R.I.P. Thirteenth Floor Elevators/International Artists Engineer Walt Andrus + Paradise Found

"...Walt Andrus, best known as the engineer of numerous 13th Floor Elevators sessions, has gone where the pyramid meets the eye. Andrus, who engineered many of the most famous sessions for Houston's infamous International Artists label during the psychedelic period, was living in Truth or Consequences, N.M., when he passed away from melanoma. He was 72..."

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/2009/10/rip_thirteenth_floor_elevators.php

HOUSTON PRESS
Houston Music Blog

R.I.P. Thirteenth Floor Elevators/International Artists Engineer Walt Andrus

By William Michael Smith in Catfish Reef, Miles-tones, Reverberations
Fri., Oct. 23 2009 @ 3:15PM

Andrew Brown/ Patrick Lundborg/ lysergia.com
Walt Andrus in his studio, 1967

Walt Andrus, best known as the engineer of numerous Thirteenth Floor Elevators sessions, has gone where the pyramid meets the eye. Andrus, who engineered many of the most famous sessions for Houston's infamous International Artists label during the psychedelic period, was living in Truth or Consequences, N.M., when he passed away from melanoma. He was 72.

While Andrus is most famous for his Thirteenth Floor Elevators session work, he was also involved with recording seminal Texas psychedelic acts like Lost & Found, Golden Dawn, the Red Krayola's The Parable of Arable Land, and Fever Tree's 1968 classic Another Time, Another Place. He also worked for a time with Don Robey at the Duke-Peacock label.

Easter Everywhere, considered by many to be the fullest flowering of psychedelic music, was recorded at Andrus Studios on Broadway near the Houston Ship Channel during the summer of 1967. Most International Artists material was recorded at Andrus's studio until IA purchased Gold Star studios circa 1968.

In a 1996 interview with Richie Unterberger, the Red Krayola's Mayo Thompson said of Andrus, "Walt Andrus was head of the best studio in Houston, and in that particular period, he recorded everybody. Euphoria, who were definitely West Coast psychedelic progenitors of surf music, South Bay surf music, incredible guitar playing, power trio, the bass player out of the band that made "Pipeline" or "Wipe Out" or one of those kind of things, and a great drummer and a good guitar player. What you saw with Hendrix - the same principle, taken to its highest expression. Walt recorded this album."

Andrus was instrumental in remixing the Elevators catalog for the 10-CD recent box set Sign of the 3 Eyed Men.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

8 COMMENTS

John Kanesaw says:
Walt was a great guy and a wonderful studio engineer. We recorded several records at Andrus Studios in Houston, the most well known being, "Splash 1", written by Roky Ericson, early in our career as a rock band during the late 60's in Houston, TX.
John Kanesaw - drummer for The Clique.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 23 2009 @ 3:31PM

Charlie McGovern says:
I wonder how he miked the jug on the Thirteenth Floor Elevator stuff?
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 23 2009 @ 3:52PM

gary says:
probably with a mic....
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 23 2009 @ 4:05PM

wms says:
Just got this interesting message from Odessan Bob Bailey:

"The Shades recorded "I Am the Walrus" in Walt's studio about three weeks after the Beatles released it. We then performed it on the "IT" show. Special guest that taping for "IT" was B.J. Thomas. I tried to see if the Quad video tapes still were around but the station had just destroyed them the year I called. ( 1990's) I remember the control room guys showing me the Quad recorders which were brand new. They looked exactly like the 16 track at IA.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 23 2009 @ 4:23PM

Brett Koshkin says:
RIP, Walt. His work with Frank Davis was some of the most amazing stuff to ever come out of our fair city.
Posted On: Friday, Oct. 23 2009 @ 5:44PM

Patrick says:
The Walt Andrus photo above comes from my International Artists label tribute page, and nowhere else.

I have another photo that shows the interior of Andrus' studio at the time of "Easter Everywhere", as well as an interview with him from 1974 where he discusses "Easter", but since people on the internet like to steal things like this without giving credit, I guess these will remain unseen.

