West Side Studio Stories 1954-1979, Part One

Walking past some bland and banal buildings on and off Broadway, you’d never know they birthed such enduring records as Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” Who knew white rock and roll was arguably born and then broadcast blocks from Lincoln Center? Pop records were industry before art, and these clustered offices and studios were assembly lines driving careers from single to single. We’ll discover the pharaohs who presided over Buddy Holly’s string session with NBC Symphony musicians. You’ll find the Gothic church portal linking funding the Woodstock festival with the Ramones and Frank Sinatra. We’ll see the speakeasy where desks were moved to tape Ray Charles and then stand where Burt Bacharach guided Dionne Warwick through five octave acrobatics. From Alan Freed and Bobby Darin to the Drifters and the Lovin’ Spoonful, you’ll come to understand how performers and producers came together to craft and create, connive and croon by the neon lights on Broadway.