Buzz Me in: Inside the Record Plant Studios

Martin Porter

Book cover for Buzz Me in: Inside the Record Plant Studios
Book cover for Buzz Me in: Inside the Record Plant Studios

Buzz Me in: Inside the Record Plant Studios

Buzz Me in: Inside the Record Plant Studios

Martin Porter

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Description

In the seventies, Record Plant studios was at the heart of the largest boom in record production in music history. With studios in New York, Los Angeles, and Sausalito, and a fleet of remote recording trucks, Record Plant was everywhere there was music. In 1976 alone, three #1 albums--Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, the Eagles' Hotel California, and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours--were all recorded in Record Plant studios.

Based on the memoirs and archives of studio cofounder Chris Stone, and interviews with over one hundred studio employees, music producers, and recording artists, Buzz Me In narrates this previously untold story of classic rock 'n' roll as the authors received it from industry insiders working behind the iconic studio's locked doors, alongside the great rock stars of the twentieth century.

This fast-paced and engrossing book, written by two seasoned music journalists, tells the incredible story of the evolution of Record Plant Studios, tape by tape, and of the hits that were manufactured there. Starting on New York's West Side in 1968 with the recording of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland, Record Plant expanded to LA, where Stevie Wonder produced his greatest hits, and then on to Sausalito where Sly Stone, Bob Marley, and Fleetwood Mac encamped; John Lennon made New York his post-Beatles home, and the Eagles conceived Hotel California while working in LA. Each location showcased the founders' proven formula of combining state-of-the-art audio, fantasy bedrooms, and group Jacuzzis, with sex, drugs, and celebrity jams.

Critical Reviews

An entertaining dive into a wild musical world. . . . Music journalists Porter and Goggin take us behind the scenes where the sounds were created, sliced, and diced. . . . Sex and drugs were inevitably part of the package, with cocaine piled atop amplifiers. . . . There are wild tales of [John] Lennon locking horns with Phil Spector in L.A. [. . .] and a DEA raid in Sausalito aimed at busting Sly Stone. . . .With firsthand accounts from many of the players, it's a cautionary tale.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Absolutely the best rock history book I've ever read, and I've read them all.--Bobby Owsinski, best-selling author, educator and recording engineer

Cool book. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in studio history. I got an advance copy last week and reading it was like reliving those crazy times.--Jack Douglas, producer/engineer John Lennon, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick

The inside story of Record Plant Studios... In '76, three number one albums were produced there: Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life, The Eagles' Hotel California, and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. The authors take us through it all, play-by-play.-- "Music Connection" (4/29/2025 12:00:00 AM)

Gary Kellgren was the first audio engineer I ever worked with, on Goffin and King demos. He was great then and got even greater once at the Record Plant. He was one of the best engineers there ever was and a great cat. He is missed by everyone who knew him. A real rock 'n' roller!--Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, guitarist for Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Graham Nash, Steve Perry, and others

Martin Porter and David Goggin's Buzz Me In: Inside the Record Plant Studios traces the extraordinary history of one of the music industry's most vaunted and influential institutions. During its heyday in the 1970s and beyond, the Record Plant served as the innovative hub for one landmark album after another. In this thoroughgoing and highly entertaining book, Porter and Goggin provide readers with a guided tour of the studios, along with unforgettable stories about the producers, engineers, and artists who made the Record Plant hum.--Kenneth Womack, author of "Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans"

Buzz Me In is a story about three studios where I've spent thousands of hours making dozens of hit records. They remain three of my very favorite "happy places" thanks to Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone's genius. A deep, and at times hilarious, read. (Check out [the section on] "Walk This Way.")--Bill Szymczyk, producer, the Eagles, Joe Walsh, J. Geils Band, B.B. King

Although it's a bizarre tale, it was a pleasure to skim back over those crazy days...--Al Kooper, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriter, record producer, and musician

A colorful chronicle of the first 13 years of the Record Plant recording studio... Stitching together meticulous research, interviews with industry insiders and engineers, and ephemera (including album covers, studio posters, and even invitations to Record Plant parties), the authors provide an exuberant account of a chaotic studio culture that fed some of the artists' worst impulses while creating some of the 1970s' most memorable music... Rock fans will find this irresistible.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Wow! There's no stopping once you start with this thing! I spent a big part of my life at the Record Plants in Los Angeles, NYC and Sausalito, so it was good fun reading this account of those days! Gary Kellgren was a brilliant engineer and very close friend. He, of course, created Record Plant and the rest is history. Great job, David and Marty!!--Jim Keltner, drummer for John Lennon, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and others

There are many famous names that pop up in this lively tale that, between the carousing, also shows how difficult running a recording studio (or studios) can be.--Gillian Gaar "Goldmine"

Martin Porter and David Goggin have captured the unique and inimitable vibe of the Record Plant in all its manifestations, along with the spirit of the times in which Chris Stone and Gary Kellgren invented the modern recording studio. These groundbreaking studios and the madcap professionals within were indispensable to the creation of the soundtrack to our lives, and Buzz Me In beautifully translates the sounds of popular music's high-water mark into words. A remarkable story of music, musicians, and America.--Christopher Walsh (senior writer, "East Hampton Star"; musician)

The full story of the famed studio [featuring] tales of inspired performances, visionary engineering, needlessly destroyed equipment, pranks, drugs, government surveillance, fights, romance, sex and drugs. Yes, drugs are listed twice... Meticulously put together by Porter and Goggin... Buzz Me In provides the full picture of all that happened within the walls of each of the Record Plant's studios.-- "Mix Magazine" (6/1/2025 12:00:00 AM)

These are the stories behind the records. The people who made them and how they made them . . . This particular book has not been written before. We've got books listing all the sessions, but exactly what went down inside the buildings . . . To go into the studio back in the day . . . There was a magic, your skin tingled . . . And that feeling is captured in this book.--Bob Lefsetz, "The Lefsetz Letter" (6/2/2025 12:00:00 AM)

Publishing Information

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Pub date: 2025-06-17
Length: 352 pages

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