ardent Studios
, National Street Studios,
Lyn Lou
Studios, and
Fame Studios
in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. By acquiring a second studio they could keep most productions in house. In November 1968 Moman and Crews ran a full page advertisement in
Billboard
to announce the new studio acquisition and operation of both their "North" and "East" studios.
The
East Memphis
studio, at 2272 Deadrick Avenue, was the first purpose-built recording studio in Memphis
[6]
designed and built as "
ONYX
" in 1967, and was utilized by different record companies.
Steve Sholes
of
RCA Records
commissioned its construction but died in April 1968. The studio's staff included Ronnie "Angel" Stoots from
the Mar-Keys
and George Klein.
[
citation needed
]
The first single cut there was "Mama”/“Merry Go Round" produced by
Bobby Manuel
. The studio, after its first year, became popular with
Jerry Wexler
and
Tom Dowd
of
Atlantic Records
, and
Dot Records
/
Paramount Records
.
It was purchased by Chips Moman and Don Crews in December 1968, and renamed
American Recording Studio East
, AKA “The Annex”. The studio was custom-designed with stereo
echo chambers
, and its new large tracking floor made it well suited for larger productions such as horn and orchestra sessions (Presley's "
Kentucky Rain
" arranged by Glen Spreen, is an example).
Wayne Jackson
recorded there as part of the
Memphis Horns
, including the trumpet part on Neil Diamond's "
Sweet Caroline
". The studio had easy access to the
Memphis International Airport
, and next door was the Memphis landmark John Grisanti's restaurant.
American East helped complete many of the productions made at the North studio between 1968 and ‘72. Both studios were fitted with similar equipment which allowed the easy transfer of tapes, and were able to operate all day and night to handle the demand. So much more work could be done, as Moman quoted to
Billboard
magazine. Moman also liked to work in anonymity during these years and the East location served that purpose well.
In 1972 Moman and Crews made arrangements to dissolve their partnership. Moman moved to first to Atlanta, and then to Nashville, where he reopened American Sound Studios. The studio on Thomas St. was closed. Crews restored the Deadrick location back to "ONYX".
By 1975
STAX's
studio had closed. From 1978 to 1988 ONYX was the studio for Allen Jones, ex-STAX engineer and producer (
the Bar-Kays
,
Isaac Hayes
,
Albert King
, Kwik), and the studio home for the Bar-Kays. It was purchased by musicians/producers Doyle and Bernice Turner original member Hank Williams Senior
Robby Turner
Mother after Don Crews retired in 1978.
By 1990 the studio was leased to producers Doug Easley and Davis McCain. Between 1990 and 2005 the studio was known as
Easley McCain Recording
, under the direction of producers Easley, McCain and Stuart Sikes. The studio was used by acts including
Alex Chilton
,
Tav Falco
,
Rufus Thomas
,
The White Stripes
,
Loretta Lynn
,
Wilco
, and
Jeff Buckley
. In 2005 the studio suffered a major fire and Easley McCain relocated to a new premises in 2009.
[7]
[8]
After the fire the studio was bought by an out-of-state developer. After negotiating with the developer to protect this Memphis landmark custodial power was given to Brad Dunn in 2006 to campaign to get the studio reopened. Brad was supported by his father, Robert, and his uncle,
Donald "Duck" Dunn
, and sought input from Chips Moman, Don and Erick Crews on preserving the historical site. A trust was set up by new owner David Gicking to preserve the studio's future. The first phase was complete in 2011 after a detailed restoration.
Brad Dunn (producer, engineer), Matt Martone and Will Gilbert (engineer) re-opened the studio in 2011 as
American Recording Studio
.
[9]
American Recording Studio is the only physical location where any of the American Sound Studios legacy remains. ARS is owned by David Gicking and Brad Dunn .
Recording artists
[
edit
]
In January 1969,
Elvis Presley
recorded his last number one hit "
Suspicious Minds
" with producer/engineer Chips Moman.
[10]
Around this time, American Sound Studio was at the top of its game, in the middle of a three-year span that would yield more than 100 hit records for artists that included
B. J. Thomas
,
[11]
Neil Diamond
,
[12]
and
Dusty Springfield
.
[13]
The Memphis Boys
[
edit
]
The studio's
house band
, known both as the 827 Thomas Street Band and (informally) as the Memphis Boys, consisted of
Reggie Young
on guitar,
Tommy Cogbill
and Mike Leech on bass,
Gene Chrisman
on drums, Bobby Wood on piano, and
Bobby Emmons
on organ.
