“Only The Lonely” became a Top Ten smash, and the other tracks, such as “Take the L (Out of Lover)” and “Mission of Mercy” became AM/FM mainstays. Garay followed his successful collaboration with Carnes by producing The Motels’ All Four One album, which not only garnered critical acclaim, but also gave the Motels the commercial success that had eluded them in the past.

The album was a worldwide smash, and “Bette Davis Eyes” became a Number One hit in 31 countries, earning Garay a Record of the Year Grammy® in the process. With the release of Kim Carnes’ album, Mistaken Identity, Garay’s reputation as a hit-making producer was cemented. In fact, three out of the five years running, the Grammy® Award, Record of the Year was produced at Garay’s studio, Record One. During his run at Record One, the list of hit records produced there is more than impressive: the star-studded “We Are the World”, Toto’s “Rosanna”, and Don Henley’s “The Boys Of Summer”, to name but a few. Every producer needs a recording studio, so to further his continued commitment to create great rock ‘n’ roll records, Garay opened the doors of Record One, a custom-built, state-of-the-art, multimedia recording complex designed by Garay himself. It wasn’t long before Garay had honed his studio experience as an engineer to the point where he felt confident in handling the duties of producer as well. Or as Garay explains, “We used microphones that had been previously used only for orchestras, and we set them up on drums Sound.” With the release and success of Ronstadt’s Heart Like A Wheel, Garay suddenly became one of the most sought after engineers in the business, known for creating never-before-heard sounds.

It was in this key role that Garay helped to create and define what is still being referred to as the “L.A. Garay truly made his mark early on, working with such artists as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, The Four Seasons, Orleans, Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds, Andrew Gold, JD Souther and Bonnie Raitt. Working with Hassinger for a year, Garay refined his technique and perfected the punchy bottom sound, guitar blend and mixing approach that distinguishes his work today. It was Hassinger who realized that Garay had a “great pair of ears,” and offered to teach him the finer points of the craft. Hassinger had established a reputation as one of rock ‘n’ roll’s premier engineers, having helmed many of the legendary Rolling Stones sessions, including “Satisfaction” and “Under My Thumb,” as well as early Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane albums. It was at the legendary Sound Factory Studio in Hollywood that he became acquainted with the studio’s owner/operator, Dave Hassinger. Starting out as a songwriter and performer, Garay soon gravitated toward working behind the scenes with artists as diverse as the Mamas and the Papas, The Buffalo Springfield to Seals & Crofts. I’m as committed to making great rock ‘n’ roll records as I was when I sat behind a console for the first time.” As Garay explained, “I’m not one to dwell on my past or rest on my laurels. Conspicuously absent from the walls of his office are any of the literally dozens of Gold and Platinum records that he has earned over the years for producing and/or engineering hit records for the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Kim Carnes, the Motels, James Taylor, Dolly Parton…and the list goes on and on. Ronstadt's subsequent album was 1977's Simple Dreams, one of her best-selling ever.On Val Garay’s desk sits a framed photograph of John, Paul, George and Ringo. It was also the second of four #1 Country albums for her.

Her third album to go platinum, Hasten Down the Wind spent several weeks in the top three of the Billboard album charts. A reworking of the late Patsy Cline's classic 'Crazy' was a Top 10 Country hit for Ronstadt in early 1977. The album showcased songs from artists such as the late Warren Zevon ('Hasten Down the Wind') and Karla Bonoff ('Someone to Lay Down Beside Me') both of whom would soon be making a name for themselves in the singer-songwriter world. A more serious and poignant album than its predecessors, it won critical acclaim from critics and the general public alike. It represented a slight departure from 1974's Heart Like a Wheel and 1975's Prisoner in Disguise in that she chose to showcase new songwriters over the traditional country rock sound she had been producing up to that point. The album earned her a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female in early 1977, her second of a record 11 Grammys. Ronstadt was the first female artist in history to accomplish this feat. Hasten Down The Wind is a Grammy Award-winning 1976 album by singer/songwriter/producer Linda Ronstadt, and her third straight million-selling album.

Hasten down the wind credits