With Michael Jackson's death, there's been a lot of focus on the legendary Hitsville USA... Motown's Studio A where the Jackson 5 created some incredible music. It's an amazing place to go for any music fan.
But there's an overlooked gem in the Motor City's musical landscape. United Sound Systems Recording Studio - in Detroit's New Center area - should be a museum as Detroit's first major recording studio. It opened in 1933. It's the location where John Lee Hooker recorded his first song, "Boogie Chillen" in 1948. In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. recorded the first Motown Records song here before opening his own studio in his home. Others who recorded here include Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Parliament Funkadelic, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones. Its windows were boarded up a decade ago to fight off neighborhood vandals but United Sound is still in use as a recording studio for local hip hop artists to this day.
Don Davis took over United Sound System in 1971. He purchased a new recording console in 1972 It was designed by Daniel Flickenger. I [Pete Bankert]purchased the Flickenger Recording Console in the late 1980`s from Don Davis. It has been re-built over the years and still in production to this day at 670 Airport Blvd Ann Arbor MI WWWROCKCITYSTUDIO.COM 2012 will mark 40yrs of service and still going strong. It has stood the test of time.