[14]
[15]
They brought versatility to the studio, including
Joe Tex
's "
Skinny Legs and All
","
I Gotcha
";
Wilson Pickett
's "
I'm in Love
";
Joe Simon
's "
Hangin' On
";
Merrilee Rush
's "
Angel of the Morning
";
Neil Diamond
's "
Sweet Caroline
";
The Box Tops
' "
Cry Like a Baby
";
Elvis Presley
's "
In the Ghetto
"; and
Danny O'Keefe
's "
Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
". It was Tommy Cogbill's bass ride out in
Dusty Springfield
's hit "
Son of a Preacher Man
." They were also the band in flutist
Herbie Mann
's 1969 Jazz Rock classic
Memphis Underground
. In 2007, they were inducted into the
Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum
in
Nashville, TN
.
[16]
Bobby Womack
[
edit
]
Bobby Womack
worked at producer
Chips Moman
's American Sound Studio in Memphis, and played on recordings by
Joe Tex
and
The Box Tops
. Until this point, around 1967, he had had little success as a solo artist, but at American he began to record a string of hit singles, including 1968's "What Is This" (his first chart hit), "It's Gonna Rain", and "More Than I Can Stand". During this period he became known as a songwriter, contributing many songs to
Wilson Pickett
's repertoire; these include "
I'm in Love
" and "I'm a Midnight Mover." He also played guitar on three of
Aretha Franklin
's hit-making late 1960s recordings, including the
Lady Soul
album, and "
Chain of Fools
". Among his appearances as a session musician from this period are
Sly & the Family Stone
's 1971 album
There's a Riot Goin' On
, and
Janis Joplin
's
Pearl
, which features a song by Womack and
Michael McClure
entitled "Trust Me". In 1971, on an album with jazz guitarist
Gabor Szabo
, he recorded the instrumental "Breezin'", which later became a hit for
George Benson
.
Joe Tex
[
edit
]
Joe Tex
recorded his major hit, "
Skinny Legs and All
"(1967), and "
I Gotcha
"(1972), at American Sound Studio. "I Gotcha" was originally intended to be recorded by
King Floyd
, but Floyd never recorded a version of it. Instead, Tex went ahead and recorded it himself in the late 1960s, but ended up not releasing it. He decided to re-record the song in late 1971 at American Sound Studio and released it as the B-side of "A Mother's Prayer," the first single off his 1972 album that was also titled
I Gotcha
. Radio DJs decided to flip the single over and started playing "I Gotcha." This would result in Tex having his first major hit in five years as "I Gotcha" eventually peaked at number one on the
R&B chart
and number two on the
Pop chart
and would sell around three million copies.
[17]
Elvis Presley
[
edit
]
In January and February 1969,
Elvis Presley
recorded an extensive number of tracks during a period known as his comeback. One notable track, and the first to be released, was "
In the Ghetto
", unusual in Elvis' repertoire for its social commentary on the cycle of crime and poverty, followed by "
Suspicious Minds
", which became a centerpiece of his live performances that would begin that year.
[18]
Indeed, four charting singles came from these sessions- "Suspicious Minds", "
Don't Cry Daddy
", "In the Ghetto", and "
Kentucky Rain
" ?as well as two critically acclaimed albums released during 1969,
From Elvis in Memphis
and the studio portion of
From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis
, also the strings and horns were scored at American East Studio. Mike Leach and Glen Spreen did most of the arranging, “sweetening” the tracks at American East. The studio portion of
From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis
was later released separately as
Back in Memphis
in 1970.
[19]
Additional tracks recorded during the 1969 sessions would continue to appear haphazardly on assorted Elvis albums as late as 1972, including a cover version of
The Beatles
' "
Hey Jude
".
B. J. Thomas
[
edit
]
B. J. Thomas
made his name in the mid-1960s with easy listening hits like "
Hooked on a Feeling
" and "
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
" recorded at American Sound Studio.
[11]
The song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", written by
Hal David
and
Burt Bacharach
for the 1969 film
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
, won an
Academy Award
for
Best Original Song
. Further, David and Bacharach won
Best Original Score
. The version by
B. J. Thomas
was number one on the
Billboard
Hot 100
chart in the United States in January 1970 for four weeks and the first No. 1 single of the 1970s. It also spent seven weeks atop the U.S.
adult contemporary chart
.
[20]
The song was recorded in seven takes, after Bacharach expressed dissatisfaction with the first six.
Dusty Springfield
[
edit
]
The sudden changes of pop music in the mid-1960s left female singers out of fashion. To boost her credibility as a soul artist,
Dusty Springfield
went to
Memphis, Tennessee
to record an album of pop and
soul music
at American Sound Studio. The LP
Dusty in Memphis
earned Springfield a nomination for a
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
in 1970 and received the
Grammy Hall of Fame Award
in 2001. International readers and viewers polls list the record among the one hundred greatest albums of all time.
