Rolling Stones Mobile Studio

Last updated

The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio (also known as the RSM) 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. [1]

Contents

History

Interior pix 3.gif

The concept for the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio came about in 1968 when the Rolling Stones, tired of the 9-to-5 limitations of commercial recording studios and being billed for studio time sometimes spent rehearsing or composing, decided to find a way to record at Mick Jagger's new Stargroves country estate. Since recording at this residential location would require all of the necessary recording equipment to be transported to Jagger's house, the band's road manager and pianist Ian Stewart introduced the idea of building a recording studio control room within a truck.

Under Stewart's guidance, a number of top engineers and producers, including Glyn Johns, were consulted in the project's creation, which was then taken to Dick Swettenham's company Helios Electronics. Known for making mixing consoles for some of the most exclusive studios of the time, the company then produced the first working version of the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.

Originally intended only for use by The Rolling Stones, the RSM soon gained popularity with other rock bands, such as The Who, The Faces and Led Zeppelin. Several classic albums were recorded with the Mobile Studio, including most of Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin III (1970) and Led Zeppelin IV (1971), much of The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main St. (1972), as well as the Stones' 1969 Hyde Park concert. The unit was used in a large variety of locations, everywhere from halls to barns to castles and the casino at Montreux, Switzerland. During the making of the sixth Deep Purple album, Machine Head , the Mobile nearly caught fire as it stood next to the casino, which was set ablaze during a Frank Zappa concert. This incident became the inspiration behind Deep Purple's most famous song, "Smoke on the Water", which mentioned the Mobile in the lyrics ("We all came out to Montreux ... to make records with a mobile") and later referred to the Mobile as the "Rolling truck Stones thing". [2]

In spring 1973, Tapani Tapanainen was hired as the RSM's permanent assistant sound engineer. During the Rolling Stones 1973 European Tour, Mick McKenna joined the RSM and, working with Ian Stewart until his death in 1985, undertook the future development of the mobile studio to suit the changing patterns of work. [3] From 1974 to 1975, the RSM was upgraded significantly. The 16-track recorder was upgraded to a 24-track recorder and 12 new inputs were added to make a total of 32 inputs. Additionally, a large amount of work was done to improve the acoustic sound of the unit. [2]

By the 1980s, the pattern of work had shifted towards more broadcast-oriented products, mostly for major UK clients such as LWT, BBC, Capital Radio, Tyne Tees Television and others. This prompted the inclusion of a synchronizing computer in 1982. This computer enabled audio and video tapes to be run in perfect time, which allowed the Mobile to record a show and then provide finished audio ready for transmission. This feature made it possible to provide the entire sound for several TV series incorporating such artists as Miles Davis, Willie Nelson, Paul Young and the Chieftains.[ citation needed ]

After the Stones

Moving the mobile MovingTheMobile.JPG
Moving the mobile

In 1985, The Rolling Stones sold the RSM to Bill Wyman, who in 1987 created the Ambition Invention Motivation Success project (the AIMS project), which was a vehicle to give new bands around the country a chance to work out of the Mobile Studio and produce a top-quality demo. The blue livery and yellow sign writing were applied as the colours of the project's sponsor Pernod. Producers Terry Taylor and Mick McKenna worked on about 60 tracks during the course of the project, which culminated with a final show at the Royal Albert Hall in February 1988.

The Mobile was subsequently returned to the commercial marketplace, which had become extremely competitive, both financially and technically. It remained in operation until its closure in April 1993. The last recordings made by it were with Mick's brother Chris Jagger and his band Atcha!, at the unit's base in Pinewood Studios.

In 1996 the Mobile, still in its original form, was sold through auction at Bonham’s and taken to the US by Loho Studios in New York City. After a bit of technical service, it was put into action in the underground music scene in New York, making recordings including live performances of Patti Smith, the Ramones and nearly 30 other bands at the Continental for the Best of NYC Hardcore album. [4] In 1999, the "final" show of DGeneration at Coney Island High in the East Village, NYC was recorded from the Mobile by Loho Studios' staff engineer, Greg Di Gesu.

The unit is currently owned by the National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Cantos Music Collection acquired it in November 2001). [5]

Notable projects

Mobile Studio entrance MobileEntrance3.JPG
Mobile Studio entrance

Singles

Albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleetwood Mac</span> British-American rock band

Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in London in 1967 by guitarist and singer Peter Green. Green recruited drummer Mick Fleetwood, guitarist and singer Jeremy Spencer and bassist Bob Brunning, with John McVie replacing Brunning a few weeks after their first public appearance. Guitarist and singer Danny Kirwan joined the band in 1968. Christine Perfect, who contributed as a session musician starting with the band's second album, married McVie and joined Fleetwood Mac as an official member in July 1970 on vocals and keyboards, two months after Green left the band; she became known as Christine McVie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones</span> English rock band

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active across seven decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their first stable line-up consisted of vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. During their early years, Jones was the primary leader of the band. After Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager in 1963, he encouraged them to write their own songs. The Jagger–Richards partnership became the band's primary songwriting and creative force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Purple</span> English rock band

