The Name of This Studio is...

Jackpot! Recording Studio is the studio's name. -by Larry Crane

A recording studio, like any other business, needs a name. When Elliott Smith, Joanna Bolme, and I had breakfast at Laurelthirst Public House the morning Elliott and I signed the building lease for the original location, we sat there figuring out a studio name as noted in this post. The word we came up with was Jackpot. It’s a little funny, optimistic, and – heck – anything in the music business is a gamble, right? Cough cough. Anyway, I added Recording Studio, and I’m pretty sure I unknowingly borrowed the exclamation point from Stuart Hallerman’s Avast! Recording Co. in Seattle. He pointed this out to me once day, and I was like, “Oh, I think you’re right!”

Thus, Jackpot! Recording Studio became the name of the studio. A few years later, it technically became Jackpot! Recording Studio, Inc. when it was incorporated as an S-Corp for tax reasons. And on some accounts for taxes, banking, and such the exclamation point has to be removed as the forms won’t accept it! (Consider this when naming business.) So, just like the sign above and below (which now sits inside our front room) the name of the studio is Jackpot! Recording Studio.

But how does the name of this studio appear on album credits? During recording sessions, I’m always amazed at how few musicians take notes and collate credits to use for their projects. In ALL my communications with artists I note this:

Credits will read: “Produced, Recorded, and Mixed by Larry Crane at Jackpot! Recording Studio”. If only mixing: "Mixed by Larry Crane at Jackpot! Recording Studio."

So, how do credits actually appear on the releases that come out of Jackpot!? According to Discogs, it’s Jackpot! Recording Studio. That is correct, but they also ignorantly list recording studios as “labels” which is incredibly off base and generally untrue.

I’ve seen album credits listed as:

Jackpot Studios

Jackpot! Studio

Jackpot Studio

Jackpot Recording

Jackpot Recording Studio

Jackpot Recording Studios

Jackpot! Recording

Jackpot!

When, where, who, what… nailed! Just forgot “Recording Studio” but that’s okay.

We still can’t find that second studio room.

Bonus points for “First Engineer” on this one!

Using my legal name is unusual, but one of these band members knew me as Lawrence before I gave up and used Larry.

Bonus points for adding URL!

(Please note that Jackpot! is a one studio facility. There is only one control room and live room. That is a “studio.” The word “studios” would infer that Jackpot! is a multi-room facility, which it is not.)

Some credits, as seen above, include the city and/or state. It’s a nice touch, but in the internet age it’s pretty easy to find where Jackpot! is. Very rarely do credits include our URL. This is cute and sweet, but I’d never request that. I personally like dates to be included in album credits, but I also work as an archivist and am frustrated by lack of information all the time.

So far I haven’t seen anyone credit Jackpot Records as the place they made their album, but I’m waiting for that one. A fair number of people have visited the fine record store on Hawthorne Blvd. looking for “the studio in the back.” Wow.

So, if you record anything at Jackpot! Recording Studio, please use these three words with an exclamation point after the first word. Even simply using Jackpot! Recording is sort of correct, so I’ll let that slide.