[21]
The LP's standout track "
Son of a Preacher Man
" was an international Top 10 hit in 1969.
[22]
[23]
The Box Tops
[
edit
]
The Box Tops
recorded
Wayne Carson Thompson
's "
The Letter
". Under two minutes in length, it was an international hit in late 1967, reaching
Billboard
's number-one position and remaining there for four weeks. Produced by
Dan Penn
and featuring 16-year-old vocalist
Alex Chilton
, the single sold over four million copies and received two
Grammy Awards
nominations. Their single "
Cry Like a Baby
" was a major hit in 1968, peaking at number two on Billboard. Some of their recordings' instrumental tracks were performed by session musicians like
Reggie Young
, Tommy Cogbill, Gene Chrisman, and
Bobby Womack
at Moman's American Sound Studio, and by future Chilton producer
Terry Manning
at
Ardent Studios
, although the actual group members performed on a number of the recordings, including their first hit "The Letter", and on all live performances.
[24]
Neil Diamond
[
edit
]
"
Sweet Caroline
", recorded at American Sound Studio,
[25]
was
Neil Diamond
's first major hit after his slump.
[26]
Wayne Jackson of The Memphis Horns recorded his trumpet part at the Annex, American East.
See also
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Roben Jones -
Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios
, 2011
- Peter Guralnick -
Sweet Soul Music
, 1999
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Hardy, Phil and Laing, Dave (1995)
The Da Capo Companion to 20th-Century Popular Music
New York: Da Capo Press.
ISBN
978-0-306-80640-7
.
- ^
Jones, Roben (2010).
Memphis Boys: The Story of American Studios
.
University Press of Mississippi
. p. XVII.
ISBN
978-1-60473-401-0
. Retrieved
7 October
2011
.
Partner...beginning in 1964.
- ^
C Hazen (1997).
Memphis Elvis-Style
. John F. Blaire.
ISBN
978-0-89587-173-2
.
- ^
The Nashville - Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame charters six groups - WALT TROTT - January?March 2008 ?
[1]
Archived
July 3, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Robert Gordon; Peter Guralnick (November 2001).
It Came From Memphis
. Simon & Schuster.
ISBN
978-0-7434-1045-8
.
- ^
ID // 1968 Billboard = Ad p. 249
- ^
"Archived copy"
. Archived from
the original
on 2015-09-10
. Retrieved
2020-01-06
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link
)
- ^
"Archived copy"
. Archived from
the original
on 2019-12-26
. Retrieved
2020-01-06
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link
)
- ^
"History of American Recording Studio"
.
American-recording-studio.com
.
- ^
"Introducing Elvis ? IT Chapter 1 page 21"
(PDF)
.
Media.wiley.com
. Retrieved
19 January
2019
.
- ^
a
b
The Press of Atlantic City
- THOMAS STILL HOOKED ON POP MUSIC FEELING - ROBERT DiGIACOMO -12-12-03
- ^
"MTV - Retrieved 08/17/09"
.
Mtv.com
. Retrieved
19 January
2019
.
- ^
FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS: LEGACY EDITION Celebrates 40th Anniversary of American Studios Sessions, 36 Tracks Across 2 CDs, Including 10 Original Mono Single Masters - SOURCE Legacy Recordings
- July 1, 2009 (press release).
- ^
Gordon, Robert; McAdams, Tara (2009).
From Elvis in Memphis (Legacy Edition)
(booklet).
Elvis Presley
. Legacy Recordings. p. 3. RCA/Legacy 8869 751497-2.
- ^
"THE REGGIE YOUNG STORY"
.
Reggieyoung.org
.
- ^
CMT : News : Unsung Heroes Honored at Musicians Hall of Fame Induction
, Cmt.com, November 27, 2007.
- ^
Whitburn, Joel
(2004).
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004
. Record Research. p. 574.
- ^
Elvis faithful can't visit site of his last No. 1
USA Today. Associated Press. August 16, 2009.
- ^
"Go Certify - Copyright 1998-2009 Anventure - Apr 13, 1999 -"
. Archived from
the original
on 2012-07-10.
- ^
Whitburn, Joel
(1996).
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits
, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^
"Dusty in Memphis by Dusty Springfield"
.
BestEverAlbums.com
.
- ^
"Dusty Springfield"
. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- ^
"Dusty Springfield | Biography, Songs, & Facts"
.
Britannica.com
. 25 November 2023.
- ^
Gordon, Robert (1995). It Came From Memphis. New York: Pocket Books.
ISBN
978-0-7434-1045-8
.
- ^
The Guardian
, - The soul of Memphis - Andria Lisle, Friday, 15 August 2008 -
The soul of Memphis | Music | The Guardian
- ^
CBS "Sunday Morning" 5-11-2008