Former Location –
In the early 70’s, Todd Rundgren built a recording studio in the top story loft that he called “The Secret Sound“.
Todd recorded “A Wizard, A True Star
“, “Initiation
” and “Todd
” here for himself. He also recorded and produced other artists work here as well.
After Todd moved from Woodstock, NY, to Hawaii in May 1996, he closed this studio.
Notable Recordings made at The Secret Sound:
Legends Of The Lost And Found by Harry Chapin
Living Room Suite by Harry Chapin
Dance Band On The Titanic by Harry Chapin
Hallowed Ground by Violent Femmes
Hearts of Stone by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
War Babies by Daryl Hall & John Oates
I Came To Dance by Nils Lofgren
Silver Lining by Nils Lofgren
Utopia by Todd Rundgren’s Utopia
The Secret Sound Recording Studio
147 W 24th St
New York NY 10011
Secret was the first studio I worked at.i was an assistant there in the very early 1980s. We recorded lots of stuff for Saturday Night Live as well as sessions with Don McLean and others..
to Secret Sound was brought about by my friend Michael who wrote letters to Moogy Klingman and was subsequently invited to visit the studio in NYC. So myself and Michael took the train from Connecticut to NYC when we found the studio and took the elevator up to the studio. The elevator door opened and a wall of reel to reel tape recorders were before us. Moogy was getting a haircut right there in the studio. Autographs, but no Todd, he wasn’t there when we visited, if he had been there, I would have wet my pants. It was a highlight of my life.
I also worked for Jack Malken at Secret Sound Studio. Saturday Night Live band/harry Chapin/Spyro Gyro/and many more. Exciting times
awesomeness!
I used to intern there. one time I met The New Power Generation there
Where did Michael Barry go after SSS? I had the best time during a NY snow storm, Michael at the helm, and being stuck with Harry Chapin and Tom.
Secret Sound Studios (then owned by a partnership that had purchased the business from Jack alken) was where my engineering career began in 1985. All kinds of wonderful music was still made there…opportunity to learn the craft from many who are still good friends today and to work with artists, composers, the likes of Lou Reed, Doc Pomus, Rikki Lee Jones, Doctor John and many many more…great memories a nd a great start in “professional” life! There was also this really cool wooden staff with “Wizard a true star and various and sundry ” mystic” symbols carved into it that we found in some nook or cranny. I wonder what happened to that? And there were ther
emins and mellotrons, very cool to put it mildly…
Clubby, you high. You forgot Tulsa Red and Randy, Karen B, Banzai, Short Cord, and pot seeds in the console.
Tom- Did you play in some NYC punk bands in the early 80s? Would love to ask you about them. Send me an email! Brad (skinnytie45@gmail.com).
I’m Thilde Peterson. I lived on the 4th floor of the building and when my elevator door would open I’d guess at who’d be in that small compartment with me. Todd, Harry, other guests. When they found out I follows Oliver Lake, Don Cherry and some other jazz guys, they asked for an intro. What a life that was!!! My roommate and I would get invited up to listen. It was extraordinary!
I was an apprentice there in ’83, and it was an amazing time. Executive Slacks, Violent Femmes, Brecker Bros, Hiram Bullock, Michael Stern, etc. I learned a lot, about a lot, at my short but busy tenure there. Debbie Rebhun was the mgr and Jack was the owner at that point. Todd’s old mellotron was always parked next to the elevator – surprised it never got “walked off’! Played with one of the very first DX-7 synths in the US – complete with Japanese -only manual and 100v PSU. Very loud Urie 813bs in there then, too. I could go on, but I won’t.
If this is the studio that was later operated by David Wilkes/Danny Weiss & Bob Saidenberg, I recorded many of my jingles and song demos there when I first moved to Manhattan. I remember Lou Reed storming out of the studio into the lobby, nearly knocking me over, and cursing “I wish I’d never heard the fucking word SMPTE!“
After that it was Claude XXXand Andy Green … Warren XXX Chief Engineer. I remember working with Cissy Houston , LL cool J , Burger king jingles … One night with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Walter Becker … we had to lock the doors on the street level… NYPD outside with a load speaker..they were talking about the days when Hendrix did this on 8th street…Our part of Rock History…:)PB1
I worked at secret sound in 1981. My first real studio job. Jack Malkin paid us $5.00 a day for lunch. I had just moved to NY from small town Northern Canada a few months earlier. The great Harry Chapin was recording there, and he was so kind to me. I was vacuuming the studio on a sunny afternoon when the bad news about Harry Chapin’s car accident came in.
I recorded an album at Secret Sound in 1979-80 with Jack Malken and the gang there. Such a great feeling. Interesting folks coming and going. And great sound!