Was this recorded at Gold Star?  If not, might you know where it was cut?

Thanks, Marty Wekser

A. Yes it was. It was also the first commercial use of Phasing.

Q. How long was Gold Star in operation?

A. Gold Star opened in October of 1950 and completed its final session with BeeGee Maurice Gibb in 1984.

        This is how we looked in 1984, 
   
       David                                Stan
Click picture to roll back the clock to1950

Q. How old were Stan and Dave when they formed Gold Star?

A.  David was 22, Stan was 21

Q. I see mentions of Gold Star Recording Studios in books, movies, discographies, and magazines...is there a single history of Gold Star Recording Studios?

A. Not yet, but due to the vast number of requests, Dave and Stan have spent the better part of the last three years compiling the first comprehensive history of Gold Star Recording Studios working with a team of writers, editors, historians and Gold Star ‘alumni’. Because Gold Star operated almost around the clock during its 33 1/3 years, thousands of recording artists, producers, and even radio, television and movie stars became part of the Gold Star story. We’re hoping to have it ready soon and will be posting excerpts from time to time on our website.


Q. How many records did Gold Star generate overall?

A. It’s impossible to tell. Right now we are fortunate to have a team of fine historians such as John Blair,  Steve Hoffman, Elliot Kendall and others tracking down as many Gold Star recordings as possible. Because Gold Star was a totally independent rather than an in-house concern for a major corporate label, we don’t have central documentation or cross-files like the major labels, so we are relying on other sources for our book.

Q. Often in discographies, I see the notation “probably recorded” or “rumored to be recorded at” Gold Star for some critical seminal works of people like The Beach Boys or Gram Parsons. Why is that?

A. Gold Star began as a ‘demo’ studio and even until the 1980s, bands such as The Go Go’s were still using Gold Star to ‘demo’ or experiment with new material due to the fact that, as an independent studio, it afforded the artists greater creative freedom.

In addition, confusion rises from the fact that Gold Star in the early years pioneered the ‘glamour demo’ - an independently recorded demonstration recording of a high enough quality to be used as a master recording. These recordings weren’t originally intended for general release, but the artists and/or record company felt the recording couldn’t be improved upon and released the Gold Star version. The subsequent documentation merely indicated that the song was a master, not where it was recorded.

Q. What major artists recorded at Gold Star?

A. During its 33 1/3d years, so many people recorded at Gold Star that we’re unable to compile a complete list - but the list we have is staggering. Again, we will be posting excerpts of our research as we go.

Q. What is a ‘Golden Throat’?

A. Generally an actor (like William Shatner or Barbara Eden - both of whom recorded at Gold Star) who recorded a vocal album to satisfy their fans. The late Don Ralke was our expert at bringing out the best in these people as they were often unskilled or inexperienced singers.

Q. What made Gold Star unique from other historic studios such as Sun or Abbey Road?

A. Two major reasons: First, Gold Star offered Dave Gold’s custom, hand-crafted
technology, studio design and what were regarded as the first ‘perfect’ echo chambers along with Stan’s revolutionary ‘playing the studio’ approach to record production as an art form - which redefined the role of record producer from mere supervisor to active creative force. As an independent studio, Gold Star’s fortunes rose and/or fell on Stan’s and David’s ability to transform even the vaguest of creative notions into bankable reality, so their objective was to give the artist the most ‘bang for their buck’.

Secondly, unlike the majority of major label operations which served only that
company’s roster of talent, Gold Star’s independence facilitated an ever growing client base drawn from every aspect of the entertainment and communications industry.  As a totally independent concern, Gold Star recorded both demos and masters, live performances, commercials, radio shows, ‘air checks’, musicals, interviews, television and film soundtracks - every conceivable recording need was handled by Gold Star. Where major corporate labels focused only on their individual roster (EMI for Abbey Road, for instance), producers who used Gold Star ranged from major labels like A&M, Atlantic, Capitol, Reprise and others to independent or specialty labels like Del-Fi or Philles to one-off labels like Revis Records (featuring the first sessionman appearance of a young Jimi Hendrix!).

This constant cross-pollination of creativity mixed with one-of-a-kind technology yielded some of the most important innovations in modern music in pioneering what Sir George Martin later described as "the - studio - as - instrument" approach.

And, where some studios offered a certain ‘sound’, Gold Star’s flexible custom
technology, acoustically efficient studio design and creative approach to record
production as an art form enabled Gold Star engineers to run the gamut from the "Wall of Sound" to "Pet Sounds" to "that great Nashville Sound!"

Q. Why is Gold Star of such interest to modern guitarists?

A. For many reasons, but most importantly because many of the electric guitar effects most modern guitarists take for granted were actually either innovated at, or received their first popular exposure on Gold Star recordings (phasing, flanging, controlled distortion, chorusing; etc.) In addition, early jazz artists such as Oscar Moore (generally regarded as the father of modern jazz guitar combos) cut his seminal guitar recordings there.

Secondly, Gold Star was the studio of choice for such innovative Rock & Roll guitarists  as Eddie Cochran, Duane Eddy, ‘Sneeky Pete’ Kleinow, Dewey Terry of Don and Dewey, Ritchie Valens (who issued what may be the first ‘Surf’ guitar instrumental as ‘Arvee Allens’ just weeks prior to his death) and the ‘Godfather of Heavy Metal’ Dick Dale’s early instrumental and vocal performances.

