Sound Emporium Studios

Last updated

Sound Emporium Studios
FormerlyJack Clement Recording Studios
Industry Recording studio
FoundedNashville, Tennessee, U.S. (1969 (1969))
FounderJack Clement
Headquarters
Nashville, Tennessee
,
U.S.
Number of locations
1
Website soundemporiumstudios.com

Sound Emporium is a music recording studio located at 3100 Belmont Boulevard in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally founded by Jack Clement in 1969 as the Jack Clement Recording Studios, the studio changed ownership and was renamed Sound Emporium in 1979. The studios have been the site of numerous notable recordings by artists including Merle Haggard, Don Williams, Kenny Rogers, Keith Whitley, R.E.M., Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, Taylor Swift, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, Kacey Musgraves, Cole Swindell, Yo-Yo Ma, T Bone Burnett, Alabama Shakes, and others.

Contents

History

Jack Clement Recording Studios (1969–1979)

Producer and songwriter "Cowboy" Jack Clement built the studio in 1969 at 3102 Belmont Boulevard in Nashville with the help of engineer Charlie Tallent, who had been working at Owen Bradley's Bradley's Barn studio. The 16-track studio (later referred to as Studio A) touted a 35x45 foot live room with 22 foot ceiling. Shortly after building the studio, Clement acquired a house on an adjacent lot and repurposed it into an additional studio (Studio B). [1] One of the first projects recorded at the studio was the Todd Rundgren-produced self-titled album by the Ian & Sylvia group Great Speckled Bird. In February 1970, the studio gained notoriety when Ray Stevens recorded the hit Grammy Award-winning song "Everything Is Beautiful" there. [2] Other artists recording at the studio in its early years included Donna Fargo, Merle Haggard, and Don Williams.

In 1974, Clement sold the studios to producer Larry Butler and Al Mifflin.

Sound Emporium (1979–present)

In 1979, Butler took over ownership and changed the name of the studios to Sound Emporium in May 1980. That year, more than 11% of the Hot Country Singles and 18% of the Hot Country LPs were recorded at the studio. [3] The same year, Roy Clark bought into the studio to become a co-owner. [4]

Butler utilized the studio to produce eight of Kenny Rogers' studio albums between 1977 and 1980, as well as Rogers' duets with Dottie West and West's successful solo albums of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

R.E.M. recorded their 1987 album, Document at the studio. [5] Garth Fundis often worked at Sound Emporium in the 1980s, producing artists including Don Williams, Keith Whitley, and New Grass Revival.

By 1992, studio was fully owned by Clark, who sold it to Fundis that year. [6] Fundis joined the two buildings and added a lobby and offices. [2]

In the 1990s, Trisha Yearwood recorded her first six studio albums at Sound Emporium, [6] and in 1996, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Connor recorded Appalachia Waltz at the studio.

Beginning in the late 1990s, T Bone Burnett produced three Grammy award-winning soundtrack albums at Sound Emporium: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack) (1999), Cold Mountain (soundtrack) (2003), and Walk the Line (soundtrack) (2005). [7] Other artists recording at the studio in the 1990s included Alan Jackson. [6]

Artists recording at the studio in the 2000s included Sugarland, Kenny Chesney, Sam Bush, and Elvis Costello, [6] and portions of Taylor Swift's first four studio albums were recorded at Sound Emporium. [6] In 2005, Juanita Copeland was appointed manager of the studios. [7] In 2007, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss recorded portions of their award-winning collaborative album Raising Sand at Sound Emporium, and returned to the studio for its 2020 follow-up Raise the Roof . [5]

In 2011, Fundis sold the studios to businessman and philanthropist George Shinn, [7] [6] and in 2013, the studio requested and was granted a historical marker for Jack Clement Recording Studios from the Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. [8] [7]

Artists recording at Sound Emporium in the 2010s included Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, Don Henley, Cage the Elephant, [9] Josh Ritter, [10] Zac Brown Band, Cyndi Lauper, [11] Chris Isaak, [12] Jason Isbell, Cole Swindell, Nefesh Mountain, Jimmy Buffett, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, Pop Evil, Little Big Town, Kaleo, Lake Street Dive, [13] Kesha, [14] and Cage the Elephant. [6] Alabama Shakes' multiple Grammy award-winning album Sound & Color (2015) was recorded in Sound Emporium's Studio A. [15]

