Wally Heider Studios

Wally Heider Studios was a recording studio founded in San Francisco in 1969 by recording engineer and studio owner Wally Heider. Between 1969 and 1980, numerous notable artists recorded at the studios, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the Grateful Dead. The studio changed ownership in 1980 and was renamed Hyde Street Studios, which is still in operation today.

History Background Wally Heider had apprenticed with as an engineer and mixer at Bill Putnam's United Western Recorders studio complex in Hollywood in the early 1960s, after which he founded Wally Heider Recording with the opening of Studio 3 at 1604 N. Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood. Heider and his crew garnered a high reputation for top notch engineering that resulted in excellent studio and remote location recordings, including sessions with the Beach Boys and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

In 1967, Heider assisted in the live recording of the Monterey Pop Festival. Artists from the Bay Area such as Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Grateful Dead had been recording in Los Angeles and New York, and Heider saw the need for musicians involved in the nascent San Francisco sound to have their own well-equipped and staffed recording studio close to home.

Hyde Street In March 1969, Heider opened Wally Heider Studios at 245 Hyde Street, San Francisco, between Turk and Eddy Streets, across the street from the Black Hawk jazz club, in a building that had previously been used by 20th Century Fox for film offices, screening rooms and storage. The studios were built by Dave Mancini.

Heider planned four studios—A and B on the ground floor and C and D upstairs. However, studio B was never finished and instead became a game room. The studio commenced operations in May 1969 upon completion of Studio C, with staff that included General Manager Mel Tanner, Booking Agent Ginger Mews, Technician Harry Sitam, and Staff Engineer Russ Gary. Studio C's dimensions were similar to Heider's Studio 3 in Hollywood—though its control room, instead of being at the end the room, was parallel to Studio C's long side. The walls were kept from being parallel with square gypsum devices that were used as mid-range sound diffusers and absorbers. At the Grateful Dead's request, its studio doors were covered with airbrushed paintings. Studios A and D became operational a few months later.

Frank DeMedio, who had designed the 24-channel mixing console and an 8-channel monitor and cue—replicated for Heider's Studio 3 and remote truck in Hollywood, built all of the custom equipment and mixing console for Heider's new Hyde Street studios, using Universal Audio (UA) console components, military grade switches and level controls, and a simple audio path that used one preamp for everything in a channel. Monitor speakers were Altec 604-Es with McIntosh 275 tube power amps.

The first release out of Studio C was Jefferson Airplane's Volunteers (1969), which was also the first album they recorded in their hometown. Between 1969 and 1970, many other high-profile acts followed, including Harry Nilsson, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY), the Steve Miller Band. Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) recorded several albums in that room, and named their record Cosmo's Factory (1970) after the "factory" at Studio C (Cosmo's Factory was CCR's rehearsal area). Engineers and staff at the studio during that time included Bill Halverson, Stephen Barncard, and Glyn Johns.

While CSNY were recording, Studio D – an exact replica of Heider's Studio 3 in Hollywood – opened. Among the first things to be recorded in Studio D was Jerry Garcia's pedal steel guitar overdub for "Teach Your Children", while the live recording setup was kept intact in Studio C where CSNY recorded. In that same period, Deane Jensen supervised installation of a new Quad Eight console in Studio A. Santana and John Hall used Studio D a few times. CBS Records had a priority lease on Studio D for a year, before eventually taking over Coast Recorders as their west coast recording facility. Many other artists followed.

In 1978, Heider sold the studio and its name to Filmways, but remained as manager until 1980 when Filmways sold it to a partnership composed of Dan Alexander, Tom Sharples, and Michael Ward. The three partners renamed the business Hyde Street Studios, which is still an operating recording studio as of 2019, now owned solely by Michael Ward.

