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Rockfield Studios

April 28, 2023

Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales. It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward.

Rockfield Studios
IndustryMusic
Founded1963; 60 years ago (1963)
FounderKingsley and Charles Ward
Headquarters
Rockfield
,
Wales
Websiterockfieldmusicgroup.com

Recording studios

Rockfield is a two-studio facility consisting of The Coach House and The Quadrangle. Both studios reside within converted solid-stone farm buildings. Rockfield was one of the world's first recording studios to have living accommodation for clients.[1]

The Coach House

 
The entrance to the studios

Constructed in 1968, The Coach House includes a large 150-square-metre live area with stone walls, a wooden ceiling, and a Yamaha grand piano. Additionally, it has a stone drum room, an acoustically variable second drum room, and two isolation booths. Recording equipment is based around a customised Neve 8128 recording console with vintage outboard processing, including Neve 1060 microphone amps, Rockfield's original Rosser Electronics microphone amps, API 550 equalisers and UREI 1176 compressors.[2][3]

Artists who have recorded in The Coach House include Oasis,[4] Bullet for My Valentine, Sepultura, Jayce Lewis, Simple Minds and Opeth.[citation needed]

The Quadrangle

Constructed in 1973, The Quadrangle has a total of 170 square metres of recording space spread between the main area with Bösendorfer grand piano, two large variable acoustic drum rooms and three isolation booths. Recording equipment in the central control room is based around an MCI 500 Series in-line mixing console with outboard processing, including Neve 1061 microphone amps, Rockfield's original Rosser Electronics microphone amps, API 550 equalisers, and UREI 1176 compressors.[2][3]

Best known for the recording of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", The Quadrangle has hosted such notable artists as Manic Street Preachers, Robert Plant, Shop Front Heroes, and Coldplay.[citation needed]

History

Background and early history

The Ward family bought Amberley Court Farm in Rockfield in the early 1950s. Originally a Shire horse breeding centre, they ran it as a livestock farm, with 500 pigs and a herd of milking cows.[5]

Brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward were educated at Abergavenny Grammar School. While there Charles got into the early rock and roll music of Elvis Presley and began playing an acoustic guitar that he purchased for £5. In 1960 the brothers formed a band named the Charles Kingsley Combo and Kingsley wrote a couple of songs, which the brothers recorded using a tape deck borrowed from a local businessman.[6] Deciding to pursue a record deal, the brothers drove to EMI's pressing plant in Middlesex, London, but were redirected to the label's offices in Manchester Square where, on that same day without an appointment they met producer George Martin. Martin decided not to sign the brothers, but noted that the reason he was compelled to take the meeting was because they were the first artists he had seen bring a portable reel-to-reel tape deck.[3][5]

The Ward brothers returned to London the following year and met with Joe Meek at his studio. Meek signed them, and the brothers recorded songs as The Charles Kingsley Creation and as The Thunderbolts while observing Meek's studio techniques. Back home, the brothers set up a recording studio in an attic space with a Rosser Electronics mixing console and a Ferrograph tape machine. In 1961 the brothers began recording local bands in their studio, which they named Future Sounds Ltd, charging £5 per acetate.[7]

Early success

Rockfield (Studios) was an absolute dream because it was pastoral, funny and had a fantastic musical history ... I moved here and became one of these dismal, happy, sad, failed musicians that other people cross the street to avoid ... I really enjoyed my being in this Rockfield environment. I had lived in this goldfish bowl in Led Zeppelin.

Robert Plant[6]

In 1963 the Ward brothers converted an existing farmhouse into a recording studio by investing in an 8-track tape deck and lining it with pig feed bags to create sound deadening.[3][8] In 1965, they became the world's first residential studio, set up so that bands could come and stay in the peaceful rural surroundings to record.[1]

