Tag Archives: Gold Star

The Beach Boys: Shut Down Vol. 2

On March 2, 1964, “Capitol” label released “Shut Down Volume 2”, the fifth Beach Boys (The) studio album. It was recorded January – February 1964, at “Western” and “Gold Star” in Hollywood, and was produced by Brian Wilson.

Personnel:

  • Carl Wilson – lead and backing vocals, electric guitar
  • Brian Wilson – lead and backing vocals, piano, Hammond B-3 organ
  • Mike Love – lead and backing vocals, tenor saxophone
  • Al Jardine – bass guitar, electric rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Dennis Wilson – lead and backing vocals, drums, floor tom
  • Bill Pitman – archtop acoustic guitar 
  • Tommy Tedesco – electric guitar 
  • Leon Russell – piano, tack piano
  • Al de Lory – piano
  • Ray Pohlman – 6-string bass guitar, bass guitar
  • Jimmy Bond – double bass
  • Hal Blaine – drums, tambourine, bell-tree, percussion, timpani
  • Frank Capp – glockenspiel, temple blocks, castanets 
  • Steve Douglas – tenor saxophone
  • Plas Johnson – tenor saxophone
  • Jay Migliori – baritone saxophone

Track listing:

  1. Fun, Fun, Fun – Brian Wilson, Mike Love
  2. Don’t Worry Baby – Brian Wilson, Roger Christian
  3. In the Parkin’ Lot – Brian Wilson, Roger Christian
  4. ‘Cassius’ Love vs Sonny Wilson – Mike Love, Brian Wilson
  5. The Warmth of the Sun – Mike Love, Brian Wilson
  6. This Car of Mine – Brian Wilson, Mike Love
  7. Why Do Fools Fall in Love – Frankie Lymon, George Goldner
  8. Pom, Pom Play Girl – Brian Wilson, Gary Usher
  9. Keep an Eye on Summer – Brian Wilson, Bob Norberg
  10. Shut Down, Part II – Carl Wilson
  11. Louie, Louie – Richard Berry
  12. Denny’s Drums – Dennis Wilson

Dr. John: Babylon

On January 17, 1969, “Atco” label released “Babylon”, the second Dr. John studio album. It was recorded in 1968, at “Gold Star” in Hollywood, and was produced by Harold Battiste.

Personnel:

  • Dr. John – vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion
  • Alvin Robinson – guitar
  • Steve Mann – guitar
  • Ronnie Barron – organ
  • John McAlister – quarter-tone piano, gongs, celesta
  • Richard “Didimus” Washington – guitar, percussion
  • Al Frazier – bass
  • John Boudreaux – drums
  • Jessie Hill – percussion, backing vocals
  • Plas Johnson – saxophone
  • Moe Bechamin – tenor saxophone
  • Shirley Goodman – backing vocals
  • Tami Lynn – backing vocals
  • Harold Battiste – arrangements
  • Stanislaw Zagórski – design

All tracks by Dr. John, except where noted.

  1. Babylon
  2. Glowin’
  3. Black Widow Spider
  4. Barefoot Lady – Dr. John, Harold Battiste
  5. Twilight Zone
  6. The Patriotic Flag-Waiver
  7. The Lonesome Guitar Stranger

Cher: All I Really Want To Do

On August 16, 1965, “Imperial” label released “All I Really Want to Do”, the debut Cher studio album. It was recorded in 1965, at “Gold Star” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Sonny Bono.

Personnel:

