Trident Studios

Last updated

The former Trident Studios building at St Anne's Court, Soho, London, 2018, with the David Bowie Blue Plaque
.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}
51deg30'52''N 0deg08'03''W / 51.514318degN 0.134243degW / 51.514318; -0.134243 The former Trident Studios building, St Anne's Court, Soho, London 2018.jpg
The former Trident Studios building at St Anne's Court, Soho, London, 2018, with the David Bowie Blue Plaque 51°30′52″N0°08′03″W / 51.514318°N 0.134243°W / 51.514318; -0.134243
Trident Studios Logo Trident Studios Logo.png
Trident Studios Logo
Trident Studios interior circa 1975 Trident Studios.jpg
Trident Studios interior circa 1975

Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry.

Contents

"My Name is Jack" by Manfred Mann was recorded at Trident in March 1968, and helped launch the studio's reputation. Later that year, the Beatles recorded their song "Hey Jude" there and part of their self-titled double album (also known as the "White Album"). Other well-known albums and songs recorded at Trident include Elton John's "Your Song", David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars , Lou Reed's Transformer , Carly Simon's No Secrets , and Queen's albums Queen , Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack .

Other artists recorded at Trident included the Bee Gees, Chris de Burgh, Frank Zappa, Genesis, Brand X, James Taylor, Joan Armatrading, Joe Cocker, Golden Earring, Harry Nilsson, Kiss, Tygers of Pan Tang, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Marc Almond, Marc and the Mambas, Smack ,Soft Cell, Rick Springfield, the Rolling Stones, Rush, Free, Thin Lizzy, Tina Turner, T.Rex, Van der Graaf Generator, Yes and John Entwistle.

The Sheffield brothers had a relaxed working attitude, but also emphasised high standards of audio engineering. [1] [ page needed ] The studio's state-of-the-art recording equipment helped attract many major artists to record there.

The studios are still in operation, now specialising in post-production for TV and Film.

The Beatles and Apple Records

In mid-1968, Trident Studios was the first in the UK to use Dolby noise reduction, and employ an eight-track reel-to-reel recording deck.

While Abbey Road Studios still used only four-track at the time, Trident's Ampex eight-track machine drew the Beatles on 31 July 1968 to record their song "Hey Jude". Paul McCartney later said about recording the track at Trident: "Words cannot describe the pleasure of listening back to the final mix of 'Hey Jude' on four giant Lockwood / Tannoy speakers which dwarfed everything else in the room ..." [1] [ page needed ] The band also recorded some songs for their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the White Album) at Trident – "Dear Prudence", "Honey Pie", "Savoy Truffle" and "Martha My Dear" – and on February 22, 1969, they first recorded "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" there for the album Abbey Road . [2] [3] John Lennon and Yoko Ono later returned with the Plastic Ono Band to record "Cold Turkey" featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar.

Many of the Beatles' Apple Records artists used Trident Studios, including Badfinger, Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin, Jackie Lomax and James Taylor. Part of George Harrison's triple album All Things Must Pass , containing the hit "My Sweet Lord", and Ringo Starr's "It Don't Come Easy", were also recorded there. Harry Nilsson recorded "Without You" at Trident, and portions of several of his 1970s albums.

Queen

The history of the Sheffield brothers and Trident Studios is also linked to the early discovery and success of the rock band Queen. In 1972, Trident Studios started two record production companies, one of which (Neptune Productions) initially signed three artists, Mark Ashton, Eugene Wallace and Queen. The agreements with the artists were for recording and publishing, but Queen had no management, so they insisted that Trident also take on that responsibility. Trident, initially reluctant, eventually agreed and Queen signed an agreement with Trident Recording, Publishing and Management, on 1 November 1972.

The management at the time claimed the deal allowed the band full access to the studio's cutting edge facilities, and supported them by providing the best producers and engineers - so long as the foundations of the band's first album Queen were recorded 'off peak'. [4] Roger Taylor later quoted these early off-peak studio hours as "gold dust". [4]

After the album was completed the Sheffield brothers had great difficulty finding a record label to take on the album and release it. [1] [ page needed ] Finally, eight months later, the brothers decided to take on the risk and fund the release themselves and Queen released their self-titled first album under the Trident label in a license deal with EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. Trident subsequently released Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack under this same arrangement. After the band left Trident, they signed directly with EMI and Elektra for A Night at the Opera .

