SBweekly.tv Episode 55 - San Francisco (Part 2)
Inside Hyde Street Studios
From Santana, Crosby & Hancock to my own Knock (on doors)…
Host: Stephan Bollinger

Ten years ago, on my very first wander through San Francisco, I stumbled past a set of black/greenish doors with a bold “Hyde Street Studios.” I thought, “One day I’ll knock, one day I’ll walk the same corridors where some of my musical heroes made history.” Sadly, on my next SF trip three years ago, time slipped away, so there wasn’t time for any knock-knock jokes. This time, however, there were no more excuses. I had to go inside and soak up the ghosts of melodic greatness. And yes – I snuck into the microphone locker, where I had to handle a vintage Neumann U67, built the same year I was born. If that makes the mic vintage, then I suppose me too.

A big “Thank you” to Jack Kertzman (Studio Manager) for showing me around, I truly appreciate it. By the way, if you’re missing a vintage Neumann, it wasn’t me.

About Hyde Street Studios
Hyde Street Studios opened its doors in 1969 under the name Wally Heider Studios, and quickly became one of the most important recording addresses on the West Coast. Inside these walls, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young pieced together “Déjà Vu”, Herbie Hancock rewired jazz with “Head Hunters”, and Jefferson Airplane kept San Francisco’s counter-culture soaring. The Grateful Dead, Santana, and Creedence Clearwater Revival all left their fingerprints on the faders. Over the years the space has changed names but never its reputation: Willie Nelson, Tupac Shakur, Green Day, and even Kanye West have all made music within this sanctuary. Today, the rooms still buzz with the hum of an original Neve 8038 console, vintage tape machines, and a catalogue of microphones that would make any audio nerd weak at the knees. Hyde Street is not just a studio, it’s a time capsule of music history, with every square metre of carpet carrying the weight of a chorus, a riff, or a revolution.

00:00 - Welcome
01:35 - Intro
09:47 - Hyde Street Studios - Echo Chamber
10:21 - Hyde Street Studios - Mic Locker
12:00 - Outro