Golden State Recorders

Golden State Recorders was a San Francisco recording studio that was owned by Leo De Gar Kulka. Some of the albums recorded at the studio were Brewer & Shipley's second album Weeds in 1969, sessions for The Beau Brummels originally recorded between 1964-1966 and released as San Fran Sessions in 1996, and The Grateful Dead's Birth of the Dead, recorded in 1965 and released in 2003.

History

The recording studio was opened by Kulka when he came to San Francisco in 1964.[1] It was located at 665 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA.[2] It has been alleged in a Rolling Stone article that The Great Society were doing sessions in Golden State for what would be the release of "Somebody to Love" b/w "Free Advice", it took 286 takes to get it right. The producer was Sly Stone.[3]

Some of the artists to come through the studio in the 1960s were Mike Bloomfield, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick and Sly Stone.[4] In 1966, the Syndicate of Sound recorded their national hit Little Girl (Syndicate of Sound song) at Golden State Recorders[5]

In 1967, some of the emerging acts geared towards the modern sound of the day to be recorded at the studio were, Bristol Boxkite, the Incorporates, Living Children, Poor Souls, Rear Exit, Stone Hinge and Ticket Angents. The producers that were working with him on these acts were Marty Cooper, Larry Goldberg, Jim Marino, Hank Levine and Don Ralke.[6]

In the mid-1970s, the studio had acquired a Neumann disc mastering facility which according to Kulka was the most advanced in the area. In addition, most of what was taking place at the studio were connected with Kulka's College for the Recording Arts which was being used to teach students the aspects of sound recording.[7]

Founder Kulka died on March 17, 1998, at age 77.[8][9] David David Tonelli who was a chief engineer for the studio and engineer at the College for Recording Arts died on January 14, 2014, aged 65.[10][11][12][13]

Staff
  • Leo De Gar Kulka – Owner[14]
  • Brad Miller – Vice president, general manager[15]
  • Cher – Receptionist (rumored)[16][17]
  • Vance Frost – Assistant engineer 1968, Chief engineer and manager 1971-78[18]
  • David Tonelli – Chief Engineer
  • Rob Masud – ?[19][20]
  • Marty Cooper – Producer
  • Larry Goldberg – Producer
  • Jim Marino – Producer
  • Hank Levine – Producer
  • Don Ralke – Producer[21]

Album highlights

Later releases of early recordings

References
  1. Billboard Magazine April 20, 1974 Page 6 -General News- National Approval Expected San Fran's NARAS Chapter Organized
  2. Jerry's Brokendown Palaces Sunday, April 22, 2012 Golden State Recorders, 665 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA
  3. Rolling Stone COVERWALL | Sly and the Family Stone: Everybody Is a Star By Ben Fong-Torres | March 19, 1970
  4. J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol 45, No 5 May 1988 Page 496
  5. Don Baskin recalls "Hey Little Girl" recording
  6. Billboard Magazine May 20, 1967 Page 26 Talent MORE OF NEW POP BREED IN SAN FRANCISCO
  7. Billboard Magazine November 15, 1975 Page 76 Bay Studios Action
  8. Moose Roots Grave & Cemetery Records, Leo De Gar Kulka - Grave Record
    1921 - 1998: Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California
  9. J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol 45, No 5 May 1988 Page 496
  10. Caffe Trieste Trieste Music Events - Concert Schedule STUDIO 65A
  11. Legacy.com David Tonelli
  12. Caffe Trieste Trieste Music Events Archive, IN MEMORIAM: David Tonelli, 1948-2014
  13. San Francisco Chronicle Feb. 9, 2014
  14. Grammy Pulse, 2-3 National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, 1984
  15. Billboard Magazine April 22, 1967 Page 10 executive Turntable
  16. Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording Please help us save an endangered species - the analog tape recorder
  17. J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol 45, No 5 May 1988 Page 496
  18. Jerry's Brokendown Palaces Sunday, April 22, 2012 Golden State Recorders, 665 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA
  19. Caffe Trieste Trieste Music Events - Concert Schedule STUDIO 65A
  20. caffetrieste.ypguides.net More About Our Music
  21. Billboard Magazine May 20, 1967 Page 26 Talent MORE OF NEW POP BREED IN SAN FRANCISCO
  22. Dead Disc Golden State Recorders Discography
  23. Michael Brewer & Tom Shipley Weeds Credits
  24. Dead Disc Golden State Recorders Discography
  25. Birth of the Dead at the Grateful Dead Family Discography
  26. All Music Sly & the Family Stone Slyest Freshest Funkiest Rarest (CD - Magical Mystery #2)
  27. avxhome Sly & The Family Stone - Slyest Freshest Funkiest Rarest Cuts (1995)
  28. avxhome Sly & The Family Stone - Slyest Freshest Funkiest Rarest Cuts (1995)Drums
  29. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi on LP and CD: Oaxaca". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire &. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  30. Bang, Derrick. "Vince Guaraldi Timeline: 1971". fivecentsplease.org. Derrick Bang, Scott McGuire. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
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