Opened in 1957, RCA’s historic Nashville recording studio, known as Studio B, is a musical landmark like few others. Its reputation was built by some of the most important producers and artists in country and pop music. During its heyday, from 1957 to 1977, approximately 18,000 sessions were recorded within the studio’s walls, including more than 200 songs by Elvis Presley. The studio’s opening marked a milestone in Nashville’s development as a music center, and those many hits spread Nashville’s reputation as Music City worldwide.
Generously illustrated with more than 200 rare photos from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s archives, this book traces the full story of RCA Studio B-from its beginnings to its continued use today as both working studio and tourist attraction.
Table of Contents:
Introduction Home of a Thousand Hits: Historic RCA Studio B
America's New Music Industry
Nashville's Postwar Recording Scene
RCA Strengthens Its Nashville Presence
Elvis Presley and Country's Rocek & Roll Challenge
From McGavock Street to Music Row
Nashville Sound Classics, 1958-1959: Bill Porter Joins RCA's Nashville Team
High Gear
Nashville Cats
Chet Atkins, Producer
Is It Gonna Happen? Elvis Returns
Music City, USA
Studio B. and the Rise of Monument Records
Roy Orbison: Monument's Operatic Balladeer
The Everly Brothers: From Cadence to Warner Bros.
Expansion
Hit Factory
RCA Staff Producers
Pop, Jazz, Gospel, and Bluegrass at Studio B
Kings' Playground: Elvis in Studio B, 1961-1971
Changing of the Guard
Outlaws and Beyond
Into the Twenty-First Century
Recommended Listening
Sources
Acknowledgements
About the Author :
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the evolving history and traditions of country music. Through exhibits, publications, and educational programs, the Museum teaches its diverse audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music.