The first big hit recorded in the studios was Dave Edmunds' "I Hear You Knocking" in 1970.[1] In the early 1970s, the studios were used to record seven albums by Budgie, several by Hawkwind, one by Hobo, Peter Hammill's second solo album Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night in 1973, Ace's hit single "How Long" in 1974, and Queen's album Sheer Heart Attack. Queen first worked on developing their album A Night at the Opera and the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" for a month at Ridge Farm Studio during the summer of 1975,[9] then moved to Rockfield in August 1975 to begin recording the album, which became the band's first Platinum-selling album in the US.[10] Motörhead made their first recordings at the studios in 1975 and were, briefly, signed to the Rockfield record label.[8] Cyril Jordan of the Flamin' Groovies (who recorded at Rockfield several times between 1972 and 1978) said in 2014, "We thought Rockfield was the new Sun recording studios."[11]

Later developments

As the trend moved from rock music of the 1970s and 1980s to the electronic music of the 1990s, which had a far greater use of technology and could almost be produced from a bedroom, the need for space and complex analogue recording systems reduced. Rockfield also faced more competition, with many of the main recording labels creating their own residential recording studios, such as Virgin's "The Manor".[5] With the Rockfield company facing dire financial consequences, the Ward brothers decided to split the farm, with Kingsley retaining the Rockfield half, whilst Charles refurbished a semi-derelict manor house on the opposite side of the valley to create Monnow Valley Studio.[5]

Facing financial difficulties, and with his wife Anne working full-time as a book keeper, Kingsley was approached by friend and record producer John Leckie to record the first album of Manchester band The Stone Roses.[5] Resident for 14 months to record both their first and second albums, the band saved the studio financially. The band's residency created interest from other bands, resulting in recording sessions for other bands including Oasis.[5]

During a 12-month period in 1996–97, Rockfield sessions resulted in five UK number one albums, by Oasis, Ash, Black Grape, The Charlatans and the Boo Radleys.[1]

In July 2020 the documentary Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm, directed by Hannah Berryman, was broadcast by BBC Four.[12]

Charles Ward died on 27 July 2022.[13]

Artist roster

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s/2020s

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Evans, Jim (February 2016). "Laid in Wales" (PDF). Resolution. S2 Publications Ltd. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b Bieger, Hannes (May 2013). "Studio File: Rockfield Studios, Wales". Sound On Sound. SOS Publications Group. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Hallas, Tim (1 March 2019). "Inside Rockfield Studios, the legendary Monmouthshire recording retreat". MusicTech. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  4. ^ Marcus Hughes (18 December 2019). "Famous Welsh recording studios used by Oasis, The Stone Roses and Black Sabbath up for sale". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Shuttleworth, Peter (18 July 2020). "Rockfield Studios: Where Ozzy, Oasis, Queen and Coldplay took off". BBC Wales News. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Zep singer returns to solo roots". BBC News. 20 May 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  7. ^ Borrows, Bill (25 July 2020). "The Welsh farm which hosted Queen, Ozzy Osborne and Coldplay". The New European. The New European Ltd. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Collins, Jeff (2007). Rock Legends At Rockfield. University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-0-7083-2097-6.
  9. ^ Taylor, Roger. "The Telegraph", London, 1975
  10. ^ Davies, Jordan (5 May 2016). "Making music and history". BBC News – via bbc.co.uk.
  11. ^ Rawls, Alex (28 April 2014). "The Flamin' Groovies Can't Stop Shaking'". MySpiltMilk.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  12. ^ "BBC Two – Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm". BBC.
  13. ^ Scott Ng, "Charles Ward, Co-Founder Of Legendary Rockfield Studios, Has Passed Away", Guitar.com, 29 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Rockfield Studios – Legendary music studios". RecordProduction.com. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  15. ^ Christopulos, J., and Smart, P.: Van der Graaf Generator – The Book, p. 161-162. Phil and Jim publishers, 2005.
  16. ^ Christopulos, J., and Smart, P.: Van der Graaf Generator – The Book, p. 212. Phil and Jim publishers, 2005.
  17. ^ "Lush – Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson on Their 1994 Album "Split"". Under the Radar. Retrieved 25 September 2015.