David Bowie, Elton John and others

In March 1968, Manfred Mann recorded Trident's first number one at the studio, the single "My Name Is Jack". From 1968 to 1981, some of the most reputed artists used the studios for their recordings, including David Bowie, Elton John, Marc Bolan/T.Rex, Carly Simon, Frank Zappa, the Rolling Stones, Free, Genesis, Lou Reed, Joan Armatrading, Black Sabbath, Lindisfarne, Dusty Springfield, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Krisma, Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart and other artists. Elton John's "Your Song" and Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" were both engineered at Trident by Robin Geoffrey Cable, who later went on to produce two albums for the Dickies.

Tony Stratton-Smith's Charisma Records was also one of the most regular clients of the studios during the 1970s. Genesis recorded several of their most renowned albums there, including Trespass (1970), Nursery Cryme (1971) and A Trick of the Tail (1976). The jazz fusion band Brand X recorded their debut studio album Unorthodox Behaviour here (1976). Other artists from the label who recorded at Trident were Van der Graaf Generator, Peter Hammill, Lindisfarne and Peter Gabriel. Charisma's first Van der Graaf Generator release, The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other , was recorded at Trident from 11 to 14 December 1969. Most of the album was recorded on eight-track, but the last song, "After the Flood", was recorded on 16. Trident was also among the first studios in the UK to obtain a 16-track machine. [1] [ page needed ]

The Trident 'A' Range console

Trident Studios interior circa 1975 from the Studio and the famous Bechstein Piano Trident Studios 1975.jpg
Trident Studios interior circa 1975 from the Studio and the famous Bechstein Piano

The Trident A Range consoles were originally designed and built as an in house project by Malcolm Toft who was chief recording engineer at Trident and Barry Porter who was in charge of studio maintenance. Other studios heard about it and placed orders for consoles and Trident Audio Developments was formed with Malcolm Toft as managing director. Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles was one of the early recipients of one of the first production models, and ultimately purchased three new from Trident and one from a broker at a later time. [1] [ page needed ] David Bowie, Rod Stewart, and Frank Sinatra are among the early artists who first recorded hit records on Cherokee's first 'A' Range console.

"Though it had a very limited run, the Trident A Range console gained a reputation for its very distinct and pleasant sound with a very "musical" EQ section. Along with channel strips from early Neve and Helios consoles, original Trident A Range modules have kept a healthy resale value and are much sought after by engineers who like to combine old-school analogue gear with cutting-edge digital recording technology." [5]

Studio piano

Trident also gained a reputation for the sound of its piano, which can be heard on the Beatles' "Hey Jude", Elton John's "Your Song", Carly Simon's "The Right Thing To Do", Queen's "Killer Queen" and many other tracks. [6] It was a handmade C. Bechstein concert-sized instrument that was over one hundred years old. [1] [ page needed ] The piano was offered for auction in November 2001, [7] but failed to sell. [8]

Lockwood Tannoy monitoring speakers

From 1968 until 1974, Trident used four large monitoring loudspeakers in the control room. These speakers were mentioned by Paul McCartney:

Words cannot describe the pleasure of listening back to the final mix of "Hey Jude" on four giant Lockwood / Tannoy speakers which dwarfed everything else in the room ...

Paul McCartney, [1] [ page needed ]

The recording was done on Lockwood Tannoy speakers, and had to be equalized post-recording to fix the balance of high-end notes. [9] The speaker drivers used were 15-inch dual-concentric Tannoy Golds, which had been newly developed, mounted in cabinets made by Lockwood, UK. [10] They were black in colour and fabricated in Formica with a gold bezel. Two of the original loudspeakers still exist and more information can be found here atThe Original Trident Studios monitoring Loudspeakers - A History [11]

Later history

Trident Studios was sold in December 1981. It was bought by its senior engineer, Stephen Short, along with three other investors. In 1986, Short bought out the other investors and opened Trident 2 which was opened in 1983 and the investors were J.P. Illiesco and Rusty Egan. There were also another group of producers and investors who tried to buy Trident in the 1980s after its initial closure, headed by Neville Kernick-Nixon, Flood and John Keating; the former then opened The Mad House, later known as The Music Station. [12]

The original Trident mixing desk also survived, and was purchased in the early 1980s from the studio's owners by songwriter and former Cure bassist Phil Thornalley. It is now housed in Thornalley's own recording studio, Swamp Studios in north-west London. The Swamp is actually based around the Trident Tri‑mix desk. [13]

Since 1981, the studios have changed name(s) and hands multiple times, with the original building remaining in situ.

