Tell Me :
Talk
I've been thinking about this lately and I am wondering if the it is still in its original condition. The wiki article claims it is owned by Cantos Music Foundation and is currently in Calgary, Alberta. Is this true? If so do you think that Stones should buy it back and restore for some kind of museum
The wiki article:
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio owned by the musical group the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using it, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Iron Maiden, Mola Mola and the Rolling Stones themselves.
History:
The concept for The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio first came about in 1968 when the Rolling Stones decided they needed a new environment in which to record music. Tired of the 9-to-5 limitations of a regular studio, the Stones decided to use Mick Jagger's new country house (Stargroves) in England to record new music. All the necessary equipment had to be brought to the house, so the idea of putting a control room into a van was brought up by their road manager Ian Stewart. Under Stewart's guidance, a variety of top engineers and producers, including Glyn Johns, were consulted in the project's creation, which was then taken to Dick Swettenham's company Helios Electronics. Known for making mixing consoles for some of the most exclusive studios of the time, the company then produced the first working version of The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Originally only intended for use by The Stones, the unit soon gained popularity among the likes of other classic bands, such as The Who, The Faces, and Led Zeppelin.
From the beginning the Mobile Studio was quite experimental. It was the first fully fitted mobile multi-track studio, and could be adapted to whatever specifications the job required. When recording orchestral music for the Frank Zappa film "200 Motels", problems arose when the silver aluminum body kept showing up in the background of the film. The entire unit was then painted with a camouflage color scheme to hide it in the trees. It sported this look for many years to come.
Originally the unit supported a maximum of 20 microphones and had an 8-channel recording format. As the Mobile began to be used for live recording, the 8-channel format quickly proved insufficient and an upgrade to 16-track took place.
Several classic albums were recorded with the Mobile Studio, including most of Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin III (1970) and Led Zeppelin IV (1971), much of the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile On Main St. (1972), as well as the Stones' 1969 Hyde Park concert. The unit was used in a large variety of locations, everywhere from halls to barns to castles and the casino at Montreux, Switzerland. During the making of the sixth Deep Purple album, Machine Head, the Mobile nearly caught fire as it stood next to the casino, which was set ablaze during a Frank Zappa concert. This incident became the inspiration behind Deep Purple's most famous song, "Smoke on the Water", which mentioned the Mobile in the lyrics ("We all came out to Montreux ... to make records with a mobile", and later referring to the Mobile as the "Rolling truck Stones thing" ).
During The Rolling Stones 1973 European Tour Mick McKenna joined the company, and working with Ian Stewart until his death in 1985, undertook the future development of the unit to suit the changing patterns of work. The next couple of years saw a great deal of re-building and general upgrade to the Mobile. The 16 track was upgraded to a 24 track, 12 new outputs were added to the existing 20, and a large amount of work was done to improve the acoustic environment of the unit.
In 1979, the Mobile went to the USSR to record a performance of the Katchaturian ballet “Gayaneh” performed by the Latvian company Ballet Riga. This performance was accompanied by a 72 piece orchestra and was later presented in movie theaters around the world. Later, the mobile would travel to Greece to capture a concert at the Acropolis by Nana Mouskouri, who had recently returned to her homeland after being exiled twenty one years earlier.
By the 1980s the pattern of work had shifted towards more broadcast oriented products, mostly for major UK clients such as LWT, BBC, Capitol Radio, Tyne Tees Television and others. This prompted the inclusion of a synchronizing computer in 1982. This computer enabled audio and video tapes to be run in perfect time, which allowed the Mobile to record a show and then provide finished audio ready for transmission. This feature made it possible to provide the entire sound for several TV series incorporating such artists as Miles Davis, Willie Nelson, Paul Young, and The Chieftains.
In 1987 Bill Wyman created the Ambition Invention Motivation Success project (or the AIMS project) which was a vehicle to give young bands all around the country a chance to work out of the Mobile Studio and produce a top quality demo.The blue livery and yellow sign writing were applied as the colors of the project’s sponsor PERNOD. Producer Terry Taylor & Mick McKenna worked on about 60 tracks during the course of the project, which culminated with a final show at the Royal Albert Hall in February 1988. The winner of this project was Mola Mola (Jack Hazebroek). He released his first single "Get ahead" on the "Ripple" Label. To promote the record Jack Hazebroek appeared with Bill Wyman on many radio and Tv programs one of which was the "Terry Wogan" Show. A documentary of the AIMS project and the Mobile Studio was made by the BBC. The Royal Albert Hall Concert was recorded by the Mobile Studio and was released on CD by "Ripple".
