Mobile Studio The Rolling Stones

The concept of a mobile studio first appeared in The Rolling Stones in 1968 - the group decided that it needed a new place to record music. Tired of the limited size of conventional studios, The Rolling Stones decided to use Mick Jagger’s new country house, the Stargroves mansion located in England, to record new material. All the necessary equipment had to be delivered to the house, so the idea to put the control room ( English control room ) in a van was proposed by their road manager and pianist Ian Stewart ^[2] .

Under the leadership of Stuart, the studio was consulted with several leading sound engineers and producers, including Clay Jones . After that, the equipment equipment involved the company Dick Svettenham Helios Electronics , known for designing mixing consoles for a number of the most advanced studios of the time. Originally created only for use by The Rolling Stones themselves, the studio soon gained popularity among similar other rock bands of the time, such as The Who , The Faces and Led Zeppelin ^[2] .

Initially, the equipment supported a maximum of 20 analog inputs and supported an eight-track recording format. However, since the studio began to be used to record live performances, the eight-track format was soon irrelevant, and the equipment was updated to a 16-track version.

With the help of the studio, several classic albums were recorded, including most of the records Led Zeppelin III (1970) ^[3] , Led Zeppelin IV (1971), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St (1972), and also the group’s concert The Rolling Stone in Hyde Park 1969 ^[2] . The studio was used in many different places: from the halls to barns, castles and casinos in Montreux . During the recording of Deep Purple 's sixth album, Machine Head , the studio almost caught fire, as it was located next to the casino, which was set on fire during the Frank Zappa concert. This incident served as an inspiration for the creation of one of the most famous Deep Purple songs “ Smoke on the Water ”, in which the studio was perpetuated (“We’ve been out to Montreaux ... To make records with a Mobile”), the band also mentions it in this a song like “Rolling truck Stones thing” ( Rus. “movable thing The Rolling Stones” ) ^[2] .

During the spring of 1973 (until 1976), Tapani Talo (also known as Tapanainen) was hired as an assistant to the engineer of the studio.

During the European tour of The Rolling Stones 1973 Mick McKenna, who worked with Ian Stewart until his death in 1985, joined the studio’s technical staff. Subsequently, he was responsible for the further development of the studio and was engaged in updating the equipment. In particular, the 16-track recorder was replaced with a 24-track model, 12 analog inputs were added to the existing 20, besides a great deal of work was done to improve the acoustic properties of the van room ^[2] .

By the 1980s, the studio’s specialization had shifted towards more broadcast products, and companies such as LWT were its tenants , BBC , Capital Radio , Tyne Tees Television other. In this regard, in 1982, a synchronizing computer was purchased in the studio. This computer allows you to run audio and video recordings at exactly the right time, which allowed you to record the show, and then add the finished sound to it right during the shooting. This feature made it possible to synchronize sound tracks for several TV shows, featuring works by artists such as Miles Davis , Willie Nelson , Paul Young, and The Chieftains .

In 1987, The Rolling Stons bass guitarist Bill Wyman created the Ambition Invention Motivation Success (AIMS Project) project, with the goal of providing an opportunity for young bands from all over the country to work in the studio and get out high-quality demos. The project was sponsored by the French company Pernod Ricard . During the project, producers Terry Taylor and Mick McKenna worked on about 60 tracks. The AIMS Project ended with a final show at the Albert Hall in February 1988. ^[2]

Subsequently, the mobile studio returned to the commercial market, which has become extremely competitive both financially and technically. The studio was operated until April 1993, after which it was closed. The last recordings made with the help of the studio were the songs of Brother Mick Jagger - Chris and his band Atcha !, at the rehearsal base of the studio Pinewood Studios .

In 1996, the mobile studio, in its original form, was sold through the auction Bonhams and delivered to the territory of the studio Loho Studios to New York . After a small technical refit, it began to be used to record on the underground music scene in New York. During this period Patti Smith , the Ramones and some other 30 groups were recorded on it, as part of the Best of NYC Hardcore hardcore compilation ^[2] .

At present, the studio is on display at the National Music Center in Calgary . It was acquired by the management of the center in November 2001 ^[4] .

Singles

• " Smoke on the Water " - Deep Purple
• " No Woman, No Cry " - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• " Bring Your Daughter ... to the Slaughter " - Iron Maiden

Albums

• 1970: Led Zeppelin III - Led Zeppelin
• 1971: Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones
• 1971: Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
• 1971: The Who - Who's Next
• 1972: Machine Head - Deep Purple
• 1972: Exile on Main St - The Rolling Stones
• 1972: Happy to Meet - Sorry to Part - Horslips
• 1973: Uriah Heep Live (Double Album) - Uriah Heep ^[5]
• 1973: Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin
• 1973: Live Dates - Wishbone Ash
• 1973: Penguin - Fleetwood Mac
• 1973: Mystery to Me - Fleetwood Mac
• 1973: Recorded Live - Ten Years After
• 1973: Who Do We Think We Are - Deep Purple
• 1974: Burn - Deep Purple
• 1974: Rampant - Nazareth
• 1975: Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
• 1975: Live! - Bob Marley and the Wailers
• 1975: Run with the Pack - Bad Company
• 1977: Live! - Status Quo
• 1977: Moonflower - Santana
• 1979: Life in a Day - Simple Minds
• 1981: Rocket 88 - Rocket 88
• 1983: Alchemy: Dire Straits Live - Dire Straits
• 1985: A Physical Presence - Level 42
• 1990: No Prayer for the Dying - Iron Maiden