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Electro-Vox Recording Studios

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Electro-Vox Recording Studios (or simply Vox) is a recording studio formerly in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States. It was historically located on Melrose Avenue across from the Paramount Pictures gate. In 2009, it was purchased by American musician Woody Jackson, who has since moved its operations to Tucson, Arizona.

Electro-Vox Recording Studios
Map
Address5546 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038[1]
Coordinates34°4′59.916″N 118°19′17.256″W / 34.08331000°N 118.32146000°W / 34.08331000; -118.32146000
OwnerWoody Jackson
TypeRecording studio
Opened1931
Website
electro-vox.com

History

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Electro-Vox Recording Studios was first founded and opened 1931, and is considered one of the oldest independent recording studios in the world. Electro-Vox was originally operated by Bert Gottschalk, founder and President at that time. Fast forward to the mid-1950s, his son, Alan Gottschalk, followed in his fathers' footsteps and helped run the business until his own semi-retirement in 2000. Among the many notable achievements, Bert first built the studio's record/disc-cutting machines in 1936. In addition, in the 1930s, Bert was considered a vital part of the introduction of the term known as "Aircheck" technology. The subsequent usage had significant and positive impacts on the world of "Radio" at the time. Bert, who handed the reins of Electro-Vox to his son Alan in the early 1960s, died in 1967.

From 1931 to 1950 (and even beyond), Electro-Vox recorded all of the "airchecks" from the NBC/Mutual-Don Lee Radio/TV KHJ-TV radio station at 5515 Melrose Avenue (virtually across the street), including performances by Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, George Burns and Gracie Allen. Electro-Vox also recorded many of the original demos for Paramount Studios artists, which was located directly across the street from the Electro-Vox Recording Studio location.

Between 1950 and 1956, Capitol Records occupied the studios on Melrose before moving to the Capitol Tower location on Vine Street. Many Capitol Records artists used Electro-Vox as a rehearsal space and a studio to record their demos, including (but not limited to), the King Cole Trio, Henry Mancini, Jerry Lewis, Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Dinah Shore, Eddie Cantor, Judy Garland, Sammy Fain, Spade Cooley, the Sons of the Pioneers, Plas Johnson, Burt Bacharach, and Johnny Mercer. Demos recorded at Electro-Vox included "Moon River", "Mona Lisa", "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Silver Bells", and "Buttons and Bows". Tex Ritter, a pioneer of American country music, from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, recorded and broadcast many live radio shows at Electro-Vox during the same time period.

For over four decades, the majority of the LA Times radio spots, were produced and written by very talented personnel in the LA Times media/marketing department. These radio spots helped to market, sell and promote the LA Times daily newspaper publishing's, and were taped and recorded live, from the LA Times building in downtown LA (in an old bank vault btw), over the phone, to the Electro-Vox Recording Studio location in Hollywood. Alan Gottschalk oversaw the majority of these radio spots/on-air productions, that at the time, were recorded and taped on an average of three times each week. Gordon Phillips (known as the "Voice of the LA Times"), was the Director of Promotion and Public Relations, and had a long-standing, quality, working relationship with Electro-Vox. This relationship between Electro-Vox and the LA Times, lasted for some 25 years, until Gordon's own untimely passing in 1984.

In addition to the top-notch recording services still being offered and used, during the 1980s and 1990s, multiple Hollywood movie production studios filmed various scenes at Electro-Vox, known for its realistic interior and exterior appearance, as an authentic "period" recording studio from the decades of the 1930s through the 1970s, which is also considered by many as "an era gone by". "Bird", "Grace of My Heart" and "For The Boys" were just a few of many well-publicized motion pictures during the time period of the 1980s and 1990s, that had important scenes to their respective movies filmed at Electro-Vox. During this same time frame, Electro-Vox was also used for "period" scenes on several made for TV, movies of the week and Music videos.

The historical logo was originally created, licensed and used by Bert Gottschalk in the 1930s, and was featured quite predominantly, up until Alan Gottschalk's semi-official retirement in 2000, at the physical site of the Electro-Vox location in Hollywood. The original (and official) Electro-Vox Logo, copyright and branding continued to be used up until Alan's unfortunate passing in January 2018. Alan's son, David Gottschalk currently oversees and monitors the aforementioned.

Stan Ross worked at Electro-Vox in the early 1950s, but left to create Gold Star Studios, which was modeled after Electro-Vox.

When Alan Gottschalk semi-retired in 2000, the studio was then owned by Joey Altruda for nine years. In 2009, Woody Jackson took control of Electro-Vox.[2][3][4][5]

In a 2021 interview with GQ, musician Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs, which recorded at Electro-Vox in 2019, revealed that the studio had since closed down.[6] According to Jackson's website, his studio is now located in Tucson, Arizona.[7]

Albums recorded at Vox

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Adapted from electro-vox.com/recordings/albums/

Electro-Vox was used many times by The Wrecking Crew, including drummer Earl Palmer.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Pool, Bob (June 27, 2000). "Recording Studio to Pull the Plug After 69 Years". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  2. ^ "History". Electro-Vox Recording Studios. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  3. ^ "Electro-Vox Recording Studio, Oldest In City, Closing After 69 Years". Associated Press. June 27, 2000. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Bieger, Hannes (June 2017). "Vox Recording Studios, Los Angeles". www.soundonsound.com. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  5. ^ Nelson, Valerie J. (March 17, 2011). "Stan Ross dies at 82; producer-engineer co-founded Gold Star studio". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  6. ^ Groundwater, Colin (2021-10-27). "How Fatherhood Changed The War on Drugs". GQ. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  7. ^ "About 5". WOODY JACKSON. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  8. ^ Maloney, Devon (July 5, 2017). "Haim Break Down Every Single Song on Their New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  9. ^ Wood, Mikael (February 21, 2019). "Cowboy yoga music? 'Red Dead Redemption 2' composer Woody Jackson conjures Western spirits". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "Jaime – Brittany Howard". AllMusic. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  11. ^ "Album Spotlight: Black Hole Rainbow By Devon Gilfillian". 91.3FM WYEP. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  12. ^ Doerschuk, Bob (March 2, 2020). "Haden Triplets Find Songs' Simplicity". DownBeat. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  13. ^ Wiza, Jesse (June 29, 2020). "Album of the Week: Haim, 'Women In Music Part III'". The Current. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  14. ^ Richards, Sam (June 22, 2020). "Bright Eyes unveil new album, Down In the Weeds, Where The World Once Was". Uncut. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  15. ^ Wood, Mikael (August 19, 2020). "After leaving Las Vegas, Brandon Flowers and the Killers broaden their horizons". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  16. ^ Roberts, Christopher (September 22, 2020). "Fleet Foxes – Stream the Suprise [sic] New Album and Watch the Accompanying Film". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  17. ^ "Fear of Death by Tim Heidecker". Bandcamp. September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  18. ^ "Ice Melt by Crumb". Bandcamp. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  19. ^ "Full-Throated Messianic Homage". Discogs. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  20. ^ Groundwater, Colin (October 27, 2021). "How Fatherhood Changed The War on Drugs". GQ. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  21. ^ Harvey, Steve (12 January 2023). "John Cale Returns Bearing 'Mercy'". Mix. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
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