Gold Star was the epicenter of what later became the hallmark of the "L.A. Sound" - The Wrecking Crew or "the clique" which mixed established jazz greats like Barney Kessell, Carole Kaye, Howard Roberts, Ray Pohlman, Howard Heitmyer and Bill Pitman with bright young rock and roll, blues and country & western talents like Glen Campbell, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter’ and James Burton among others.

Q. What about the legendary Gold Star echo chambers?

A. There were actually two echo chambers designed by David. (Two more were later built to more conventional standards)

After years of painstaking experimentation and research, Dave finally found the right combination of dimensions and materials. The chambers were built in an area of about 20 x 20' and were complementary trapezoids 18 feet long. The
walls were thick, specially formulated cement plaster on heavy isolation forms. Entry into the chambers was through a series of 2" by 2" foot doors, (which were always kept under lock and key) and the opening was only about 20 inches wide and high!

Q. What were the dimensions of Gold Star’s historic Studio A?

A. Studio A was  23' by 35' by 11' 6". David changed the interior acoustic design from time to time to obtain the best quality possible from a room that size.

Q. What was Phil Spector’s "Wall of Sound"?

A. Phil’s "Wall of Sound" was actually a very sophisticated, complex and painstaking process that required many musicians and multiple instruments crammed into an area designed to accommodate only a fraction of them, a revolutionary approach to sound reproduction and Dave’s custom-built and hand-crafted recording technology  along with the echo chamber- and the resulting textural masterpieces redefined the role of the record producer. We will devote a considerable amount of space to Phil’s genius and his impact in our upcoming history of Gold Star.

A. Starlite Records was a jazz label Dave & Stan introduced in the mid-1950s, but found that the demands of two operations were such that they could either run a studio or a record label - not both. Since recording was their first love, they chose to keep the studio.

Q. Is it true that Gold Star had a car rigged with a phonograph to ‘road test’ mixes - to see how they would sound on a car radio?

A. Close - David improvised a small transmitter that allowed him to broadcast mixes so that they could be picked up on a nearby car radio. This was especially important to recording artists in the era when AM radio dominated American listening habits.

Q. Is it true that the drums on some classic Rock & Roll performances were actually pizza boxes or guitar backs?

A. Stan created many of his microphone placement innovations working with early Rock & Roll artists like Eddie Cochran - who used tape boxes as drums on some recordings.
On Buffalo Sprinfield’s classic “For What It’s Worth”, Stan came up with the spare - yet - complex drum figure by wrapping one of the guitar necks in paper to emulate a snare drum/high hat combination.

Q. Where do I find a Gold Star jacket like the one on exhibition in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

A. Dave & Stan have gotten so many requests for those that they’re considering
reintroducing them and offering them through our web store. Stay tuned - we’ll keep you posted here at www.GoldStarRecordingStudios.com.

Q. I’ve heard all of the acts on ABC-TV’s ‘Shindig’ primetime Rock & Roll program were recorded at Gold Star to be lip-synched, but in the clips I’ve seen, it appears that the artists are performing live. Is it live or lip synch?

A. The vast majority of the artists who performed on Shindig pre-recorded their vocal and instrumental performances at Gold Star. The artists then synchronized their live vocals to the pre-recorded tracks during the performance. The pre-recorded vocal track was a ‘safety’ - used only when the artists vocals weren’t up to the task. We called these ‘laryngitis’ tracks.

Q. I’ve read in many accounts that Brian Wilson actually started a fire in the studio
during the recording of the legendary lost Smile ‘The Elements’ track “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”.

A. To fully convey the sense of a forest fire to the musicians, Brian had a bucket of burning wood brought into the studio and the track was recorded with everyone present sporting plastic fire helments. While the track was never commercially released, you can hear the track and see a fragment of the 1967 session in the 1984 film “The Beach Boys - an American Band”. Ironically enough, the last Smile track recorded at Gold Star before Brian built his own studio at his Bel Air home was the ‘water’ segement of the Elements suite” “I Love to Say Da Da”.

Q. What about reports that one notable Gold Star session became so contentious that a very well known producer actually fired shots into the control room ceiling?

A. That particular well-known story has been somewhat distorted in endless retellings. In fact, it was actually a joke that backfired (no pun intended).  

Q. I’ve read that Grammy Award-winning engineer Larry Levine is Stan’s
nephew.

A. One of the most brilliant and creative recording engineers in history, Larry is actually Stan’s cousin and began his stellar career at Gold Star in the early 1950s. In addition, David’s son Bruce Gold later made his mark as an engineer at Gold Star, too!

Q. Is it true that Cher started out as Gold Star’s receptionist?

A. No, but during breaks on Phil Spector and Sonny & Cher sessions (She and Sonny are singing backgrounds on "That Lovin’ Feeling") she would often answer phones and greet guests while visiting with our secretary.

Q. Do Stan or Dave currently endorse any recording technology, effects or products?

A. There were certain recording products that were favored by Dave & Stan during Gold Star’s ‘golden years’, and some effects developed at Gold Star now available in pedal or rack-mount effects have warrented high praise from both of them. We’re hoping to make Stan and Dave available to these manufacturers as their book, documentary and musical production efforts approach fruition.

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