For the first installment of our “On the Right Track” series about famous recording studios, we head to the place where many say rock ‘n’ roll began: Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
Sixty-five years ago, the legendary Sam Phillips started his Memphis Recording Service on 706 Union Avenue. Later renamed Sun Studio to match the name of Phillips’ record label, it’s been the site of sessions by Howlin’ Wolf and B.B. King; Johnny Cash and Charlie Rich; Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison; U2 and Maroon 5; and, of course, Elvis Presley. You can read up on Sun’s history in our January issue and check out a few of the many classic songs that have been recorded there in our Hear the Music and Extended Play sections, but how about taking a peek inside the actual building too? Here’s a brief video tour, courtesy of The A.V. Club.
To find out more about Sun, you’ve got plenty of options. Explore the 706 Union Avenue website, which features an exhaustive history of the studio, including a chronological rundown of every session conducted there between 1950 and 1959. Pick up Peter Guralnick’s new biography, Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll. Or, if you’ve got the time, watch the excellent two-part documentary of the same name, written and co-produced by Guralnick and first broadcast in 2000. Here’s part one:
And here’s part two: