Rockfield (BBC radio)

blimp · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:53 am

The same place where the "Futurama" album was recorded in '75 -> if my schedule magazine's got it correct on BBC radio 4 this morning [11.30am BST] there's a half hour documentary about this studio ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 . (Repeated on saturday 28th at 3.30 pm).

... what a fantastic album btw, & i was interested to read elsewhere that 'In Love With The Madman' used to be performed solo by Bill on a wurlitzer piano [true or false ?].

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 8465

blimp wrote:

i was interested to read elsewhere that 'In Love With The Madman' used to be performed solo by Bill on a wurlitzer piano [true or false ?].

True...I did sing and play 'Love With The Madman' on stage, as a solo feature, in the days when Be Bop toured as a three piece, just before Andy joined the band.

John Spence · **Posted:** Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:17 pm

[quote="blimp"]The same place where the "Futurama" album was recorded in '75 -> if my schedule magazine's got it correct on BBC radio 4 this morning [11.30am BST] there's a half hour documentary about this studio ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 .

This is the first of a three part series on Radio 4 voiced by Paul Morley. The other studios featured over the next two weeks (tuesday morning 11.30am) are (I think) Abbey Road and (ironically) Metropolis.
Well worth listening to I think.

asterisk · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 1:07 am

I love when anything like this is broadcast but really wish it were filmed. That's when the real drooling starts for me. :wink:

blimp · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 11:26 am

... and i'd love to see/hear the 1970s solo 'Love With The Madman' ( :oops:

sorry about the 'In ..' prefix in my post above) if it's documented anywhere ...

I've also noticed that "The Love That Whirls (Diary Of A Thinking Heart)" album recorded at least partly at Rockfield, back in 1981. Another great album ....
... indeed it seems somehow that the walls of the studio imbued with some sense of history & magic as was referred to in the programme, if such a thing possible ..

If Leckie again on (on the Abbey Road programme) maybe BBD will get mentioned.

John Spence · **Posted:** Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:55 pm

[quote="blimp"
... indeed it seems somehow that the walls of the studio imbued with some sense of history & magic as was referred to in the programme, if such a thing possible ..[/quote]

I believe that is certainly true. Every notable studio I've ever worked in has it's own aura. Even Fairview, humble though it may be, has been around for 47 years this year and my friend Bryan Josh from Mostly Autumn says that the music oozes from the walls.

Bill Nelson · **Joined:** Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:40 pm **Posts:** 8465

John Spence wrote:

Fairview, humble though it may be, has been around for 47 years this year and my friend Bryan Josh from Mostly Autumn says that the music oozes from the walls.

Which could be dismissed, by some, as romantic tosh, but I have to say that I agree 100%. Fairview has a tangible identity unique to itself, as does Abbey Road, (at least as I experienced it during its 'golden age,') and Dan Lanois' 'Kingsway Recorders' in New Orleans, (where I recorded with my dear friend Harold Budd,) and 'Air Studios' as it was when located above London's Oxford Circus in the '70s and '80s, and Virgin's 'The Manor' studio in Oxfordshire, 'The Townhouse' in London, and many, many other legendary studios I've had the privelege to work in throughout my career. Heck, even the Rolling Stones mobile recording truck, (which was used to record the initial work for Be Bop Deluxe's 'Drastic Plastic' album in the South Of France,) is deserved of legendary status due to its unique vibe.

Software will never provide a tactile and magical substitute for a 'proper' recording studio where, as noted above, the music virtually oozes from the walls. :wink:

wonder toy · **Posted:** Fri Jul 27, 2012 6:30 pm

Bill Nelson wrote:

Software will never provide a tactile and magical substitute for a 'proper' recording studio where, as noted above, the music virtually oozes from the walls. :wink:

[/color]

Welcome to 'The Dreamsville Inn' - a virtual pub for the Nelsonian community.

I do like what it has done for pubs, though. Where virtual beer oozes from my computer screen. At least i think that is beer. :wink:

Really neat to see a list of some of your favorite recording studios from your past.

Got any on your bucket list...?

wonder toy · **Posted:** Sun Jul 29, 2012 6:18 am

I would have guessed this place.

http://www.studioslafabrique.com/Home.html

blimp · **Posted:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:43 am

Thanks a lot to Bill & John Spence for their interesting comments above ...

I'm reading the "Music In Dreamland" book at the moment (..well, not erm literally @ this moment :wink:

) & have noticed two more references to Rockfield : 'UHF' and 'Mr Magnetism Himself' recorded there, Bill produced The Skids ' Days in Europa' there ....

Anyway, i'm looking forward to the Abbey Road episode of the programme this week ....

www.billnelson.com

Rockfield (BBC radio)

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