In 2017, George Shinn gifted the studio to Lipscomb University, which committed to preserving the history of the studio and allowing it to remain business as usual. [7] The university also established The George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts. [16] [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trisha Yearwood</span> American country singer (born 1964)

Patricia Lynn Yearwood is an American country singer. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy", which became a number one hit on the Billboard country singles chart. Its corresponding self-titled debut album would sell over two million copies. Yearwood continued with a series of major country hits during the early to mid-1990s, including "Walkaway Joe" (1992), "The Song Remembers When" (1993), "XXX's and OOO's " (1994), and "Believe Me Baby " (1996).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Clement</span> American singer-songwriter and record producer (1934–2013)

Jack Henderson Clement was an American musician, songwriter, record producer, film producer and music executive.

<i>The Song Remembers When</i> 1993 studio album by Trisha Yearwood

The Song Remembers When is the third studio album by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood. The album was released October 26, 1993, on MCA Nashville Records and was produced by Garth Fundis. It was Yearwood's third collaboration with Fundis, who also produced her 1992 album, Hearts in Armor which received wide critical acclaim, as well as her platinum-selling eponymous debut. The title track was the album's lead single, becoming a major hit, peaking at #2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1993.

<i>Real Live Woman</i> 2000 album by Trisha Yearwood

Real Live Woman is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Trisha Yearwood, released on March 28, 2000.

<i>Where Your Road Leads</i> 1998 studio album by Trisha Yearwood

Where Your Road Leads is the seventh studio album by American country music singer Trisha Yearwood, released in 1998 by MCA Nashville.

<i>Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love</i> 2007 studio album by Trisha Yearwood

Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love is the eleventh studio album by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood. The album was released on November 13, 2007 on Big Machine Records and was produced by Garth Fundis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David R. Ferguson</span> American audio engineer

David R. "Fergie" Ferguson is an American recording engineer.

Garth Fundis is an American country music record producer. Active since the 1970s, Fundis has produced albums for several country artists, including Alabama, Don Williams, Trisha Yearwood, Sugarland, and Keith Whitley. He has also served as a judge on the Colgate Country Showdown.

<i>The Elementary Doctor Watson!</i> 1972 studio album by Doc Watson and Merle Watson

The Elementary Doctor Watson! is a studio album by the American country music artists Doc Watson and Merle Watson, released in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Thinks I Still Care</span> Song written by Dickey Lee and Steve Duffy

"She Thinks I Still Care" is a country song written by Dickey Lee and Steve Duffy. First popularized by George Jones, the song has been recorded by multiple artists, including Connie Francis, Anne Murray, Elvis Presley and Patty Loveless.

<i>Cafe Carolina</i> 1984 studio album by Don Williams

Cafe Carolina is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Don Williams. It was released in May 1984 via MCA Records. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Shakes</span> 2010s American rock band

Alabama Shakes were an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009. The band consisted of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brittany Howard</span> American singer (born 1988)

Brittany Amber Howard is an American musician from Athens, Alabama. She rose to prominence in the early 2010s for being the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary songwriter of Alabama Shakes. Her work with Alabama Shakes garnered her four Grammy Awards from nine nominations. Later in the decade, Howard played bass in the side project Thunderbitch as well as both acoustic guitar and double bass for the trio Bermuda Triangle.

Cathy Lee "Catt" Gravitt is an American songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. In the music business for over 20 years, she signed on as a writer with her current publishing company, Razor and Tie, in 2008. Gravitt has songwriting credits in multiple genres and has written songs with or for several artists including Kid Rock, Kelly Clarkson, Kelsea Ballerini, Jake Owen, Vince Gill and Natalie Grant, among others. In 2012, she won the SESAC Songwriter of the Year award. Gravitt most recently won the Canadian Country Music Association's 2018 Songwriter(s) of the Year award, along with co-writers Skip Black and Aaron Goodvin, for the song "Lonely Drum", performed by Aaron Goodvin.

