We hopped another shuttle to the RCA Recording Studio. What a super tour guide we had! Just about every country artist cut their records here (yes, I said records!) This studio was the pioneer in dubbing, over laying tracks and the "reverb" sound. Even though the studio is still used almost on a daily basis, it remains much as it was since it began. Even today's artists choose to record here because the sound that is achieved in this room is classic and unmatched anywhere else. They have state of the art equipment to capture this classic sound.
Elvis was one artist who loved recording here. He would hold his sessions late in evening and most often extended into the next day. At one session, he was angry with a malfunctioning record player, and he kicked the cabinet that the player was on. Being a black belt in Karate, he did a real number on the door of the cabinet. The door has never been fixed and still sits there with its gaping hole. The piano in this room was his favorite - he liked it better than any other including the ones at his home in Graceland.
Dollie Parton was the only artist to record the same song three separate times, at the same recording studio, achieving number "one" on the charts each time. The song was, "I Will Always Love You". Realizing the popularity of this hit, Elvis came to Dollie and asked to record a cover of this song. Dollie was ecstatic until the details of the contract were revealed. Elvis wanted half of the publishing rights. Dollie has never given up any rights to her music, so the deal fell through. Twenty five years later, Whitney Houston recorded a cover of this song for the movie "Body Guard"never asking Dollie for publishing rights. The song was recorded, and again hit number "one" on the charts making Dollie another estimated 250 million dollars! Her heartache over the Elvis fiasco was short lived!
The only alblum ever to make the top 10 on all 4 billboards was recorded here. It was "The End Of The World" by Skeeter Davis.
Records? What are those? ;)
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