Catonsville native Joe Bradley started out at as a hi-fi aficionado at an early age. He broadcasted music from his home on his own pirate radio transmitter. Later, buying an Ampex 960 tape machine he began recording high school concert bands.
While attending high school Joe worked part-time at Recordings Incorporated on East Cold Spring Lane. With his own equipment, Joe took the opportunity to set up and record music at 15 Below, a folk club operated by Patches and Liz. The club owners became Joe’s first recording subjects releasing a single on the O’Dell label.
In 1965 recognizing the demand for recording services he obtained a loan and started his own recording studio at 531 North Howard Street. He recorded hundreds of Baltimore area school concerts, glee clubs, rock bands such as the Marauders, Uptowns, Tangiers, Gross National Product, Koffee Beans, Horizon, as well as recordings of folk, gospel, and other styles of music. Joe took his mobile recording equipment to school auditoriums, churches, and anywhere he was contracted to make recordings. He recorded Marvin Gaye live at The Kennedy Center in D.C.
Many recordings were then taken to a special plant to have copies pressed for distribution. Generally, Bradley recordings can be identified by the BRC prefix of the catalog number.
The studio was sold in 1976 and later became Praise Recording Company, which primarily recorded gospel music. Bradley went into the investment business and later parlayed his recording skills to found investorshotline.com, a service which provided weekly recorded interviews with successful businesspeople and financial advisors.
Bradley Studio photos courtesy of Joe Bradley
opposite The Mayfair Theater
Baltimore Magazine article – February 1969 – by James F. Waesche. Courtesy of Joe Bradley
Thank you Joe Bradley.
