A local record label is bringing a new beat into a studio with a storied past. Six months ago,
Tattooed Millionaire records purchased the abandoned building at 904 Rayner St. In its life, the building has been home to Gary Bells and Joe Walsh’s Kiva recording studio, a House of Blues and the home-base for the Bar-Kays and Sam Samudio.
“Being here, you start uncovering things and realizing just how much stuff was done here. It's truly flattering and it's an honor to be a part of the greatest in city in music history and this being one of the biggest facilities where a lot of it came out of. It puts a lot of healthy pressure on us to continue that tradition,” said president John Falls.
After the House of Blues shut down in 2001, the building hasn’t been in operation. Falls and Tattooed Millionaire owner and CEO Cris Brown are giving the 15,000-square foot property a heft facelift. Falls said that he’s leaving the original artwork done by Angel Mose and Joe Light, and studio manager Leo Geoff added that nearly every square inch of the studio is covered with colorful murals.
“We've taken certain things here and made them more modern, but we say we've put a new shell on it but we've left the soul intact,” Falls added.
Over the years, several renowned technicians collaborated on the nuts and bolts of the space. “This was made to be an A-level studio on a worldwide level,” he said. With state-of-the-art recording equipment and a full production company offering everything from music videos to live production, Tattooed Millionaire is positioning itself to be Memphis’ next major record label.
Current projects underway range from radio-friendly high energy music to sinister, experimental rock. One Less Reason’s record is likely to be the first release coming out late summer or early fall. The company is currently recording three of their label artists, but they’ll also be offering services to the public.
Size-wise, Tattooed Millionare is the second largest recording studio after Ardent. John Fry had a hand in redoing the building’s equipment back in the 1980s, but Falls said that he’s focusing on defining Memphis with a new sound.
“It's been such a long time since Memphis has had a place or a front runner as far as a record label goes in the rock world or even the rap world. You don't have a day to day thing that's stationed here ,” he added. “For us, it's about what we achieve nationally and internationally so that it brings that watchful eye back to Memphis more than it is just about having a local presence.”
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.