Renewed momentum

Even though Sonobeat owner Bill Josey Sr. was forced to hire out his services and the Sonobeat studios for custom work in 1971 and '72, he kept an ear out for artists he believed would be good candidates for the occasional Sonobeat release or to offer to the major national labels. Though '72 had been a difficult year, as '73 began, the future looked brighter.

In January '73, Josey began a string of recordings with promising artists: the first were Adobie Flatz, who recorded three songs, and Gary York & Evelyn, whose sessions produced just one track. In February, Josey recorded two songs with country singer Joyce Spence and mixed a mono demo tape that he shopped to Nashville-based country-western labels. Also in February, Josey recorded an extremely promising Latin-flavored rock group, Vita. When Josey sent the Vita demo tape to United Artists Records for consideration, he noted that the group had enough original material to record two albums. Unfortunately, nothing came of any of these recordings, which put more financial pressure on Josey, so he began considering alternatives to an upcoming lease renewal of his studio space at the KVET building on North Lamar. In March, Josey recorded another country duo, Johnny and Janet Lyon; Johnny's band, the Country Nu-Notes, who Josey would record in early 1974, backed the sessions. Finally, in June, Josey reconstructed the studio band Base, this time with singer/songwriter Ernie Gammage as its headliner.

The beautiful setting for "Blue Hole Sounds" studio near Liberty Hill, Texas

Singer/songwriter Michele Murphy, who then was recording sessions for a potential Sonobeat release, suggested that Josey relocate the studio to Liberty Hill, a tiny community in the pretty Hill Country 35 miles northwest of Austin. Property was still inexpensive there. Murphy pointed Josey to a rarely-used stone church off Bagdad Road just outside Liberty Hill. The church property offered an idyllic and secluded setting and included enough acreage for Josey to bring in a mobile home for living quarters. The church itself, which Josey rented from the AME congregation that met there only twice a month, was sprawling, with 1200 square feet of floor space and a ceiling peaking at almost 14 feet. Josey moved onto the property in August '73 and began outfitting the old church as Sonobeat's new recording studio, which he called "Blue Hole Sounds".

"Blue Hole Sounds" flyer

Refurbishing the old church into a recording studio -- which included not just wiring the building for sound but also replacing doors and window coverings -- took many months longer than Josey had anticipated. But during that long period, Josey made many friends in the Liberty Hill area, including Tom Penick, a country singer/songwriter who lived in nearby Leander. Tom offered to help around the studio in exchange for free studio time to record his own songs. Since Josey had plenty of "time" to trade, he accepted Penick's offer. And, since Josey still needed to offer out the recording studio facilities on an hourly fee basis, one of the first tasks he assigned to Penick when the studio was finished was publicity. Penick circulated hundreds of "Blue Hole Sounds" fliers around Austin and the Hill Country, alerting artists who'd recorded with Josey in the Western Hills Drive and KVET building eras to the studio's new location and attracting artists who had never recorded at Sonobeat before.

Interior of "Blue Hole Sounds"

Josey gave Blue Hole Sounds a warm and welcome feel. He set up the recording console and equipment rack at the front of the former church, but instead of erecting a full height wall to separate the "control room" from the rest of the studio, he left the half-rail that had divided the pulpit, altar, and choir from the sanctuary. He sprinkled comfortable chairs and couches around the interior walls, hung loudspeakers in each corner, spread area rugs across the floor, and installed central air conditioning. Outside, he set up picnic tables under the live oak trees. In all, Blue Hole Sounds delivered on its promise as a unique environment.

Interior of "Blue Hole Sounds"

Josey made almost no recordings at Blue Hole Sounds during '73 because conversion of the church took so long. Indeed, because the studio still was not "perfect", he began 1974 with a remote recording session with a young country band, the Country Nu-Notes. Josey hauled his equipment down to the Broken Spoke, a popular honky tonk dance hall on South Lamar that's now an Austin icon. The Nu-Notes, still performing throughout Central Texas today, played good ol' traditional country despite the hot new progressive country movement that began in Austin in the early '70s. Notably, the Country Nu-Notes session at the Broken Spoke was only the second time in its history that Sonobeat recorded a truly "live" performance; the first was the Afro-Caravan's 1968 single, Comin' Home Baby, recorded at the San Antonio world fair, HemisFair.

Also early in '74, folk artist Arma Harper began recording from time to time at the studio and finally, in 1975, Josey released a Harper single, Just One Too Many Times backed with Plea for Freedom (PF-121), which Josey had mastered and pressed by Nashville Records. Suddenly, it seemed good fortunes were returning to Josey and Sonobeat and that the move to Liberty Hill and time spent refurbishing the old church would be worth it.

Next: Winding down