Mayfair Studios
Encyclopedia
Mayfair Studios is a recording studio
located in Primrose Hill
, London
, England
. The studio was originally established in Mayfair
, London in the 1960s thus giving the studio its name. Many notable artists and musicians such as Tina Turner
, The Clash
, Pink Floyd
, Bee Gees
, Nigel Kennedy
and Kroke
, and The Smiths
have all recorded music at Mayfair.
Prior to 1975 the studio was called Spot Studios owned by Ryemuse Ltd and was located at 64 South Molton St, Mayfair above the chemist shop. John Hudson worked there as chief engineer joining the company from BBC TV where he was employed in Presentation broadcasting Live Sound for programmes such as Jimi Hendrix Color Me Pop and Match of the Day. Through the early 70’s John Hudson was the engineer on many, many hit records to come out of Mayfair Studios including “Vienna (Ultravox song)” by Ultravox, “Fade to Grey” by Visage featuring Steve Strange, “Shang-A-Lang
” by Bay City Rollers
produced by Phil Coulter
. Full list of Mayfair's 30 years of hit records at John Hudson Mayfair.
In 1977 John Hudson and his wife Kate took over the management of the studio. They bought the old company in 1979. In 1980 they found a new site in Sharpleshall Street, Primrose Hill where they could relocate the studio as the property at 64 South Molton Street Mayfair was to be sold. The new studios were designed primarily by John Hudson with input from other studio designers such as Eddie Veale http://www.vealea.com/ and Ken Shearer acoustic consultant for the Royal Albert Hall. Jim Crockett
of Crockett Associates calculated and planned the sound isolation for studio 1 and reception. Initially the new complex consisted of just two studios but this grew to 6 studios over the 30 years the business was to survive.
In the first week in its new location in April 1980 there were 5 records in the Music Week
charts that had been recorded by John Hudson at the old studios in Mayfair. That success carried over to the new studio complex at Primrose Hill and it was the beginning of a magical 30-year success story for the studios and all who recorded there. The business eventually expanded to become a 12000 sq ft (1,114.8 m²) complex housing Mayfair’s famous Studio 1, Studio 2 and Studio 3, as well as 3 writing/production rooms. These rooms were occupied by writers, producers and artists such Matt Rowe Spice Girls
, the writing/production team of Robbie Williams
/Guy Chambers
and Herbert Grönemeyer
, a very successful German singer, actor and composer. A long list of hit records were recorded by a very impressive and extensive array of producers and artists over the years. There are far too many to list here but a complete list of hit records to come out of Mayfair can be viewed at John Hudson Mayfair http://www.mayfairstudios.com
The studios closed in December 2008. A book titled “What’s Mayfair got to do with It?”http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Mayfair-Got-Recording-financial/dp/1449977731 has been written about the reasons behind the closure. Indicative of stories now rife worldwide regarding insurance companies not paying legitimate claims, lawyers and accountants not meeting responsibilities with the net result being chaos which subsequently brought about the closure of one of the planets most loved and respected recording studios
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
located in Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill
Primrose Hill is a hill of located on the north side of Regent's Park in London, England, and also the name for the surrounding district. The hill has a clear view of central London to the south-east, as well as Belsize Park and Hampstead to the north...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The studio was originally established in Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, London in the 1960s thus giving the studio its name. Many notable artists and musicians such as Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
, Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy
Nigel Kennedy is a British born violinist and violist. He made his early career in the classical field, and he has performed and recorded most of the major violin concerti...
and Kroke
Kroke
KROKE – A Kraków instrumental ensemble of the world music genre. The band's name in Yiddish means Kraków.The band was founded in 1992 by three friends and graduates of the Academy of Music in Kraków. Initially, they were associated with klezmer music with strong Balkan influences...
, and The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
have all recorded music at Mayfair.
Prior to 1975 the studio was called Spot Studios owned by Ryemuse Ltd and was located at 64 South Molton St, Mayfair above the chemist shop. John Hudson worked there as chief engineer joining the company from BBC TV where he was employed in Presentation broadcasting Live Sound for programmes such as Jimi Hendrix Color Me Pop and Match of the Day. Through the early 70’s John Hudson was the engineer on many, many hit records to come out of Mayfair Studios including “Vienna (Ultravox song)” by Ultravox, “Fade to Grey” by Visage featuring Steve Strange, “Shang-A-Lang
Shang-a-Lang
Shang-a-Lang may refer to:*"Shang-A-Lang" - 1974 hit single by the Bay City Rollers**Shang-a-Lang - British TV show featuring the Bay City Rollers*Shang-a-Lang - punk-rock band...
” by Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...
produced by Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter is an artist with an international reputation as a successful songwriter, pianist, music producer, arranger and director. His success has spanned four decades and he is one of the biggest record sellers in Ireland...
. Full list of Mayfair's 30 years of hit records at John Hudson Mayfair.
In 1977 John Hudson and his wife Kate took over the management of the studio. They bought the old company in 1979. In 1980 they found a new site in Sharpleshall Street, Primrose Hill where they could relocate the studio as the property at 64 South Molton Street Mayfair was to be sold. The new studios were designed primarily by John Hudson with input from other studio designers such as Eddie Veale http://www.vealea.com/ and Ken Shearer acoustic consultant for the Royal Albert Hall. Jim Crockett
Jim Crockett
James Allen Crockett was a professional wrestling promoter sometimes known as Jim Crockett, Sr. or to people within the business simply as "Big Jim".-Early life:...
of Crockett Associates calculated and planned the sound isolation for studio 1 and reception. Initially the new complex consisted of just two studios but this grew to 6 studios over the 30 years the business was to survive.
In the first week in its new location in April 1980 there were 5 records in the Music Week
Music Week
Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry.Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Music Week . On 17 January 1981 the title was again changed, owing to the increasing importance of sell-through videos, to Music & Video Week...
charts that had been recorded by John Hudson at the old studios in Mayfair. That success carried over to the new studio complex at Primrose Hill and it was the beginning of a magical 30-year success story for the studios and all who recorded there. The business eventually expanded to become a 12000 sq ft (1,114.8 m²) complex housing Mayfair’s famous Studio 1, Studio 2 and Studio 3, as well as 3 writing/production rooms. These rooms were occupied by writers, producers and artists such Matt Rowe Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
, the writing/production team of Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
/Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
and Herbert Grönemeyer
Herbert Grönemeyer
Herbert Grönemeyer is a German musician and actor, popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He starred as war correspondent Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Petersen's movie Das Boot, but later concentrated on his musical career...
, a very successful German singer, actor and composer. A long list of hit records were recorded by a very impressive and extensive array of producers and artists over the years. There are far too many to list here but a complete list of hit records to come out of Mayfair can be viewed at John Hudson Mayfair http://www.mayfairstudios.com
The studios closed in December 2008. A book titled “What’s Mayfair got to do with It?”http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Mayfair-Got-Recording-financial/dp/1449977731 has been written about the reasons behind the closure. Indicative of stories now rife worldwide regarding insurance companies not paying legitimate claims, lawyers and accountants not meeting responsibilities with the net result being chaos which subsequently brought about the closure of one of the planets most loved and respected recording studios