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Basing Street Studios

Coordinates: 51°31′03″N 0°12′18″W / 51.517612°N 0.204961°W / 51.517612; -0.204961
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Basing Street Studios
FormerlyIsland Studios
IndustryRecording studio
Founded1969; 55 years ago (1969) in Notting Hill, London, UK
FounderChris Blackwell
Defunct1982 (1982)
FateAcquired by Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn
SuccessorSarm Studios
Headquarters8–10 Basing Street,
London
,
England
ParentIsland Records

Basing Street Studios was a recording studio in a former 17th century chapel at 8–10 Basing Street, in Notting Hill, London, England. Originally established in 1969 as Island Studios by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, the studio's location also housed the offices for Island Records from 1969 until 1973, and was renamed Basing Street Studios in 1975. Island/Basing Street Studios produced many notable recordings in the 1970s from artists including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Led Zeppelin, Roxy Music, Jethro Tull, Traffic, and Dire Straits. In 1982, the studios were acquired by Sarm Studio owners Jill Sinclair and her husband, producer Trevor Horn in 1982, and renamed Sarm West.

History

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In 1969, Island Records co-founder Chris Blackwell and company directors David Belleridge and John Leftly acquired a deconsecrated 17th century church building at 8-10 Basing Street, in the Ladbroke Grove area of Notting Hill in West London and established new offices for Island Records.[1] Two recording studios were constructed within the building to establish Island Studios. The construction of the studios utilized a concrete inner room design to prevent the transmission of sound within the building's structure. Studio One's live room was 60 by 40 feet, with 25 foot ceilings, and was large enough to accommodate 80 musicians. The smaller Studio Two, in the building's basement, was 30 by 20 feet, with 10 foot ceilings.[2]

The Basing Street studio was one of the first in London to have a 16-track recorder, and Blackwell commissioned former Olympic Studios Technical Director Richard "Dick" Swettenham to build a recording console for the new studios, resulting in the formation of Helios Electronics[3] and its first console, Island Studio 2, a 20-input, 8-buss console with 16-channel monitoring.[4]

Stephen Stills recorded most of his self-titled debut solo album at the new studios in 1970, with contributions from Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Mama Cass, and Ringo Starr.[4] In December of the same year, Led Zeppelin recorded portions of Led Zeppelin IV in Island Studio Two, including "Black Dog" and "Stairway to Heaven",[5] At the same time, Jethro Tull recorded their album Aqualung upstairs in Island Studio One.[6]

Black Sabbath completed their 1970 album Paranoid, including the recording of its title track, at Island,[7] and returned to the studio the following year to record its follow-up, Master of Reality. Traffic recorded portions of John Barleycorn Must Die at Island in 1970, returning the following year to record The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. The Jeff Beck Group recorded Rough and Ready at Island in 1971. The same year, Mott the Hoople recorded Wildlife at the studio, returning the following year to record Brain Capers. In 1973, the Eagles recorded Desperado at the studio.

Island Studios added a mobile recording truck in 1972, with Genesis using it to record their 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.[8]

Songs recorded at Island Studios include "Without You" by Harry Nilsson, "After Midnight" by Eric Clapton, "All Right Now" by Free, "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens, and "Many Rivers to Cross" by Jimmy Cliff.[4]

Other artists who recorded at Island Studios include Paul McCartney, Go, John Martyn, and Brian Eno.[9]

In 1975, the studios were officially renamed Basing Street Studios and put under the direction of producer Muff Winwood.[2][10]

In 1977, during his 14-month self-imposed exile from Jamaica, Bob Marley lived in an apartment upstairs from the studio where The Wailers' albums Catch a Fire and Burnin' had been completed years earlier, recording the album Exodus.[11]

In 1978, Dire Straits recorded their eponymous debut studio album at Basing Street Studios.[12] Other artists who recorded at Basing Street Studios included Fairport Convention, Roxy Music, Sparks, and Joan Armatrading.

Legacy

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See also: Sarm Studios
The plaque at the former Basing Street Studios honoring Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer

Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn, owners of East London's SARM studios, bought Island's Basing Street Studios in 1982, renaming them Sarm West Studios to complement their existing East London studio. Horn and Sinclair also established offices at the Basing Street location for ZTT Records and Stiff Records labels,[13] as well as Perfect Songs and Unforgettable Songs publishing companies. In November 1984, the former Island Studio building was the venue for the recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas" by the members of Band Aid in support of relief efforts for the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia, and in November 2014, the studios were used to record the Band Aid 30 charity single.[14]

SPZ Group closed Sarm West Studios on Basing Street in 2013.[15] In 2018, the former church building was converted into nine luxury flats.

In October 2019, a commemorative blue plaque dedicated by the Nubian Jak Community Trust honoring Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer was placed at the site of the former Island/Basing Street Studios where The Wailers' albums Catch a Fire and Burnin' were completed, as well as the Bob Marley and the Wailers album Exodus.[16]

References

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  1. ^ Wicks, Keith (June 1971). "Inside Island: Keith Wicks visits Island Studios" (PDF). Studio Sound. p. 297. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b Massey, Howard (2015). The Great British Recording Studios. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 261–265. ISBN 978-1-4584-2197-5.
  3. ^ Spencer-Allen, Keith (June 2000). "Richard Swettenham 1927-2000" (PDF). Studio Sound. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "The HeliosCentric Helios Console: Constructed in 1996 through an amalgamation of part of the Island Records Basing Street Studio 2 Helios Console (1970-1974) used by artists such as; Led Zeppelin to record their 'Album IV' which includes the timeless hit "Stairway to Heaven", and Bob Marley & the Wailers to record the albums 'Burnin' and 'Catch A Fire'; with the other part being from Alvin Lee's Helios Console from Space Studios (1973–1979); with the final construction installed at HeliosCentric Studios (1996-Present)". Bonhams.com. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  5. ^ Welch, Chris. "Classic Interview: Engineer Andy Johns on the secrets behind Led Zeppelin IV". musicradar.com. Future Plc. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Classic Rock Presents Led Zeppelin: Their Time is Gonna Come". Classic Rock. 2008. p. 24.
  7. ^ Tice, Russell (1 January 1999). "Classic Tracks: Black Sabbath's "Paranoid"". MIX Online. Future plc. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Basing Street Studios". International Musician and Recording World. September 1975. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  9. ^ Bennett, John G (2009). A Journey Through Whitechapel and Spitalfields (PDF). Nottingham: Five Leaves Publications. p. 45. ISBN 978-1905512546. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  10. ^ "Basing Street Studios". International Musician & Recording World. International Musician: 39–41. September 1975. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  11. ^ Meschino, Patricia (28 September 2007). "30 years later, Bob Marley's "Exodus" returns". Reuters. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  12. ^ Sexton, Paul (14 February 2020). "Wild West End: An Epic Studio Adventure Begins With 'Dire Straits'". Udiscovermusic.com. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Sarm Studios set for major revamp". Musicweek.com. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  14. ^ Denham, Jess (13 November 2014). "Band Aid 30 song and music video to premiere on The X Factor results show this Sunday". The Independent. London. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  15. ^ Duff, Simon. "Sarm Music Village: 'We really have gone from strength to strength'". prosoundnetwork.com. ProSound News. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  16. ^ Motune, Vic (27 September 2019). "Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer to receive Blue Plaque honour". Voice Online. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
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51°31′03″N 0°12′18″W / 51.517612°N 0.204961°W / 51.517612; -0.204961

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