RCA Studio B - Nashville

In this episode – RCA Studio B, Nashville . . .

You've never been to Nashville; what sights would you want to see? Is it the "Broadway Honkytonk Scene" where live bands "blast" their music non-stop from 9:30 am until 3:00 am every day!

Maybe it's The Grand Ole' Opry?

Or how about the Earnest Tubb Record Shop serving downtown Nashville since 1947 - hosting The Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, the second longest-running radio show in history. Broadcast on WSM 650 with a live audience every Saturday at 10:00 pm.

For me, it was Historic RCA Studio B.

Constructed in 1957, RCA Studio B became known as the birthplace of the "Nashville Sound." A melodic style characterized by background vocals and strings helped establish Nashville as an international recording center from 1957 – 1977 – Music City USA.

On December 3rd, 1957, country singer Don Gibson stood before a microphone in a newly built Nashville studio at 17th Ave. South and Hawkins St, leased to RCA records by local businessman Don Maddox.

Poised to record his original song "Oh Lonesome Me," Gibson was backed by drummer Troy Hatcher, vocal quartet The Jordanaires, bassist Joe Zinkin, rhythm guitarist Velma Smith, and guitar ace Chet Atkins who played electric lead and produced the session.

Adkins later explained, "I just wanted to make "Oh Lonesome Me," kind of like Don's demo, toward that end; he said, "we miked the bass drum."

Up until that time, people just recorded the drums with one microphone. On cue, Velma Smith kicked off the performance by playing "a special beat," as Atkins had advised, with syncopated basslines quickly building the excitement.

Atkins spiced the recording with strategic "chunks" then sailed into a spirited rock-tinged lead. The Jordanaires harmonized background chords and punctuated the arrangement with clipped fills (bah-dee-yah-bop-bop). "It was so fresh and so exciting," Atkins reflected in 1989. "We hit the bullseye at that time." It was just the kind of recording that satisfied country fans while reaching beyond the genre's core audience.

As "Oh Lonesome Me" proved, Atkin's country-pop approach worked well. In February 1958, the record began its 34-week chart run to #7, where it remained for a whopping eight weeks on Billboard magazine's country/pop charts.

Recorded during the same session and issued as the flip side of "Oh Lonesome Me," Gibsons "I Can't Stop Loving You," another original, also became a #7 country hit.

His double-sided smash confirmed Gibson's status as a star while boosting producer Atkin's confidence. This propelled the new studio to instant national visibility.

The studio's opening marked a milestone in Nashville's development as a music center. Based in New York, RCA already maintained studios there; in Chicago, Hollywood, and Camden, New Jersey. Studio B strengthened the label's commitment to Nashville's emerging music industry.

Nashville's Bradley family had previously established a studio in 1955 at 804 16th Ave South. The new RCA recording room became the second major enterprise in the neighborhood, later called "Music Row."

Over the next 20 years, RCA studio B hosted over 18,000 recording sessions. Both RCA studio and Bradley's operation became workshops for hits that embodied the country-pop Nashville sound.

This new style increased country records sales and fueled the dramatic expansion of full-time country radio stations from 81 in 1961 to more than 600 in 1972.

Both studios earned international fame for producing musically diverse hits that became firmly grounded in American popular culture. In doing so, the studios helped to secure Nashville's international reputation as Music City, USA.

Today Historic RCA Studio B-once, the recording home of famous artists such as Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold, Dolly Parton, Charlie Pride, Willie Nelson, and the Everly Brothers, is a classroom for Nashville area students and a popular tourist attraction.

In 2002 the Mike Curb Family Foundation purchased the studio and leased it to the non-profit Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

The studio's exterior was renovated, and the interior returned to its 1970s-era as an analog "temple of sound."

So, won't you be my virtual neighbor? If you enjoy our weekly visits, please share them with a friend.

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

A Heart Full of Thanks

Oh, the thanks I could think, and the thanks I could say! For the wonderful people who brightened my day. The first one is Lori, my wife, sweet and true, Who knows just the thing and knows just what to do. She whipped up a feast with a smile and a sigh, With corn on the cob and a steak cooked “On the Fly!” My neighbor, Steve, with a mischievous gleam, Said, “No fence work today! No work, it would seem! You’ll paint with some water, some colors so bright, And sign your new painting with all of your might!" I laughed and I said, “But I don’t know that skill! I’ll slap on some paint and see what sticks still!” Then there’s my friends on the Facebook machine, The best group of readers that ever was seen! They read all my blogs and they hear my podcasts, They send all their cheer that's built to last! And Billy and Linda. A Snoopy card in the mail. A wonderful surprise that was sure to prevail! From very good friends, a delightful new tale ! But the thanks didn't stop, no, not...

History Isn’t a Museum

✨ In this episode, History Isn't a Museum—It's a River . . . History isn't a museum—it's a river, and like it or not, we're already swimming in it. Its waters carry timeless lessons forward, flowing through each generation, waiting to be rediscovered . This profound realization struck me while reading Marcus Aurelius's Meditations . Imagine: a Roman emperor and philosopher two thousand years ago, writing notes that sound like advice from a modern mindfulness coach. When he says, "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength," it feels like he's speaking directly to us. The water may change, but the river is the same. Examining this writing with a fresh, childlike perspective and a wealth of experience, I realize how consistent human nature remains over time. Every generation faces familiar challenges, marked by frustration, peace, courage, faith, baseball, and the search for meaning across the ages...

Lessons from 1872

In this episode, Lessons from 1872: Travel in the Age of No-WiFi . . . Imagine having 80 days to explore the world, with no smartphones, no jet planes, and no money concerns. A thrilling thought, right? That’s the fantasy Jules Verne implies in his classic adventure, Around the World in 80 Days , and it's a question I've been pondering from my easy chair in Vista, California. This week’s On the Fly , we're traveling back in time with one of the most thrilling literary adventures ever written. Early on, it’s clear this is Phileas Fogg’s story—a man of clocks and calculations, whose every move is measured. His journey isn’t about discovery, but a bet—a mathematical challenge involving money, schedules, and perfect timing. But when you think he’s the engine of the story, someone else quietly steals the show. Meet Passepartout: The Heart of the Journey. Jean Passepartout, Fogg’s new valet, is Fogg’s complete opposite. A former circus acrobat seeking a quiet life, he joins Fo...

You're Not Stuck

✨ In this episode, You’re not Stuck—you’re in a habit you forgot you built. One bad moment can ruin your day, but one habit can change your life. In this episode of On the Fly , discover how small, daily actions can rewire your mindset, replace negativity with possibilities, and even lift the people around you. Your 7-day challenge starts now. You’re Not Stuck—You’re Just in a Habit. Yes, a single bad moment, a rough headline, or a tense conversation can throw off your entire day. Before you know it, your thoughts are spinning in a hamster wheel of frustration and negativity. Here’s the reality: you don’t have to stay on that wheel. The secret isn’t a lightning bolt of motivation—it’s something quieter but far more powerful: habit. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle. Mindset doesn’t change through grand gestures—it changes through small, repeatable actions . Your brain is constantly building pathways—tiny roads tha...

On The Fly

Search This Blog