RCA Studio B

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RCA Studio B is a noted recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Situated at 30 Music Square W and originally known simply as RCA Studios, it became famous in the 1960s for being a part of what many refer to as the Nashville Sound. A sophisticated style characterized by background vocals and strings, the Nashville Sound both revived the popularity of country music and helped establish Nashville, Tennessee as an international recording center.^[1]

Contents 1 Origins 2 Learning facility 3 List of artists recorded 4 References

[edit] Origins

Built by Dan Maddox in 1957, it was constructed at the request of Chet Atkins and Steve Sholes to facilitate the needs of RCA Victor Records and other record labels. According to Chet Atkins^[2], the plans for the studio were drawn up on a napkin by Bill Miltenburg, RCA's chief engineer and recording manager.

Construction took four months, and the studio was opened in November 1957 at the cost of $37,515. The recording studio is a single-story building with offices occupying the front but the area of the studio and control room has a second story that contains an echo chamber. The studio itself measures 42.5' by 27' by 13'. In 1960 and 1961 an addition was built to provide office space and rooms for tape mastering and a lacquer mastering lab. A larger studio was built on 17th avenue in 1964 that became known as Studio A; the existing studio was referred to as Studio B from that point on.

In her 1994 memoir, My Life And Other Unfinished Business, Dolly Parton recounted how she was rushing to her first recording session at Studio B in September 1967 (shortly after having signed with RCA) and, in her haste to make the session on time, drove her car through the side wall of the building. She noted how the spot where her car impacted the building is still visible.^{[3] [4]}

[edit] Learning facility

In 1977 the studio was made available to the Country Music Hall of Fame for tours, and in 1992 it was donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame by the late Dan Maddox. Until 2001, it was operated as an attraction when the new home for the Hall of Fame was built in downtown Nashville.

Now the studio is co-operated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Belmont University's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business program^[5]. Students use the facilities for classes learning the basic techniques of analog recording.

Daily tours of the studio are offered by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

[edit] List of artists recorded

Following is a list of some of the artists who recorded songs at Studio B.^[6]

[edit] References

Coordinates: 36°09′00″N 86°47′34″W / 36.149929°N 86.792848°W / 36.149929; -86.792848