External links

  •   Media related to Rockfield Studios at Wikimedia Commons
  • "Rockfield Studios". Retrieved 15 April 2012. – Official website
  • Rockfield Studios discography at Discogs

Coordinates: 51°49′21.0″N 2°44′35.7″W / 51.822500°N 2.743250°W / 51.822500; -2.743250

April 28, 2023
rockfield, studios, residential, recording, studio, located, valley, just, outside, village, rockfield, monmouthshire, wales, originally, founded, 1963, brothers, kingsley, charles, ward, industrymusicfounded1963, years, 1963, founderkingsley, charles, wardhea. Rockfield Studios is a residential recording studio located in the Wye Valley just outside the village of Rockfield Monmouthshire Wales It was originally founded in 1963 by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward Rockfield StudiosIndustryMusicFounded1963 60 years ago 1963 FounderKingsley and Charles WardHeadquartersRockfield WalesWebsiterockfieldmusicgroup com Contents 1 Recording studios 1 1 The Coach House 1 2 The Quadrangle 2 History 2 1 Background and early history 2 2 Early success 2 3 Later developments 3 Artist roster 3 1 1960s 3 2 1970s 3 3 1980s 3 4 1990s 3 5 2000s 3 6 2010s 2020s 4 References 5 External linksRecording studios EditRockfield is a two studio facility consisting of The Coach House and The Quadrangle Both studios reside within converted solid stone farm buildings Rockfield was one of the world s first recording studios to have living accommodation for clients 1 The Coach House Edit The entrance to the studios Constructed in 1968 The Coach House includes a large 150 square metre live area with stone walls a wooden ceiling and a Yamaha grand piano Additionally it has a stone drum room an acoustically variable second drum room and two isolation booths Recording equipment is based around a customised Neve 8128 recording console with vintage outboard processing including Neve 1060 microphone amps Rockfield s original Rosser Electronics microphone amps API 550 equalisers and UREI 1176 compressors 2 3 Artists who have recorded in The Coach House include Oasis 4 Bullet for My Valentine Sepultura Jayce Lewis Simple Minds and Opeth citation needed The Quadrangle Edit Constructed in 1973 The Quadrangle has a total of 170 square metres of recording space spread between the main area with Bosendorfer grand piano two large variable acoustic drum rooms and three isolation booths Recording equipment in the central control room is based around an MCI 500 Series in line mixing console with outboard processing including Neve 1061 microphone amps Rockfield s original Rosser Electronics microphone amps API 550 equalisers and UREI 1176 compressors 2 3 Best known for the recording of Queen s Bohemian Rhapsody The Quadrangle has hosted such notable artists as Manic Street Preachers Robert Plant Shop Front Heroes and Coldplay citation needed History EditBackground and early history Edit The Ward family bought Amberley Court Farm in Rockfield in the early 1950s Originally a Shire horse breeding centre they ran it as a livestock farm with 500 pigs and a herd of milking cows 5 Brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward were educated at Abergavenny Grammar School While there Charles got into the early rock and roll music of Elvis Presley and began playing an acoustic guitar that he purchased for 5 In 1960 the brothers formed a band named the Charles Kingsley Combo and Kingsley wrote a couple of songs which the brothers recorded using a tape deck borrowed from a local businessman 6 Deciding to pursue a record deal the brothers drove to EMI s pressing plant in Middlesex London but were redirected to the label s offices in Manchester Square where on that same day without an appointment they met producer George Martin Martin decided not to sign the brothers but noted that the reason he was compelled to take the meeting was because they were the first artists he had seen bring a portable reel to reel tape deck 3 5 The Ward brothers returned to London the following year and met with Joe Meek at his studio Meek signed them and the brothers recorded songs as The Charles Kingsley Creation and as The Thunderbolts while observing Meek s studio techniques Back home the brothers set up a recording studio