Thomson Course Technology has published If These Halls Could Talk: A Historical Tour through San Francisco Recording Studios ($29.99) by Mix contributing editor Heather Johnson. The book looks at San Francisco’s music recording history, covering the recordings and the recording studios that housed the jazz and blues of the ’50s, the psychedelic rock of the ’60s, the rock and funk of the ’70s, punk and new wave of the ’80s, and the alternative rock, R&B and hip hop of the ’90s through today.
Leading Bay Area artists, producers, engineers and studio owners take readers on a guided tour through some of San Francisco’s top recording studios, venturing behind the scenes of some of popular music’s hottest albums. Readers will learn about the recording techniques, the magic and the often unusual experiences that went into a wide range of recordings, including works by Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Pointer Sisters, Herbie Hancock, Journey, Huey Lewis and the News, Chris Isaak, Faith No More, Green Day and many more.
In addition, If These Halls Could Talk chronicles the history of the studios themselves. The book discusses the arrival, growth and departure of studios in and around San Francisco, the myriad advancements in technology through the years and technology’s effect on the recording industry, and how the San Francisco Bay Area’s recording facilities have endured through economic ups and downs, increased competition, decreased demand and the ever-changing, unpredictable music industry.
The book may be ordered online through Amazon. For more information, visit www.course.com.
