Sigma Sound Studio

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The Sigma Sound Studios are recording studios in Philadelphia , which were built in 1968 and are known in particular for the Phillysound hits produced here .

History of origin

With a technical education at high school, the later founder of Sigma Sound Studios, Joseph "Joe" Tarsia (born September 23, 1934 in Philadelphia), went to the research department of the electronics manufacturer Philco Corporation in 1952 , where he spent 10 years as a laboratory technician. Starting in 1958, at night he repaired tapes and other studio equipment. He then completed an apprenticeship at AMS, a small independent recording studio that was said to have links to Dick Clark's American Bandstand . There he learned the craft of sound engineering through music producers . In Philadelphia there were only a few independent recording studios in the early 1960s, including Sound Plus (Tony Louisi), Impact Sound (Tony Schmidt), Virtue Recording Studios (Frank Virtue) and Reco-Art (Emil Harry Korsen).

In mid-1961, Tarsia came to the well-known record label Cameo / Parkway Records as an assistant to Dave Appell , where he was promoted to chief sound engineer in 1962. In January 1964 he appeared at Cameo Records as a sound engineer for Bobby Rydell (LP The Top Hits of 1963 ). Cameo / Parkway outsourced many of their studio recordings to the local Reco-Art Studio , which was founded in January 1946 and produced in mono using 4-track technology.

founding

When Cameo / Parkway got into crisis in 1967 , Tarsia decided to set up its own recording studio. In 1968 he acquired the Reco-Art Sound Recording Studios and echo chamber from Emil Harry Korsen , invested in the renovation with a bank loan of 40,000 dollars and built the Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia (212 North 12 Street, 2nd floor) by August 1968 .

First recording sessions

Landslides - We Don't Need no Music

Sigma started as an 8-track studio. The first recording session at Sigma Sound Studio took place on August 5th, 1968 with the Delfonics , who recorded their hit La La Means I Love You here (Philly Groove # 150). In doing so, those people who would be important for the development of the Philly Sound also largely contributed. The producer was Thom Bell , they were accompanied by Norman Harris (guitar) and Ronnie Baker (bass), Vincent Montana (vibraphone) and Don Renaldo's violin and Sam Reeds horn section. Except for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff , all components of the later Philly sound came together here, so that the million seller can be described as the first recording of the Philly sound.

Immediately afterwards, 3 more songs were written for unknown artists. We Don't Need No Music (written by Gamble / Jerry Butler / Thom Bell) for Landslides (arranger: Bobby Martin, producers Gamble / Huff) (Huff Puff Records # 1001), released November 1968 and Rover Rover / Run Rover Run for Ruth McFadden (Huff Puff Records # 1002).

When Jerry Butler LP The Iceman Cometh other ingredients met the later Phillysound. Tarsia was a sound engineer at Sigma Sound Studio , Gamble / Huff produced, Bobby Martin and Thom Bell arranged. Jerry Butler was accompanied by Roland Chambers and Dennis Harris (guitar), Steve Gold / Dexter Wansel / Leon Huff (keyboards), Derek Graves / Michael "Sugarbear" Foreman / Ronnie Baker (bass), Vincent Montana (vibraphone), Billy Johnson / Charles Collins / Earl Young (drums) and David Cruse / Larry Washington (congas); a violin (by Don Renaldo) and a wind section (Sam Reed) with a background choir (Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benton) completed the recording. The message song Only the Strong Survive , recorded on September 7, 1968, was released from the album and was created in just one take and 20 minutes of recording time. Following the release in January 1969 he became the second million-seller of the recording studio and Phillysound (No. 1 R & B - hit parade , Rank 4 Pop). For the first time, those session musicians who later formed the core of the Philly sound came together here.

Early successes

The Intruders hit Cowboys to Girls received a gold record in May 1968 . However, it was not made by Sigma Sound like Jerry Butler and Earl Smith and many claim that it was released in April 1968, 4 months before the studio opened. Rather, it was still produced in the previous studio Reco-Art by Gamble / Huff. In any case, Sigma Sound had Archie Bell & the Drells level their LP There's Gonna Be A Showdown (recorded November 1, 1968), and the single One Night Love Affair was produced here with the O'Jays in June 1969. Even in this early phase, the British Dusty Springfield became aware of the studios and recorded their LP A Brand New Me here (September – October 1969, final mix on October 16, 1969); it came on the market in January 1970. The Stylistics were guests for their debut LP of the same name with the later ingredients of Philly Sound in April 1971, they became the hits Stop Look Listen (to Your Heart) (May 1971; 9th US-Pop) and the million seller Betcha By Golly , Wow (March 1972; 3rd place in US pop). They stayed with Tarsia until the LP Rockin 'Roll Baby (November 1973). The Sweet Inspirations arrived for their LP Sweet Sweet Soul (November 11, 1969).

