SugarHill Recording Studios
Encyclopedia
SugarHill Recording Studios is a recording studio in Houston, Texas
. The studio was important in launching the careers of such artists as Lightnin' Hopkins
, The Big Bopper
, George Jones
, the Sir Douglas Quintet
, Roy Head
, and Freddy Fender
. It is renowned for its collection of vintage regording equipment, reverb chamber rooms, EMT plates and a long history of music. A landmark in the Houston music community, SugarHill celebrated its 65th year of operation in October 2006.
Founded in October 1941 by Bill Quinn under the name Quinn Recording, it is the oldest continuously operating studio in the southeastern United States. In 1950 Quinn changed the name of the studio to Gold Star Studios. Huey P Meaux
took control in the early 1970s, and gave the studio its current name.
, then still commonly known as hillbilly
music. Recordings of Cajun music
also appeared on the label. In his first few years of business, Bill Quinn also recorded radio commercials and birthday greetings. That changed when Gold Star released its first hit record, a song called “Jole Blon” by Harry Choates
, a swing and dance tune that and became the first and only Cajun record to reach the Billboard Top Five
. It is still popular today. The Gold Star label had a string of hits throughout the late-1940s, 50s and 60s including:
The early 1960’s saw the beginnings of the psychedelic Texas rock era, particularly with the release of Sir Douglas Quintet’s hit song “She’s About a Mover”, and "Treat Her Right
" by Roy Head and The Traits
(both produced by Huey P. Meaux).
In January 1968, International Artists Record Company leased Gold Star. Coupled with the successes of "Treat Her Right
" (#2) and "She's About A Mover" (#13), the studio attracted more psychedelic rock bands including: 13th Floor Elevators
, The Red Krayola, The Bubble Puppy, The Continental Five, The Bad Seeds, The Moving Sidewalks (Billy Gibbons
' first band) and the Zakary Thaks. BJ Thomas also recorded a portion of his first commercially successful album, Tomorrow Never Comes
during that time.
took over ownership in the early 1970s. He become instrumental in launching many careers, most notably that of Freddy Fender who recorded 21 hit records including "Before The Next Teardrop Falls
", “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
”, “Secret Love”, “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” and “Living it Down”. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s SugarHill continued to record notable artists including:
In 1986 Modern Music Ventures Incorporated purchased SugarHill from Huey P. Meaux. SugarHill consequently became the home base for a number of successful Tejano
recording artists including Emilio Navaira, La Fiebre, Excellencia, Country Star Johnny Rodriquez and Adalberto Gallegos.
Concurrently, Modern Music Ventures established their own Tejano label called Discos MM and released hit records by Elsa Garcia, Jerry Rodriguez and Mercedes, and The Hometown Boys. Members of influential Australian rock band, Radio Birdman
, Deniz Tek and Chris Masuak, arrived in the early 90’s to record their solo albums.
In 1996 SugarHill underwent another change in ownership: RAD Audio, a company formed by studio engineers Dan Workman, Andy Bradley and Rodney Meyers. With new management and additional studio renovations, SugarHill continued to evolve. SugarHill recorded such artists as Destiny’s Child, Robert Minot, Ann Margret, Solange Knowles, Brian McKnight, Twista, Smash Mouth, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Hubert Laws, Clay Walker and Calvin Owens.
In 2006, SugarHill recorded Frank Black (The Pixies), Johnny Bush, Johnny Nash
, Matt Johnson, Southern Backtones, Row Zero, The Medicine Show, Clouseaux, Glenna Bell, John Evans, Jandek, Maggie Walters, The Inoculist, Broadmoore, Def Trapp, IB3, Darrin Love, Anne Loo, Calvin Owens, Trystan Layne
, Shei Atkins
, Bullet.
In December 2008, the studio teamed up with Zenfilm and introduced a monthly video podcast to give the audience a "behind the scenes" glimpse of recording sessions followed by interviews of the artists.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. The studio was important in launching the careers of such artists as Lightnin' Hopkins
Lightnin' Hopkins
Sam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
, The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
, George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, the Sir Douglas Quintet
Sir Douglas Quintet
Sir Douglas Quintet was a rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Despite their British sounding name, they came out of San Antonio, Texas. Their career was established when they began working with Texas record-producer Huey P. Meaux, after which the band relocated to the West Coast...
, Roy Head
Roy Head
Roy Head is an American singer, best known for his hit "Treat Her Right."-Career:Head achieved fame as a member of a musical group out from San Marcos, Texas known as The Traits. The group's sponsor landed their first recording contract in 1958 with TNT Music in San Antonio, Texas while they were...
, and Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
. It is renowned for its collection of vintage regording equipment, reverb chamber rooms, EMT plates and a long history of music. A landmark in the Houston music community, SugarHill celebrated its 65th year of operation in October 2006.
