I know the Stones have used a few different studios in the last 50 years in Europe and the US. Does a studio really have any effect on the overall sound by the time it gets to us?

Why did they all fly to France again to record, is there something special about this studio?

If there is a big difference, I wonder what the outcome might be if they recorded at Abbey Road studios (even using George Martin as a producer)!

Thoughts?

It can make a difference but part of that is how the room is used and how things are mic'ed. For example, on Undercover, the drum roll in Tie You Up after the little break, they pull ALL of the channels out except for a room mic that was in some corner somewhere, capturing the entire sound of the room.

That is what you hear just on that drum roll.

For Charlie's trash can track on Moon Is Up they put him at the bottom of a stairwell. So the room does have impact - if you want it to.

Guillaume Tell is a very good studio and very convenient for them to drive to from their hôtels. The surrounding area is very nice and quiet too.

Abbey Road was EMI's facility. They had no affiliation with EMI until SOME GIRLS so they weren't likely to have gone near it in the sixties. Mick recorded the songs for ALFIE there. Granted that was forty years after the fact. They have the money and time that if everyone is happy recording at Guillaume Tell - which is essentially a rehearsal hall - then they can. Same with anywhere else. Sometimes the locations are in the spirit of compromise - Mick liked Blue Wave, Keith liked Air Studios. Sometimes it was chasing a sound, sometimes it was simple convenience or label affiliation offering an attractive price.

OK thanks. Is there a breakdown (maybe by album) where each song was recorded? I remember Mathjis stating a while back that only 5 or 6 songs from EOMS were actually recorded at Keith's house in the South of France (I hope I'm stating that correctly)! I assume that most songs/albums were recorded in the London area? I also know they used Mick's house for a few songs and of course GHS in Jamaica and in the US for some of the early tracks..

The truth is that Mick's home studio probably has all the same mics and outboard equipment as any 'major' studio in the world. Granted there are some amazing studios with 'perfect' rooms, but I guarantee you Mick isn't hurting for cash to buy his next preamp.

The era of trying to get the 'best' quality has gone... Most people have access to amazing mic selections, preamps, boards so forth at all modern studios. The trouble is getting an engineer, producer and mastering engineer who are going to preserve the great sound you hear in the control room. I guarantee you that A Bigger Bang sounded great in the studio... Alive, punchy, beautiful.. Then it got mastered to death and all life sucked out of the mix.

The other thing to think of is the 'vibe' a studio has. If the Stones love working in Paris, then thats all there is to say about that. They didn't need to be in New York to write Shattered, just a good studio in Paris where they were getting good results.

Quote
2000 LYFH
I know the Stones have used a few different studios in the last 50 years in Europe and the US. Does a studio really have any effect on the overall sound by the time it gets to us?

Why did they all fly to France again to record, is there something special about this studio?

If there is a big difference, I wonder what the outcome might be if they recorded at Abbey Road studios (even using George Martin as a producer)!

Thoughts?

In 1964 it sure mattered, especially to The Stones who bemoaned the lack of bass that was always a hallmark of British recording in those days, which is one reason they wanted to stop in and record at Chess when they were in Chicago because Chess was renowned for its powerful rhythm section sound records made there produced. You can certainly hear the difference in It's All Over Now, where Charlie's bass drum has a noticeable boom and thump (as well as Bill's bass) that was missing in most of their other British recordings of the time.

Nico's site (check CONNECTIONS on the IORR main page) gives you a listing of every studio session. So does Martin Elliott's book (also listed on the CONNECTIONS page).

It's pretty much this - I'm going off the top of my head so I might miss a few:

