Celebrating 60 years of Capitol Studios
by Russ Allsup
Capitol Studios opened its doors to the public in celebration of its 60th anniversary on May 20-21 with a weekend full of events that included tours of their legendary recording studios, a record fair and live performances. As soon as you enter the iconic Capitol Tower parking lot, the first thing you notice is the building itself- It’s round and resembles a stack of records. However, inside the famous building is what’s really special, as it is where audio magic takes place.
Upon entering, there are pictures along the walls of Capitol artists past and present. Some are promotional photos, others are of musicians in the studio during Capitol Studios recording sessions. Once inside the recording studios, the history of the place really starts to sink in. It’s easy to imagine Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Boston and many more making music history between those hallowed walls. Walking through the three main studios and control rooms, there are items from recording sessions that most music lovers would treasure, such as the piano that Nat King Cole played on most of his hits, along with microphones used by Sinatra and other iconic musicians. These would probably be in the rock and roll Hall of Fame, but are still being used on current recordings because they sound so good.
Many of the recording studios used in the heyday of rock n’ roll are no longer around, either the victim of a wrecking ball (like LA’s famed Gold Star studios) or turned into a museum (Motown’s studio). That’s not the case with Capitol Studios, which recently held recording sessions with music veterans like Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand and Paul McCartney, along with newer stars like Sam Smith, Imagine Dragons and Michael Buble among others.
One of the main things that set Capitol Studios apart from other recording facilities of the past and present is the ‘warm’ (not too sterile) sound of the rooms where the recording takes place. While it has been widely speculated that Les Paul was involved in the design of the studios, it has never been confirmed. However, it apparent is that the design of the rooms, along with their mix of state-of-the-art and vintage equipment, that helps contribute to their ability to capture great performances. Their dedication to the craft of making music
Ensures
Capitol Studios will be producing legendary recordings for years to come.