Blue plaque

David Bowie Plaque, Trident Studios, London David Bowie Plaque, Trident Studios, London copy.jpg
David Bowie Plaque, Trident Studios, London

On 15 June 2017, a British Plaque Trust permanent blue plaque was unveiled outside the building at 17 St Anne's Court, London in the recognition of the multiple David Bowie albums recorded there. [14]

Partial discography

The following is a partial list of work either recorded, mixed or mastered at Trident Studios between 1968 and 1981, edited from the timeline on the Trident Studios official website. [15] A Further list of albums is available at Albums recorded at Trident Studios

ArtistTitle
Ace How Long (1974)
America America (1971)
Joan Armatrading Whatever's for Us (1972)
The Beatles "Hey Jude", "Dear Prudence", "Honey Pie", "Martha My Dear", "Savoy Truffle" (1968), "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" (1969)
Bee Gees Odessa (1969)
Marc Bolan / Tyrannosaurus Rex / T-Rex Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages (1968), Unicorn (1969), A Beard of Stars (1970), T. Rex (1970), Electric Warrior (1971)
The Boomtown Rats "I Don't Like Mondays" (1979)
David Bowie Space Oddity (1969), The Man Who Sold the World (1970), Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973)
Chris de Burgh Far Beyond These Castle Walls (1974)
Billy Cobham Spectrum (1973)
Cass Elliot The Road Is No Place for a Lady (1972)
Gilbert Montagné The fool (1971)
Free Fire and Water (1970)
Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel (1978 album, often referred to as Scratch)
Genesis Trespass (1970), Nursery Cryme (1971), Selling England by the Pound (1973), A Trick of the Tail (1976), Wind & Wuthering (1976), Seconds Out (1977), ...And Then There Were Three... (1978)
Golden Earring Moontan (1973)
Elton John Elton John (1970), Tumbleweed Connection (1970), 17-11-70, Madman Across the Water (1971), Honky Château (1972), Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973), Rock of the Westies (1975)
Judas Priest Stained Class (1978)
Manfred Mann "My Name is Jack" (1968)
Mott the Hoople All the Young Dudes (1973)
Queen Queen (1973), Queen II (1974), Sheer Heart Attack (1974),
Lou Reed Transformer (1972)
The Rolling Stones "Midnight Rambler" (1969), Let It Bleed (1969)
Rush Hemispheres (1978), Permanent Waves (1980) [16]
Carly Simon No Secrets (1972)
Supertramp Crime of the Century (1974)
James Taylor James Taylor (1968)
Thin Lizzy Nightlife (1974)
Tygers of Pan Tang Crazy Nights (1981)
Evelyn Thomas High Energy (1984)

Related Research Articles

<i>The Beatles</i> (album) 1968 studio album by the Beatles

The Beatles, also referred to colloquially as the White Album, is the ninth studio album and only double album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 22 November 1968. Featuring a plain white sleeve, the cover contains no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed. This was intended as a direct contrast to the vivid cover artwork of the band's previous LP Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). The Beatles is recognised for its fragmentary style and diverse range of genres, including folk, country rock, British blues, ska, music hall, proto-metal and the avant-garde. It has since been viewed by some critics as a postmodern work, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Martin</span> English record producer (1926–2016)

Sir George Henry Martin was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatles' original albums. Martin's formal musical expertise and interest in novel recording practices facilitated the group's rudimentary musical education and desire for new musical sounds to record. Most of their orchestral arrangements and instrumentation were written or performed by Martin, and he played piano or keyboards on a number of their records. Their collaborations resulted in popular, highly acclaimed records with innovative sounds, such as the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band—the first rock album to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revolution (Beatles song)</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Revolution" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Three versions of the song were recorded and released in 1968, all during sessions for the Beatles' self-titled double album, also known as "the White Album": a slow, bluesy arrangement included on the album; an abstract sound collage that originated as the latter part of "Revolution 1" and appears on the same album; and the faster, hard rock version similar to "Revolution 1", released as the B-side of "Hey Jude". Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after "Revolution 1", intended for release as a single. A promotional video for the song was shot using the musical backing track from the hard rock version, along with live-sung lyrics that more closely resemble the "Revolution 1" version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Jude</span> 1968 single by the Beatles

