The layout of Columbia Studio, Hollywood

[PickupExcitations]

I thought that the Columbia Studio in Hollywood (Sunset Blvd) was just that five-story building and all the radio/TV broadcasting and music recording happened in that particular place all the time, but I was wrong. The studio was more like a “complex” - consisting of Radio Building (the five-story building I just mentioned), Studio A, Studio B/C and Commercial/Television Building. So the recording studio used by the Byrds/Paul Revere & the Raiders/the Beach Boys etc. was located in which part? And what was the difference between Studio A and B/C?

[SMiLE-addict]

This is a classic nerdy-style BB thread topic here on SmileySmile, LOL.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I thought that the Columbia Studio in Hollywood (Sunset Blvd) was just that five-story building and all the radio/TV broadcasting and music recording happened in that particular place all the time, but I was wrong. The studio was more like a “complex” - consisting of Radio Building (the five-story building I just mentioned), Studio A, Studio B/C and Commercial/Television Building. So the recording studio used by the Byrds/Paul Revere & the Raiders/the Beach Boys etc. was located in which part? And what was the difference between Studio A and B/C?

Really good question.  "Columbia Square" was indeed a sort of A/V village.  It is my understanding that, before the music boom of the 50s/60s, the facility was pretty much only a Radio / Television place.  Then, at some point around 1960, CBS/Columbia converted some of the radio studio space into a dedicated recording studio along the lines of their NYC studio.  It was a huge studio, much larger than Gold Star, Western, Sunset Sound--and likely bigger than RCA, too.  RCA and CBS of course had to accommodate full orchestral set-ups.  There are some great photos from an LA Simon & Garfunkel session that shows how on a pop session they'd all huddle together in the middle of this giant studio.  So there was one recording Studio A, some radio facilities, and the TV studios A, B, C.  I believe that at some point later on, recording Studio A got cordoned off into separate, smaller recording studios B and C.  I think this was probably very late 60s into the 70s but I don't know for sure.

I'm super interested in the history of this studio as well, and have put together a little info over the years, but to some extent it remains a little more elusive, as does RCA, perhaps because it was less hip to record in these places.

[PickupExcitations]

I thought that the Columbia Studio in Hollywood (Sunset Blvd) was just that five-story building and all the radio/TV broadcasting and music recording happened in that particular place all the time, but I was wrong. The studio was more like a “complex” - consisting of Radio Building (the five-story building I just mentioned), Studio A, Studio B/C and Commercial/Television Building. So the recording studio used by the Byrds/Paul Revere & the Raiders/the Beach Boys etc. was located in which part? And what was the difference between Studio A and B/C?

Really good question.  "Columbia Square" was indeed a sort of A/V village.  It is my understanding that, before the music boom of the 50s/60s, the facility was pretty much only a Radio / Television place.  Then, at some point around 1960, CBS/Columbia converted some of the radio studio space into a dedicated recording studio along the lines of their NYC studio.  It was a huge studio, much larger than Gold Star, Western, Sunset Sound--and likely bigger than RCA, too.  RCA and CBS of course had to accommodate full orchestral set-ups.  There are some great photos from an LA Simon & Garfunkel session that shows how on a pop session they'd all huddle together in the middle of this giant studio.  So there was one recording Studio A, some radio facilities, and the TV studios A, B, C.  I believe that at some point later on, recording Studio A got cordoned off into separate, smaller recording studios B and C.  I think this was probably very late 60s into the 70s but I don't know for sure.

I'm super interested in the history of this studio as well, and have put together a little info over the years, but to some extent it remains a little more elusive, as does RCA, perhaps because it was less hip to record in these places.

Thanks for your reply, and I remembered some resources were telling that the “Radio Studio One” was the one that converted into a single recording studio for Columbia Records. So where on earth was that? Was it more likely in the five-story Radio Building?

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

I thought that the Columbia Studio in Hollywood (Sunset Blvd) was just that five-story building and all the radio/TV broadcasting and music recording happened in that particular place all the time, but I was wrong. The studio was more like a “complex” - consisting of Radio Building (the five-story building I just mentioned), Studio A, Studio B/C and Commercial/Television Building. So the recording studio used by the Byrds/Paul Revere & the Raiders/the Beach Boys etc. was located in which part? And what was the difference between Studio A and B/C?

Really good question.  "Columbia Square" was indeed a sort of A/V village.  It is my understanding that, before the music boom of the 50s/60s, the facility was pretty much only a Radio / Television place.  Then, at some point around 1960, CBS/Columbia converted some of the radio studio space into a dedicated recording studio along the lines of their NYC studio.  It was a huge studio, much larger than Gold Star, Western, Sunset Sound--and likely bigger than RCA, too.  RCA and CBS of course had to accommodate full orchestral set-ups.  There are some great photos from an LA Simon & Garfunkel session that shows how on a pop session they'd all huddle together in the middle of this giant studio.  So there was one recording Studio A, some radio facilities, and the TV studios A, B, C.  I believe that at some point later on, recording Studio A got cordoned off into separate, smaller recording studios B and C.  I think this was probably very late 60s into the 70s but I don't know for sure.

I'm super interested in the history of this studio as well, and have put together a little info over the years, but to some extent it remains a little more elusive, as does RCA, perhaps because it was less hip to record in these places.

Thanks for your reply, and I remembered some resources were telling that the “Radio Studio One” was the one that converted into a single recording studio for Columbia Records. So where on earth was that? Was it more likely in the five-story Radio Building?

That would be my assumption.