Royal Studios | Memphis | Tennessee
June 21, 2025
In the heart of Memphis, the town where music history shines on every street corner, Royal Studios rises like a bastion in music production. A key figure in the success of the studio is Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, award-winning producer and studio boss. We’re in Memphis to meet the magician behind the mixing table.
The cab stops in front of a modest, worn building. We get out and are greeted by oppressive heat, finding salvation in a shady area near the parking lot. A monotone voice from the security system repeats, “You are currently being recorded,” which seems fitting since we are at a music studio in one of soul music’s holy lands. Autumn sweat trickles down our backs, but we don’t care; we are too busy with anticipation.
A black SUV rolls up to the parking lot and Boo Mitchell steps out. His rings glitter in the sunlight, and the tone with which he welcomes us is self-assured, yet humble. “Sorry I’m late.” As the doors open into Royal Studios, we are immediately brought back in time. The scent lingers of a bygone era, when soul and blues ruled supreme, and it is as real as the dim yellow light and the reddish brown carpet. The floor at Royal Studios slopes slightly downward, owing to its 1915 origins as a silent movie theater, before it became a music studio.
Boo quickly takes on the role of guide. It’s clear that he is proud of his legacy, but I have to interrupt him and ask for water. My throat shrivels in the heat. He steps out of his guide persona, and we get the chance to express our awe of the place. It’s a magnificent studio, a time capsule.
Willie Mitchell and the Mecca of soul
Boo tells us of the history of Royal Studios, and his father Willie’s immense influence over Memphis soul.
Shamrock Theater, as it was once known, was built only four years after the first movie ever was shown in Memphis. It later changed names to Royal Theater but was forced to close in 1955. Two years later, Joe Coughi, son of a local merchant, took over the building. Couchi, himself a music entrepreneur, rented the building for sixty dollars a month with two partners, Quinton Claunch and John Novarese. Together, they transformed the Royal Theater to the Royal Recording Studio. It became home of the record company Hi Records.
Hi Records became known as the “House of Instrumentals”. Early successes with instrumental hits, like Bill Black Combo’s “Smokie, Part 2” and “Don’t Be Cruel”, each with sales in the millions, put Hi Records on the map.
In 1963, Boo’s dad Willie Mitchell joined Hi Records as a session musician on trumpet. After Joe Coughi’s death in 1969, Willie took on more production and admin tasks. Under his leadership, Hi Records changed its musical focus from rockabilly to R&B, as he helped shape modern Memphis soul.
He quickly grew into his role as producer, particularly for one of the most influential singers of the 1970s: Al Green. As a producer in the beginning of the 70s, Willie charted a course for the Memphis soul sound, which was quickly becoming very popular. In the coming four years, Green and Mitchell had a song at the top of the charts every year. This was more than Stax artists, like Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, or Booker T. and the MGs reached in their entire careers. In his time at Hi Records, Al Green would sell more than 20 million records.
Willie Mitchell and Al Green’s sensational success have earned them a spot among the most successful soul duos ever. With superb songs, like “Let’s Stay Together” and “Tired of Being Alone”, they dominated the charts and conquered hearts across the world.
Willie’s production skills, combined with Green’s unique voice, created a magical atmosphere that appealed to listeners both at home and abroad. With an impressive number of hits each year, they set the gold standard for what it meant to make it in the genre.
Memphis outside the spotlight
In music, there are individuals who – although they may not always be in the limelight – manage to change the industry in a big way. One such person is Boo Mitchell, whose work as a music producer and sound technician hasn’t just influenced music history, but has earned him recognition within the music industry.
Ever humble, Boo prefers to talk about his father’s accomplishments and the studio’s history. So I will make it my job to talk about him.
The legendary Royal Studios has been the center of the Memphis music scene for over 60 years now. Boo Mitchell practically grew up in the studio and learned everything about audio technology, production, and recording from his father Willie.
Impressively, Boo has continued building on his father’s legacy and made his own name in the music industry. In the span of over two decades at the Royal Studios, he’s been pivotal in making the studio one of the most sought-after recording studios in all of Memphis.
His expertise in audio technology and his ability to create a comfortable and creative environment for artists has made the studio a veritable magnet for musicians from around the world. Under his leadership, Royal Studios has continued to produce hits and has further established itself as an iconic place to record.
