TTG Studios was a recording studio in Los Angeles, California, founded by Ami Hadani and Tom Hidley.[1]
Contents |
"TTG" stood for "two terrible guys."[1][2][3] The studio was first established in 1965 at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in Hollywood section of Los Angeles.[1] Due to its high decibel level threshold, their studio became popular with the up and coming musicians rock musicians of that time, including The Monkees, Eric Burdon,[1] and Alice Cooper.[4] Burdon introduced Jimi Hendrix to the studio and Hendrix "raved" about the studio's sound.[2]
TTG Studios' co-founder was Tom Hidley. He was born May 27, 1931 in Los Angeles, California.[1] As a teen, he spent long hours playing the saxophone, clarinet, and flute, until ordered to cease by his physician after a physical breakdown.[1] He then turned to non-performance aspects of music, and spend nights recording at clubs and days working at loudspeaker and tape-machine companies.[1]
In 1959, "Madman Muntz" hired Hidley to assist in the development of the first car stereo.[1] Among the first to own a Muntz car stereo was Frank Sinatra, the famous singer and actor.[1] Through Sinatra's purchase, Hidley became known to a Sinatra associate Val Valentin, who invited Hildley to assist in the building of a new recording studio in New York.[1] In 1962, they built the MGM/Verve studio.[1] In 1964, Phil Ramone hired Hidley to work at his A&R studio as the audio technical manager.[1] Also employed at that time by A&R was Ami Hadani.[1]
Little is known about the other TTG co-founder, Ami Hadani, who also went by the name Omi Hadan.[5][6] According to Bruce Botnick, Hadani was a General in the Israeli Air Force, and had to leave for weeks at a time when Israel was at war.[3]