Nashville RCA Studio B footage. Incredible!

26 February 1963. "Blue Canadian Rockies". A session for The International Jim Reeves album. You can hear Jim talking with Anita Kerr in the control booth after the take is completed. You can see Velma Smith just strumming away. Bob Moore behind her on the bass. Willie Ackerman on drums. All of them first-call 'Nashville A-Team' musicians. Occasionally chorus tenor Gil Wright wanders out from behind a partition into the camera focus.

How often do we get to see historical footage the likes of this? It's a first for me. Really interesting stuff.

 

Yep.

 

Marvin Hughes is off camera right, on vibes. Not sure where they packed in the string players. I doubt they'd be next to the brass.

 

How warm and rich this sounds!

 

I'm not a Jim Reeves fan but this footage is amazing. Was this filmed for a specific reason (ie: documentary, TV show) or was it just a happy accident that the camera was there that day. Jim is so calm as he is laying down the vocal, hand in his pocket. That's pretty darn cool

 

Here's a compilation of all the Studio B footage floating about. Thanks YouTube'ers!

 

I feel like this Jim Reeves clip plays at Studio B when you take the tour. I went this past summer and I'm positive the tour guide showed us a video clip of Jim Reeves.. it may be parts of this one.

 

Isn't it?

A Reeves fan told me it was just a local news station. Frankly, i'm very surprised Anita Kerr let them through the door. Chet Atkins may have agreed ahead of time, leaving her with little choice. They were told they could film 'provided they stayed out of the way'. I think Jim must've known ahead of time, explaining the suit. he's quite laid-back and cool here (not Dean Martin wisecracking cool, but almost as relaxed about his craft).

Anita must've had quite the look on her face. Watch singer Gil Wright's reaction as Jim states, 'I'd like to do another, please' and you can hear Anita reply 'all the way through?' Gil bursts out LAUGHING. I read somewhere he played trumpet before joining The Anita Kerr Singers (the original quartet, that is.)

 

Cool! He's really close to that mic, and no pop-filter. He must've had great control. I thought they were still using the RCA ribbon mics for vocals here back then. Wow.

Nothing compares to the sound of those RCA Nashville recordings back then. It was sooooo lovely.

dan c

 

Taken 12 December 2012.

 

So happy to see Don Gibson on there!!

 

This, obviously, I didn't take. It is a February 1963 Don Gibson session at RCA Studio B.

 

Love it. Check out his Gibson - it's bigger than Anita!

 

If I may without overstepping bounds, this is a photo I took of the original board from RCA Studio B. It is in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

 

I love this stuff. Oh I wish everyone just let cameras roll while they do studio work. The process is as important as the product for people down in time.

 

The 3 track console. Awesome. Thanks for sharing. There's no overstepping possible. I started this thread in hope we could trade photos and stories about this classic studio.

 

Agreed. Camera footage of those no longer with us is to be particularly treasured.

 

Wonder what's hidden from the camera under that blanket behind where Jim is standing.

Probably the musicians coat rack, now that I think about it.

 

Recording session for Jim Reeves (not pictured) at RCA Studio B, 12 October 1962, with Floyd Cramer at the piano

 

Jim Reeves is my favorite male singer. I vote this to be a sticky!

 

This thread should be a sticky for many reasons. Not just because Reeves is a great talent, but because the video footage of the Nashville A-Team is so rare and wonderful.

 

Anita Kerr and Willie Ackerman (drums) pictured right. Who's the guy grinning on the left?

 

Steve Hoffman would be able to tell us exactly what model Gibson Don is playing there. I don't know my guitars.

 

Jim Reeves was such a perfectionist and professional. Amazing stuff! Thank you so much. Love those horns at the beginning

 

If you listen carefully to the studio annoucements before they cut the work part at the end of the clip, after Anita agrees to re-record the ending, the engineer indicates it is "Take 3 Work Part". According to this Jim Reeves discography: http://countrydiscography.blogspot.ca/2010/12/jim-reeves-part-i.html , the master take of "Blue Canadian Rockies" is Take 4. They must've done yet another complete take, and I'm not surprised. Jim doesn't seem 100% satisfied at the end. A performer who truly appreciates a polished product. That said, he still didn't blow through tape stock the way The Everlys did with take numbers often up in the 20s.