in an attic space with a Rosser Electronics mixing console and a Ferrograph tape machine In 1961 the brothers began recording local bands in their studio which they named Future Sounds Ltd charging 5 per acetate 7 Early success Edit Rockfield Studios was an absolute dream because it was pastoral funny and had a fantastic musical history I moved here and became one of these dismal happy sad failed musicians that other people cross the street to avoid I really enjoyed my being in this Rockfield environment I had lived in this goldfish bowl in Led Zeppelin Robert Plant 6 In 1963 the Ward brothers converted an existing farmhouse into a recording studio by investing in an 8 track tape deck and lining it with pig feed bags to create sound deadening 3 8 In 1965 they became the world s first residential studio set up so that bands could come and stay in the peaceful rural surroundings to record 1 The first big hit recorded in the studios was Dave Edmunds I Hear You Knocking in 1970 1 In the early 1970s the studios were used to record seven albums by Budgie several by Hawkwind one by Hobo Peter Hammill s second solo album Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night in 1973 Ace s hit single How Long in 1974 and Queen s album Sheer Heart Attack Queen first worked on developing their album A Night at the Opera and the song Bohemian Rhapsody for a month at Ridge Farm Studio during the summer of 1975 9 then moved to Rockfield in August 1975 to begin recording the album which became the band s first Platinum selling album in the US 10 Motorhead made their first recordings at the studios in 1975 and were briefly signed to the Rockfield record label 8 Cyril Jordan of the Flamin Groovies who recorded at Rockfield several times between 1972 and 1978 said in 2014 We thought Rockfield was the new Sun recording studios 11 Later developments Edit As the trend moved from rock music of the 1970s and 1980s to the electronic music of the 1990s which had a far greater use of technology and could almost be produced from a bedroom the need for space and complex analogue recording systems reduced Rockfield also faced more competition with many of the main recording labels creating their own residential recording studios such as Virgin s The Manor 5 With the Rockfield company facing dire financial consequences the Ward brothers decided to split the farm with Kingsley retaining the Rockfield half whilst Charles refurbished a semi derelict manor house on the opposite side of the valley to create Monnow Valley Studio 5 Facing financial difficulties and with his wife Anne working full time as a book keeper Kingsley was approached by friend and record producer John Leckie to record the first album of Manchester band The Stone Roses 5 Resident for 14 months to record both their first and second albums the band saved the studio financially The band s residency created interest from other bands resulting in recording sessions for other bands including Oasis 5 During a 12 month period in 1996 97 Rockfield sessions resulted in five UK number one albums by Oasis Ash Black Grape The Charlatans and the Boo Radleys 1 In July 2020 the documentary Rockfield The Studio on the Farm directed by Hannah Berryman was broadcast by BBC Four 12 Charles Ward died on 27 July 2022 13 Artist roster EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message 1960s Edit Amen Corner Doc Thomas Band Mott the Hoople 14 The Interns Love Sculpture 1970s Edit Ace Alquin Joan Armatrading Be Bop Deluxe Bintangs Black Sabbath Blonde on Blonde Arthur Brown Budgie Rocky Burnette Carlene Carter City Boy Dave Edmunds Dr Feelgood Flamin Groovies Foghat Peter Hammill 15 Roy Harper Hawkwind Help Yourself Andy Irvine and Paul Brady Judas Priest Lone Star Man Barry Melton Motorhead 14 Graham Parker amp The Rumour Mike Oldfield Prelude Queen 1 Radio Birdman Rush Shakin Stevens and the Sunsets Del Shannon Gary Shearston Edwin Starr Solution Tom Robinson Band Tyla Gang Van der Graaf Generator 16 1980s Edit Adam and the Ants Age of Chance Bad Manners Alain Bashung Bauhaus Christian Death Clannad Tom Cochrane Conflict Cry Before Dawn The Cult The Damned Di Anno Dumptruck Echo amp the Bunnymen Edie Brickell amp New Bohemians