"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first release on their Apple record label and one of the "First Four" singles by Apple's roster of artists, marking the label's public launch. "Hey Jude" was a number-one hit in many countries around the world and became the year's top-selling single in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada. Its nine-week run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 tied the all-time record in 1968 for the longest run at the top of the US charts, a record it held for nine years. It has sold approximately eight million copies and is frequently included on music critics' lists of the greatest songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beatles discography</span>

Worldwide, the British rock band the Beatles released 12 studio albums, 5 live albums, 51 compilation albums, 36 extended plays (EPs), 63 singles, 17 box sets, 22 video albums and 53 music videos. In their native United Kingdom, during their active existence as a band, they released 12 studio albums, 1 compilation album, 13 EPs, and 22 singles. The early albums and singles released from 1962 to March 1968 were originally on Parlophone, and their albums and singles from August 1968 to 1970 were on their subsidiary label Apple. Their output also includes vault items, remixed mash-ups and anniversary box-sets.

<i>Hunky Dory</i> 1971 studio album by David Bowie

Hunky Dory is the fourth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released in the United Kingdom on 17 December 1971 through RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie took time off from recording and touring. He settled down to write new songs, composing on piano rather than guitar as on earlier tracks. Following a tour of the United States, Bowie assembled a new backing band consisting of guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey, and began to record a new album in mid-1971 at Trident Studios in London. Future Yes member Rick Wakeman contributed on piano. Bowie co-produced the album with Ken Scott, who had engineered Bowie's previous two records.

<i>Queen</i> (Queen album) 1973 debut studio album by Queen

Queen is the debut studio album by the British rock band Queen. Released on 13 July 1973 by EMI Records in the UK and by Elektra Records in the US, it was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker, John Anthony and the band members themselves.

<i>Hey Jude</i> (Beatles album) 1970 compilation album by the Beatles

Hey Jude is a 1970 collection of non-album singles and B-sides by the Beatles. Originally released in the United States and various other markets, but not in the United Kingdom, it consisted of non-album singles and B-sides not previously issued on an American Beatles LP; this included "I Should Have Known Better" and "Can't Buy Me Love", two singles released by Capitol Records whose only previous American album appearance had been on the A Hard Day's Night soundtrack album, which had been released by United Artists Records. The Hey Jude LP has been out of print since the late 1980s, although it remained available on cassette during the 1990s. The album was issued on CD for the first time in 2014, as an individual release and in a box set titled The U.S. Albums.

"Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World and later, in a different form, on their 1970 album Let It Be, the group's final released album. The original version featured on two different albums both titled Rarities: a 1978 British release and a 1980 US release. It was also included on their 1988 album Past Masters, Volume Two. The song has been covered by many artists, including David Bowie on his 1975 album Young Americans, which featured contributions from Lennon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Scott</span> British record producer and engineer

Ken Scott is a British record producer and engineer known for being one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, as well as engineering Elton John, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Duran Duran, the Jeff Beck Group, Supertramp and many more.

Christopher P. Thomas is an English record producer who has worked extensively with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Roxy Music, Badfinger, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Pulp and the Pretenders. He has also produced breakthrough albums for the Sex Pistols, the Climax Blues Band and INXS.

Cherokee Studios is a recording studio facility in Hollywood founded in 1972 by members of 1960s pop band The Robbs. Cherokee has been the location of many notable recordings by such artists as Steely Dan, David Bowie, Journey, Toto, Michael Jackson, Van Halen, Guns N' Roses, The Cars, Foreigner, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Devo, Queens of the Stone Age, X, Mötley Crüe, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Dokken, John Mellencamp, Melissa Etheridge, and The Replacements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sour Milk Sea</span> 1968 single by Jackie Lomax

"Sour Milk Sea" is a song written by George Harrison and released by English rock singer Jackie Lomax as his debut single on the Beatles' Apple record label in August 1968. Harrison wrote the song during the Beatles' stay in Rishikesh, India and gave it to Lomax to help launch Apple Records. Lomax's recording is a rarity among non-Beatles songs since it features three members of the band – Harrison, who also produced the track, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. Performed in the hard rock style, the song also includes musical contributions from Eric Clapton and session pianist Nicky Hopkins. It was the first of many Harrison productions for artists signed to the Beatles' record label.

