Color photo of Gold Star Recording Studios, 6252 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, 1957

With its rather inconspicuous storefront, you’d think Gold Star Recording Studios was just a local place where people could lay down a few tracks if they wanted. But you’d be wrong. Opening in October 1950, it offered custom-designed recording equipment whose most famous feature was its echo chamber. In the early 1960s, music producer Phil Spector used Gold Star for most of his “Wall of Sound” recordings. And the Beach Boys #1 hit “Good Vibrations” was also partially recorded there. Gold Star’s Wikipedia page lists tons of people who recorded there, everyone from Liza Minnelli to Herb Alpert to the Monkees and the Go-Go’s before closing its doors in 1984.

Raul M. says: “A good portion of “Good Vibrations” was recorded at CBS Columbia Square. Because it was built for radio, it had a true echo chamber, so he liked using it for that reason. When I was working there, Brain Wilson came by and we walked him to where the studio was located. He also mentioned the bathroom had an amazing echo (we always noticed that)and used the restroom for that echo on several songs.”

Here’s another view:

Gold Star Recording Studios at Santa Monica at Vine, Hollywood, 1957

 

The Gold Star building and its neighbors has been replaced by a mini mall. This image is from May 2022.

 

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4 responses to “Color photo of Gold Star Recording Studios, 6252 Santa Monica Blvd, Hollywood, 1957”

  1. Al Donnelly says:

    An interesting write-up on Gold Star history can be found here: https://ugly-things.com/eddie-cochran-and-gold-star-recording-studio/

  2. Don Solosan says:

    Your wording makes it sound like Phil Spector produced “Good Vibrations.” Brian Wilson might have something to say about that! Plus, the song was recorded in pieces at a number of studios, not just Gold Star.

  3. Philip Blustein says:

    Brian Wilson produced “Good Vibrations,” not Phil Spector.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Vibrations

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