<i>PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit</i> 2014 studio album (re-recording) by Trisha Yearwood

PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit is a re-recorded studio album by American country artist Trisha Yearwood. It was released on November 17, 2014, via Gwendolyn Records and RCA Records Nashville. The album marked Yearwood's first release of new material since 2007's Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.PrizeFighter contained six new songs as well as ten re-recorded versions of her hits. Two singles were released to radio, including the title track, which became a charting single on the Billboard country chart. The album received mixed reviews from critics upon its release.

Vance Powell is an American six-time Grammy Award winning record producer, engineer and mixer. His credits include Phish, Chris Stapleton, Jack White, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Wolfmother, Deadly Apples, Seasick Steve, Black Prairie, The Revivalists, Tinariwen, JEFF the Brotherhood, Illiterate Light, Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes, and Martina McBride, among many others.

<i>Every Girl</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Trisha Yearwood

Every Girl is the fifteenth studio album by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood. It was released on August 30, 2019 via Gwendolyn Records. The lead single, "Every Girl in This Town", was launched two months prior to the album's release date and became a minor hit single on the Billboard country charts that summer. It is Yearwood’s first new collection since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where Are You Now (Trisha Yearwood song)</span> 2000 single by Trisha Yearwood

"Where Are You Now" is a song written by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kim Richey. It was originally recorded by American country artist Trisha Yearwood for her 2000 studio album, Real Live Woman. It was released as the album's second single in 2000 via MCA Records. That year, the song became a charting hit on the Billboard country songs survey.

"Trying to Love You" is a song written by singer-songwriters Beth Nielsen Chapman and Bill Lloyd. It was originally recorded by Chapman herself for her 2005 studio album, Look. The same year, American country artist Trisha Yearwood included a version on her 2005 studio album, Jasper County. It was eventually spawned as the second single from the album and became a charting Billboard hit on two charts. It received positive reception from music critics and writers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">They Call It Falling for a Reason</span> 2008 single by Trisha Yearwood

"They Call It Falling for a Reason" is a song written by Matraca Berg and Jim Collins. It was originally recorded by American country artist Trisha Yearwood and first appeared on her 2007 studio album, Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love. In 2008, it was released as the third single from the album. It reached a charting position on the Billboard country survey and received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Bill (June 10, 1972). "Clement Studios: A Success Story". Billboard. p. JC3. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Hurt, Edd (November 27, 2019). "Looking Back on 50 Years of Recorded History at Sound Emporium Studios". Nashville Scene. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  3. ↑ Clayton, Rose (July 25, 1981). "Nashville's Sound Emporium: More Than Its Share Of Hits". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Roy Clark Buys Into Nashville's Sound Emporium". Billboard. November 1, 1980. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Bullins, Strother (August 11, 2014). "Studio Showcase: The Legacy of Sound Emporium". Mix. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chaudoin, Kim (February 14, 2019). "Sound Emporium plays role in Grammy-winning Kacey Musgraves album". Lipscomb.edu. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Stark, Phyllis (June 2, 2017). "Meet the Woman Keeping Nashville's Historic Sound Emporium Perking". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Jack Clement Recording Studios Historical Marker". HMdb.org. August 18, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  9. ↑ Roberts, Christopher (May 3, 2019). "Cage The Elephant and Beck Enter a Simulated World in the Video for "Night Running"". Under the Radar. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  10. ↑ Sivewright, Dacey Orr (December 17, 2019). "The Best Southern Albums of 2019" . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  11. ↑ Flans, Robyn (July 1, 2016). "Cyndi Lauper & Tony Brown". Mix. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  12. ↑ Jackson, Blair (November 9, 2015). "Chris Isaak Takes a Turn to Nashville". Mix. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  13. ↑ Hardisty, Brad (February 5, 2016). "Lake Street Dive Opens Up About New LP Side Pony". Performer. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  14. ↑ Chaudoin, Kim (December 19, 2017). "Sound Emporium Studios projects nominated for six Grammys". Lipscomb.edu. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  15. ↑ Tingen, Paul (July 2015). "Inside Track: Alabama Shakes' Sound & Color" . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Shinn gift-fueled LU center to see fall groundbreaking". NashvillePost. June 23, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  17. ↑ Daley, Dan (August 2017). "Off The Record: Music & Recording Industry News". Sound On Sound. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.