Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios is a recording studio just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire near Monmouth in Wales. RecordProduction.com called the studios one of the top five (recording) studios anywhere in the world.[1]
History
The studios were founded by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward[2] in 1963, by converting an existing farmhouse.[3] In 1965, they became the world's first-ever residential studio, set up so that bands could come and stay in the peaceful rural surroundings to record. They have two studios, the Coach House and the Quadrangle which are both set up for digital and analogue recordings.
The first big hit recorded in the studios was Dave Edmunds' "I Hear You Knocking" in 1970. Following that success, the studios were used in the early 1970s to record seven albums by Budgie, several by Hawkwind, one by Hobo, Peter Hammill's second solo album Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night in 1973, Ace's hit single "How Long?" in 1974, and Queen's album Sheer Heart Attack. In August 1975, Queen returned to Rockfield to begin recording the album A Night At The Opera, including "Bohemian Rhapsody". Motörhead made their first recordings at the studios in 1975 and were, briefly, signed to the Rockfield record label.[3]
During a 12-month period in 1996-97, Rockfield sessions resulted in five UK Number One albums, by Oasis, Black Grape, The Charlatans and the Boo Radleys.
The Coach House Studio
The Coach House studio was constructed in 1968 and is based around vintage microphone amp and eq's. The main recording console is a NEVE 8128 inline desk with outboard including Neve 1060 mic. amps, Rosser mic. amps, API 550 eq's and Urei 1176 compressors.
This live area was specially designed for band recordings with an emphasis on separation and natural acoustics. It consists of the live recording area with a Yamaha grand piano, 1 stone drum room, an acoustically variable second drum room and 2 isolation booths.
Artists who have recorded in the Coach House include Oasis, Bullet for My Valentine, Sepultura, Jayce Lewis, Simple Minds and Opeth.
The Quadrangle Studio
Rockfield (Studios) was an absolute dream because it was pastoral, funny and had a fantastic musical history...I moved here and became one of these dismal, happy, sad, failed musicians that other people cross the street to avoid...I really enjoyed my being in this Rockfield environment. I had lived in this goldfish bowl in Led Zeppelin.
Robert Plant[2]
The Quadrangle studio was constructed in 1973 and is most famous for the recording of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". The main recording console is a MCI 500 series inline desk with outboard including Neve 1061 mic. amps, Rosser mic. amps, API 550 eq's and Urei 1176 compressors.
This live area of the quadrangle studio was specially designed to record live bands. This consists of the live recording area with its Bösendorfer grand piano, 2 large variable acoustic drum rooms and 3 isolation booths along with its 6m x 7m central control room.
Artists who have recorded in the Quadrangle include the Manic Street Preachers, Robert Plant, and Coldplay.
Artist roster
1960s
- Doc Thomas Band[1]
- Love Sculpture
- The Interns
1970s
- Ace
- Alquin
- Andy Irvine and Paul Brady
- Arthur Brown
- Bintangs (band-Netherlands)
- Be-Bop Deluxe
- Black Sabbath
- Budgie
- City Boy
- Dave Edmunds
- Del Shannon
- Dr. Feelgood
- Edwin Starr
- Flamin' Groovies
- Foghat
- Gary Shearston
- Graham Parker & the Rumour
- Hawkwind
- Help Yourself
- Hobo
- Joan Armatrading
- Judas Priest
- Lone Star
- Man
- Mike Oldfield
- Motörhead[1]
- Prelude
- Queen
- Roy Harper
- Rush
- Tyla Gang
- Van der Graaf Generator
1980s
- Adam and the Ants
- Age of Chance
- Alain Bashung
- Bad Manners
- Bauhaus
- Christian Death
- Clannad
- Echo & the Bunnymen
- Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
- Fields of the Nephilim
- Human Drama
- Ian Gillan
- The Icicle Works
- Iggy Pop
- Joey Parratt
- Monsoon
- Robert Plant[2]
- Simple Minds[1]
- Skids
- That Petrol Emotion
- The Damned
- The Stranglers
- The Mighty Lemon Drops
- The Teardrop Explodes
- The Undertones
- The Waterboys
- The Wonderstuff
- T'Pau[1]
1990s
- 60 Ft. Dolls
- Annie Lennox
- Ash
- Aztec Camera[1]
- Big Country
- Black Grape
- Black Sabbath
- Carcass
- Cast
- Coldplay
- Del Amitri
- Gay Dad
- Gene
- HIM
- Julian Lennon
- Lush[4]
- Manic Street Preachers
- Menswear
- New Order
- Northside
- Oasis
- Paradise Lost
- Paul Weller
- Rock Union
- Sepultura
- Stereophonics
- Super Furry Animals
- Symposium
- Teenage Fanclub
- The Bluetones
- The Boo Radleys
- The Charlatans
- The Pogues
- The Stone Roses[3]
- The Wedding Present
- Toploader
- Witness
- XTC
- Emf
2000s
- Badly Drawn Boy
- Band of Skulls
- Beta Band
- Bullet for My Valentine
- Catatonia
- Delays
- Delphic
- Funeral for a Friend
- George Michael
- Gyroscope
- Heaven & Hell
- In Case of Fire
- Joe Strummer
- Kasabian
- KT Tunstall
- Manic Street Preachers
- Morning Runner
- Nigel Kennedy
- Ocean Colour Scene
- Oceansize
- Paolo Nutini
- Simple Minds
- Starsailor
- Suede
- Super Furry Animals
- Supergrass
- The Coral
- The Darkness
- The Enemy
- The Kennedy Soundtrack
- The Proclaimers[1]
- Violent Soho
2010s
- Bellowhead
- Ben Montague
- Broken Hands
- Buck & Evans
- Dinosaur Pile-Up
- Fireroad
- Go Primitive
- Gun
- Chinaski
- Jayce Lewis
- Kasabian
- KOLO
- Lisbon
- Lower Than Atlantis
- LTNT
- Matthew & Me
- Maxïmo Park
- Merrymouth
- Ocean Colour Scene
- Opeth
- Phil G Band
- Phantom Limb
- The Proclaimers
- Roving Crows
- Royal Blood
- Salvation Brass
- Skinny Lister
- The Burning Crows
- The Darkness
- The Light Assembly
- The Maccabees
- The Misers
- The Pixies
- The St. Pierre Snake Invasion
- The Strypes
- Turbowolf
- Turin Brakes
- Voodoo Vegas
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Rockfield Studios - Legendary music studios". RecordProduction.com. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
- 1 2 3 "Zep singer returns to solo roots". BBC News. 2006-05-20. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- 1 2 3 Collins, Jeff (2007). Rock Legends At Rockfield. University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-2097-6.
- ↑ "Lush - Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson on Their 1994 Album "Split"". Under the Radar. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
External links
- Media related to Rockfield Studios at Wikimedia Commons
- "Rockfield Studios". Retrieved 2012-04-15. - Official website
- "Laid in Wales" (PDF). Resolution. 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2012. (159 KB) - Feature article on Resolution Magazine
Coordinates: 51°49′30″N 2°44′53″W / 51.82500°N 2.74806°W