Fields of the Nephilim Ian Gillan Human Drama The Icicle Works King Kurt The Mighty Lemon Drops Monsoon Modern English The Mood Joey Parratt Robert Plant 6 Iggy Pop Simple Minds 14 Skids Smashed Gladys The Stone Roses The Stranglers The Teardrop Explodes That Petrol Emotion Thrashing Doves T Pau 14 The Undertones The Waterboys Danny Wilde The Wonder Stuff 1990s Edit 60 Ft Dolls Ash 1 Aztec Camera 14 The Beta Band Big Country Black Grape 1 Black Sabbath The Bluetones The Boo Radleys 1 Carcass Cast The Charlatans 1 Coldplay Del Amitri EMF Energy Orchard Gay Dad Gene Herbert Gronemeyer Headswim HIM Hot House Flowers Kerbdog Julian Lennon 1 Annie Lennox Lush 17 Manic Street Preachers Menswear Midget Monk amp Canatella The Mutton Birds Ned s Atomic Dustbin Northside Oasis 1 Paradise Lost The Pogues Sepultura Stereophonics The Stone Roses 8 Super Furry Animals Symposium Teenage Fanclub Toploader The Wedding Present Paul Weller Witness XTC 2000s Edit Badly Drawn Boy Band of Skulls The Beta Band Bullet for My Valentine Catatonia The Coral The Darkness Delays Delphic The Enemy Funeral for a Friend Gyroscope Glamour of the Kill Heaven amp Hell In Case of Fire Kasabian Nigel Kennedy M83 Manic Street Preachers George Michael Morning Runner New Order Paolo Nutini Ocean Colour Scene Oceansize The Proclaimers 14 Simple Minds Starsailor Joe Strummer Suede Super Furry Animals 1 Supergrass 1 KT Tunstall Violent Soho The Wombats 2010s 2020s Edit Bear s Den Bellowhead Emma Blackery Broken Hands Chinaski The Darkness Dinosaur Pile Up Frightened Rabbit Frost Gun Gwyneth Herbert Idles J Fla Kasabian Jayce Lewis Lower Than Atlantis The Maccabees Maximo Park Merrymouth Ben Montague Nada Surf Ocean Colour Scene Opeth Phantom Limb Pixies Palma Violets The Proclaimers Roving Crows Royal Blood Savage Messiah Shadow Academy The Sherlocks Skinny Lister The Strypes Turbowolf Turin Brakes The Treatment ShameReferences Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m Evans Jim February 2016 Laid in Wales PDF Resolution S2 Publications Ltd Retrieved 18 February 2022 a b Bieger Hannes May 2013 Studio File Rockfield Studios Wales Sound On Sound SOS Publications Group Retrieved 18 February 2022 a b c d Hallas Tim 1 March 2019 Inside Rockfield Studios the legendary Monmouthshire recording retreat MusicTech Retrieved 18 July 2020 Marcus Hughes 18 December 2019 Famous Welsh recording studios used by Oasis The Stone Roses and Black Sabbath up for sale WalesOnline Retrieved 2 August 2022 a b c d e f Shuttleworth Peter 18 July 2020 Rockfield Studios Where Ozzy Oasis Queen and Coldplay took off BBC Wales News Retrieved 18 July 2020 a b c Zep singer returns to solo roots BBC News 20 May 2006 Retrieved 6 August 2008 Borrows Bill 25 July 2020 The Welsh farm which hosted Queen Ozzy Osborne and Coldplay The New European The New European Ltd Retrieved 18 February 2022 a b c Collins Jeff 2007 Rock Legends At Rockfield University of Wales Press ISBN 978 0 7083 2097 6 Taylor Roger The Telegraph London 1975 Davies Jordan 5 May 2016 Making music and history BBC News via bbc co uk Rawls Alex 28 April 2014 The Flamin Groovies Can t Stop Shaking MySpiltMilk com Retrieved 5 November 2017 BBC Two Rockfield The Studio on the Farm BBC Scott Ng Charles Ward Co Founder Of Legendary Rockfield Studios Has Passed Away Guitar com 29 July 2022 Retrieved 2 August 2022 a b c d e f Rockfield Studios Legendary music studios RecordProduction com Retrieved 15 April 2012 Christopulos J and Smart P Van der Graaf Generator The Book p 161 162 Phil and Jim publishers 2005 Christopulos J and Smart P Van der Graaf Generator The Book p 212 Phil and Jim publishers 2005 Lush Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson on Their 1994 Album Split Under the Radar Retrieved 25 September 2015 External links Edit Media related to Rockfield Studios at Wikimedia Commons Rockfield Studios Retrieved 15 April 2012 Official website Rockfield Studios discography at Discogs Coordinates 51 49 21 0 N 2 44 35 7 W 51 822500 N 2 743250 W 51 822500 2 743250 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rockfield Studios amp oldid 1146901471, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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