HISTORY>>

Introduction

The Early Years
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The Next Step

Turnabout

Unusual Tastes

The Early Years - Page 5

After the Jefferson Airplane cut their final single, Paul Kantner secured the creation of Grunt records in a deal which RCA records was apparently hell-bent on keeping the talent of the Airplane at any cost; they got as much studio time as they need. Consequently more space was needed for Paul and Grace and Hot Tuna projects as well as all the groups that Paul was signing. Studio A with its large iso booth and Quad Eight console was rushed to completion and became Grunt Records headquarters for several years. Pat Iraci, union assistant engineer for RCA and scorekeeper and umpire for Paul and his Starship Empire acquired an office upstairs. Grunt acts included ONE, Jack Trailor, Peter Kaukonen & Black Kangaroo, and Grootna in addition to Starship and Hot Tuna.

When Grunt took over Studio A it was discovered that the upstairs Studio C was improperly designed - one could clearly hear Jack Casady’s bass from downstairs in the upstairs tracking room of C - no good. So in the middle of a most productive period, Studio C shut down for over a month while the room underwent structural and acoustical treatment. Sometime late this year David LaBarre joined the tech staff. Fred Catero and David Rubinson held court at the facility for a while, bringing with them the Pointer Sisters and Herbie Hancock.

In 1971 CBS moved their operations to Coast’s Folsom Street facility and
David Crosby finished his solo record early this year, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage recorded their first of three records at 245 Hyde, NRPS. The legendary unknown cosmic vocal group R.J. Fox got past studio security, auditioned for David Crosby, impressed the hell out him, got signed by David Geffen and Ahmet Ertegun, did the record, got dropped and fell into obscurity, all within 6 weeks.

Jerry Garcia burrowed into Studio D for two months to make the Classic “Garcia” with mixers Bob Mathews and Betty Cantor, which was released the next year. Legend has it that Jerry put up a sign at the entrance to the studio that read ‘Tennessee Ernie Ford.’ “No one bothered them the whole time. Mike Finnigan and Jerry Woods recorded “It’s Only A Rock And Roll Show” in Studio C.

Bob Weir followed his Grateful Dead band mate in Studio D with his landmark ACE in 1972, and the Dead also mixed the outstanding live recording “Europe 72” from this room. David Crosby and Graham Nash recorded their landmark first duo album in Studio C with the legendary Bill Halverson. The Doobie Brothers started their second LP and first hit “Toulouse Street” in studio D for WB Records. Buddy Cage replaced the overcommitted Jerry Garcia in the New Riders of the Purple Sage’s “Powerglide”. Brewer and Shipley returned to record “Shake Off the Demon”