Sea-Saint Studios was a music recording facility located at 3809 Clematis Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, which was co-owned by musician, producer, and arranger, Allen Toussaint and record A&R man and publishing agent Marshall Sehorn, which was in operation for over thirty years, from 1973-2005, when it was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. During those years it hosted recordings by numerous musical acts such as Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Patti LaBelle, Joe Cocker, and Elvis Costello, as well as local acts such as the Meters and Dr. John.
Toussaint and Sehorn opened the studio in the Gentilly section of New Orleans in 1973. [1] [2] [3] The two had teamed up in 1965 to form Sansu Records (and its sister labels Tou-Sea and Deesu), as well as Mar-Saint Publishing. [2] The Sansu organization boasted hit recordings by acts such as Lee Dorsey, who scored big with "Workin' in a Coal Mine" and "Ride Your Pony" and Betty Harris, who reached Billboard's Top 20 with "Nearer to You." Many of the Sansu recordings were backed by the label's oft used house band, Art Neville & The Sounds, who eventually become known as the Meters. [2] Many of the Sansu recordings done during these years were done at Cosimo Matassa's studios, the recording venue of choice with many New Orleans musicians. [4] In 1973 Toussaint and Sehorn opened Sea-Saint Studios, which was at the time a state of the art facility. [5]
Sea-Saint Studios became a favored recording destination for numerous top musical acts. Paul McCartney and Wings recorded the majority of tracks on their 1975 Venus and Mars album at Sea-Saint, featuring one of their most popular songs, "Listen to What the Man Said." [1] [2] [6] There Patti LaBelle cut her smash hit, "Lady Marmalade," which went to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 [1] [5] [7] Paul Simon, Joe Cocker, and Elvis Costello also recorded there. [1] The studio also served as a recording venue for top New Orleans acts such as The Meters and Dr. John. Dr. John recorded his Desitively Bonaroo album there which yielded the 1974 hit "(EverybodyWanna Get Rich) Rite Away," backed by the Meters and produced by Allen Toussaint. [3] The Meters' own 1974 LP, Rejuvenation, was recorded at Sea Saint and produced by Toussaint. [3] Catholic singers The Dameans recorded several of their recordings at Sea-Saint Studios, including "Remember Your Love" (1978) and "Path of Life" (1981). [8]
On August 28, 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the studio, leaving it flooded under 3.5 feet of water. [3] [5]
Allen Richard Toussaint was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, described as "one of popular music's great backroom figures." Many musicians recorded Toussaint's compositions. He was a producer for hundreds of recordings: the best known are "Right Place, Wrong Time", by longtime friend Dr. John, and "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle.
Venus and Mars is the fourth studio album by the British–American rock band Wings. Released in May 1975 as the follow-up to Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' run of commercial success and provided a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour. The album was Paul McCartney's first post-Beatles album to be released worldwide by Capitol Records rather than Apple.
Spike is the 12th studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released in 1989 by Warner Bros. Records. It was his first album for the label and first release since My Aim Is True without the Attractions. It peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart and also reached the Billboard 200 at No. 32, thanks to the single and his most notable American hit, "Veronica", which reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the US Modern Rock chart. In The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll for the year's best albums, Spike finished at No. 7.
Irving Lee Dorsey was an American pop and R&B singer during the 1960s. His biggest hits were "Ya Ya" (1961) and "Working in the Coal Mine" (1966). Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint, with instrumental backing provided by the Meters.
Jessie Hill was an American R&B and Louisiana blues singer and songwriter, best remembered for the classic song "Ooh Poo Pah Doo".
Cosimo Vincent Matassa was an American recording engineer and studio owner, responsible for many R&B and early rock and roll recordings.
"Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by the American musician and record producer Allen Toussaint. It was an international hit for Lee Dorsey in 1966, and has been recorded by other musicians including Devo in 1981.
The Meters is the debut album by the American funk group The Meters. It was released in May 1969, the first of eight albums by the band. The band's early works were developed through improvisation. Band members had spent most of the 1960s performing together in nightclubs of New Orleans. They had a fluid musical style that included elements of R&B, rock, and jazz.
Struttin' is the third studio album by the funk group The Meters. It is the band's first album featuring vocal performances.
Cabbage Alley is the fourth studio album by the funk group the Meters, produced by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn and released in May 1972 by Reprise Records. It was the band's first album for the label, following the demise of Josie Records a year earlier, and the signing afforded the group a higher recording budget and re-introduced organist and keyboardist Art Neville to the lineup, having briefly left the band some time earlier.
George Porter Jr. is an American musician, best known as the bassist and singer of the Meters. Along with Art Neville, Porter formed the group in the mid 1960s and came to be recognized as one of the progenitors of funk. The Meters disbanded in 1977, but reformed in 1989. The original group played the occasional reunion, with the Funky Meters, of which Porter and Neville are members, keeping the spirit alive, until Neville's retirement in 2018 and death the following year.
Leo Nocentelli is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of the funk band the Meters. He wrote the original versions of several funk classics such as "Cissy Strut" and "Hey Pocky A-Way". As a session musician he has recorded with a variety of notable artists such as Dr. John, Robert Palmer and Etta James. He is the recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the Meters.
Oliver Morgan was an American R&B singer. A Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee, he is best known for his 1964 hit, "Who Shot the La La".
Betty Harris is an American soul singer. Her recording career in the 1960s produced three hit singles that made the U.S. Billboard R&B and Billboard Hot 100 charts: "Cry to Me" (1963), "His Kiss" (1964) and "Nearer to You" (1967). However, her reputation among soul music connoisseurs far exceeds her commercial success of the 1960s, and her recordings for the Jubilee and Sansu record labels are highly sought after in the 2000s by fans of Southern Soul, Northern soul and deep soul.
Herman Ernest III, best known as Roscoe, was an American drummer in the New Orleans funk scene, and is best known for his drumming in Dr. John's band the Lower 911 for almost 30 years. "Renowned for his larger-than-life personality Roscoe was both a powerful percussionist and steadfast individual." He played drums on Dr. John's Trippin' Live, released on July 29, 1997, under the Wind-Up record label, which was recorded over a week in London in 1996 at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club.
Marshall Estus Sehorn was an American A&R man, songwriter, music publisher and entrepreneur who played an important role in the development of R&B and popular music in New Orleans between the 1950s and 1970s, particularly as the business partner of record producer Allen Toussaint.
June "Curley" Moore was an American R&B singer.
This is the discography for American R&B-jazz musician Allen Toussaint.
Charles "Hungry" Williams was an American rhythm & blues drummer, best known for the innovative and influential technique he used on numerous recordings that came out of New Orleans in the 1950s and 1960s.
Senator Nolan Jones was an American record company owner, producer, singer, and songwriter who worked in R&B and blues. He recorded and promoted Louisiana and Mississippi performers and songs for more than four decades.