Allen Sides Provides Vintage Neve Desk and Gear Package
Pictured at SoundQuest Recording are (L-R) artist/engineer Brett Nolan, Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons, and songwriter/producer Kenny Nolan.
Los Angeles, CA, May, 2008 – When songwriter/producer Kenny Nolan’s career took a sudden upturn with the worldwide success of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys,” he decided to create his new SoundQuest Recording studios. With the help of Ocean Way’s Allen Sides, Nolan acquired a vintage 1988 Neve 8248 console, with EQ package and Crown power amps.
“After we put in the equipment, Allen came here and tuned the room to perfection,” explained Kenny Nolan. “We also have a beautiful pair of vintage UREI Time Align monitors which we had re-coned with the help of Ocean Way. The studio was previously known for years as Westworld and was the home of many hits during the 80s and 90s. It’s a great sounding place for a wide variety of musical styles. We are fully digitally equipped, but if you are looking for that classic analog sound, we have that as well.”
Nolan’s career spans three decades as a songwriter and recording artist with huge successes in the pop, R&B, country, disco and AC fields. Among his biggest hits are: “Lady Marmalade” (originally a #1 hit by LaBelle, then recently a #1 worldwide cover hit by Christina, Mya, Pink & Lil’ Kim for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack); “My Eyes Adored You” (#1 for Frankie Valli); “Masterpiece” (#1 for Atlantic Starr), “Get Dancing” (Disco Tex); and “Penny For Your Thoughts” (Tavares).
“I have always wanted a totally professional studio of my own,” says Nolan. “We’ll be using it for my publishing, as well as some new projects with Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons. But the studio is also commercially available for artists, producers and engineers who need a top notch facility with lots of versatility, nice in-house instruments and distinctive acoustics.”
In addition to his early songwriting hits with artists like the Grass Roots, the Osmond Brothers, and Dobie Gray, Nolan had a burgeoning career as a solo artist with songs such as “I Like Dreaming” and picked up the Billboard Award for New Pop Vocalist, among numerous other plaudits. But early on, he decided to focus on writing and producing, an endeavor which keeps him busy today.
Nolan’s son Brett is manning the console for a number of projects, one of which features him as vocalist for dad’s compositions, which is described as a funky New Orleans Mardi Gras collection of tunes aimed at the Broadway theatrical marketplace he has done so well in.
“The studio is excellent for live recording and for mixing,” says Brett Nolan. It’s very accurate, so what you hear is what you get in the outside world. It’s a very creative ‘old school’ room, very easy to work in, and Allen Sides found us this incredible console with great EQ.”
“When Allen finished the installation and tuned the room, he liked it so much that he told us he could mix here anytime,” added Kenny Nolan. “You can’t get a better review than that.”
For information about SoundQuest, phone 818.997.3815 or visit http://www.soundquestrecording.com
For info about Ocean Way, visit http://www.oceanwayrecording.com