<i>Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night</i> 1973 studio album by Peter Hammill

Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night is the second solo album by British singer-songwriter Peter Hammill. It followed in the aftermath of the breakup of Hammill's band Van der Graaf Generator, and other ex-members of Van der Graaf Generator perform on the album.

Associated Independent Recording (AIR) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producer Sir George Martin and his business partner John Burgess, after their departure from Parlophone. The studio complex was founded in 1969. Since then AIR has operated its own professional audio recording facilities, AIR Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recording practices of the Beatles</span>

The studio practices of the Beatles evolved during the 1960s and, in some cases, influenced the way popular music was recorded. Some of the effects they employed were sampling, artificial double tracking (ADT) and the elaborate use of multitrack recording machines. They also used classical instruments on their recordings and guitar feedback. The group's attitude towards the recording process was summed up by Paul McCartney: "We would say, 'Try it. Just try it for us. If it sounds crappy, OK, we'll lose it. But it might just sound good.' We were always pushing ahead: Louder, further, longer, more, different."

Trident A Range consoles were originally built by and for Trident Studios. When word spread about this revolutionary new multi-track recording console design, other studios placed their orders and Trident Audio Developments was formed. Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles was one of the early recipients of one of the first production models. David Bowie, Rod Stewart, and Frank Sinatra are among the early artists who first recorded hit records on Cherokee's first A Range console. With only 13 consoles ever built of this model, the Trident A Range has attained a near mythical status in the professional recording industry.

Lou Reizner was an American record producer, A&R executive and head of Mercury Records European operations. He produced Rod Stewart's first two solo albums, the orchestral version of The Who's rock opera Tommy, and Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth. As an A&R executive, he signed Van der Graaf Generator and arranged a US deal for David Bowie.

Malcolm Toft is an audio engineer and businessman who worked at Trident Studios, first as an audio engineer, then as the studio's manager, and eventually as co-founder of recording console maker Trident Audio Developments. Toft went on to form another console company, Malcolm Toft Associates, which eventually led to Toft Audio Designs and the founding of Ocean Audio. Currently he manufactures a range of professional audio products under his own name. Toft was also co-owner of The Music Mill Studios in Newton Abbot, Devon. In 2009 he was awarded a visiting professorship by Leeds College of Music. He is also a member of the University of West London Student Advisory board which mentors students during the last year of their degree courses in music technology. In July 2023 The University of West London awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman Sheffield</span>

Norman Sheffield was a music and advertising industry figure, most noted for his music industry recording and management roles, ownership of the former Trident Studios, and being the original manager of the rock band Queen.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sheffield, Norman (2013). Life on Two Legs. ISBN   978-0957513303.
  2. Ingham, Chris (2006). The Rough Guide to the Beatles. London: Rough Guides. p. 266. ISBN   978-1-84353-720-5.
  3. "Abbey Road Anniversary Editions OUT NOW! – the BEATLES".
  4. 1 2 "Queen: From Rags to Rhapsody - BBC Four". BBC. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  5. Mix Magazine, 1 July 2001
  6. David Bennett (16 March 2020). Rock music’s most noteworthy instrument. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  7. "Beatles' stage to be auctioned". BBC. 16 November 2001. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  8. "Beatle Bummer". NME. 28 November 2001. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  9. Matteo, Steve (10 August 2004). The Beatles' Let It Be. A&C Black. pp. 13–14. ISBN   978-0-8264-1634-6.
  10. Massey, Howard (1 October 2015). The Great British Recording Studios. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   978-1-4950-3533-3.
  11. "The Original Trident Studios Monitoring Loudspeakers - A History". www.tannoyista.com. Tannoyista.
  12. "Ping Pong Music". Ping Pong Music. 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 7 August 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  13. "Phil Thornalley". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 2 May 2020. The Swamp is still based around the Trident Tri‑mix desk Thornalley bought in the early '80s
  14. "BBC Music - Blue Plaques celebrating your local music legends - revealed!". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  15. "Life on Two Legs - Norman Sheffield". Tridentstudios.com. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  16. John Patuto. "Rush: Permanent Waves - Album Lyrics and Liner Notes". Cygnus-x1.net. Retrieved 27 June 2016.

51°30′52″N0°08′02″W / 51.5144°N 0.1339°W / 51.5144; -0.1339