Caribou Ranch was a recording studio built by producer James William Guercio in 1972 in a converted barn on ranch property in the Rocky Mountains near Nederland, Colorado, on the road that leads to the ghost town of Caribou. The studio was in operation until it was damaged in a fire in March 1985. [1] The ranch hosted some of the most prominent acts of the 1970s and 80s and was closely associated with the band Chicago, who recorded five consecutive albums there between 1973 and 1977.
In 1971, Guercio purchased Caribou Ranch, comprising more than 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of ranch property in the Rocky Mountains. [2] The next year, Joe Walsh and Bill Szymczyk were starting work on Barnstorm at Walsh's home in Colorado when a mixer blew out on the first day. Szymczyk knew Guercio was building a new studio, visited the in-progress barn conversion at the ranch, and concluded that it would work for their project. They used the new studio to finish Barnstorm. Szymczyk next made Rick Derringer's All American Boy and the hit single "Rock & Roll, Hoochie Koo" there. [3]
Elton John's 1974 album Caribou was recorded at and named after the studio. John also recorded the single "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" there, along with its b-side, the John Lennon-penned "One Day (At A Time)," and the basic tracks and vocals for the single "Philadelphia Freedom" (the orchestral parts for which were overdubbed later). He also recorded his next two albums, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Rock of the Westies at Caribou Ranch.
Simultaneously in 1974 The Beach Boys attempted to record new material for their first studio album since Holland two years prior. The recordings were not very successful, but some songs such as "Good Timin'" and "Ding Dang" saw later release. Many other songs were demoed but have not yet seen official release. Beach Boys members Carl Wilson and Bruce Johnston sang backing vocals in support of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" during this time.
The group Chicago, managed by Guercio, recorded five studio albums there: Chicago VI , Chicago VII , Chicago VIII , Chicago X , and Chicago XI . Earth, Wind, & Fire recorded two of their albums there as well; [4] 1974's Open Our Eyes (Produced by Maurice White & Joe Wissert) and the 1975 Grammy winning That's the Way of the World (Produced by White and Charles Stepney).
By the mid 1980s, it was rumored that business was slow for the studio and their rates had dropped. In March 1985 Amy Grant, who had recorded four albums there, including her platinum-certified mainstream breakthrough album Unguarded , was about to fly out of Nashville to return to Caribou for work on her next project when word reached her that the studio was in flames.
The studio complex was shut down and never used again after the 1985 fire destroyed the control room and caused about US$3 million in damage. According to the Nederland Fire Chief, while the fire department was doing overhaul on the fire to make sure it was out, a chain saw cutting through the studio wall damaged several Gold Record plaques that had been awarded to Guercio's group Chicago.
Guercio's interests had shifted away from music and on transactions in 1996 and 2001 he sold 2,180 acres (880 ha) of the ranch to Boulder County and the City of Boulder, and another 1,489 acres (603 ha) were placed under conservation easement. A housing development by Guercio's Caribou Companies takes up much of the remaining land. [5]
In a 2008 interview with Denver PBS series Studio 12, [6] Guercio said the studio's control room was rebuilt after the fire. [lower-alpha 1] Guercio added, however, that he has no plans to reopen the recording facility for business.
In 2009, the Neve 8016 mixing console from the recording studio was refurbished by Vintage King Audio and purchased by Prime Studio in Austria. [7]
The remaining 1,600-acre (650 ha) property was sold to Indian Peaks Holdings LLC for $32.5 million. [8]
In January 2015, the remaining Rock 'n' Roll memorabilia was auctioned in Denver. Over $800,000 was raised from more than 1500 bidders. [9] Items sold included: [10]
In August of 2024 the ranch was listed for sale for $48.5 million. The Wall Street Journal linked the Walton family as the sellers. [16] [17]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(May 2013) |
Over 150 artists recorded at Caribou. [18] Notable acts included the following.
Nederland is a statutory town located near Barker Meadow Reservoir in the foothills of southwest Boulder County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census it had a population of 1,471.
Joseph Fidler Walsh is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles, his five-decade career has also included solo work and stints in two other successful rock bands: James Gang and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. He was also part of the New Zealand band Herbs. In the 1990s, he was a member of the short-lived supergroup The Best.
Turnstiles is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released May 19, 1976.
