Studio Science: Larry Gold on String Arrangements

Larry Gold is one of the unsung heroes behind “The Sound of Philadelphia.” As part of Gamble & Huff’s MFSB house band, his love of the cello, strings and classical music lent an edge to records by Teddy Pendergrass, the O’Jays and more. Having begun his career in the ’60s, Gold would find himself once again at the center of a global phenomenon three decades later when, in the late ’90s, he quietly became the go-to string arranger for hip-hop and R&B artists including Brandy & Monica, the Roots, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West.

In this special episode of Studio Science, filmed at the Funkhaus as part of RBMA Berlin 2018, Larry Gold works with Academy alumni Quinn Oulton and August Rosenbaum to arrange strings live in the studio, offering a unique insight into what it takes to make violins and cellos come alive on record.