1963: IBC, Olympic, Decca, De Lane Lea
1964: Regent Sound, Chess, RCA
1965: IBC, RCA, Chess
1966: RCA, IBC, Olympic
1967: Olympic
1968: Olympic, Sunset Sound
1969: Olympic, Elektra, Muscle Shoals
1970: Olympic, MRU - Stargroves
1971: MRU - Nellcote, Sunset Sound
1972: Sunset Sound, Dynamic Sound
1973: Island Records, Musicland
1974: Musicland, Island Records, MRU - The Wick
1975: Musicland, MRU - Rotterdam, Atlantic Records
1976: Atlantic Records
1977: Atlantic Records, Pathe-Marconi
1978: Pathe-Marconi, Atlantic Records, RCA
1979: Compass Point, Pathe-Marconi, Atlantic Records
1980: Atlantic Records, Pathe-Marconi (Mick and Keith)
1981: Compass Point (Keith), Pathe-Marconi (Mick), Atlantic
1982: Power Station, Atlantic, Pathe-Marconi
1983: Pathe-Marconi, Hit Factory, Compass Point (Keith)
1985: Pathe-Marconi, Right Track, RPM
1989: Blue Wave, AIR, BBC MRU - Tangier, Olympic
1990: Metropolis
1991: Island Records
1993: Blue Wave, Sandymount, Windmill Lane, A&M Records
1994: A&M Records, Right Track
1995: Toshiba-EMI, Metropolis, Olympic
1996: ? studio in Atlanta (Mick), Point of View (Keith), PCP Labs (Mick)
1997: Ocean Way
1998: Metropolis, Olympic
2002: Guillaime Tell
2003: Metropolis, Olympic
2004: Le Fork (Mick and Keith)
2005: Stargroves, Le Fork, Ocean Way
2007: Mix This
2009: Olympic, Ocean Way (Mick, some Keith, Taylor overdub)
2010: Ocean Way (Mick), Le Fork (Mick), Studio L (Keith)
2011: Le Fork, Ocean Way, Studio L, Wyman's studio in London
2012: ? studio in New Jersey, Guillaime Tell

In the old days (there's that term again), the studio was incredibly important. I have an interview with a guy (an engineer) who said he could tell where a record was recorded just by listening to it, (this was the "60s). Digital put an end to that.
I've recorded for many years, and nowadays all studios seem pretty much the same.
They have no "personal identity." I don't think you can record a great-sounding album nowadays (it's been awhile, actually). You can have great songs, but a a great-sounding album in this digital age, I don't think so-- and I don't care how good Neil Young's new invention is. The Stones will/have never record a good-sounding album in the digital age.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-02 09:08 by tomk.

Quote
Rocky Dijon
Nico's site (check CONNECTIONS on the IORR main page) gives you a listing of every studio session. So does Martin Elliott's book (also listed on the CONNECTIONS page).

It's pretty much this - I'm going off the top of my head so I might miss a few:

1963: IBC, Olympic, Decca, De Lane Lea
1964: Regent Sound, Chess, RCA
1965: IBC, RCA, Chess
1966: RCA, IBC, Olympic
1967: Olympic
1968: Olympic, Sunset Sound
1969: Olympic, Elektra, Muscle Shoals
1970: Olympic, MRU - Stargroves
1971: MRU - Nellcote, Sunset Sound
1972: Sunset Sound, Dynamic Sound
1973: Island Records, Musicland
1974: Musicland, Island Records, MRU - The Wick
1975: Musicland, MRU - Rotterdam, Atlantic Records
1976: Atlantic Records
1977: Atlantic Records, Pathe-Marconi
1978: Pathe-Marconi, Atlantic Records, RCA
1979: Compass Point, Pathe-Marconi, Atlantic Records
1980: Atlantic Records, Pathe-Marconi (Mick and Keith)
1981: Compass Point (Keith), Pathe-Marconi (Mick), Atlantic
1982: Power Station, Atlantic, Pathe-Marconi
1983: Pathe-Marconi, Hit Factory, Compass Point (Keith)
1985: Pathe-Marconi, Right Track, RPM
1989: Blue Wave, AIR, BBC MRU - Tangier, Olympic
1990: Metropolis
1991: Island Records
1993: Blue Wave, Sandymount, Windmill Lane, A&M Records
1994: A&M Records, Right Track
1995: Toshiba-EMI, Metropolis, Olympic
1996: ? studio in Atlanta (Mick), Point of View (Keith), PCP Labs (Mick)
1997: Ocean Way
1998: Metropolis, Olympic
2002: Guillaime Tell
2003: Metropolis, Olympic
2004: Le Fork (Mick and Keith)
2005: Stargroves, Le Fork, Ocean Way
2007: Mix This
2009: Olympic, Ocean Way (Mick, some Keith, Taylor overdub)
2010: Ocean Way (Mick), Le Fork (Mick), Studio L (Keith)
2011: Le Fork, Ocean Way, Studio L, Wyman's studio in London
2012: ? studio in New Jersey, Guillaime Tell

The website for Tangerine Mastering in Weehawken claims to have been the location.

blog.tangerinemastering.com

Thanks. The ? ones were where I couldn't remember the site. I believe Revvy had told us at the time.

The studio in Atlanta where Mick recorded in March 1996 remains a mystery--every place you go online lists it as an "unknown studio."

