Drexel University students helped release an album of songs recorded more than 50 years ago. Here’s how they did it

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Tapes left untouched in the Sigma Sound Studios Collection for more than half a century are now available for streaming and on vinyl, thanks to five students at Drexel University.

Tracks from “Clean Up Your Mind” by Choice 4 Inc., a Washington, D.C., based soul group originally recorded in 1972 by producer Billy Jackson at Sigma Sound Studios, formerly in Center City Philadelphia.

Harper Risch, a student who worked on the project, said extensive research was done on the recording studio before the group took on the album release.

“It has made me realize just how important Sigma Sound is to Philadelphia and to music,” Risch said. “And now, to all of us.”

Monika Julien, a music industry professor at Drexel who oversees MAD Dragon Records, the school’s student-run record label, said the program helps students prepare for the realities of the music industry.

“The real priority here is about the learning experience for the students,” Julien said. “How can we use these two amazing things to tell a really exciting story about what makes us unique and the really amazing experiential learning opportunities we’re able to provide to the students?”

While developing the course, she leveraged the pairing of an established record label with an extensive archive. Legendary artists, including David Bowie, B.B. King and Aretha Franklin, recorded at Sigma Sounds.

The legendary artists found within the archive’s vault not only give students something to work with, but also has the added benefit of helping attract future Dragons.

“I remember touring here after I got admitted and coming in here, and they said they had a David Bowie tape and I was blown away,” said Adriana Criswell, another student who worked on the Choice 4 Inc. release. “The fact that we got to be some of the first students to pilot this Mad Dragon Records program and have a successful release … it’s been incredible.”

Hands-on learning experience behind releasing an album

While the music is one aspect of a release, students also developed the press rollout and album cover. One issue presented early on: there were no photos of the band or of recording sessions. Criswell said they were essentially “working with a blank slate.”

She said none of them had ever worked with a graphic design firm, but the school set them up with Dirty Napkin, created by a Drexel alumna.

“We worked with them from start to finish. Starting with just ideas and words that encapsulate the album,” Criswell said. “All the way through all of the edits, and we’d meet every week. It was a very new process.”

The students also worked with Philadelphia metro-based companies Mainfactor and Studio 4 Vinyl to release and press the vinyl records. Junior Hayden Clark said one of the challenging parts of the project was “keeping tabs on all these people and all these things that need to get done.”

“[There are] so many moving parts to it and being like, ‘OK, here’s our vision, here’s our album,’” Clark said. “How are we going to get this heard? What the press release needs to look like, then how do we get this vinyl on sale, how is that going to look? Do we want t-shirts?”

On top of all of that, the students also had to pass the class. The grade wasn’t based on things like record sales, but rather the work and effort they put into the course.

“For our group especially, that has been a big focus of ‘OK, we’re going to use this experience to learn as many new skills as possible, talk to as many new people, make new connections,’” Risch said. “And I think we’ve done just that.”

The legacy of Billy Jackson and how students connected with his family

Jackson, the project’s original producer, passed away in 2016. He is credited with helping shape the Philadelphia sound that emerged from more than 200 gold and platinum albums recorded at Sigma Sound.

But the students were able to connect with Jackson’s daughters, Kelly Majid and Kia Jackson, who gave the students insight into their father’s work.

“Even though we didn’t get to directly speak to anyone, we still got this amazing piece of history and have been really connected to other members,” Criswell said.

For Clark, the biggest takeaway from the project was being able to present the album to Jackson’s children and to “shine a light on his music.”

“They really just want their father to be remembered,” Clark said. “It’s been 10 years since he passed, and they didn’t feel that he really got the right coverage or credit for everything he’s done. When they came and visited us just a couple months ago, they were almost in tears just about what we’ve been able to do with their father’s work and how we can remember him and speak on his work and his music.”

“Clean Up Your Mind” is available now on all streaming platforms alongside T-shirts and tote bags featuring elements of the album art.