Chicago VI is the fifth studio album by American rock band Chicago and was released on June 25, 1973, by Columbia Records. It was the band's second in a string of five consecutive albums to make it to No. 1 in the US, was certified gold less than a month after its release, and has been certified two-times platinum since. It is the first album to feature percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, who would become a full-fledged member of the band for Chicago VIII. VI is the first studio album to feature the original band members on the cover before the death of leader and co-founder Terry Kath.
Chicago VII is the sixth studio album by American rock band Chicago. It was released on March 11, 1974 by Columbia Records. It is notable for being their first double album of new material since 1971's Chicago III and remains their final studio release in that format. It features session percussionist Laudir de Oliveira, who would become a full-fledged band member for the release of Chicago VIII the following year.
Chicago VIII is the seventh studio album by American rock band Chicago, released on March 24, 1975 by Columbia Records. Following the experimental jazz/pop stylings of Chicago VII, the band returned to a more streamlined rock-based sound on this follow-up.
Barnstorm is the debut studio album by the American band Barnstorm, which was formed by guitarist Joe Walsh after he left the James Gang. The album was released in October 1972 on the labels ABC and Dunhill. It was the first album to be recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado.
Caribou is the eighth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 24 June 1974 by MCA Records in the US and on 28 June by DJM Records in the UK. It was his fourth chart-topping album in the United States and his third in the United Kingdom. The album contains the singles "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", which reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart and number two in the US, and "The Bitch Is Back", which reached number 15 in the UK and number four in the US. Both singles reached number one in Canada on the RPM 100 national Top Singles Chart, as did the album itself.
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is the ninth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 23 May 1975 by DJM Records in the UK and MCA Records in the US. The album is an autobiographical account of the early musical careers of Elton John and his long-term lyricist Bernie Taupin. An instant commercial success, the album was certified gold before its release, and reached No. 1 in its first week of release on the US Billboard 200, the first album to achieve both honours. It sold 1.4 million copies within four days of release, and stayed in the top position in the chart for seven weeks.
Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 24 October 1975. The title is a pun on the phrase "West of the Rockies", the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Captured Angel is the third album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1975. He promoted the album with a tour in support of The Eagles.
Nether Lands is the fourth album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, released in 1977. The album title is a play on Nederland, Colorado, the location of one of the studios used to record the album.
Caribou Records is an American record label. It is owned by James William Guercio, who also owns Caribou Ranch recording studios and was the longtime manager of the band Chicago.
James William Guercio is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and director. He is best known for his work as the producer of Chicago's first eleven studio albums. He also produced the early recordings of The Buckinghams and Blood, Sweat & Tears. In the mid-1970s, he managed the Beach Boys and was a member of their backing band. Guercio has also worked in the motion picture industry as a producer and director. He is married to the former model Lucy Angle.
William Frank Szymczyk is an American music producer and recording engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of the 1970s, though—aside from continuing to work with Joe Walsh—he retired from the music business in 1990. He re-emerged in the late 2000s, taking on select projects including the 2007 Eagles album Long Road Out of Eden and the 2008 eponymous debut of Brian Vander Ark.
Caribou is an extinct silver mining town located near Nederland in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. It was named after the Caribou silver mine nearby. The Caribou post office operated from January 31, 1871, until March 31, 1917. The Caribou Ranch recording studio was located several miles away, on the road from Nederland up to Caribou.
Gerard Thomas McMahon, also known as Gerard McMann and G Tom Mac, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who specialises in creating music for films and TV. His gothic rock anthem "Cry Little Sister" was recorded in 1987 for the soundtrack album of the cult horror film The Lost Boys.
"Rocky Mountain Way" is a 1973 song by rock guitarist Joe Walsh and his band Barnstorm, with writing credits given to all four band members: Walsh, Rocke Grace, Kenny Passarelli, and Joe Vitale. The song was originally released on the album The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get.
Caribou Ranch Open Space Park is a park located near Nederland, Colorado. It has over 3.14 miles of trail for recreational visitors. It is open to hikers, horseback riders, and trail runners. Mountain bikes and dogs are not allowed in the park area. This park is connected to Mud Lake Open Space Park by the Caribou Ranch Link. Caribou Ranch is closed April 1 through June 30 to protect spring migratory birds and elk calving and rearing.
Colorado Music Hall of Fame is a nonprofit founded in 2011 with a mission to celebrate, promote and support Colorado’s music community. The Hall envisions a future where Colorado's music scene is as iconic as its mountains.