20 July 1977

Today marks the anniversary of the death of the legendary sound engineer Gary Kellgren. The co-founder of Record Plant Studios in New York was the sound engineer responsible for the Faces’ live album *Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners*, which was released in October 1973. Kellgren used the mobile recording van from Robert Plant Studios to record Rod & co.’s performance at the Anaheim Arena in California. Kellgren was also the sound engineer for the recording of the Faces’ LP *Five Guys Walk Into A Bar*, although this was not released until 2004. As well as Rod Stewart and the Faces, Gary worked with music greats such as John Lennon, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond, amongst others.

Kellgren, who was born in the US state of Iowa, and his partner Kristianne Gaines were found dead in the swimming pool at his home in Los Angeles on 20 July 1977. There was much speculation about the cause of death; former Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood once wrote that “Gary may have died from an electric shock whilst trying to install underwater speakers in his pool. And his girlfriend, who tried to save him, couldn’t swim.”