HOUSE OF HITS
HITS FROM THE HILL
| the book: |
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SugarHill Book Signing/Celebration ConcertApril 10, 2010ONE FOR THE BOOKS – SUGARHILL STUDIOS CELEBRATES PUBLICATION (HOUSTON, TX) 3.10.10 – The legacy of SugarHill Recording Studios is now documented for posterity with the release of the book, House of Hits: The Story of Houston’s Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios. House of Hits chronicles the past 69 years of ‘music making history’ at the legendary facility. The book was written by chief engineer Andy Bradley along with acclaimed music historian Roger Wood, and is already being sold in local stores including Sig’s Lagoon and Cactus Music. Readers get a “behind the console” view, starting with the humble beginnings of founder, Bill Quinn in 1941 WWII Houston. Quinn–a recording engineer who pre-dated the home recording studio phenomenon by some 65 years–started a one-room operation that has survived to become the multi-studio facility that exists today. The book chronicles the growth and changes in the recording industry spanning seven decades of Texas music history. Over the years the location has been known as Gold Star Studios and International Artists. In the 1970’s it purchased by hit producer Huey Meaux and renamed SugarHill Recording Studios. SugarHill became Meaux’s home base for his Crazy Cajun Music label where careers of Texas legends Freddy Fender, Doug Sahm and many more were launched. SugarHill’s roster boasts luminary artists including Lightnin’ Hopkins, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Junior Parker, Clifton Chenier, Sir Douglas Quintet, 13th Floor Elevators, Freddy Fender, Kinky Friedman, Ray Benson, Guy Clark, Lucinda Williams, Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child. Bradley, an employee since 1985 and current partner of SugarHill, took on the project as a labor of love and began his narrative at the urging of a friend, Sig’s Lagoon owner Thomas Escalante. Over the last decade, Bradley tracked down and recorded the personal accounts of over 100 recording artists, engineers, employees, label owners and music industry professionals to stitch together a comprehensive timeline of events at the famed studios. In 2007, Roger Wood–the author of two award-winning books, Down In Houston: Bayou City Blues and Texas Zydeco–agreed to collaborate with Andy to transform the raw material into a book prospectus and eventually a complete manuscript. The duo contracted with Wood’s previous publisher, the University of Texas Press, to complete the project by the end of 2009. Wood notes, “Andy’s extensive research, combined with his firsthand knowledge of the recording business, laid the foundation for a narrative that I soon realized was epic in scope–covering seven decades, hundreds of musicians and studio insiders, and practically every imaginable genre of postwar American popular music.” Bradley added, “When I first heard they were going to publish the book I was exhilarated, but quickly realized that there was something more important than simply becoming a published author. He would have to become an historian as well: “I expect that House of Hits will serve to correct the many wrong perceptions of Houston and that people will begin to understand how important it is and has been to the livelihood of the Gulf Coast music scene. Moreover, the stories of so many wonderful artists who shared their talents have finally been told.” A two day book-signing event and concert are planned in Houston on Saturday, April 10 & Sunday, April 11, 2010 at local record store, Sig’s Lagoon, 3710 Main Street, and The Continental Club, 3700 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002. The concert will feature live performances by John Evans, The El Orbits, Allen Oldies’ Band, Umbrella Man and will include special appearances by Roy Head, Kenny Cordray, Paul English, Tommie Lee Bradley and more. The concert is free and donations will be accepted to benefit the Musicians’ Benevolent Society. WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 2010 at Sig’s Lagoon 2 – 5p.m., 3710 Main Street, and Sunday, April 11, 2010 at The Continental Club 3 – 7p.m., 3700 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002 |
the CD's:
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| CD1 / Volume I | |
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| artist: | Various Artists |