Yes, and the photo Rolling Stone published in 1996 credited as Mick and Dallas Austin at the console is actually of Mick and Rick Rubin and was four years old at the time as it dated from the WANDERING SPIRIT sessions. Never found out if they caught that and issued a retraction.

And studio DAVOUT Paris France July 1998.Overdubs for NO SECURITY album.

Quote
Rocky Dijon
Nico's site (check CONNECTIONS on the IORR main page) gives you a listing of every studio session. So does Martin Elliott's book (also listed on the CONNECTIONS page).

It's pretty much this - I'm going off the top of my head so I might miss a few:

1963: IBC, Olympic, Decca, De Lane Lea
1964: Regent Sound, Chess, RCA
1965: IBC, RCA, Chess
1966: RCA, IBC, Olympic
1967: Olympic
1968: Olympic, Sunset Sound
1969: Olympic, Elektra, Muscle Shoals
1970: Olympic, MRU - Stargroves
1971: MRU - Nellcote, Sunset Sound
1972: Sunset Sound, Dynamic Sound
1973: Island Records, Musicland
1974: Musicland, Island Records, MRU - The Wick
1975: Musicland, MRU - Rotterdam, Atlantic Records
1976: Atlantic Records
1977: Atlantic Records, Pathe-Marconi
1978: Pathe-Marconi, Atlantic Records, RCA
1979: Compass Point, Pathe-Marconi, Atlantic Records
1980: Atlantic Records, Pathe-Marconi (Mick and Keith)
1981: Compass Point (Keith), Pathe-Marconi (Mick), Atlantic
1982: Power Station, Atlantic, Pathe-Marconi
1983: Pathe-Marconi, Hit Factory, Compass Point (Keith)
1985: Pathe-Marconi, Right Track, RPM
1989: Blue Wave, AIR, BBC MRU - Tangier, Olympic
1990: Metropolis
1991: Island Records
1993: Blue Wave, Sandymount, Windmill Lane, A&M Records
1994: A&M Records, Right Track
1995: Toshiba-EMI, Metropolis, Olympic
1996: ? studio in Atlanta (Mick), Point of View (Keith), PCP Labs (Mick)
1997: Ocean Way
1998: Metropolis, Olympic
2002: Guillaime Tell
2003: Metropolis, Olympic
2004: Le Fork (Mick and Keith)
2005: Stargroves, Le Fork, Ocean Way
2007: Mix This
2009: Olympic, Ocean Way (Mick, some Keith, Taylor overdub)
2010: Ocean Way (Mick), Le Fork (Mick), Studio L (Keith)
2011: Le Fork, Ocean Way, Studio L, Wyman's studio in London
2012: ? studio in New Jersey, Guillaime Tell

Wow, did you really do this off the top of your head?

Found the following writeup about Stargroves. What a great idea, buy an estate, turn it into a recording studio and then rent it out for big money to other rock stars to live/record in. I didn't know Rod Stewart once owned it!


From Wikipedia:

Mick Jagger purchased the estate in 1970 for 55,000 pounds.

The Rolling Stones recorded there before their move to France in spring 1971. These recordings were laid down via a Mobile Recording Studio control room located in a custom-built truck known as the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. The band recorded a number of albums and singles at Stargroves including various tracks which appeared on Exile On Main Street, Sticky Fingers and It's Only Rock 'n Roll.

Other bands also recorded at Stargroves using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. The Who recorded a number of songs there including "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Pure and Easy" in 1971. In 1972, Led Zeppelin recorded parts of the albums Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti there. Other artists who have recorded in the Rolling Stones' studio are Deep Purple, Status Quo, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Horslips, Santana and Iron Maiden.

The exterior of the house and its grounds were also extensively used for filming the Doctor Who stories Pyramids of Mars (1975) and Image of the Fendahl (1977). Both stories featured the Fourth Doctor.

In 1998 Rod Stewart bought Stargroves for £2.5million. However, he never lived there and sold it a few months later, at the same time as his settlement for his divorce from Rachel Hunter



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-02 20:45 by 2000 LYFH.

I did do it from memory, but not only is it complete, there's sure to be errors. It was just a starting point until the original poster finds their way to Nico's site and/or Martin's book.

If I'm remembering it correctly, there are two Stargroves. The original one was in Surrey I think and was featured prominently by the BBC for various productions. The studio would have just been the Mobile truck (MRU) I believe. The second Stargroves estate is Mick's home in Mustique. I'm sure if I'm confusing this someone else will know better and correct the information. This site is excellent for details.

Crap. I should have read your post completely first. Ah well. Redundancy is everything.