Moving the mobileThe Mobile was subsequently returned to the commercial marketplace which had become extremely competitive, both financially and technically. It remained in operation until its closure in April 1993. The last recordings made by it were with Chris Jagger, brother of the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, and his band Atcha!, at the unit's base in Pinewood Studios.
In 1996 The Mobile, still in its original form, was sold through auction at Bonham’s and brought to the states by Loho Studios in New York City. After a bit of technical service, it was put into action in the underground music scene in New York; making recordings including: live performances of Patti Smith; The Ramones, and nearly 30 other bands were recorded live at the Continental for the "Best of NYC Hardcore" album; Matador Records retained The Mobile for its 10th anniversary party in 1999, including many Matador alumni, held at Irving Plaza. It remained in service in NYC until late 2000.
The unit is currently owned by the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
No, it wasn't:
Billy Jones - Oh! Boy, What Joy We Had In Barefoot Days - Edison - 36
Talk about your favorite band.
For information about how to use this forum please check out forum help and policies.
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
The Sicilian
()
Date: February 16, 2011 17:46
I've been thinking about this lately and I am wondering if the it is still in its original condition. The wiki article claims it is owned by Cantos Music Foundation and is currently in Calgary, Alberta. Is this true? If so do you think that Stones should buy it back and restore for some kind of museum
The wiki article:
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio owned by the musical group the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using it, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Iron Maiden, Mola Mola and the Rolling Stones themselves.
History:
The concept for The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio first came about in 1968 when the Rolling Stones decided they needed a new environment in which to record music. Tired of the 9-to-5 limitations of a regular studio, the Stones decided to use Mick Jagger's new country house (Stargroves) in England to record new music. All the necessary equipment had to be brought to the house, so the idea of putting a control room into a van was brought up by their road manager Ian Stewart. Under Stewart's guidance, a variety of top engineers and producers, including Glyn Johns, were consulted in the project's creation, which was then taken to Dick Swettenham's company Helios Electronics. Known for making mixing consoles for some of the most exclusive studios of the time, the company then produced the first working version of The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Originally only intended for use by The Stones, the unit soon gained popularity among the likes of other classic bands, such as The Who, The Faces, and Led Zeppelin.
From the beginning the Mobile Studio was quite experimental. It was the first fully fitted mobile multi-track studio, and could be adapted to whatever specifications the job required. When recording orchestral music for the Frank Zappa film "200 Motels", problems arose when the silver aluminum body kept showing up in the background of the film. The entire unit was then painted with a camouflage color scheme to hide it in the trees. It sported this look for many years to come.
Originally the unit supported a maximum of 20 microphones and had an 8-channel recording format. As the Mobile began to be used for live recording, the 8-channel format quickly proved insufficient and an upgrade to 16-track took place.
Several classic albums were recorded with the Mobile Studio, including most of Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin III (1970) and Led Zeppelin IV (1971), much of the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile On Main St. (1972), as well as the Stones' 1969 Hyde Park concert. The unit was used in a large variety of locations, everywhere from halls to barns to castles and the casino at Montreux, Switzerland. During the making of the sixth Deep Purple album, Machine Head, the Mobile nearly caught fire as it stood next to the casino, which was set ablaze during a Frank Zappa concert. This incident became the inspiration behind Deep Purple's most famous song, "Smoke on the Water", which mentioned the Mobile in the lyrics ("We all came out to Montreux ... to make records with a mobile", and later referring to the Mobile as the "Rolling truck Stones thing" ).
During The Rolling Stones 1973 European Tour Mick McKenna joined the company, and working with Ian Stewart until his death in 1985, undertook the future development of the unit to suit the changing patterns of work. The next couple of years saw a great deal of re-building and general upgrade to the Mobile. The 16 track was upgraded to a 24 track, 12 new outputs were added to the existing 20, and a large amount of work was done to improve the acoustic environment of the unit.
In 1979, the Mobile went to the USSR to record a performance of the Katchaturian ballet “Gayaneh” performed by the Latvian company Ballet Riga. This performance was accompanied by a 72 piece orchestra and was later presented in movie theaters around the world. Later, the mobile would travel to Greece to capture a concert at the Acropolis by Nana Mouskouri, who had recently returned to her homeland after being exiled twenty one years earlier.