| label: | ZENHILL RECORDS |
| EAN / UPC: | 8 44553 05519 9 |
| title: | HITS FROM THE HILL - SUGARHIT RECORDS - VOLUME I |
| release: | November 1, 2011, USA, CD [22/74:31] |
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| comment #1: | All the songs were Recorded & Mixed at Sugarhill Recordings Studios September 2002 - December 2010 |
| details song CD1/1: | details for song #1: SLEEPY LABEEF - Tore Up Over You Medley Jimmy Davis - drums & background vocal Recorded by Leigh Crane |
| details song CD1/2: | details for song #2: CLASSICAL GRASS & FRIENDS - Jole Blon : Robbie Parrish - drums Recorded by Leigh Crane & Andy Bradley |
| details song CD1/20: | details for song #20: BERT WILLS - Long Black Veil : Robbie Parrish - drums Recorded & Mixed by Andy Bradley |
| details song CD1/21: | details for song #21 JESSE DAYTON & EL ORBITS - She's About A Mover : David Beebe - drums & shaker Recorded & Mixed by John Griffin & Andy Bradley |
| announcement: | SugarHill hosts “Hits from The Hill” CD release show this Sunday November 30th, 2011 The release party for SugarHill Studio’s Hits From The Hill compilation CD is scheduled for this Sunday (12.4.11), from 2-6pm, at the Continental Club. Allen Oldies’ Band w/Roy Head, Don Sanders, Champion Sisters, Chet Daniels, Tommie Lee Bradley, Kenny Cordray’s Love Street, John Evans, Glenna Bell, Row Zero, and more are scheduled to perform at the show. The concert is free and and CD sales will benefit the Musicians’ Benevolent Society. The two-disc set is the accompaniment of the book, House of Hits: The Story of Houston’s Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios. The compilation features 41 hit songs recorded at the studio. When available, the original artists were asked to re-cut new versions, including “Treat Her Right” featuring Roy Head, as well as new classics. |
| CD 2 / Volume II |
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| artist: | Various Artists |
| label: | ZENHILL RECORDS |
| EAN / UPC: | 8 44553 05519 9 |
| title: | HITS FROM THE HILL - SUGARHIT RECORDS - VOLUME II |
| release: | November 1, 2011, USA, CD [19/70:43] |
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| details song CD2/1: | details for song #1: ROY HEAD & FRIENDS - Treat Her Right : Stephanie Wright - drums Recorded & Mixed by Andy Bradley |
| details song CD2/6: | details for song #6 EL ORBITS - The Rains Came : David Beebe - drums, shaker & vocal Recorded by John Griffin |
| details song CD2/13: | details for song #13 JIMMY LAFAVE with DON SANDERS - Before The Next Teardrop Falls : Joel Fulgham - drums Recorded &
Mixed by Andy Bradley |
| details song CD2/14: | details for song #14 JOHN EVANS BAND - Wasted Days & Wasted Nights : Mike Lewis - drums Recorded &
Mixed by Steve Christensen |
The two-volume set is packed with classic hit songs from the 50′s to the 2000′s that were originally recorded in the historic studio. SugarHill drew upon it’s long list of current artists and studio alumni to honor, reinterpret, and in some cases faithfully cover songs that defined the sounds coming through radios all over the world for the last seven decades. From Destiny’s Child to Freddie Fender, from The Moving Sidewalks, to The Sir Douglas Quintet you will hear familiar smash hits alongside songs that will reignite old memories, making you take to Wikipedia to find out more about the original release.
Roy Head returned to Studio A at SugarHill to record the new version of “Treat Her Right” nearly 40 years after the original session. On this CD he turns in, if possible, an even more energetic and possibly less inhibited version of the original. Johnny Bush, Glenna Bell, Moses Guest, Anita Kruse, John Evans, Southern Backtones, Jesse Dayton, El Orbits, Clouseaux, Drop Trio, Champion Sisters, Deniz Tek, Kenny Cordray, Bert Wills, Love Street, Row Zero, Kelly Schoppa, Vatos Locos, Classical Grass, Sleepy Labeef, Don Sanders, Jeff Chance and Randy Cornor and many more turn in brilliant performances, some faithful to the original, some radically reinterpreted. It is a great listen.
The iconic SugarHill Recording Studios, also known as the ‘Abbey Road of the South’, celebrates is 70th year in business with a release of a tribute CD unlike other compilation available. ZenHill has teamed with the studio to bring release the project, lovingly recorded and produced by SugarHill Senior Engineer and resident historian Andy Bradley.