Founded in October 1941 by Bill Quinn under the name Quinn Recording, it is the oldest continuously operating studio in the southeastern United States. In 1950 Quinn changed the name of the studio to Gold Star Studios. Huey P Meaux
Huey P Meaux
Huey Purvis Meaux was an American record producer and recording studio owner .Meaux was born in Wright, Louisiana...
took control in the early 1970s, and gave the studio its current name.
Quinn/Gold Star Studios
Quinn's Gold Star Records featured country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, then still commonly known as hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
music. Recordings of Cajun music
Cajun music
Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based, Cajun-influenced zydeco form, both of Acadiana origin...
also appeared on the label. In his first few years of business, Bill Quinn also recorded radio commercials and birthday greetings. That changed when Gold Star released its first hit record, a song called “Jole Blon” by Harry Choates
Harry Choates
Harry Choates was an American Cajun music fiddler....
, a swing and dance tune that and became the first and only Cajun record to reach the Billboard Top Five
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
. It is still popular today. The Gold Star label had a string of hits throughout the late-1940s, 50s and 60s including:
- Lightnin' Hopkins: “T-Model Blues” and “Tim Moore’s Farm” were both top 10 hits (1948)
- George Jones’ first hit “Why Baby Why” (1955)
- Six more George Jones hit singles: “What Am I Worth”, “You Gotta Be My Baby”, “Just One More”, “Yearning”, “Too Much Water” and “Don’t Stop the Music” (1956)
- The Big Bopper's hit “Chantilly LaceChantilly laceChantilly lace is a handmade bobbin lace named after the city of Chantilly, France, in a tradition dating from the 17th century, though the most famous are silk laces introduced in the 18th century...
” (1958) - Johnny PrestonJohnny PrestonJohnny Preston was an American pop music singer, who was best known for his international number one hit in 1960, "Running Bear".-Life and career:...
’s “Running BearRunning Bear"Running Bear" is a song written by J. P. Richardson sung most famously by Johnny Preston in 1959. Preston first sang the song in 1959 with background vocals by Richardson and George Jones, who do the Indian chanting of "UGO UGO" during the three verses, as well as the Indian war cries...
”, written by The Big Bopper (1959) - James O’Gwynn’s “Talk to Me Lonesome Heart” and Eddie Noack’s “Have Blues Will Travel/The Price of Love” (1959)
- Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
's first two official hits: “Family Bible” (a song he wrote for Claude Gray) and “Night Life” (1959 & 1960) (Night Life was recorded by Ray PriceRay Price (musician)Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
in 1960).
The early 1960’s saw the beginnings of the psychedelic Texas rock era, particularly with the release of Sir Douglas Quintet’s hit song “She’s About a Mover”, and "Treat Her Right
Treat Her Right (song)
"Treat Her Right" is a soul music song, with a standard twelve-bar-blues structure. Written by Roy Head and Gene Kurtz, it was recorded by Roy Head and The Traits and released on the Back Beat label in 1965. The song reached number two in the United States on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts...
" by Roy Head and The Traits
Roy Head
Roy Head is an American singer, best known for his hit "Treat Her Right."-Career:Head achieved fame as a member of a musical group out from San Marcos, Texas known as The Traits. The group's sponsor landed their first recording contract in 1958 with TNT Music in San Antonio, Texas while they were...
(both produced by Huey P. Meaux).
In January 1968, International Artists Record Company leased Gold Star. Coupled with the successes of "Treat Her Right
Treat Her Right
Treat Her Right is a blues rock group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1984. The band originally featured Mark Sandman on guitar, Billy Conway on drums, Dave Champagne on guitar, and Jim Fitting on harmonica. Singing and songwriting duties were shared by all but Conway...
" (#2) and "She's About A Mover" (#13), the studio attracted more psychedelic rock bands including: 13th Floor Elevators
13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators were an American rock band from Austin, Texas formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland, which existed from 1965 to 1969...
, The Red Krayola, The Bubble Puppy, The Continental Five, The Bad Seeds, The Moving Sidewalks (Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons
William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...
' first band) and the Zakary Thaks. BJ Thomas also recorded a portion of his first commercially successful album, Tomorrow Never Comes
Tomorrow Never Comes
Tomorrow Never Comes is the Debut album by XINLISUPREME, released in 2002. Stylus Magazine Top 20 Favorite Albums of 2002.-Track listing:All songs by XINLISUPREME.# "Kyoro" – 3:16# "Goodbye For All" – 4:59# "Symmetry" – 2:08...
during that time.
SugarHill (Huey P. Meaux)
The reputation of SugarHill was enhanced when the studio producer Huey P. MeauxHuey P Meaux
Huey Purvis Meaux was an American record producer and recording studio owner .Meaux was born in Wright, Louisiana...
took over ownership in the early 1970s. He become instrumental in launching many careers, most notably that of Freddy Fender who recorded 21 hit records including "Before The Next Teardrop Falls
Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)
"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" is an American country and pop song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters, and most famously recorded by Freddy Fender.-Song history:...
