Huey Lewis and the News at Ardent Studios
Superstar, R&B aficionado, and all-around nice guy Huey Lewis came to Ardent this month to start work on a new record. And yes - he brought the News. Together they were working on a Stax tribute record - yet to be titled - and felt that Memphis and Ardent were the way to go for just such a project. Says Lewis of the record: "...we’re trying to do it right, and I think if you’re down here you’re a little bit more careful.” Ardent engineer John Hampton shared engineering duties with Jim Gaines, with Curry Weber as assistant and Lydia Gilman ...
Chris Bell’s I Am the Cosmos (Deluxe Edition) Available Now
From Rhino Handmade's I Am the Cosmos (Deluxe) page: Chris Bell was an immensely gifted songwriter, performer and producer. As a founding member of Big Star and as a solo artist he struggled to have his songs heard. Sadly, the Memphis-born artist did not live long enough to see the enormous impact his music - both with Big Star and as a solo artist - would have on future generations. Bell's influential legacy grows thanks to the release of his solo album I AM THE COSMOS - DELUXE EDITION, and Rhino Records' September 15 release of KEEP AN EYE ON ...
Willie “Pops” Mitchell Dies at 81
Everyone here at Ardent is sorry to hear the news of the passing of Willie "Pops" Mitchell on January 5th, 2010. Mitchell was a key figure in the history of Memphis music, starting as a trumpet player and moving his way to engineer, producer, talent scout and label executive at Hi Records. He championed the careers of Ann Peebles, Otis Clay and Al Green, to name a few. Some words from Ardent Studios' founder and owner John Fry on his memories of Pops: "My early memories of Willie Mitchell are of those occasions that he would bring something to the old ...
Jody Stephens Interviewed for Memphis Music Foundation’s M3 Moment
Big Star drummer and Ardent Studios manager Jody Stephens was recently interviewed for the Memphis Music Foundation's M3 Moment video series. Watch the video below to hear Jody speak about Big Star's legacy and history with Ardent, Keep an Eye on the Sky (the Big Star box set), Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story, and the reissue of Chris Bell's I Am the Cosmos. The I Am the Cosmos Deluxe Edition was released in late September of this year, just two weeks after another very exciting release for us - Big Star's Keep an Eye on the Sky Box ...
Announcements
Staxtacular ’10 is the premier party hosted by Rudy Gay, Mike Conley and a...
From Rhino Handmade’s I Am the Cosmos (Deluxe) page: Chris Bell was an...
Everyone here at Ardent is sorry to hear the news of the passing of Willie “Pops”...
Big Star drummer and Ardent Studios manager Jody Stephens was recently interviewed...
Big Star just got back from playing their first gig in New York City in 13 years,...
Read More Posts From This CategoryMemphis Events
Staxtacular ’10 is the premier party hosted by Rudy Gay, Mike Conley and a...
It’s that time of year again! For the second of what we hope will be many...
On Thursday, December 10th, from 5:30 – 8:30 PM True Stories Pictures will...
Robyn Hitchcock Visits Indie Memphis, Ardent StudiosFamed independent singer songwriter Robyn Hitchcock made his way across the pond...
On Sept. 29 at 7 pm (doors open at 6 pm) at Studio On The Square, The Memphis Chapter...
Read More Posts From This CategoryArtist Spotlight
The Scruffs’ Conquest Released
Readers of this blog may remember a post from June of last year giving a bit of history on The Scruffs, detailing their iterations and history from their debut record Wanna Meet the Scruffs? (recorded at Ardent in 1977) and leading up through the present day. The Scruffs latest release, entitled Conquest, was flushed out and mixed here at Ardent Studios... [Read more of this review]
Huey Lewis and the News at Ardent Studios
Superstar, R&B aficionado, and all-around nice guy Huey Lewis came to Ardent this month to start work on a new record. And yes – he brought the News. Together they were working on a Stax tribute record – yet to be titled – and felt that Memphis and Ardent were the way to go for just such a project. Says Lewis of the record: “…we’re... [Read more of this review]
John Kilzer Completes Tracking with Jeff Powell, Lucas Peterson
Former Geffen recording artist John Kilzer was in the studio this month, laying down tracks for a new record with producer/engineer Jeff Powell and assistant Lucas Peterson. Here’s what Lucas had to say about the session: “Tracking for John Kilzer’s newest record started on November 21 in Studio A of Ardent. We had the room divided... [Read more of this review]
The Truth According to Ruthie Foster Nominated for Grammy
You may remember our post from some time last year about a great artist that graced us with her presence here at Ardent – Ms. Ruthie Foster. Ruthie, along with producer Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama, Ben Harper, Aaron Neville) engineer Jimmy Hoyson (James Taylor, CSNY, Ozzy Osbourne), assistant Jason Gillespie and a host of great musicians... [Read more of this review]
Jack Dalton Completes “Icarus” at Ardent
Australian rocker and American expatriate Jac Dalton returned to Memphis and Ardent Studios to overdub, edit and mix his new album, “Icarus.” The project was produced by Gregg Brown and Darren Mullan, with Ardent’s GRAMMY award-winning engineer John Hampton at the console. Gregg Brown and John Hampton have worked together with many top... [Read more of this review]
Paul Mark Returns to Ardent with Jeff Powell
New York native and Ardent regular Paul Mark was back in the studio recently starting work on a new project with engineer Jeff Powell and assistant Lucas Peterson. Along with bassist James Strain, keyboardist Al Gamble (Gamble Brothers Band, City Champs) and drummer Harry Peel (Susan Marshall), they spent 3 days tracking 6 songs for 2 new yet-to-be-titled... [Read more of this review]
Robyn Hitchcock Visits Indie Memphis, Ardent Studios
Famed independent singer songwriter Robyn Hitchcock made his way across the pond from his native England to attend this year’s Indie Memphis Film Festival, which is held every year right down the street from Ardent Studios. Hitchcock had several ties to this year’s festival, not the least of which was an opportunity to record at Ardent. First,... [Read more of this review]
Chris Bell’s I Am The Cosmos Remastered and Re-Released
“The first time I met Chris, I walked into my office and he was sitting in my chair, with his feet up on my desk, smoking a cigarette,” says Fry, laughing. “I thought: Now, who in the heck is this?” At the end of a journey that has lasted more than 40 years, from that first moment until now, Rhino Records has announced that it will be... [Read more of this review]
Klaus Voormann’s A Sideman’s Journey Released July 17!
Readers of this blog may remember that late last year, Ardent was privileged enough to be a part of Klaus Voormann’s new project, called A Sideman’s Journey. Ardent veteran Don Nix brought Klaus to Memphis to work on a part of the record. Nix (a Stax artist, producer and writer) and Voormann’s friendship goes back to the ’70s.... [Read more of this review]
Big Star at Hyde Park, London
Big Star just returned from London, having performed at Hyde Park on July 1st. John Fry also traveled with the band, and together with Jody Stephens got to tour the famed Abbey Road studios. From Jody’s account of the trip: John Fry, Steve Rhea, Mark Harber (friend and neighbor) and I boarded a plane to London on June 27. The occasion was... [Read more of this review]
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