United Recording Corp.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Recording studio |
| Predecessor | United Recording Corp., Western Studio |
| Founded | 1961 in Hollywood, California, United States |
| Founder | Bill Putnam |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Fate | Rebranded as Ocean Way Recording |
| Successor | Ocean Way Recording |
| Headquarters | Hollywood, Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Bill Putnam (founder) |
| Products | Audio recording services |
| Owner | Bill Putnam (until 1984) |
United Western Recorders was a renowned recording studio complex in Hollywood, consisting of two adjacent buildings that emerged as one of the leading independent studios during the 1960s. It united the neighboring facilities of United Recording Corp. at 6050 Sunset Boulevard and Western Studio located at 6000 Sunset Boulevard.
In 1984, the complex underwent a rebranding and became known as Ocean Way Recording. Starting in 1999, the site split into two separate entities: Ocean Way Recording (currently named United Recording Studios) remained at 6050 Sunset, while Cello Studios (now EastWest Studios) operated out of 6000 Sunset.
Throughout the 1960s, numerous chart-topping recordings were made at United Western. As noted in Temples of Sound, "No other studio has received more accolades for technical excellence, nor has any other studio earned as many Best Engineered Grammy Awards." Western’s Studio 3 holds particular fame due to its association with Brian Wilson and his work on the Beach Boys albums such as Pet Sounds (1966) and the unreleased Smile.
Structure
Although only separated by a single block, United Recording and Western Studio functioned mostly as independent operations. United Recording featured two spacious rooms: United 'A' measuring approximately 45 × 65 × 22 feet, alongside the somewhat smaller United 'B'. Western Studio had a comparable setup with a larger Western 1 and a smaller Western 2. Both complexes included an additional smaller recording space plus dedicated dubbing and mastering suites. The more intimate rooms were prized for their superior acoustics; notably, Western Studio 3, sized at 34' × 15', was Brian Wilson’s favored environment.
Operational period (1961–1984)
Prior to his move to California, Bill Putnam founded the Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago. Renowned as a trailblazer in recording technology, Putnam gained recognition for developing UREI equipment and custom mixing consoles under Universal Audio, which became industry standards in prominent studios. After relocating to Hollywood in 1957 with financial support from entertainers Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, he established the United Recording Corp. complex at 6050 Sunset Boulevard. By 1958, Studio B was completed, featuring two reverb chambers. The facility expanded to include three recording studios, three mastering rooms, a mixdown suite, and a small record pressing plant. It was frequently booked for television shows, film voiceovers, soundtracks, and sessions with popular musicians. For example, Hanna-Barbera recorded voices for The Flintstones, while Ricky Nelson laid down Poor Little Fool, recognized as the first Billboard Hot 100 number one in 1958.
In 1961, Putnam acquired the adjacent Western Studio at 6000 Sunset, renovating it to create a unified complex renamed United Western Recorders. This combined facility attracted top-tier artists such as Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, and Elvis Presley. Putnam assembled an expert engineering team including Bones Howe, John Haeny, Lee Hershberg, Chuck Britz, and mobile recording innovator Wally Heider. Initially, United catered primarily to established performers like Crosby, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Ray Charles, whereas Western became favored by rising pop-rock talents including Sam Cooke, the Beach Boys, Phil Spector, and the Mamas & the Papas.
Recognizing the growing significance of stereophonic sound in the early 1960s, Putnam invested in producing simultaneous mono and stereo mixes despite initial hesitance from major record labels to fund stereo productions. He accumulated over two-and-a-half years’ worth of stereo recordings before stereo became widespread. At its peak, United Western generated approximately US$200,000 monthly in studio revenue (equivalent to roughly US$1 million today). When record companies sought to purchase his extensive stereo tape archive, Putnam negotiated a profitable arrangement requiring them to cover his studio time expenses rather than merely buying the tapes outright.
In 1970, Jack Herschorn acquired Universal Audio mixing consoles and professional audio equipment from United Studio A and installed them at Aragon Studios in Vancouver, which eventually evolved into Mushroom Studios. Later in 1982, Eddie Van Halen purchased the UA console from Western Studio 2 for use in his private 5150 Studio. This console featured prominently on Van Halen’s albums 1984, 5150, and OU812.