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally formed as a psychedelic rock and progressive rock band, they shifted to a heavier sound with their 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Jagger</span> English rock singer; frontman of the Rolling Stones (born 1943)

Sir Michael Philip Jagger is an English singer. He is the front man and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. Jagger has written most of the band's songs alongside lead guitarist Keith Richards; their songwriting partnership is one of the most successful in history, and they continue to collaborate musically. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has been widely described as one of the most popular and influential front men in the history of rock music. His distinctive voice and energetic live performances, along with Richards' guitar style, have been the Rolling Stones' trademark throughout the band's career. Jagger gained notoriety for his romantic involvements and illicit drug use, and has often been portrayed as a countercultural figure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Reid</span> British musician

Terrance James Reid, nicknamed "Superlungs", is an English rock vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist best known for his emotive style of singing in appearances with high-profile musicians as vocalist, supporting act and session musician. As a solo recording and touring artist, he has released six studio albums and four live albums. His songs have been recorded by numerous artists including The Hollies, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Arrival, Marianne Faithfull, Cheap Trick, Jack White with The Raconteurs, Joe Perry, Rumer and Chris Cornell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Taylor</span> British guitarist, former member of the Rolling Stones (born 1949)

Michael Kevin Taylor is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, he appeared on Let It Bleed (1969), Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St. (1972), Goats Head Soup (1973) and It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974).

<i>Jamming with Edward!</i> 1972 studio album by Ry Cooder, Nicky Hopkins, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts

Jamming with Edward! is a 1972 album by three Rolling Stones band members accompanied by Nicky Hopkins and Ry Cooder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolling Stones Records</span> Record label formed by English rock band The Rolling Stones

Rolling Stones Records was the record label formed by the Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. The label was initially headed by Marshall Chess, the son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. It was first distributed in the United States by Atlantic Records subsidiary Atco Records. On April 1, 1971, the band signed a distribution deal for five albums with Ahmet Ertegun, acting on behalf of Atlantic Records. In the US, the albums were distributed by Atlantic until 1984. In the UK, Rolling Stones Records were distributed by WEA from 1971 to 1977 and by EMI from 1978 to 1984. In 1986, Columbia Records started distributing it in the United States and CBS for the rest of the world until 1991. It was discontinued in 1992 when the band signed to Virgin Records, but the tongue and lips logo remains on all post-1970 Rolling Stones releases.

Stephen Davis is an American music journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stargroves</span> English manor house and estate

Stargroves is a manor house and associated estate at East Woodhay in the English county of Hampshire. The house belonged to Mick Jagger during the 1970s and was a recording venue for the Rolling Stones and various other rock bands, as well as a filming location for Doctor Who.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Bundrick</span> American musician

John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick is an American keyboardist. He is best known for his work with the rock band the Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Roger Waters, Free and Crawler. Bundrick is noted as the principal musician for the cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In the mid-1970s, he was a member of the short-lived group Mallard, formed by ex-members of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. He is also known as a composer and has recorded solo albums. He was also a member of the Texas group Blackwell, who had a hit single in 1969 entitled "Wonderful".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Record Plant</span> Recording studio in Los Angeles, California, United States

The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including the New York Dolls' New York Dolls, Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run, Blondie's Parallel Lines, Metallica's Load and Reload, the Eagles' Hotel California, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP, Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, and Kanye West's The College Dropout. More recent albums with songs recorded at Record Plant include Lady Gaga's ARTPOP, D'Angelo's Black Messiah, Justin Bieber's Purpose, Beyoncé's Lemonade, and Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next.

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, Roxy Music, 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.

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, at various times also known as Velvet Opera, was a British rock band active in the late 1960s. Members of the band, Richard Hudson, John Ford and Paul Brett, would later become members of The Strawbs, Hudson Ford and Stretch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Musicland Studios</span> Recording studio in Munich established by Giorgio Moroder

Musicland Studios was a recording studio located in Munich, Germany established by Italian record producer, songwriter and musician Giorgio Moroder in the early 1970s. The studios were known for their work with artists such as Donna Summer, Electric Light Orchestra, and Queen, among others.

Michael Putland was a 1970s English music photographer.

SuperHeavy was a one-off supergroup project consisting of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley. Stone and Stewart have collaborated in the past with Jagger. Jagger said of the band, "We wanted a convergence of different musical styles... We were always overlapping styles, but they were nevertheless separate". Jagger wanted SuperHeavy to showcase different musical styles, with music ranging from reggae to ballads to Indian music.

Tapani Talo is a Finnish-American architect, who has also worked as an audio engineer. He is best known from Rolling Stones Mobile studio technician in early and mid 1970s.

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.

References

  1. The National (CBC)l (2016-06-26), Rolling Stones' Mobile Recording Truck | Inside Tour , retrieved 2016-06-27
  2. 1 2 Massey, Howard (2015). The Great British Recording Studios. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 307–314. ISBN   978-1-4584-2197-5.
  3. Angus, Janet (September 1984). "Rolling Stones' Mobile Studio". Home Studio Recording. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  4. Porter, David (17 February 2010). "11 legendary recording studios to rival Abbey Road". musicradar.com. Future plc. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  5. "Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio". Studio Bell. National Music Centre. Retrieved 12 April 2022.