Whitney Recording Studios

NOTE: Post 1978 for 1st recording see MCA Whitney Recording Studios.

Name variation: Lorin Whitney Studio; Lorin Whitney Recording Co.

Whitney Recording Studio was both a recording studio and a pressing & tape duplication plant. The company also had a smaller second studio, Studio B, located down the street. This had mastering & tape duplication, but no pressing facility.

From it's inception, as the "Haven Of Rest Record Studio" in the 1950's as a Christian music & broadcasting location, the studio also provided a full menu of services to Southern Californian musicians. The brainchild of organist Lorin Whitney the Glendale studio also included a large pipe organ, in addition to its other facilities. Before the studio was acquired by MCA the Whitney pipe organ was played on many releases by Lorin Whitney, often accompanied by The Haven Of Rest Quartet. It was also overdubbed on many records, movies, TV shows and commercials. Billy Joel played it on “Captain Jack” for his “Piano Man” LP.

Whitney’s hit list is enormous. Besides Exile's "Mixed Emotions" produced by Mike Chapman, Barry White also recorded all of his early hits at Whitney, along with Love Unlimited and The Love Unlimited Orchestra. Many gold and platinum sellers were recorded for the likes of Pat Benatar, Blondie, The Knack, Nick Gilder, Frank Zappa and many more. Sadly, by 1978, the organ was sold and then the studio itself, to MCA. The revamped studio then became MCA Whitney Recording Studios (also known as MCA Music Media Studios).