San Diego Recording Studio(s)

Anyone remember a 1975 recording studio in La Mesa California close to a Wienerschnitzel possibly near University Ave & 70th?

Just up the road (whatever that means) was The Cinnamon Cinder during its hey day.

Friend’s of mine flew out to La Mesa to record there many years ago & we’re trying to help reconstruct that journey.

 

I don't know how long it's been around (I've been in the San Diego area since 1990), but Track Star Studios is on University Ave - just east of 70th.

 

Thanks left a message....

Otherwise, the January 1975 sessions in question included an engineer name Fred who was quite the laid back fellow from what I hear.

The band called him "Relaxed Fred."

 

Not sure if you're on Facebook, but there's a great page on there called Vintage San Diego that may have an answer. Just in case you're not, I can ask for you.

 

Yes it would help if you could post my request thank you. Here's an update....

Anyone remember a recording studio (1975) in La Mesa close to a Wienerschnitzel possibly near University Ave & 70th? Just up the road was the Cinnamon Cinder nightclub which was quite popular. Friend’s of mine flew out to La Mesa January 1975 to record a session with an engineer who came to be known as "Relaxed Fred" due to his pleasant laid-back demeanor.

Great memories (or lack thereof) so any input greatly appreciated.

 

Cool! I just asked on the Facebook group. Stay tuned!

 

A member on there said it could have been "Straita head Sound." That's how she spelled it.

 

Wow does she know its location? Gonna guess you'll get lots of replies....

Mavis hold the phone it's still there! If that's the studio, that I have yet to confirm with my friends. Will keep you posted.

EDIT: Sorry no this looks like a dance club from the 1980s since closed but I could be wrong.

Thanks!

 

No prob! Hopefully more answers to come!

 

Been monitoring the FB Group.

Straita Head Sound appears to have been a teenage nightclub, whereas the band flew out to a recording studio to make a professional demo tape which was “across the street” from a La Mesa Wienerschnitzel in 1975.

Just up the road was the Cinnamon Cinder where the band rehearsed using Seals & Croft’s music equipment considering the club was empty at the time while the band lodged upstairs.

Yet my focus remains on the unnamed La Mesa recording studio that we’re still trying to identify thanks!

 

You're welcome!

 

I can respond to FB replies but don’t know how to join the group yet.

 

On the page itself it'll have the request I believe in the upper right hand corner. I can't check the format from work, but on my phone app that is how it is set up.

 

Of course, considering I started in pro audio in San Diego in 1975, though I worked at Studio West which was the top studio in town at that time. Gary Stauffer owned it and at one time I think it was called Straight Ahead Sound.

I moved to San Diego in September 70 to start school at SDSC, which became SDSU in 1973. Though I didn't start my professional career until the day after I graduated, I surely was around and into the music scene before that.

I don't know of much of substance that came out of there, but I surely remember it and knew people who worked with him. I think it was a bowling alley before the studio was there.

Btw, Studio West is still in operation, and apparently doing quite well, but it did move to a new location after my time there.

 

Wow thanks! Let me check with my friends to confirm thank you!

 

Now that I think about it, Gary also had a mobile unit that I remember using once for a 16 track live recording.

A good friend of mine, Ron Quilin, was involved with them as well. He may have designed their console. He designed the console we used for the Seals & Croft's live shows, and Earth Wind and Fire had one as well.

 

Do you know the address of the La Mesa recording studio from 1975?

 

Not exactly, but I think it was on El Cajon by 70th, not far from Ozzie's Music. I can probably find it out if I dig around

 

NEW DINNER THEATER HAS THAT OLD SPIRIT

Breemer conducted a visitor through the rambling building at 7578 El Cajon Blvd., pointing out the extensive refurbishing that is keeping him and a crew of 10 working almost around the clock. "Our objective is to have the classiest place in town."

 

Yes it would help tremendously if we can locate the original building.

I have since contacted Studio West in hopes of finding the original multi-tracks yet having the old address would be icing on the cake reconstructing the experience for our Scrapbook.

 

Sorry unsure what this is referencing?

Not familiar with San Diego area sorry.

 

Yes, I posted it from that article, above. 7578 El Cajon Blvd, and that was on the north side of the street.

I believe the old address of Studio West was 5011 Ruffner Road. That's really stretching the old memory muscles. I'm not sure when they moved but I imagine it was the early 80s. I believe the last time I was there was in 1977. That goes back a ways.

 

That article talked about Gary Stauffer and apparently he still owned the building. Apparently it became the Lyric Theater after it was a studio.

 

Sorry just a bit confused.

So the old Studio West and the old Straita Head Studios are not one and the same?

Which studio building was closer to Wienerschnitzel?

Unfortunately that’s my best reference other than some other landmarks.

 

Not at all. Studio West was the top studio in San Diego in the 70s, along with Fanfare in El Cajon. Straita Head was most likely studio number 3 in pecking order back in those days. As I was leaving San Diego in 77 other studio were starting up, including Circle Sound.

I worked at Studio West. I never worked for Gary, though we used his mobile truck at times for live recordings. He had the only multi track truck in town that I knew of.

Studio West moved to a different facility around the early 80s, after I had moved to the LA area. They seem to still be doing very well.

Of course, we all knew of each other. San Diego was a pretty small town in those days, and especially in the audio world. Not much of major significance was recorded there, largely because there were so many major studios in LA, just two hours away. Ultimately, that's why I moved.

Much of that has changed since my days there, no doubt.