Columbia Records In The 1950’s - How Many Studios Were There?

I am doing some preliminary research on an early Columbia Records recording artist and was wondering how many studios the label utilized in the 1950’s. Thanks

 

This is the artist - in the (which?) studio no less

 

That appears to be on a film soundstage, not an actual recording studio.

In New York CBS had the 30th Street studio and studios at 799 Seventh Ave. While details are sketchy, it seems there were likely 4 studios at 799.

In Nashville CBS didn't have a studio until 1962, which they purchased Bradley Recording Studio, aka the Quonset Hut. They did utilize that studio before they purchased it.

In Hollywood CBS didn't open a studio until 1961, at Columbia Square. I believe before that most recording was done at Radio Recorders.

Other recordings were made on location, in other independent studios, and possibly sometimes at CBS radio studios.

 

From 1940 until 1949, Columbia also used Columbia Square for whenever recording acts were in town, after which they rented/leased space at the Radio Recorders Annex for the next 12 years.

In Chicago, Columbia had studios within the grounds of wherever their TV and radio stations (WBBM) were at a given time. Meaning, from 1956, at 630 North McClurg Court.

So in the '50's:
- East Coast: 799 Seventh Avenue (4 studios), 207 West 30th Street; both New York
- West Coast: Radio Recorders Annex, 1032 N. Sycamore Road, Hollywood
- Midwest: (pre-1956) 410 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago; (1956- ) 630 North McClurg Court, Chicago (organist Ken Griffin would have recorded the bulk of his Columbia sides at the Michigan Avenue building)

Then from 1970 to 1978 they had a San Francisco studio at 629 Folsom Street. (But, as with Nashville, that was long from what the OP was asking about.)

Many of their country sides (i.e. Lefty Frizzell, Carl Smith, Marty Robbins, Ray Price), up to 1956, were largely cut at the Jim Beck Studio at 1101 Ross Avenue (also at 1914 Forest Avenue) in Dallas, TX, before Beck died in a work accident (when he and an aide were cleaning recording equipment, he inhaled a lethal chemical that was used to do such cleaning), then they switched to doing work at the Bradley studios.

 

Thank you for the information

 

Thank you.

 

I know you know it's "East".

And for at least a time, there were 2 studios there, one big, one tiny but usable. Not clear if that was in the 50's, probably not, since it would likely have been done at the same time as the new control room.

 

So it sounds like in New York alone there were six at one time, that Columbia had.

I'd known about the Jim Beck Studio because there was a time I was buying some 78's and one old-timer spoke of how the studio was the bee's knees for country artists up to Beck's death after which Owen Bradley's studio became "the thing."

 

The information above is very useful, but I am still wondering specifically about the studio(s) used by Liberace. I cannot find any studio data on the man, which is quite surprising considering that he sold millions of records. Has anyone ever located Columbia Records sessionography information online, or is this kind of thing held close to the vest by the record label? Dare I say it... is the information simply gone.

 

The Radio Recorders' Annex. He worked out of Hollywood. His 45's bore 'RZSP' matrix prefices, and 78's had 'RHCO's'. The 'R' in both codes signified Radio Recorders.

 

Thank you!!