Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc.

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Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc.

Sam Phillips is not just one of the most important producers in rock history, he is also one of the most important figures in 20th-century American culture.
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As owner and founder of his Memphis Recording Service Studio and Sun Record Company, he was the vital creative innovator at the epicenter of establishing rock n’ roll as the fresh, new, global music of the 20th-century era. He produced, recorded, inspired and launched the careers of the artists that originally defined this new musical sound…Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis

, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, B.B. King, Ike Turner, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Milton, Rufus Thomas, and so many more. Sam first made his mark (and a very deep one) with electric rhythm and blues by African American black performers. He will always be remembered for all of the music he created, but probably most remembered for his difference-making rock n’ roll artists, particularly Elvis Presley. After successfully outgrowing his Memphis Recording Service/ Sun Studio, Phillips opened Sam Phillips Recording service in 1960.

1960 Local Newspaper Memphis Press-Scimitar Writes:
Sam Phillips, who made $2 million in the record business without a desk, finally has one-and a new three quarters of a million dollar studios to go with it. As he leans back in an upholstered arm chair as white and billowy as the heavenly chariot, the white Formica top of the walnut desk slashes across in front of him like the wing of a jet. His left hand rests on the colorfully buttoned control panel of the huge stereophonic hi-fi- a juke box that requires no dimes-which sits at the other end of the office. “This is a little Cape Canaveral of the recording business,” he says, his eye taking in the two floors of studios, control rooms, mastering rooms, mailing rooms and offices which lie beneath the penthouse executive offices. “Woodshed recordings have had it. You’ve got to have the latitude today- all the electronic devices, built in high and low frequency equalization and attenuation, echoes, channel-splitting facilities, and metering on everything.

“Each section of the building is structurally isolated from the rest, and there are exact humidity controls for the studios, control rooms, editing and mastering rooms. Everything that has gone into this building”, Phillips continued, “has been custom built which is why it has taken us two and a half years to get it finished. We have built for the future. We are fully equipped to perform the finest recording techniques now, and we are prepared for any new innovation that may come along. In our experience, and in the opinions of many professional people who have already visited our new studio, we have one of the best equipped and most versatile recording studios, not just in the South or even in the nation, but in the world.”

Formerly the Midas Muffler shop, the building at 639 Madison was stripped to it’s shell and completely rebuilt. William W. Bond Jr. was the architect and Denise Howard, of Decor by Denise, assisted in design phases of the front, and designed the mobile of brightly colored disks which keynotes it. She also handled interior designing and furnishing, including such luxury features such as an employees lounge, executive bar, and the roof top sun deck which, with potted plants and redwood fencing, provides an atmosphere of outdoor living, visible through the windows of the penthouse executive offices. Over the years Sam Phillips Recording has recorded these artists:
Jerry Lee Lewis
Alex Chilton
Bob Dylan
Amazing Rhythm Aces
Phil Collins
The Yardbirds
Sam The Sham
Booker T. Jones
Hank Williams Jr. Kid Rock
Boz Scaggs
Charlie Rich
Clarence Carter
Conway Twitty
Dan Penn
Frank Frost
Hank Ballard
Cowboy Jack Clement
The Jesters
Jim Dickinson
Johnny Cash
John Prine
Levon Helm
The Memphis Horns
North Mississippi Allstars
Planet Rockers
Rick Dees
Robert Plant
Roy Orbison
Rosco Gordon
Scotty Moore
Reggie Young
Roland Janes
Sonny Burgess
Steve Cropper
Three-6-Mafia
Travis Wammack
Willie Mitchell
and many others! This studio is still owned and operated by the Sam Phillips family. Walking through the doors of the studio today is like taking a musical journey back to 1960. It has remained an Analog focused recording facility and the Phillips family has no plans to change. Visit our website for more information!

09/16/2024

Swag drop 🖤 Link in bio

09/16/2024

🎸 Sam Phillips Recording Service Unveils Exclusive Merch Drop!

We're kicking things off with a collection that includes:

Signature T-Shirts, Guitar Pick Shot Glasses,
Satin Baseball Jackets, & Custom Hats!

This is just the beginning—stay tuned for more exclusive drops and fresh designs coming this fall!

Celebrate the legacy of this iconic recording studio with carefully curated products perfect for the rock-n-roller in all of us.

My Store

09/04/2024

Scott Bomar, our brilliant chief engineer and maestro, has just scored the highly anticipated new series “Fight Night” on Peacock! Scott has brought his signature flair to the project, crafting a dynamic and funky soundtrack that’s as electrifying as the show itself.

Collaborating with longtime friend and director Craig Brewer, Scott’s score complements a series packed with vivid 1970s aesthetics, authentic Atlanta settings, and an unforgettable cast. The show features an insanely large amount of music—eight episodes, each an hour long, with almost wall-to-wall soundscapes crafted at our studio. Recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Service with a lineup of stellar local musicians, Scott’s work is steeped in the soulful essence of his renowned band, the Bo-Keys.

“Fight Night” promises to deliver a wild, creative ride, and Scott’s score is at its heart. Don’t miss out on this incredible new series—check it out starting September 5th on !

