RAK Studios

Last updated

RAK Studios
Company type Private
Industry Music
Founded1976;48 years ago (1976) in St John's Wood, London, UK
Founder Mickie Most
Headquarters42-48 Charlbert Street, ,
England
Website rakstudios.co.uk

RAK Studios is a recording studio complex, with residential facilities, used by Rak Records, and located near Regent's Park in central London, England. It was founded in 1976 by English record producer Mickie Most. [1]

Contents

History

The RAK complex resides within a Victorian building that was once a school and church hall before being owned by ATV and used for television program rehearsals before becoming RAK Studios in 1976. [2]

RAK has four recording rooms. Studios 1 and 2 house API mixing consoles; Studio 3 has a vintage Neve VRP Legend console [3] (previously at Abbey Road Studios' Studio 2); and Studio 4 is a 9.1.4 Atmos Room with Genelec system, which also operates a comfortable stereo mix and production room.

Notable songs recorded at RAK Studios

RAK Mobile

The RAK Mobile recording studio was a remote recording truck originally built in 1973 by former BBC engineer Doug Hopkins as the Trans European Audio Mobile, or TEAM. When approached by Mickie Most to rent the TEAM mobile for some long-term projects in France the following year, Hopkins suggested that it may make more sense for Most to buy the truck instead. Most purchased the mobile recording studio and re-branded it the RAK Records Mobile two years prior to establishing RAK Studios. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rak Records</span> British record label

Rak Records is a British record label, founded by record producer Mickie Most in 1969. Rak was home to artists such as Herman's Hermits, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Kenny, Hot Chocolate, Smokie, Arrows, Span, Racey and Kim Wilde. Rak Records were distributed via a licensing deal with EMI Records, which bought the company and its master recordings from Most in 1983. Most kept the company name and his RAK Studios, which still exists in St. John's Wood along with Rak Publishing. The latter company represents artists such as Joan Jett, Ben Taylor and KK. In 1986, Most defected the label from EMI to PRT Records which handled the last releases until February 1988. Owing to the records not being hits, the label folded. However, 26 years later in late 2014, Rak Records was revived as a label for new artists releasing both downloads and 7-inch vinyl in the form of a singles club. The Cadbury Sisters, Trojanhorse, and Beautiful Boy were the new signings. They recorded their own original songs as the A-sides, and covered a classic Rak artists cover as the B-side. The Cadbury Sisters covered Steve Harley's 1975 classic "Make Me Smile ", Trojan Horse did Cozy Powell's "Dance With The Devil", and Beautiful Boy did "Kids In America". As PRT Records is no longer in existence, the label is now distributed by Gearbox Records using the original sailing yacht paper label and the records packaged in the original royal blue paper sleeves.

The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio inside a DAF F1600 Turbo truck, once owned by the English rock band The Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using the RSM, including The Who, Dire Straits, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Nazareth, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Wishbone Ash, Motörhead and the Rolling Stones themselves. Today, the RSM resides at the National Music Centre in Calgary.

Go was a Japanese rock supergroup formed in 1976 by Stomu Yamashta, which included Steve Winwood, Al Di Meola, Klaus Schulze (synthesizers) and Michael Shrieve (drums). Go is the Japanese word for "five".

Gerald Lincoln "Gerry" Bron was an English record producer and band manager. Gerry Married Penny Bron in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated Processes, Inc.</span> American audio equipment manufacturer

Automated Processes Inc. is an American company that designs, manufactures, and markets mixing consoles and signal processors, including modular signal processor units in the 500-series format standard that evolved from early API mixing consoles.

The IBC Recording Studios were independent recording studios located at 35 Portland Place in London, England. In the 1960s and 1970s, the studios become internationally famous after being used by recording artists like the Kinks, the Who, Bee Gees, Cream and others.