An impressive array of artists and producers have recorded here, with names like Snoop Dogg and Keb Mo on the roster. Boo’s ability to bring the best out of each artist and create timeless music has made him a highly sought-after producer and audio technician. Beyond working with big acts, Boo Mitchell has also brought home plenty of heavyweight awards for his invaluable contributions to the music world. Boo’s ability to quickly integrate the classic Memphis sound with modern elements lends the music a timeless quality and forever solidifies his place as a master behind the scenes.
A shout out to Richard
He leads us further into the studio, tells us about the Memphis sound, plays us music from his father’s early recordings. The sound cuts off when the phone rings. “What the hell are you doing?” says a voice on the other end of the line. “Richard, I was doing and interview till your ass called,” Boo laughs in reply. “Talk quick,” he says, and mouths an apology at us. The short call is interrupted by Richard shouting, “Shout me out!” on the phone and Boo answers, “you just shouted yourself out, we’re still rolling!” and hangs up. So here’s your shout out, Richard.
The studio is littered with vintage instruments and microphones all over. They bear witness to the legendary sessions that have taken place here. Boo Mitchell, modest but proud, tells us stories of recordings that went down in history, from Al Green’s love songs to Chuck Berry’s unique voice.
Many famous artists have recorded on the sloping floors of Royal Studios. In turn, many of these recordings have resulted in platinum and gold records as well as Grammys. Cedric Burnside, Rod Stewart, Keith Richards, Tom Jones, and John Mayer, to name a few.
Count off on Coke
Boo reveals a curious anecdote behind one of the songs he plays for us. While we listen to “Love and Happiness” by Al Green, we hear a rhythmic count off partway into the song. It’s like the sound of a snare drum counting off the rest of the band. Boo turns to face us. “Do you know what this sound is?” We shrug, no idea.
“My uncle James was a baritone saxophone player in the Memphis Horns and was the shortest guy in the horn section. There was always a Coca Cola machine present at recordings, and the bottles came in these old crates,” he says, pointing to a wooden crate on the studio floor. “He told James to stand on them so he’d reach the microphone,” he continues, laughing.
Teenie Hodges, the Hi Rhythm guitarist, wrote the song with Al, and Willie Mitchell had said, “Why not let Teenie count them off?” Hodges started tapping at the Coca Cola crate with his foot to count off the band. “It started as a joke, but dad kept it in the recording,” Boo says.
We are as absorbed by the stories he tells, as Boo is by telling them. We lose track of time. I look around the studio, made up of some of the most desired vintage-analog recording instruments in the music world, vintage microphones mixed with the latest software. When Boo sits down at the same keyboard where his dad once sat, we see how he truly has stepped into his shoes, and well beyond. Boo switches seats and picks up a guitar, playing it as he keeps talking about different trinkets in the room.
In another part of the building, there’s a hallway full of binders and awards. Having gotten to know the modest Boo Mitchell a bit better, it’s no surprise they’ve all been relegated to the back to the building. It’s a mix of gold records, awards, binders full of original masters by Al Green and others. Boo’s personality is a mix of high passion and low ego. I browse the shelves and stop at something familiar: a trophy in the shape of a golden gramophone. “Boo Mitchell Engineer / Mixer. Record of the Year 2015 – Uptown Funk. Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars” says the plaque engraving.
“Is that a Grammy award?” I ask, mouth agape. Having a Grammy Award is pretty impressive, to say the least. “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars won a Grammy for Album of the Year. “The song was partly recorded here at Royal Studios, and I got an award for my work as a producer and sound engineer,” Boo says simply. “We wrote the chorus for Uptown Funk here in this hallway,” he continues. “It had been a long night of recording, and we’d had maybe a glass or two of very expensive whiskey when that chorus appeared.”
You can listen but you gotta hear that shit!
We’re allowed in to sit at the mixer table, command central itself, as long as we don’t touch anything. It’s hard to move in there, but once you’ve settled in, you have a great overview of the whole endeavor. Over a few of the dials someone has stuck a bit of tape with the words, “You can listen but you gotta hear that shit” written on it. The words were Willie Mitchell’s guiding light, and he passed them on to his son. A fitting motto for a musician like Boo.