The LP Wilson Pickett in Philadelphia (January 14, 1970) was recorded for the first time with the new 24-track technology. The Sigma Sound Studios was only the second studio in the USA with this technology. From the record of title is Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9 (3 US rank composed by Gamble / Huff, October 1970 Rhythm & Blues - hit parade ) decoupled. The hit was not fully composed, but was driven by the rhythm group. The production of the Pickett LP swallowed up $ 60,000, unusually high for those days. The second single from this, Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You (January 1971; Rank 2 US R&B) even became the first million seller for Pickett. Jerry Butler coverte A Brand New Me (April 5, 1969), he was from 1970 no longer Gamble / Huff produced (last album was here You & Me ; July 1970) because he was not in their labels, but with Mercury Records under Contract stood.

Phillysound

Main article: Phillysound

The Intruders' commercial success with Gamble / Huff material encouraged Columbia Records to sponsor Gamble / Huff to set up Philadelphia International Records . Phillysound and the record label founded by Gamble and Huff in February 1971 were symbiotically associated with Sigma Sound Studios . Gamble & Huff almost always used the same arrangers, producers and studio musicians and thus created a uniform sound stereotype with Tarsia in the Sigma Sound Studio, which was called Phillysound. It was characterized by symphony-like orchestrations. Big successes of the Philly sound , which came exclusively from the Sigma Sound Studios , were the million seller Back Stabbers about sneaky guys from the O'Jays (May 1972, PIR 3517) and the first million seller of the new label, on September 1, 1972 with a gold record excellent. The first pop hit was Billy Paul's ballad about a problematic love triangle Me and Mrs. Jones (September 1972, PIB 3521), which received a Grammy Award . Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes brought another million seller with If You Don't Know me by Now in September 1972 (PIB 3520). In January 1973 MFSB released the instrumental version Family Affair (with Huff on the electric piano; PIB 3528), which demonstrated the instrumental abilities of this studio band. The group delivered another instrumental hit with TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) in February 1974 (PIB 3540), which became the signature tune of Phillysound and the nationwide US TV music show Soul Train . A typical Philly sound was the million seller When Will I See You Again by the girls' trio The Three Degrees (PIB 3550), which came onto the market in September 1974 and was awarded gold on December 9, 1974. The hit was sold over 2 million times. In October 1973, the O'Jays wrote the socially critical song For the Love of Money, which was implemented over a million times. The People's Choice recording studio contributed to further million-sellers with Do it Anyway You Wanna (August 1975, PIB 3500), the O'Jays with I Love Music (October 1975; PIB 3577), Teddy Pendergrass and Close the Door (May 1978, PIB 3648 ) and McFadden & Whitehead with Ain't No Stoppin 'Us Now (March 1979, PIB 3681). The latter went platinum with 8 million copies sold worldwide on July 27, 1979. The interpreters Gene McFadden and John Whitehead worked since May 1972 as additional producers, composers and arrangers for PIR in the Sigma Sound Studio.

Success outside of Phillysound

In 1971, Gamble and Huff produced the LP Gonna Take a Miracle with Laura Nyro and Labelle , a compilation of rhythm and blues songs from the early and mid-1960s, which was then mixed at Record Plant in New York and released on Columbia. In 1972 the Spinners , who had just switched to Atlantic Records, came to Sigma Sound Studios, where Thom Bell selected a single from several tracks and decided on I'll Be Around (August 1972; Rank 1 US R&B), the group's first million seller . The second release, Could It Be I'm Falling In Love (December 1972; Rank 1 US R&B) also became a million seller. Don Murray, Tarsia's assistant in the studio since 1970, recorded the title Mighty Love with the Spinners in 1973 (January 1974; 1st place US R&B).

Bonnie Raitt went to the studios for Can't Find My Way Home (February 22, 1972). Billy Joel recorded a total of 23 tracks here live on April 15, 1972. Even BB King was a guest in the studio (Single To Know You Is to Love You , May 1973, LP Friends , July 1974), as well as The Tymes for her album You Little Trust Maker (August 1974) with the extraction Miss Grace (December, 1974). Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie met at Sigma Sound Studio on November 25, 1974, and that was when David Bowie recorded his last takes for the LP Young Americans (started August 11, 1974, released March 7, 1975). Bruce Springsteen, however, was only visiting. The LP The Jacksons for the group of the same name came out in December 1976, the follow-up LP Goin 'Places in October 1977, both LPs were produced by Gamble / Huff at Sigma Sound.

Extension in New York

Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere

Sigma Sound originally consisted of 3 studios in Philadelphia, in January 1977 a branch was opened as Studio 4 in the Ed Sullivan building in New York and later expanded to include Studio 5. It was here that Grace Jones' debut LP portfolio (released in September 1977) and the LP At The Top (1978) for the Four Tops were created . Guests were also The Village People , whose debut LP of the same name was released in October 1977; the LP Cruisin ' was released on September 25, 1978 and contained the massive disco hit YMCA (released November 13, 1978; ranked 2 US pop). Lou Rawls came to the studios in 1979 (LP Let Me Be Good to You , released in May 1979), Stevie Wonder (LP Journey Through the Secreat Life of Plants , made in several studios between February and April 1979, released on October 30, 1979 ), Diana Ross LP The Boss (June 1979), Gladys Knight & the Pips (LP About Love ; May 1980) or Patti Labelle (LP The Spirit's in It ; October 1981). Madonna 's debut album of the same name consumed a recording time of one year (May 1982 to April 1983) and was released on July 27, 1983. From this her first three single hits Holiday (October 1983), Borderline (March 1984; rank 10 US pop) and Lucky Star (August 1984; rank 4 US pop) were released. The Paul Simon -LP Hearts and Bones was partially created in 1983 by Sigma Sound (published November 4, 1983). The Stanley Turrentine Quintet had Sigma New York level their jazz LP Straight Ahead (December 7, 1984), as did Robert Palmer (LP Riptide , November 1985). Miles Davis and Marcus Miller recorded parts of the album Music from Siesta here on January 7th and 8th, 1987 .

