Sun Studio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Sun Record Company, Memphis Recording Service | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
 Sun Studio
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| Location: | 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Coordinates: | 35°8′21.29″N 90°2′15.64″W / 35.1392472°N 90.0376778°W |
| Area: | 0.9 acres (0.36 ha) |
| Built/Founded: | 1950 |
| Governing body: | Private |
| Added to NRHP: | July 31, 2003[1] |
| Designated NHL: | July 31, 2003[2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 03001031 |
Sun Studio was opened by rock pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 3, 1950. It was originally called Memphis Recording Service, sharing the same building with the Sun Records label business. Reputedly the first rock-and-roll single, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats' "Rocket 88" was recorded there in 1951 with song composer Ike Turner on keyboards, leading the studio to claim status as the birthplace of rock & roll. Blues and R&B artists like Howlin' Wolf, Junior Parker, Little Milton, B.B. King, James Cotton, Rufus Thomas, and Rosco Gordon recorded there in the early 1950s.
Rock-and-roll, country music, and rockabilly artists, including unknowns recording demos and others like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers, Ray Harris, Warren Smith, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis, signed to the Sun Records label recorded there throughout the latter 1950s until the studio outgrew its Union Avenue location. Sam Phillips opened the larger Sam C. Phillips Recording Studio, better known as Phillips Recording, in 1959 to take the place of the older facility. Since Sam had invested in the Holiday Inn Hotel chain earlier, he also recorded artist starting in 1963 on the label Holiday Inn Records for Kemmons Wilson.
In 1969, Sam Phillips sold the label to Shelby Singleton, and there was no recording-related or label-related activity again in the building until the September 1985 Class of '55 recording sessions with Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, produced by Chips Moman.
In 1957, Bill Justis recorded his Grammy Hall of Fame song "Raunchy" for Sam Phillips and worked as a musical director at Sun Records.
In 1987, the original building housing the Sun Records label and Memphis Recording Service was reopened as "Sun Studio", a recording business and tourist attraction that has attracted many notable artists including U2, who recorded tracks for Rattle and Hum there on newer equipment Sun had purchased from producer Terry Manning.
In May 2009, Canadian blues artist JW-Jones recorded with blues legend Hubert Sumlin, Larry Taylor and Richard Innes for his 2010 release at the studio.
In July 2009, John Mellencamp recorded nine songs for his album No Better than This at the studio.
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[edit] Sun Studio Sessions
Sun Studio regularly releases studio session podcasts on YouTube and on Public Television. In early 2009, Revision3 released a pilot episode of a professionally produced Sun Studio sessions, however this was passed upon. Sun Studio have announced that PBS affiliate stations will be showing a 30 minute verson of this series in January 2010. The series will include Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, Catherine Feeny, Amy LaVere and David Ford.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ "Sun Record Company, Memphis Recording Service". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-1610892873&ResourceType=Building. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
- Edwards, David and Callahan, Mike (July 18, 1999). The Sun Records Label Story. Accessed Mar. 7, 2005.
- Escott, Colin and Hawkins, Martin. Sun Studios Entertainment Corp. history at Rockabilly Hall of Fame website. (Cites Good Rockin' Tonight by same authors). Accessed Mar. 7, 2005.
- Foster, D. Wayne. retrieved from 2008 audio interview recording; http://www.HolidayInnRecords.com.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sun Studio |
- Official site
- Official Sun Studio Sessions Series Page
- Official site of Sun Records
- Great Sun Sessions Albums
- Profile of Sun Studio
- National Historic Landmark information
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