History of CBS Records 30th Street Studio NYC (many pictures)

We are approaching 100 pages in this thread!

 

The 30th Street console definitely wasn't a 25B. However, Western Electric also advertised custom-built consoles. That's not to say the 30th Street console was necessarily a WE one, but...it's in the realm of possibility.

http://www.steampoweredradio.com/pdf/western electric/1948 western electric catalog.pdf

Dan, were your sources specifically referring to the one above? The one that replaced it was almost certainly a CBS creation.

 

The third knob is "BAL - LIMIT" with options A, B, OFF, SINGLE and DUAL.



More info here:
RCA BA-6A Limiting Amplifier

 

Dmort: Yes, you are right, upon a close look, the WE mixer is different.

You could be right about the early 30th street mixer being designed and built internally. Personally speaking, the early one looks like a Radio/Broadcasting unit of that era, so its my feeling they bought it from a radio dealer. Someday we will will know, one way or the other.

Also, let me join in with the other posters to say thanks to you for this incredible, interesting thread. Its been just amazing.

 

Yes, and Yes, absolutely.

 

Yes, from the CD reissues (I have these), which include the recording dates. I started the list to compare opening dates with recording dates and just put the recording dates here.

 

The picture (trying a different approach):

 

Great info, thanks!

Your picture didn't show up, though. I just sent you a PM (I hope) with my email incase you want to send it to me and I'll post it. I also asked if you had any pictures of Shadur's (I think I wrote Mazur's) mom. I hope so...

Edit: The Broadway "Kean" was likely the one in November 1961, with Alfred Drake, since that seems to have been the only one ever.

The pictures on the Masterworks site for that show don't identify anyone as Shadur, but the IMDB identifies him as playing "Maxwell", "Guard", and "Singer".

How do people avoid the camera so successfully?

 

Larry Shadur Nov 1973 - Newspapers.com

 

Hmmm. I don't see a resemblance to the woman I think might be Greta Rauch, but also don't think that means anything at all.

Do you see anyone in the Kean pictures that looks like him? I don't, but there's only one or two that show anyone other than the principals.

 

Side question:

Anybody know anything about a Columbia Studio at 55 5th Avenue in NYC in the 20's and 30's?

I tried a search and got no results.

The Sony archivist got a question about it and asked me.

Thanks!

 

I was in there for a Henry Gross live to radio show in 1978. I was cool. Very big.

 

In where? 30th St or 55 5th Ave? My guess would be the former...

 

Probably the most informative thread on this forum. My hat is off to all those who have contributed.

 

The "heater meter": tells you if the song is a heater or not

 

30th Street. Went to Xenon after. The height of craziness in NYC, 1978.

 

Greta Rauch married Martin Charles Goldman (b 20 July 1893, Berlin) on 20 February 1942 at Hoboken NJ. He was a lawyer (Doctor of Jurisprudence) in Germany and travelled to the US several times in the 1920s and 30s. He settled in NY in 1938 and was for some time an insurance agent. He seems to have been quite successful: in 1948 he and Greta were travelling First Class on the the French Line ship De Grasse and were living at 157 W57th (opposite Carnegie Hall - where she worked).

I am not without hope that someone from the family is still alive and will have pictures. Goldman had a cousin Felix Hesse on Staten Island. His son died without children. I am looking for the daughter. Larry Shadur had a sister Ruth, and it is not beyond possibility that his second wife is still alive. Ruth however has left no trace after 1940. I have tried her under the Shadur and Goldman names. There are so many Ruth Goldmans that it becomes quite tough. I have managed to reach out to Larry Shadur's first wife's family in Mobile. I am hoping they have some wedding photographs.

I have also emailed Carnegie Hall.

Finally a photo should be with her passport application (passport 228014). A copy may be available from the State Department.

 

Is that a solid address ( 55 Fifth Ave) or could they mean 55th st and 5th Ave??

 

Solid address. Not 55th St.