  • Cher – lead vocals
  • Monte Dunn – guitar
  • Jeff Kaplan – guitar
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Steve Mann – guitar
  • Donald Peake – guitar
  • Mike Post – guitar
  • Randy Sterling – guitar
  • Harold Battiste – piano
  • Michel Rubini – keyboards
  • Bill Marx – accordion, keyboards
  • René Hall – bass guitar
  • Cliff Hills – bass guitar
  • Mel Pollan – bass guitar
  • Lyle Ritz – bass guitar
  • Frank Capp – drums
  • Sharkey Hall – drums
  • Jessie Sailes – drums
  • Frank DeVito – percussion
  • Gene Estes – percussion
  • Brian Stone – percussion
  • Julius Wechter – percussion
  • Harold Battiste – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. All I Really Want to Do – Bob Dylan
  2. I Go to Sleep – Ray Davies
  3. Needles and Pins – Sonny Bono, Jack Nitzsche
  4. Don’t Think Twice – Bob Dylan
  5. He Think I Still Care – Dickey Lee Lipscomb
  6. Dream Baby – Sonny Bono
  7. The Bells of Rhymney – Idris Davies, Pete Seeger
  8. Gir Don’t Come – Chris Andrews
  9. See See Rider – traditional, arranged by Sonny Bono, Charles Greene, Robert Stone
  10. Come and Stay with Me – Jackie DeShannon
  11. Cry Myself to Sleep – Mike Gordon
  12. Blowin’ in the Wind – Bob Dylan

Red Crayola: God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail with It

In May 1968, “International Artists” label released “God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail with It”, the second Red Krayola studio album.  It was recorded February – March 1968, at “Gold Star” in Hollywood, and was produced by Jim Duff.

Personnel:

  • Mayo Thompson – vocals, guitar, piano, design 
  • Steve Cunningham – fretless bass guitar, design
  • Tommy Smith – drums, design
  • Jim Duff – engineer
  • Fred Caroll – engineer
  • Dennis Collins – engineer
  • Chorus Singers – Mary Sue, Dotty, Pat Pritchett, Barbara Metyko, Elaine Banks, Carolyn Heinman, Candy
  • Holly Pritchett – vocals
  • Dick Wray – back cover photography
  • Guy Clark – back cover photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Mayo Thompson, Steve Cunningham and Tommy Smith.

  1. Say Hello to Jamie James
  2. Music
  3. The Shirt
  4. Listen to This
  5. Save the House
  6. Victory Garden
  7. Coconut Hotel
  8. Sheriff Jack
  9. Free Piece
  10. Ravi Shankar Parachutist
  11. Piece for Piano and Electric Bass Guitar
  12. Dairymaid’s Lament
  13. Big
  14. Leejol
  15. Sherlock Holmes
  16. Dirth of Tilth
  17. Tina’s Gone to Have a Baby
  18. The Jewel of Madonna
  19. Green of My Pants
  20. Night Song

V.A.: A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records

On November 22, 1963, “Philles” label released “A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records”, an album of Christmas songs. It was recorded September – October 1963, at “Gold Star” in Hollywood, and was produced by Phil Spector. In 2003, the album was ranked at no. 142 on “Rolling Stone” magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and in 2019, it was ranked the greatest “Christmas Album of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Darlen Love – performer (White Christmas, Marshmallow World, Winter Wonderland, Christmas, Baby Please Come Home)
  • The Ronettes – performer (Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus)
  • Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans – performer (The Bells of St. Mary’s, Here Comes Santa Claus)  
  • The Crystals – performer (Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers)
  • Phil Spector – performer (Silent Night)
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Bill Pitman – guitar
  • Tommy Tedesco – guitar
  • Nino Tempo – guitar
  • Irv Rubins – guitar
  • Leon Russell – piano
  • Al De Lory – piano
  • Don Randi – piano
  • Ray Pohlman – bass
  • Jimmy Bond – bass
  • Hal Blaine – drums
  • Sonny Bono – percussion
  • Frank Capp – percussion
  • Jack Nitzsche – percussion, arrangements
  • Jay Migliori – saxophone
  • Steve Douglas – baritone saxophone
  • Roy Caton – trumpet
  • Lou Blackburn – horns
  • Johnny Vidor – strings
  • Larry Levine – engineer

Track listing:

  1. White Christmas – Irving Berlin
  2. Frosty the Snowman – Steve Nelson, Walter Rollins
  3. The bells of St. Mary’s – A. Emmet Adams, Douglas Furber
  4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
  5. Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
  6. Marshmallow World – Carl Sigman, Peter DeRose
  7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Tommie Connor
  8. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer – Johnny Marks
  9. Winter Wonderland – Felix Bernard, Dick Smith
  10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers – Leon Jessel
  11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home – Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector
  12. Here Comes Santa Claus – Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
  13. Silent Night – Josef Mohr, Franz X. Gruber