Famous Recording Studios

Thursday, 19th February 2009 by

Today we'll explore some of the world's most famous recording studios, starting with Sun Studio in Memphis. I love this Street View with the neon signs glowing!

Sun Studio Sun Studio

Perhaps best known as the location of Elvis Presley's early recordings, the studio was also used by many rock-n-roll greats including Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. The building reopened in 1987 as a functioning studio and museum, appearing soon after that in the U2 film Rattle and Hum.

Speaking of U2, their first three albums were recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. While the studio has moved, the location remains a site of pilgrimage for devoted fans who cover the walls with graffiti, visible on Live Maps:

Windmill Lane Windmill Lane

One of the more unique studios in the world is the Astoria studio, found in a houseboat on the River Thames west of London.

Astoria Astoria

Built in 1911, and originally designed to house an entire orchestra, the boat is currently owned by Dave Gilmour and parts of Pink Floyd's two most recent albums were recorded there.

Most of Prince's albums from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s were recorded at the now-defunct studio that shared a name with a song and record label: Paisley Park.

Paisley Park Paisley Park

While we've already visited the Abbey Road zebra crossing on Google Sightseeing, we didn't look at the actual studio:

Abbey Road Abbey Road

Home to the vast majority of The Beatles' recording sessions, these studios have since hosted a Who's Who of modern rock, pop and classical music, from Radiohead to the Spice Girls. The wall outside Abbey Road Studios is also covered in graffiti from music fans, though it's not visible on either Google or Live Maps.

From 1959 to 1971, Motown Records put more than 110 songs into the Top 10 - the majority of them were recorded at Hitsville USA, a pair of Detroit buildings that housed the label's studios and administrative offices.

Hitsville USA Hitsville USA

The label moved to Los Angeles in 1972, but the buildings have served as a popular museum since 1985.

And finally we fly to Berlin to see the Hansa Tonstudios.

Hansa Hansa

Perhaps most famous for David Bowie's Low and Heroes albums, many artists have taken residence there seeking inspiration from the culture and history of East and West Berlin.

Where was your favourite album recorded?

Thanks to Lianachan, Stephen Jackson, Martin S., 433 and Stephen LaMora.