I sort of remember that address in Gary Marmorstein's book "The Label", but he was extremely casual about any studio details beyond address. I'm distant from my copy of the book right now....

 

Searching gives me this text that Okeh Records was there and shared the address with Columbia:

New Page 4

"OKEH's NEW YORK RECORDING STUDIOS

OKeh's main office was at 25 West 45th Street, New York and its distributing division was at 15 West 18th Street. OKeh would keep its 45th Street office until sometime in 1931, and I believe this was also the location of its studio in 1926. In January 1927, a second studio was added, evidenced by the dramatic change in recording room acoustics or "room tone" heard in some - but not all -sides. A Jan. 7, 1927 letter by Tommy Rockwell, of OKeh's recording department (reproduced in the notes to the Columbia Legacy complete Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Sevens) bears the address of 25 crossed out with 145 typed above it. After August 30, 1927, a new room could be heard. This facility was at 11 Union Square. This apparently replaced the 145 W. 45th studio.

On January 9, 1928 OKeh, abandoned the 80000 series matrix series (the New York block had reached 81989, though the Chicago block ran to 82099) and began the 400000 series (mx 400000 was by Vera Barczaniwa) which ran to 1933, ending at 405183 (by Webb Whipple).

OKeh kept the 11 Union Square facility until 1930 when a new recording room could be distinguished. This facility was probably 1819 Broadway and was in use for a about a year until it moved to 55 Fifth Ave.. The company kept this studio until July, 1934 when the label was absorbed by the American Record Corp.

55 Fifth Avenue: (1931-34): The summer, 1931 Manhattan telephone directory places the general offices of both Columbia and OKeh at this address. They shared a common telephone number (THompkins 6-5200). Neither 25 West 45th, nor 1819 Broadway are listed.. John Hammond in his book, John Hammond on the Record (page 88) noted "in 1932…Columbia's studios were located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 12th Street."

The company's general offices and studios remained there until July 1934 when both labels were absorbed by the American Record Corp."

Extra amusement came up in search - the December 14, 1974 issues go Billboard in Google Books. On page 39 there's a feature on NY recording studios. Fun to see the spin on things at that time, and quotes from Thomas Sheppard, mention of Goddard Lieberson and Eric Porterfield, and others.

Billboard

The 55 5th Ave building dates from 1910.

 

Okeh was sold to Columbia in 1926; it wasn't so much that they shared an address, but that they were simply an imprint of Columbia.

 

Nice job, Gary!!!!

I have sent this all to Tom Tierney at Sony.

You've made me look good, but I gave you full credit.

 

Tom wrote back:

"This is great, thanks Dan. And please communicate my thanks to Gary too."

Done!

 

In other news, Gary Louie and I (and about 15,000 other people) are in NYC for the Audio Engineering Convention which begins tomorrow at the Javits Center and other places. Gary got here today, and after dinner he went off to adjust to local time and I decided to go to the newly opened Hudson Yards complex, which is a multi-billion dollar-multi-huge-skyscraper project that is above a bunch of rail yards on the West Side, Midtown. Coincidentally, the newest part of the High Line runs directly above and parallels that part of 30th Street.

Since all things 30th St seem to be part of this thread, I thought it might be interesting for those who can't come here to see a little video that I made today of walking from that new part of the High Line (raised 30' or so above ground level, as is the rest of the High Line, which refurbished an abandoned overhead railroad line) down to the street and across most of Manhattan to the 30th St. Studio location, a walk of about half an hour or so. I took a picture approximately every 20 feet, and made a movie of that which lasts just under two minutes.

This is the world premiere:



There is nothing earth shattering in it, nor is it a statement that 30th Street is in any way special compared to any other street. But there was a cool studio on it once, and there are many interesting businesses and residences on it.

Note, too, how many sidewalk sheds there are on it. We talked about what a big deal it is to put one up, in order to protect pedestrians from building renovations that might drop debris from height. Most of these are probably taller than the one in 1947 that was in front of 207 East 30th St., but you'll get the idea.

Hope it's at least somewhat enjoyable.