Permanent guests in the New York studio branch were the Talking Heads with their LPs Remain in Light (vocal recordings, October 1980), Speaking in Tongues (June 1983) and Little Creatures with the hit release Road to Nowhere (June 1985; Rank 6 GB -Pop). Eric Clapton played the LP Long Way Home (September 14, 1995) as the sideman of Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown . Whitney Houston also recorded her LP Whitney Houston (March 1985) in the New York branch with the number one hit releases Saving All My Love for You (June 1985), How Will I Know (December 1985) and Greatest Love of All (April 1986). Steely Dan came for the LP Gaucho (recorded in several studios, released November 21, 1980).

Studio founder sold

Joe Tarsia's son Michael Tarsia began as a father's assistant on Arthur Prysock's LP Arthur Prysock Does it Again in 1977, and that same year worked on First Choice's Delusions LP . The son also appeared in 1979 as the assistant sound engineer at Teddy Pendergrass -LP Teddy Live! Coast to Coast , which took place in the Schubert Theater (Philadelphia) between August 10th and 12th, 1978 and on August 6th and 8th. September 1979 (The Greek Theater, Los Angeles). Son Michael Tarsia became president of the studios in 1990, in the same year he produced the Patti Labelle LP Burnin ' .

Unlike usual in recording studios, studio owner and self-taught Joe Tarsia limited himself to the role of sound engineer and left the production role to others. After Joe Tarsia had switched to 32-track technology in both studios in 1987, he initially sold the New York studios in 1988 shortly before the lease expired. In September 2003 the studios in Philadelphia followed, which the contractor Mario Santoro bought for 1.5 million dollars because, according to Tarsia , the music industry had changed a lot and he felt too old at 69 years old. Throughout his life he has contributed to between 150 and 200 gold and platinum records with his studios. Joe Tarsia was the first to receive an award from the Society of Professional Audio Recording Studios (SPARS) on October 21, 2011. In 1978 he became a founding director of SPARS.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ John A. Jackson, A House on Fire: The Rise And Fall of Philadelphia Soul , 2004, p. 36.
  2. ↑ John A., Jackson, A House on Fire: The Rise And Fall of Philadelphia Soul , 2004, p. 40.
  3. ↑ Classic Tracks: Chubby Checker's The Twist ( Memento of the original from June 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , MIX online from March 1, 2007. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / mixonline.com
  4. ↑ John Broven, Record Makers and Breakers , 2009, p 540, footnote 20th
  5. ↑ Jim Cogan / William Clark, Temples of Sound , 2003, p. 155.
  6. ^ John A. Jackson, ´ A House on Fire: The Rise And Fall of Philadelphia Soul , 2004, p. 92.
  7. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 259.
  8. ↑ Lori Ortiz, Disco Dance , 2011, p. 71.
  9. ↑ Programming Aids , Billboard Magazine, Nov. 30, 1968, p. 80.
  10. ^ John A. Jackson, A House on Fire: The Rise And Fall of Philadelphia Soul , 2004, p. 78.
  11. ↑ Jerry Butler / Earl Smith, Only The Strong Survive , 2000, p. 154.
  12. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 356.
  13. ^ A b John A. Jackson, A House on Fire: The Rise And Fall of Philadelphia Soul , 2004, pp. 90 f.
  14. ^ John A. Jackson, A House on Fire: The Rise And Fall of Philadelphia Soul , 2004, p. 88.
  15. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 352.
  16. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 350.
  17. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 391 f.
  18. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 388.
  19. ^ A b Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 405.
  20. ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 464.
  21. ^ F. Erik Brooks, Pursuing A Promise , 2006, p. 133.
  22. ↑ Classic Tracks: The Spinners Mighty Love  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , MIX online from May 1, 2011.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / mixonline.com  
  23. ^ Bowie Golden Years
  24. ^ New Facilities for NY Sigma Sound , Billboard Magazine March 18, 1978, p. 51.
  25. ↑ Talking Heads: Road to Nowhere , SoundonSound, November 2010.
  26. ^ Peter Shapiro, Turn The Beat Around , 2006, p. 141.
  27. ↑ David Horn et al. a., Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music , Part 1, 2003, p. 670 f.
  28. ↑ Record Times: Talkin 'About A Revolution With Joe Tarsia , Philadelphia Weekly, Aug. 11, 2009.