By the 1980s the pattern of work had shifted towards more broadcast oriented products, mostly for major UK clients such as LWT, BBC, Capitol Radio, Tyne Tees Television and others. This prompted the inclusion of a synchronizing computer in 1982. This computer enabled audio and video tapes to be run in perfect time, which allowed the Mobile to record a show and then provide finished audio ready for transmission. This feature made it possible to provide the entire sound for several TV series incorporating such artists as Miles Davis, Willie Nelson, Paul Young, and The Chieftains.
In 1987 Bill Wyman created the Ambition Invention Motivation Success project (or the AIMS project) which was a vehicle to give young bands all around the country a chance to work out of the Mobile Studio and produce a top quality demo.The blue livery and yellow sign writing were applied as the colors of the project’s sponsor PERNOD. Producer Terry Taylor & Mick McKenna worked on about 60 tracks during the course of the project, which culminated with a final show at the Royal Albert Hall in February 1988. The winner of this project was Mola Mola (Jack Hazebroek). He released his first single "Get ahead" on the "Ripple" Label. To promote the record Jack Hazebroek appeared with Bill Wyman on many radio and Tv programs one of which was the "Terry Wogan" Show. A documentary of the AIMS project and the Mobile Studio was made by the BBC. The Royal Albert Hall Concert was recorded by the Mobile Studio and was released on CD by "Ripple".
Moving the mobileThe Mobile was subsequently returned to the commercial marketplace which had become extremely competitive, both financially and technically. It remained in operation until its closure in April 1993. The last recordings made by it were with Chris Jagger, brother of the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, and his band Atcha!, at the unit's base in Pinewood Studios.
In 1996 The Mobile, still in its original form, was sold through auction at Bonham’s and brought to the states by Loho Studios in New York City. After a bit of technical service, it was put into action in the underground music scene in New York; making recordings including: live performances of Patti Smith; The Ramones, and nearly 30 other bands were recorded live at the Continental for the "Best of NYC Hardcore" album; Matador Records retained The Mobile for its 10th anniversary party in 1999, including many Matador alumni, held at Irving Plaza. It remained in service in NYC until late 2000.
The unit is currently owned by the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
The Sicilian
()
Date: February 16, 2011 17:50
[Cantos Music Foundation]
Here is the website for The Cantos Music Foundation's inventory of collections. If you scroll towards the bottom they have the Stones Mobile listed as there in storage.
Here is the website for The Cantos Music Foundation's inventory of collections. If you scroll towards the bottom they have the Stones Mobile listed as there in storage.
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
NICOS
()
Date: February 16, 2011 18:04
If so do you think that Stones should buy it back and restore for some kind of museum
They don't need to buy back for a museum but use it to record new music.................
__________________________
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-02-16 18:06 by NICOS.
They don't need to buy back for a museum but use it to record new music.................
__________________________
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-02-16 18:06 by NICOS.
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
open-g
()
Date: February 16, 2011 18:14
Hmm, those pics on wikipedia seemed familiar...
[www.iorr.org]
[www.iorr.org]
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
The Sicilian
()
Date: February 16, 2011 18:28
An idea for the Stones, if this is truly their last world tour (if it happens) wouldn't it be nice to have them bring it along to all their shows and have sort of traveling museum set up for all fans to see and visit prior to the concerts. Maybe include other items in a display tent.
Of course they could charge admittance, after all we are not communists.
Of course they could charge admittance, after all we are not communists.
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
The Sicilian
()
Date: February 16, 2011 18:47
When you click on that Cantos link above check out their inventory of musical items, pretty impressive. They have relics from all over the world stored there.
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
SwayStones
()
Date: February 16, 2011 19:33
It was one of my first post on IORR 
Soo,what's new ?
[www.iorr.org]
[www.arcavitsystems.com]
The Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio
This Studio began as a concept back in 1968 when the Rolling Stones decided they wanted to change the environment in which they were making their records. Up to this time they had worked in a 9 to 5 studio situation and as Mick Jagger had just bought a massive country house called Stargroves it was decided to try to use it for recording. All the necessary equipment had to be brought to the house and so the idea of putting the Control Room into a lorry came about and Ian Stewart, known to many as the Sixth Rolling Stone, was always a prime mover for this idea. Under his guidance various top engineers and producers, including Glyn Johns, were consulted and the project was realised by Dick Swettenham, whose company Helios Electronics was making mixing consoles for the most exclusive studios at that time, and so in 1970 the Rolling Stones Mobile began to roll. Conceived originally to work only for its makers the Mobile and Stargroves soon found popularity with other bands such as the The Who, The Faces and Led Zeppelin so the concept turned into a long term business.
