Redesdale Studios
Encyclopedia
Redesdale Studios was a popular Northumberland
recording studio
founded in 1996. It was situated in the beautiful and historic village of Elsdon
in North Northumberland. It began as a partnership between Rubber and Black Crow Records manager Geoff Heslop
, Scottish singer and songwriter Dick Gaughan
, and the two partners in CM records, Dave Bulmer and Neil Sharpley. In the years between 1986 and 1995 it was the main studio in the county, recording many albums for its own labels, Black Crow Records
, Acoustic Radio, Delta and Rede, as well for other labels.
Built and designed by Geoff and Dick, they had in addition the talent of engineer Mickey Sweeney to call upon, as well as musicians such as Rod Clements
, Chuck Fleming, Paul Flush and Paul Smith
and even Dire Straits
' keyboards player Alan Clark
.
The studio was in the Old School and featured a large acoustic space linked by a huge window to the control room. The rooms were filled with natural light which was always a plus for musicians who preferred it to the black holes that they usually had to record in. Unfortunately, the partnership broke up, with Heslop and Gaughan leaving in 1995 over severe differences with the other two partners. The building has stood empty, unused and deteriorating since that time, a great disappointment to the locals and many musicians.
Many well-known artists recorded there during the studio's heyday. Among the clients were Kathryn Tickell
(Kathryn Tickell Band, Signs, The Gathering), Ribbon Road (The Mortgaged Heart), ("The Moving Cloud") Clan Alba, Rod Clements
, Joe Hutton
, Alistair Anderson, Simon Thoumire
, Catriona MacDonald
and many others. The main engineer through these years was Mickey Sweeney.
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
recording studio
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...
founded in 1996. It was situated in the beautiful and historic village of Elsdon
Elsdon, Northumberland
Elsdon is a village and civil parish in the English county of Northumberland about to the southwest of Rothbury. The name is derived from the Old English meaning Elli's valley....
in North Northumberland. It began as a partnership between Rubber and Black Crow Records manager Geoff Heslop
Geoff Heslop
Geoff Heslop is an English record producer and musician-Career:After training as a recording engineer, Geoff turned to record production, producing albums for the Rubber Records label in Newcastle upon Tyne....
, Scottish singer and songwriter Dick Gaughan
Dick Gaughan
Richard Peter Gaughan usually known as Dick Gaughan is a Scottish musician, singer, and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs.-Early years:...
, and the two partners in CM records, Dave Bulmer and Neil Sharpley. In the years between 1986 and 1995 it was the main studio in the county, recording many albums for its own labels, Black Crow Records
Black Crow Records
Black Crow Records was originally an off-shoot of Rubber Records and was the brain child of Producer and Label Manager Geoff Heslop, created to provide a clearer identity. The label was owned by MWM Records in Newcastle upon Tyne, who handled all the production, marketing, sales and promotion. The...
, Acoustic Radio, Delta and Rede, as well for other labels.
Built and designed by Geoff and Dick, they had in addition the talent of engineer Mickey Sweeney to call upon, as well as musicians such as Rod Clements
Rod Clements
Rod Clements is a British guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Career:...
, Chuck Fleming, Paul Flush and Paul Smith
Paul Smith (pianist)
Paul Smith , is a jazz pianist. He has performed in various genres of jazz, most typically bebop. However, he has also performed in cool jazz, swing music, and traditional pop.He was born in San Diego, California...
and even Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
' keyboards player Alan Clark
Alan Clark
Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark was a British Conservative MP and diarist. He served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's governments at the Departments of Employment, Trade, and Defence, and became a privy counsellor in 1991...
.
The studio was in the Old School and featured a large acoustic space linked by a huge window to the control room. The rooms were filled with natural light which was always a plus for musicians who preferred it to the black holes that they usually had to record in. Unfortunately, the partnership broke up, with Heslop and Gaughan leaving in 1995 over severe differences with the other two partners. The building has stood empty, unused and deteriorating since that time, a great disappointment to the locals and many musicians.
Many well-known artists recorded there during the studio's heyday. Among the clients were Kathryn Tickell
Kathryn Tickell
Kathryn Tickell is an English player of the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle. She has recorded over a dozen albums, and toured widely.-Life and career:...
(Kathryn Tickell Band, Signs, The Gathering), Ribbon Road (The Mortgaged Heart), ("The Moving Cloud") Clan Alba, Rod Clements
Rod Clements
Rod Clements is a British guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Career:...
, Joe Hutton
Joe Hutton (piper)
Joe Hutton was born in Halton Lea Gate, near Haltwhistle in the west of Northumberland. Like his father, Jake, he was a shepherd, and a musician - he started on the fiddle, but took up the Northumbrian smallpipes after hearing P.J. Liddell and G.G. Armstrong playing at a concert in 1936. He...
, Alistair Anderson, Simon Thoumire
Simon Thoumire
Simon Thoumire is a Scottish musician and a concertina virtuoso.Thoumire has played all over the world. A winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award in 1989, Thoumire has always been keen to explore different genres of music, releasing many records over the years delving into folk, jazz,...
, Catriona MacDonald
Catriona MacDonald
Catriona McDonald is a musician and teacher from Shetland and is considered to be one of the world's leading traditional fiddle players.- Background :...
and many others. The main engineer through these years was Mickey Sweeney.