Six O’Clock Triple Shot – 9/15/14 Sound City Founder Tom Skeeter Dies

(The Six O'Clock Triple Shot is a daily feature of three songs that share a common theme, heard weeknights on 94.9 WMMQ)

Tonight, we commemorate the life of a music industry giant. Owner and founder of Sound City Studios Tom Skeeter passed away on Saturday, but not before helping to leave a mark on four decades of Rock 'n' Roll. Skeeter's famous studio was the subject of an outstanding documentary put together by Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame in 2013. In fact, the famed soundboard from Sound City's Studio A, a Neve 8078, was purchased by Grohl in 2011 after the studio closed its doors.

Sound City, in its early days, hosted artists like Neil Young, Crazy Horse, and even Charles Manson laid some tracks down in Studio B. Leon Russell and Denny Cordell, founders of Shelter Records, set up shop at Sound City as well. That's how Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers became phenoms. Petty's original band Mudcrutch, signed by Cordell, set up shop there in 1974. Mick Fleetwood met Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks there. Their 1975 self-titled LP, the first with Buckingham and Nicks, was recorded at Sound City. Petty (five albums), Elton John (Caribou), REO Speedwagon (You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish), Santana (Zebop!), Pat Benatar (Crimes of Passion and Precious Time), and Bachman Turner Overdrive (Not Fragile) were among the many who recorded at Sound City in the early days. As Rock 'n' Roll was changing forever in the 1980's and 1990's, Sound City opened its doors to some of the most influential grunge artists of the time including Nirvana (Nevermind), Tool (Undertow), Blind Melon (Blind Melon), and Rage Against The Machine (Rage Against The Machine).

Tonight, I am featuring three songs from classic albums recorded at the late Tom Skeeter's factory of greatness. Tune in for "Monday Morning" off of the self-titled Fleetwood Mac LP, "Blue Morning, Blue Day" from Foreigner's Double Vision album, and the title track to Dio's Holy Diver LP. It's tonight's Six O'Clock Triple Shot on 94.9 WMMQ!