Basing Street Studios was a recording studio in a former 17th century chapel at 8–10 Basing Street, in Notting Hill, London, England. Originally established in 1969 as Island Studios by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, the studio's location also housed the offices for Island Records from 1969 until 1973, and was renamed Basing Street Studios in 1975. Island/Basing Street Studios produced many notable recordings in the 1970s from artists including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Traffic, and Dire Straits. In 1982, the studios were acquired by Sarm Studio owners Jill Sinclair and her husband, producer Trevor Horn in 1982, and renamed Sarm West.

Decca Studios was a recording facility at 165 Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead, North London, England, controlled by Decca Records from 1937 to 1980.

Wessex Sound Studios was a recording studio located at 106a Highbury New Park, London, England. Many renowned popular music artists recorded there, including King Crimson, Queen, Sex Pistols, the Clash, Pete Townshend and the Pretenders. The property was sold to a residential development company in 2003.

Ramport Studios was a recording studio in south London's Battersea district, built by the Who in 1973.

Pathway Studios was an independent recording studio in North London. Founded in 1970, the studio became an early favorite of Stiff Records' Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera, and was the location for early recordings by The Damned, Madness, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Lene Lovich, John Foxx, and the Police.

<i>Go</i> (Go album) 1976 studio album by Go

Go is the first album by the rock music supergroup Go. Recorded at Island Studios in London in February 1976, it was released on Island Records in April of the same year.

The Town House was a recording studio located at 150 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush in London, built in 1978 under the direction of Richard Branson for Virgin Records. The studios changed ownership and eventually ceased operation in 2008, with luxury apartments now in its place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio</span>

Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio, also known as LMS (Lane Mobile Studio), is a mobile recording studio originally owned by Ronnie Lane.

Mayfair Recording Studios was a recording studio in London, England, which was in operation from the 1960s until 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EMI TG12345</span> Mixing console

The EMI TG12345 was a mixing console designed by EMI for their Abbey Road Studios, which was used to mix several influential albums, including The Beatles' Abbey Road and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.

The EMI REDD .17, .37 and .51 were vacuum-tube-based mixing consoles designed by EMI for their Abbey Road Studios. They were used to mix several influential albums, including most of the Beatles' albums and the first two Pink Floyd albums.

Helios was a brand of mixing consoles custom-designed and built for use in recording studios. Produced from 1969 to 1979, Helios consoles were utilized by many key recording studios to produce numerous notable recordings and played a vital part in the history of British rock.

Scully Recording Instruments was an American designer and manufacturer of professional audio equipment for recording studios and broadcasters.

Battery Studios is an independent recording studio complex in Willesden in northwest London originally established in 1980 when Zomba Group acquired Morgan Studios 3 and 4. The studios were later purchased by Flood (producer) and Alan Moulder and operated as Assault & Battery Studios. The studios have since assumed their original name and, since 2021 have been managed via a joint partnership between Miloco Studios, Flood and Moulder.

References

  1. Kuttner, Julia (13 October 2013). "The man who inspired Simon Cowell to be Most successful". Daily Express . Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  2. Massey, Howard (2015). The Great British Recording Studios. Lanham, Maryland, US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 285–289. ISBN   978-1-4584-2197-5.
  3. "RAK Studios - Video features recorded at RAK". RecordProduction. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  4. Buskin, Richard (January 2005). "Classic Tracks: The Smiths 'The Queen Is Dead'". Sound on Sound . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  5. "Hot Chocolate – Every 1's A Winner". Discogs.
  6. Lynskey, Dorian (6 December 2012). "Fairytale of New York: the story behind the Pogues' classic Christmas anthem". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  7. Perry, Kevin EG (7 December 2012). "25 Things You Didn't Know About 'Fairytale of New York'". NME. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  8. Simpson, Dave (21 September 2020). "Pretty in Pink: the Psychedelic Furs on how they made a pop classic". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  9. Massey, Howard (2015). The Great British Recording Studios. Lanham, Maryland, US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 325–326. ISBN   978-1-4584-2197-5.

51°32′03″N0°10′04″W / 51.5342°N 0.1677°W / 51.5342; -0.1677