08/16/2024

“Elvis came over to our house more than any of the other musicians — we saw him all the time, even after Sam sold his contract and Elvis was a superstar! Most of the time, he'd come over after midnight, knock on the door, and maybe have 12 or 15 people with him. No matter what time it was, my mother would always say, "Sure, come on in, Elvis!" And then she’d wake us and say, "Boys, Elvis is here. Do you want to get up?" We'd say, "Yep, probably so, Mom!"
How cool was that? You know, I think Jerry and I never got in any real trouble because we were in the middle of it all the time. For us, that was normal.” - Knox Phillips

Pictured 📸 Knox Phillips, Elvis Presley, Jerry Phillips, Becky Phillips

Remembering the King of Rock & Roll ⚡️

07/30/2024

A day to remember the life of a man who started a revolution in music. 21 years ago today, the world lost the "Father of Rock N Roll."

Here he sits at his desk at 639 Madison Avenue.
He is still very much alive up in here.... Rock On...

07/15/2024

He's the son of rock ’n’ roll, so on Jerry Phillips' debut album For The Universe, you know he's gonna rip hard. As the son of Sam Phillips, producer, disc jockey, and founder of the legendary studio and record label Sun Records, Jerry’s pals growing up were Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. For us rock and roll fans, we heard the music — Jerry was baptized in it.

For The Universe, out August 23 via Omnivore Recordings, is a ten track tour-de-force ranging from full-tilt rockers to slow-burning country soul, all rife with chord changes that bring the listener a smile of comfortable familiarity while simultaneously tugging at the heart strings. It was produced by Halley Phillips and Scott Bomar (The Bo-Keys) at the iconic Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis.

Lead single “Good Side, Bad Side, Side of Crazy Too” out today wherever you stream your music! Rock On!

www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/for-the-universe

06/14/2024

🖤

06/09/2024

New addition to the 🎹 family at

05/21/2024

05/20/2024

We are excited at Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc. about the new HBO Stax Records documentary !
The centerpiece of our studio is the original Spectra Sonics console from Stax Studio B ! When we were installing it in 2022, we asked legendary Stax session drummer, Willie Hall about Studio B at Stax. Willie said, "We recorded a lot of great records in that room...Rufus Thomas "the Funky Chicken", "The Breakdown" and a lot of the Issac Hayes singles and albums."

05/17/2024

New Little Feat album out today, recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc.!

05/09/2024

Great episode on Knox Phillips by our friends The Kitchen Sisters. 🖤

Over the years, The Kitchen Sisters have zeroed in on Memphis, Tennessee in a big way. The inspiration for that and the inspiration for some of our favorite stories is Knox Phillips. Davia met Knox in 1997 in Memphis when she was doing casting for Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Rainmaker. She was...

04/26/2024

If you haven't heard the story of The Most Expensive Record Ever Made, you need to check this out!

Jeff Powell shares this fascinating, ground breaking, awesome, one-of-a-kind story!

Jeff Powell, a Memphis-based mastering engineer, was recommended by Gavin Lurssen for a project with T-Bone Burnett aimed at preserving the sound of fresh-cu...

04/21/2024

04/04/2024

Just put back into service! Our pair of Eventide Instant Phasers from 1971 ! These units sound amazing, used by Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and recordings here at Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc. in the 70s.
Thank you to Mark Richardson for bringing them back to life !

https://www.eventideaudio.com/rackmount/ps-101-instant-phaser/

03/21/2024

Good stuff right here from Grace Askew!!!
Check it out! 🖤

Featuring songwriter/composer of "Cowgirl with a Dream" - Grace Askew on rhythm guitar and vocalsMario Monterosso on lead guitarCarl Casperian on upright bas...

03/11/2024

Recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc.

03/09/2024

Recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Service, Inc.!

Little Feat are releasing their first new studio album in 12-years called ‘Sam’s Place.’ It’s their first record with new members Scott Sharrard and Tony Leone who joined forces with Sam Clayton, Bill Payne, Kenny Gradney, and Fred Tackett to make this BLUES album. Its also the first Little Feat album with Sam singing leads vocals for the entire record. Sam Clayton is the blues! Pre-Save or pre-order your copy of ‘Sam’s Place’ here https://orcd.co/samsplace

03/07/2024

We had the honor of having Little Feat in the studio last year. The album they cut is coming out in May !

03/04/2024

The March edition of MOJO Magazine shares news of Tav's album sessions in Memphis last month. Stay tuned for more details as the story develops...

Org Music

02/27/2024

Just got out Hohner Clavinet C back in action !

Address

639 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN
38103

Website

http://www.samphillipsrecording.com/, https://samphillipsrecordingshop.myshopify.com/

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Join 12 like-minded writers from all over the country for 3 days of masterclasses, group work and outings. You will walk away with a re-ignited relationship to your creativity, a set of go-to tools for your artistic road blocks and a recording of your co-write in the LEGENDARY Studio A of Sam Phillips Studio! The weekend finale celebration even includes a finale gig set up at a famous local venue! That's right! The tuition rate of the October Grit+Grace Songwriting Retreat is 50% off until Friday, September 16th. ALL LEVELS WELCOME! Visit GraceAskew.com for more info!

Not only will you leave with a nourished holistic approach to your personal Artist's Journey, but lifelong friendships and a recording of your original co-write in the legendary Studio A at Sam Phillips Studio where the likes of John Prine, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Al Green have recorded! Next retreat is Oct 21st-23rd! Applications open August 1st. DM @graceAskew if you’re interested! Footage [email protected] at @samphillipsrecording #songwritingretreat #songwritingprocess #songwriterslife