Albums recorded

1969 Volunteers – Jefferson Airplane Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival Shady Grove – Quicksilver Messenger Service Zephyr – Zephyr Neil Young – Neil Young Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young with Crazy Horse

1970 Déjà Vu – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Eric Burdon Declares "War" – Eric Burdon and War Abraxas – Santana Blows Against the Empire – Paul Kantner American Beauty – The Grateful Dead Portrait – The 5th Dimension The Black-Man's Burdon – Eric Burdon and War Cosmo's Factory – Creedence Clearwater Revival Tarkio – Brewer & Shipley Pendulum – Creedence Clearwater Revival The Original Human Being – Blue Cheer

1971 Bark – Jefferson Airplane Sunfighter – Paul Kantner and Grace Slick Chilliwack – Chilliwack Electric Warrior – T. Rex If I Could Only Remember My Name – David Crosby Songs for Beginners – Graham Nash Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison Shake Off the Demon – Brewer & Shipley Guilty! – Eric Burdon and Jimmy Witherspoon Grin – Grin Papa John Creach – Papa John Creach Moments – Boz Scaggs Endless Boogie – John Lee Hooker Mwandishi – Herbie Hancock New Riders of the Purple Sage – New Riders of the Purple Sage

1972 Graham Nash David Crosby – Crosby & Nash Long John Silver – Jefferson Airplane Burgers – Hot Tuna First Taste of Sin – Cold Blood 1+1 – Grin Rural Space – Brewer & Shipley Come by 1 Saint Dominic's Preview – Van Morrison Toulouse Street – The Doobie Brothers Garcia – Jerry Garcia Ace – Bob Weir Rowan Brothers – Rowan Brothers Livin' the Life – Chris and Lorin Rowan You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown – Vince Guaraldi Quintet (television soundtrack)

1973 Byrds – The Byrds Head Hunters – Herbie Hancock Baron von Tollbooth & The Chrome Nun – Paul Kantner, Grace Slick and David Freiberg Child of Nature – Jack Traylor and Steelwind Full Sail – Loggins and Messina How Time Flys – David Ossman and The Firesign Theatre GP – Gram Parsons Deliver the Word – War Be What You Want To – Link Wray Betty Davis – Betty Davis Sextant – Herbie Hancock Roger McGuinn – Roger McGuinn There's No Time for Love, Charlie Brown – Vince Guaraldi Quintet (television soundtrack) A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – Vince Guaraldi Quintet (television soundtrack)

1974 Grievous Angel – Gram Parsons Manhole – Grace Slick The Phosphorescent Rat – Hot Tuna Early Flight – Jefferson Airplane Dragon Fly – Grace Slick, Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship Quah – Jorma Kaukonen What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits – The Doobie Brothers ST11621 – Brewer & Shipley Look at the Fool – Tim Buckley The Heart of Saturday Night – Tom Waits Southern Comfort – The Crusaders Peace on You – Roger McGuinn No Other – Gene Clark It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown – Vince Guaraldi Quartet (television soundtrack) It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown – Vince Guaraldi Quartet (television soundtrack)

1975 Survival of the Fittest – The Headhunters America's Choice – Hot Tuna Red Octopus – Jefferson Starship Yellow Fever – Hot Tuna The Tubes – The Tubes Tale Spinnin' – Weather Report Chain Reaction – The Crusaders Adventures in Paradise – Minnie Riperton Atlantic Crossing – Rod Stewart Song for America – Kansas Saturday Night Special – Norman Connors Steppin' – Pointer Sisters Venus and Mars – Wings Coke – Coke Escovedo Angel – Angel Tell Me The Truth – Jon Hendricks An Evening with John Denver – John Denver (recorded live at Universal Amphitheater) Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown – Vince Guaraldi Trio (television soundtrack) You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown – Vince Guaraldi Trio (television soundtrack)

1976 It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown – Vince Guaraldi Trio (television soundtrack) Spitfire – Jefferson Starship Heritage – Eddie Henderson Hoppkorv – Hot Tuna Amigos – Santana Small Change – Tom Waits Salongo – Ramsey Lewis Alessi – Alessi Brothers Legs Diamond – Legs Diamond

1977 Rumours – Fleetwood Mac Thunderbyrd – Roger McGuinn Conquistador – Maynard Ferguson American Stars 'n Bars – Neil Young Having a Party – Pointer Sisters Donald Clark Osmond – Donny Osmond

1978 Earth – Jefferson Starship Double Dose – Hot Tuna Do It All Night – Curtis Mayfield Comes a Time – Neil Young Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee – Ohio Players Streamline – Lenny White Twin Sons of Different Mothers – Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg

1979 Jorma – Jorma Kaukonen Connections and Disconnections – Funkadelic

1981 Law and Order – Lindsey Buckingham

1982 One from the Heart – Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle Right Back At Cha! – Dynasty Long After Dark – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

References

Wally Heider Studios

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