Ocean Way Recording
In 1984, Allen Sides purchased the studio complex from Putnam and rebranded it as Ocean Way Recording, a title it retained until 1999.
Cello Studios
The Western portion was sold by Sides in 1999 to technology entrepreneur Rick Adams, who renamed it Cello Studios. This facility operated from 1999 through 2005 and became a recording site for leading rock bands such as Blink-182, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, System of a Down, Weezer, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, and the Mars Volta. The studio ceased operations in 2005.
Upon acquiring the Western building, Adams also obtained Ocean Way’s collection of equipment, which included rare vintage microphones and prized outboard gear like the legendary Fairchild 670 limiters—integral to many classic pop productions. Although the building was repurposed for various uses, the studios themselves preserved Putnam’s original design. During this timeframe, artists including Alanis Morissette, Elton John, R.E.M., and Green Day made recordings there.
EastWest Studios
In early 2006, producer Doug Rogers of EastWest Sounds took ownership of Cello Studios and renamed it EastWest Studios. He commissioned designer Philippe Starck to renovate the non-technical spaces while maintaining Putnam’s authentic 1960s acoustic environment. Since 2012, EastWest Studios has garnered more than 130 Grammy nominations, the highest number for any recording studio worldwide.
United Recording Studios
In 2013, ownership of Ocean Way Recording transferred to Hudson Pacific Properties; by 2015, the facility reverted to its original name, United Recording Studios.
Timeline
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Colors =
id:urc value:purple legend:United Recording Corp.
id:uwr value:red legend:United Western Recorders id:owr value:blue legend:Ocean Way Recording id:cello value:yellow legend:Cello Studios id:ew value:orange legend:EastWest Studios id:urs value:green legend:United Recording Studios
PlotData =
width:20 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,–4)
bar:6050 Sunset from:start till:01/01/1961 color:urc bar:6050 Sunset
bar:6000 Sunset from:01/01/1961 till:01/01/1984 color:uwr bar:6050 Sunset from:01/01/1961 till:01/01/1984 color:uwr
bar:6000 Sunset from:01/01/1984 till:01/01/1999 color:owr bar:6050 Sunset from:01/01/1984 till:01/01/2015 color:owr
bar:6000 Sunset from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2002 color:cello
bar:6000 Sunset from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2025 color:ew
bar:6050 Sunset from:01/01/2015 till:01/01/2025 color:urs
</timeline>
Enduring Impact
At United A, Frank Sinatra recorded landmark songs such as "It Was a Very Good Year" and "That's Life", while "Strangers in the Night" was produced at Western 1, where his Reprise Records offices were situated upstairs. Ray Charles created his crossover hit "I Can't Stop Loving You" along with the album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music at United B. Western 3 served as the location for legendary recordings including Pet Sounds, hits by the Mamas & the Papas like "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday", as well as "Let's Live for Today" and "Midnight Confessions" by the Grass Roots, plus "Hair" performed by the Cowsills. Additional prominent performers who utilized these studios encompass Blondie, Elvis Presley, Bobby Vee, the 5th Dimension, the Righteous Brothers, Barbra Streisand, Petula Clark, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Tom Petty, R.E.M., k.d. lang, Madonna, Rod Stewart, Glen Campbell, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Walter Wanderley.
A variety of television and film theme songs were recorded at the 6000 Sunset location, including themes for shows such as Hawaii Five-O, The Partridge Family, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Green Acres at Western Recorders.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Recording studios in California
- Albums recorded at United Western Recorders
- Buildings and structures in Hollywood, Los Angeles
- Sunset Boulevard (Los Angeles)
- Music of Los Angeles
- Companies based in Los Angeles
- Entertainment companies based in California
- Mass media companies established in 1961
- Mass media companies disestablished in 1984
- 1961 establishments in California
- 1984 disestablishments in California
- Culture of Hollywood, Los Angeles
- Former recording studios
- Mass media companies disestablished in 1961