I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-02-16 19:40 by SwayStones.
Soo,what's new ?
[www.iorr.org]
[www.arcavitsystems.com]
The Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio
This Studio began as a concept back in 1968 when the Rolling Stones decided they wanted to change the environment in which they were making their records. Up to this time they had worked in a 9 to 5 studio situation and as Mick Jagger had just bought a massive country house called Stargroves it was decided to try to use it for recording. All the necessary equipment had to be brought to the house and so the idea of putting the Control Room into a lorry came about and Ian Stewart, known to many as the Sixth Rolling Stone, was always a prime mover for this idea. Under his guidance various top engineers and producers, including Glyn Johns, were consulted and the project was realised by Dick Swettenham, whose company Helios Electronics was making mixing consoles for the most exclusive studios at that time, and so in 1970 the Rolling Stones Mobile began to roll. Conceived originally to work only for its makers the Mobile and Stargroves soon found popularity with other bands such as the The Who, The Faces and Led Zeppelin so the concept turned into a long term business.
Quote
BeelyboyQuote
scottkeef
Isnt it crazy how what this truck did in the 70s can pratically be done on a table top pc now?!! Talk about progress=seems like i read somewhere that all the computer technology that went into the first moon flight can fit into a cell phone now.(I dont know if THATS true but it does kinda illustrate a point.) It still seems like something has been lost in all this technology in the feeling of the recordings, doesnt it?
does to me scott; what's lost is a true sound wave. what's usually lost are analog compressors that aren't over-used...tape is the perfect electro-mechanical format for recording warm music, usually...there are exceptions...
i'm just not gonna ever record on a tiny plastic digi recorder with a tiny screen and a zillion menus...it's music. i'm too old for that shit and proud of it...great little boxes for demos and arrangements however, if not too many dang drop down menus and endless scrolling....
...I do much better with live rhythm tracks to analog tape and then switching the tracks to PT or Digital Performer for compact convenience and the ability to work it further at any studio.
All of this technology makes me sick. Engineers think they are producers and are LOOKING at at the waves and "Cleaning" them, rather than listening to the SOUND and letting it (literally) bleed a little. I am so tired of watching the back of some geeks head as he works long long period playing with himself and his computer, instead of running the session along musical, personal and 'vibe'...
I depend on good recording engineers and have much respect for them, so do not want to cause offense...but imo, the more 'pro' the consumer recorders got, the less 'professional' and warm and real were the results, for the very most part.
Everyone's got perfectly wide frequency range and a lot of what comes out is sterile garbage imo...peeps Protooling art into a rotten blaring corpse.
I've actually asked friends to come with me to the studio. they sometimes say "i've never been in one, i don't know what to say or how it works etc..."
I tell them "PERFECT" just sit with the engineer and don't let him talk to me.
Ask him about his life, his kids, his trips, and tell him yours. If I say anything into the mike to him, just say, "awww, he always works like that, he's impossible, and then start bullshitting again about whatever...do not let him do anything if i'm not in the control room.
For me it's two buttons "record" and "volume" they should be clicking away in the privacy of their own bedroom, not in a place where musical art and heart is in the room...
i need to be in the room when ANY compression or EQ is used, unless I've a great working relationship with a really trusted engineer...it is a sacrilige for someone who doesn't know the music, the songs, the vibe, to just soak your project in "THEIR" concept of mega compression and bad EQ...
...who told them they had the privilige of being paid to screw with the work of someone or ones who have lived with the project since inception...happens all the time...again, the good, kind, respectful ones already have this sensitivity but it is getting more rare imo.
i adore a good engineer with a good attitude, who does not have to do things "HIS WAY" even if they're antithetical to how I like to work and how I like things to sound....not just for my own little recordings, but on others projects I've helped produce...good engineers have soul and WANT to hear what you're about.
People are trained to have an IPOD world. EVen cars are manufactured with them.
fine and dandy we all use mp3s, but let's face it...we have PASSED the time when a true sound wave is used, our ears have gotten 'stupider'...we've been fed a line of shit and eaten all of it...no one listens to whole albums to give the artist a chance to meet you on a mutal 'stage'...stereos are sold without 'tone controls' so you have to go to one of THEIR pre-set EQ models, regardless of the room you're in, or what YOU want to adjust or accentuate or de-accentuate for your room....
we are lost, despite all the miracle huzzah...
confession is I do own a 16 track digi recorder (korg xd16) that has the highest sampling rate one could ask for or expect, analog compressors on board, and a large pop-up touch screen making things direct and easy! the sound is excellent.
you can go 24bt. 96khz if you want to, but i don't go that high usually.
