retroSOUL Royal Studios, originally Memphis’ Royal Theatre, opened in the 1920s and closed as a neighborhood theater in 1955. The following year it was rented by Hi Records’ president Joe Cuoghi and partners John Novarese and Quinton Claunch and Royal Recording Studios was born. [Another bit of Memphis music trivia… Hi Records operated out of the legendary Pop Tunes Records Store at 308 Poplar, which serviced record distribution to thousands of retail jukeboxes throughout the Southeast.] Later, in 1963, Willie Mitchell signed with Hi Records and joined Royal as a recording artist, session trumpeter and producer. As a recording artist, Mitchell had musical success with hits like “2075” (1965), “Buster Browne (1965), “Bad Eye” (1966) and his biggest hit, “Soul Serenade” (1968). After Cuoghi’s death in 1970, Mitchell was promoted to Vice President. This was the rebirth of Hi Records. Under Mitchell, the musical direction of Hi Records changed significantly from rockabilly to R&B (just as Satellite, later Stax, changed from country to soul). As producer and Vice President, Mitchell helped fashion the modern Memphis’ soul sound, and Royal Studios was renamed Mitchell’s Royal Sound Studio (today, Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios). Mitchell handpicked session players who helped define that sound, and who would become known as the Hi Rhythm Section, built around the Hodges Brothers (Mabon, Teenie and Leroy), Mitchell’s stepson Archie Turner, and drummer Howard Grimes. Then came Otis Clay, Ace Cannon, Syl Johnson, Bobby Blue Bland, a young Charlie Rich, Chuck Berry, Ike & Tina Turner, 46 |
Southern Soul l January 2015
O.V. Wright, Don Bryant and Ann Peebles. As I told you in our November issue, Willie Mitchell (keeping his resolution to make her a star) handed Peebles her very first recording contract in 1968. Subsequently, she recorded 15 albums and 19 charting hit songs. Now, that’s a successful resolution. Oh, and then, of course, there’s Albert Greene, who was touring as lead vocalist of Al Greene & The Soul Mates in 1969 when Willie Mitchell hired him as a vocalist for one of Mitchell’s concerts in Texas. After that concert, Mitchell asked Greene to sign with Hi Records. The result was seven consecutive gold singles and, while with Hi Records, the sale of over 20 million records. Now, don’t accuse me of being a hack writer who doesn’t even know how to spell the artist’s name. Greene removed the last “e” from his name before recording his first album with Mitchell’s Hi Records and, of course, eventually became the Reverend Al Green. Mitchell took a talented vocalist who was attempting to mimic artists like Jackie Wilson or James Brown, and resolved to make him a star. And he did. It’s been reported that Green’s record sales while under the tutelage of Willie Mitchell at Hi Records surpassed the combined sales of Stax Record’s top recording artists, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Booker T & The MGs … for their entire careers. Following Al Green’s Hi Records career, Willie Mitchell resolved to move Royal Studios forward. With each monthly page of the calendar torn away, rather than fading into obscurity, Royal Studios continued to welcome and record many of the biggest names in the industry. In the 1980s, Rod Stewart, Keith
Richards, Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductee Jesse Winchester, and more Al Green. In the 1990s, The Staple Singers, Tom Jones, and Boz Scaggs. Then after we partied “like it’s 1999,” Willie Mitchell continued to grow and evolve the legendary studio into the TwentyFirst century with projects for Robert Cray, My Morning Jacket, Buddy Guy, John Mayer, the return of Rod Stewart, and many others. Since Willie Mitchell’s death in 2010, Royal Studios has continued to be a family affair. Fortunately, and apparently because it is in the Mitchell family DNA, Poppa Willie’s offspring have made a resolution that Memphis’ legendary Royal Studio will always continue to serve as the “Home of the Memphis Sound.” Mitchell’s daughters, Yvonne and Lorraine, are continuing Poppa’s legacy, and that of Royal Studios. His son, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, serves as owner, manager and engineer; and Poppa’s granddaughter, Oona, serves as studio administrator. They get things done, and the stars have continued to come… Cliff Richard, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, Drake, Keith Richards, and