", “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
Wasted Days and Wasted Nights
"Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" is an American country and pop song recorded by Freddy Fender. It is considered by many to belong to the swamp pop idiom of south Louisiana and southeast Texas that had such a major musical impact on Fender.-Song history:...
”, “Secret Love”, “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” and “Living it Down”. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s SugarHill continued to record notable artists including:
- Frieda and The Fire Dogs (now famous blues singer/pianist Marcia BallMarcia BallMarcia Ball is an American blues singer and pianist, born in Orange, Texas but who grew up in Vinton, Louisiana. She was described in USA Today as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist.....
) (1972) - Little FeatLittle FeatLittle Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
recorded their infamous live broadcast on Pacifica’s KPFT 90.1FM in 1973. - Asleep At The WheelAsleep at the WheelAsleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
recorded “Miles of Texas” (1976) - Gubernatorial candidate Kinky FriedmanKinky FriedmanRichard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...
recorded his LP Lasso from El PasoLasso from El Paso-Side One:#"Sold American" - 3:36#"Twinkle" - 3:21#"Ahab the Arab" - 3:31#"Dear Abbie" - 3:12#"Kinky" - 2:57 #"Lady Yesterday" - 3:57-Side Two:...
(1976) - Ricky NelsonRicky NelsonEric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
& Elvis Presley’s guitarist, James BurtonJames BurtonJames Burton is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 , Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame...
(1976) - Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
(1977) - Ted NugentTed NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
(1978) - Lucinda WilliamsLucinda WilliamsLucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
(1980) - JandekJandekJandek is the musical project of an anonymous outsider musician who operates out of Houston, Texas. Since 1978, Jandek has self-released over 60 albums of unusual, often emotionally dissolute folk and blues songs without ever granting more than the occasional interview or providing any biographical...
(1982) - Little Joe y LaFamilia (1984)
- Arnett CobbArnett CobbArnett Cobb was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Cobb was born Arnette Cleophus Cobbs in Houston, Texas. His musical career began with the local bands of Chester Boone, from 1934 to 1936, and Milt Larkin, from 1936 to 1942...
and Dizzy GillespieDizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
(1987)
In 1986 Modern Music Ventures Incorporated purchased SugarHill from Huey P. Meaux. SugarHill consequently became the home base for a number of successful Tejano
Tejano
Tejano or Texano is a term used to identify a Texan of Mexican heritage.Historically, the Spanish term Tejano has been used to identify different groups of people...
recording artists including Emilio Navaira, La Fiebre, Excellencia, Country Star Johnny Rodriquez and Adalberto Gallegos.
Concurrently, Modern Music Ventures established their own Tejano label called Discos MM and released hit records by Elsa Garcia, Jerry Rodriguez and Mercedes, and The Hometown Boys. Members of influential Australian rock band, Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman
Radio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
, Deniz Tek and Chris Masuak, arrived in the early 90’s to record their solo albums.
SugarHill (RAD Audio)
"The SugarHill Sessions"
The 2000’s ushered in many changes in the music production industry, not the least of which was a massive rise in home recording. In 2006, SugarHill partnered with the Pacifica Radio Network and launched "The SugarHill Sessions," a radio show on Pacifica' Houston affiliate 90.1FM KPFT. The show was created as a platform to encourage local music and to highlight live independent music in the Gulf Coast region. The show has profiled indie artists including Marah (Yep Roc Records), Bring Back The Guns, Ume (Pretty Activity), Jana Hunter (Gnomonsong), Spain Colored Orange (Lucid Records), Todd Snider (Universal) and The Long Winters (Barsuk).In 2006, SugarHill recorded Frank Black (The Pixies), Johnny Bush, Johnny Nash
Johnny Nash
John Lester "Johnny" Nash, Jr. is an American pop singer-songwriter, best known in the US for his 1972 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now". He was also the first non-Jamaican to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.-Life and career:...
, Matt Johnson, Southern Backtones, Row Zero, The Medicine Show, Clouseaux, Glenna Bell, John Evans, Jandek, Maggie Walters, The Inoculist, Broadmoore, Def Trapp, IB3, Darrin Love, Anne Loo, Calvin Owens, Trystan Layne
Trystan Layne
Trystan Layne is an American Pop rock band that formed in Austin, TX in 2004 consisting of Edison Bradley , Adam Franklyn Rogoyski , Joshua Applebee , and Tyson Sheth...
, Shei Atkins
Shei Atkins
Shei Atkins is an R&B singer-songwriter.Her 2005 album The Lita Mae Show, released by Paid In Full Records, charted at #47 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart, and was also charted at #86 on R&B Albums.-External links:...
, Bullet.
In December 2008, the studio teamed up with Zenfilm and introduced a monthly video podcast to give the audience a "behind the scenes" glimpse of recording sessions followed by interviews of the artists.