THE HOLLYRIDGE STRINGS SOUND
From "Elevator Music" book written by Joseph Lanza
Stu Philips on "HITS OF THE '70s"
The strings had that great echo because of tape delay, which offered almost a repetition of a note. This was especially effective with the pizzicato. Those string players' fingers almost bled from plucking so hard. But their bravery helped to produce that distinctive sound. Much of this also had to do with frequency, the high end of the spectrum. The high-end violin also depended on the amount of violins. The more the better! Most of the time I didn't use violas. I found that cellos playing in the viola register had a better, less muddy, recording sound. There were about 14 violins and six celli. Once I replicated the rhythm sections over instead of voices. I love the Hollyridge Strings. I'm very proud of doing those records.
From liner notes of "PLAYS THE HITS OF SIMON & GARFUNKEL"
The Hollyridge Strings have accomplished what needed to be accomplished. They've recorded a series or now-famous hit albums which celebrate the most important
contributions of the Beatles' musical emancipation... the Beach Boys' vibrating harmonics....the Four Seasons' and Elvis Presley's showmanship... and Mr. Nat King Cole's unique listenability.
As an inevitably creative result, what has emerged is a kind of instrumentally lush and mindfully beautiful music which has helped close music's infamous generation gap. And virtually everyone has listened-to and admired what the Hollyridge Strings have created.
From liner notes of "GEORGE, JOHN, PAUL & RINGO"
Stu Phillips & The Hollyridge Strings have taken the best of G, J, P & R's recent songs - and passed on a pure, full, shimmering, unique, honest instrumental vision of the molders of contemporary music.
