The Man Behind the Bamboo Curtain:
Drew Berlin
Drew started playing guitar at age five in Tennessee. By the time he was seven, he got a hold of a record cutting machine and started recording his songs. At age 12, he had two tape recorders allowing for overdubs. This led to recording his own band as well as others in the area. Working with the legendary Little Richard in the early 70’s Drew started gaining recording and production skills from the great Robert Bumps Blackwell, Little Richard’s producer and the producer of many of the 50’s great hit records.
Moving to the Bay area, he attended recording engineering classes at Sonoma State University. In the late 70’s Drew opened his first pro studio, the Recording Studio, in Rohnert Park California, producing the bands Freestone and the Fans.
Moving to back Los Angeles in 1988, Drew did world tours with Little Richard and produced Little Richard’s “No Place Like Home.” He also produced Innocent Voice, Hot Tin Roof, Lonster, and many others.
In 1995, Drew teamed up with Dave Belzer to form the Burst Brothers, one for the leading names in the Vintage Guitar Industry.
In 1997, Drew opened Lamour Recorders in Torrance, California, where he produced Ebony Tay, The Michael Hart Band, Hot Tin Roof, the Moody Jews and many more.
In 1998, Drew was the principle actor in a series of IBM commercials( the Guitar Guy ) Drew was playing a 1959 Les Paul flame top.
In 2007, he expanded to his current location that he named Bamboo Recording (alluding to its laid-back Asian influence).
My name is Jim Jacomini (inventor of Cosmotone String Conditioner). I wanted to write Drew’s bio because of what he did for me, which has gone way beyond the value of his studio’s equipment. When you record at Bamboo Recording, you get Drew, not just a room with great gear. Because of him, I started songwriting, playing for people and learning how to record music. On top of that, he helped me develop Cosmotone String Conditioner. Drew provided know-how, inspiration and practical demonstration, utilizing vintage gear I would otherwise not have had intimate access to.