It has real faders and the feel of a real board so you can have that tactile sense of long faders on each track that is part of mixing and creating music.
Of course Korg discontinued the xd16 and xd32 so they could avoid the pro and semi pro market and, understandably from a marketing view, make little plastic digi recorders with less features and a price point about 1100 USD...
more reachable for most consumers and artists and dabblers...and excellent for arrangements and demos...
good enough i guess. but they purposely discontinued the higher fidelity and more professional machines, so even if you've got the 3 grand or so these things used to list for, you cannot find one, unless you get lucky and do a lot of specific searching all the time.
they were selling, but not as much as something that retails for 11 and probably cost the retailer half of that. that does not translate to good and comprehensive components, it just does not. regardless of manufacturer...
I still use a tube pre-amp for most everything i record onto digital media.
blah blah sorry for the rant. music is important to me, and the younger folks ears and musical experience are important to me to, and it's not progress, it[s souless devolution for the most part imo.
i do think that DAT was the best we'd be given, but they took it off the market because they didn't want people to make perfect copies of audiophile stuff. those bastards...they got bit five times as hard when computer recording came in anyway...and the sound is less accurate and less fulfilling...
i realize it's dat is a digital medium on tape, but it seemed you really got the warmth of the original tape that was used inthe studio...
mp3's are the fast food of music...they can fill your stomach with nutrients, fats and poison but it's nothing like a nice eatery with someone you love in a clear atmosphere...bad analogy i know, but i miss that all the generations of younger friends, some in their teens, have NO IDEA what music from accurate sound waves sounds like, and it's like stealing the soul of this great means of expression....
as for stones recording studios. i've been at sunset sound where much of exiles was done, on business for a company i was working with at the time. I've been in the room and that's all i could think about for quite awhile.
and i've been lucky enough to attend some classes at los angeles digital film school in the old RCA building and been in the rooms, now converted, that the Stones did a lot of work in...again, i was totally blissed out by this...
next to sinatra and others of the biggest of the big, were our five boyz in a great portrait...it was very heartwarming to see those pix and stand in the room...i was kinda blissed out by it for a time.
How much AMAZING music did the stones do on just four tracks?
Amazing, warm, all of them playing together on basics...just a few tracks to dub on, all tape etc...still sounds BITCHIN' to the MAX, all those albums and classic world changning singles...then the BIG LEAP to eight tracks, haaa...
we're goin' in the wrong direction...audiophiles are a thing of the past, it used to be so common to buy a really quality stereo system for cheap.
it's a travesty really. i know it's a longass rant, i'll erase it soon, but for those interested in this stuff, i wanted to commune a bit.
I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-02-16 19:40 by SwayStones.
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
24FPS
()
Date: February 16, 2011 22:51
Be a great addition for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is notoriously light on Stone material.
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
peter
()
Date: February 17, 2011 09:35
"It Might Get Loud"....the documentary....there is a quick shot of the mobile outside the venue Led Zep used to record their 4th disk.....peter
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
Come On
()
Date: February 17, 2011 09:44
since the intresst of history seems to be at top, here's where it all begun:
2 1 2 0
2 1 2 0
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
Vocalion
()
Date: February 17, 2011 09:51
Quote
Come On
since the intresst of history seems to be at top, here's where it all begun:
No, it wasn't:
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
Come On
()
Date: February 17, 2011 09:57
Hey, what rock-record was the result of that session?
2 1 2 0
2 1 2 0
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
Vocalion
()
Date: February 17, 2011 10:09
Quote
Come On
Hey, what rock-record was the result of that session?
Billy Jones - Oh! Boy, What Joy We Had In Barefoot Days - Edison - 36
Re: The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Posted by:
Come On
()
Date: February 17, 2011 10:42
He He, good one! 
2 1 2 0
2 1 2 0
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
Online Users
AntoineParis , bluemick , damerefugio , Domonkos , eduardoacdc , hockenheim95 , jstones , keefriffhards , mrD , MrTurner , nbutton , wiredallnight
Guests:
1401
Record Number of Users:
206
on June 1, 2022 23:50
Record Number of Guests:
9627
on January 2, 2024 23:10