Cleveland Recording Company

Cleveland

Cleveland Recording Company was probably the most prolific and advanced recording studio in Ohio. Not only did CRC record 100s of local rock-n-roll, soul, country, etc groups, but they were the home studio of hitmakers like the James Gang, Grand Funk, Wild Cherry, and several more.

The CRC dates back to the late 1940s and founder/owner Fred Wolf and engineer Ken Hamann. At first they did commercial work, but seemed to have made a push in recording rock-n-roll starting in the early 1960s. By the mid 60s they had eclipsed Audio as the most popular local studio for teen groups. By the late 60s Ken's son Paul Hamann had begun to take an active role.

In the mid 70s Cleveland Recording reorganized, leaving its downtown Cleveland location Painesville out east, and became Suma recording. It was there that the legendary orginal Pere Ubu recordings were made. Suma is still active today. Ken Hamann died in 2004.