Both my Andrus photos came from Andrew Brown, a serious Texas music researcher.

Anyway, R.I.P Walt Andrus.
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 24 2009 @ 9:11AM

Walt Andrus Jr. says:
My father died on 10-21-09 of Melanoma at the of age 72. He was living in Truth or Consequences New Mexico at the time of his death and the studio on Broadway was in Houston.

Anyway, thank you all for the tributes.

Walt Jr.
Posted On: Saturday, Oct. 24 2009 @ 10:11PM

Chris Gray says:
The pertinent information has been corrected, and due credit/linkage given to the photo.
Thanks for letting us know, y'all.
Posted On: Monday, Oct. 26 2009 @ 10:33AM


http://drfaustroll.blogspot.com/2009/10/13th-floor-elevators-paradise-found.html

Dr FAUSTROLL blog
MARDI 27 OCTOBRE 2009

The 13th Floor Elevators - Paradise Found

Le 25 octobre, à Austin, Texas, disparaissait Walt Andrus, coupable d'avoir été l'ingénieur du son du 13th Floor Elevators pour International Artists, et coupable aussi d'avoir enregistré Lost & Found, Golden Dawn, Red Crayola... Il avait également participé activement à l'élaboration du coffret Sign of the 3 Eyed Men... Alors, Walt... Paradise Found ?

01.You're Gonna Miss Me
(First Contact Session, Andrus Studios,Houston,1-3-66)
02.Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
(Gold Star Studios,Houston,6-66)
03.I'm Gonna Love You Too
(45 Rpm - Gold Star Studios,Houston,6-66)
04.Before You Accuse Me
(45 Rpm - Gold Star Studios,Houston,6-66)
05.You Can't Hurt Me Anymore
(Gold Star Studios,Houston, 6-66)
06.Make That Girl Your Own
(Gold Star Studios,Houston, 6-66)
07.Monkey Island
(Summit Sound Studio,Dallas,10-66)
08.Thru The Rhythm
(Summit Sound Studio,Dallas,10-66)
09.Roller Coaster
(Summit Sound Studio,Dallas,10-66)
10.Fire Engine
(Summit Sound Studio,Dallas,10-66)
11.Levitation
(45 Rpm - Andrus Studio,Houston,12-66)
12.She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own)
(45 Rpm - Andrus Studio,Houston,12-1-67)
13.Dust
(Alternate - Easter Everywhere Sessions, Andrus Studio, Houston, 67)
14.Slide Machine
(Easter Everywhere Mono Mix - Andrus Studio,Houston,67)
15.Nobody To Love
(Easter Everywhere Mono Mix - Andrus Studio,Houston,67)
16.Slip Inside This House
(Easter Everywhere Mono Mix - Andrus Studio,Houston,67)
17.Right Track Now
(Easter Everywhere Sessions,Andrus Studio,Houston,9-67)
18.Splash 1
(Easter Everywhere Sessions,Andrus Studio, Houston,9-67)
19.Never Another
(Bull Of The Woods - Easter Everywhere Sessions,Andrus Studio Houston,67)
20.Fire In My Bones
(Beauty And The Beast Sessions,IA Studios,Houston,3-68)
21.I Don't Ever Want To Come Down
(Beauty And The Beast Sessions,IA Studios,Houston,3-68)
22.Livin' On
(Without Horns - Beauty And The Beast Sessions,IA Studios,Houston,3-68)
23.Scarlet And Gold
(45 Rpm - Bull Of The Woods Sessions,IA Studios,Houston,11-68)
24.May The Circle Remain Unbroken
(45 Rpm - Beauty And The Beast Sessions,IA Studios,Houston,3-68)
25.Harry Kane Show,5-67

27 OCTOBRE 2009 14:03

(Click link to original Dr FAUSTROLL blogposting if you choose to download)...