If These Halls Could Talk

Looks at San Francisco's colorful and diverse music and music recording history from jazz and blues to rock, pop, punk, rap and hip hop. This work conveys history through the eyes and ears of the producers, engineers and studio owners, as well as the artists themselves, who share their SF studio experiences and thoughts on recording.

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If These Halls Could Talk: A Historical Tour Through San Francisco Recording Studios takes an in-depth look at San Francisco's colorful and diverse music and music recording history, covering both the recordings and recording studios that housed the jazz and blues of the '50s and psychedelic rock of the '60s, to the rock and funk of the '70s, punk and new wave of the '80s, and the alternative rock, R&B and hip-hop of the '90s through today. Leading Bay Area artists, producers, engineers, and studio owners take readers on a guided tour through some of San Francisco's top recording studios, venturing behind the scenes of some of popular music's hottest albums. Readers will learn about the recording techniques, the magic, and often unusual experiences that went into a wide range of recordings, including works by Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Pointer Sisters, Herbie Hancock, Journey, Huey Lewis and the News, Chris Isaak, Faith No More, Green Day, and many more. In addition, If These Halls COuld Talk chronicles the history of the studios themselves.
The book discusses the arrival, growth, and departure of studios in and around San Francisco, the myriad advancements in technology through the years and its effect on the recording industry, and how the San Francisco Bay Area's recording facilities have endured through economic ups and downs, increased competition, decreased demand, and the ever-changing, unpredictable music industry.