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the music business had changed fundamentally. The moguls running the business no longer wanted their artists miles away, outside their control. That happened to coincide with the immense devastation caused by the hurricane and sadly the studios had to close. The people of
Montserrat are still very proud of the work that was done at AIR Studios.
515:
Before we came to
Montserrat there was no western music to speak of on the island. Building AIR meant that many leading recording artists came to stay. It cast its spell on them as they mingled with the local people. It was, and still is, a unique place... But after ten great years of recording there
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The abandoned studio buildings were still standing as of 2021, but have been long neglected and have fallen into dereliction; their roofs are failing, leading to extensive damage to the floors of the accommodation area and the inner part of the studio complex, making them unsafe to walk on. The
261:
suburb of north London. The space was revamped as a recording facility and opened for business in
December 1992. The Lyndhurst Hall location features a hexagonal room large enough to record both a full orchestra and a chorus at the same time, making it a key London facility for
160:
founded the company in order to produce music independently and license the final masters to the record companies, creating the opportunity for producers to earn bonuses and royalty payments. In 1970 AIR opened its first recording studio complex in London.
496:
with automation and TR and 12 fully integrated channels by Rupert Neve of
Focusrite, two 32-track Mitsubishi X850 digital machines and 24-track Studer A800. Digital mixing on two Mitsubishi X86. Very comprehensive ancillary equipment
314:. The studio was built near Martin's home, situated on a hilltop overlooking the sea within a 26-acre farm and surrounded by mango, citrus, and coconut groves. After two years of construction, AIR Montserrat (
202:
was secured, and in 1969 the company began a year of construction costing £136,000. The studios were outfitted with £200,000 worth of equipment, opening with a high-profile launch party in
October 1970.
511:
devastated the island. While the
Montserrat studio facility sustained only minor damage, it was never reopened, mainly due to changes in the recording industry. According to George Martin,
538:
interviews more than a dozen major artists and technicians who worked in the studio during the 1980s, and also includes archival narration and commentary by George Martin.
182:
AIR's first recording facility was meant to be suitable for both dubbing films and making records, so the company sought a central location with easy distance from the
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345:) opened in July 1979, complete with several surrounding villas where clients could stay while working at the studio. The first band to record there was the
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The Oxford Circus facility included two large studios (one 58×32 feet, the other 30×28 feet) and two small ones. The studios contained two
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In 1991, with the lease on the Oxford Street premises coming to an end, AIR Studios relocated to a building that was formerly the
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album at the studio between 1984 and 1985. Other well-known studio clients at AIR Montserrat included
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Sound
Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Later Years, 1966–2016
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recordings. It also became one of the most in-demand music studios in London by 1973.
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105:) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producers
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121:. In 1970 the company established its own professional audio recording facilities,
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and an MCI synchronizer (for any 46-track work), with JBL and Tannoy monitors.
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hotels to appeal to producers from around the world. Eventually a site in
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The Oxford Circus building whose 4th floor housed the original AIR Studios
861:"Throwback Thursdays: Story of Montserrat AIR Studios & Dire Straits"
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has recorded many of its digital audio samples here. Employees include
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632:. Lanham, Maryland, US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 195–219.
959:"Under the Volcano: The tiny island that rocked until disaster hit"
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Recently refurbished control room now featuring 60 channels by
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at the
Montserrat studio in May 1979, naming the album and its
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In 1989, shortly after the
Rolling Stones had recorded their
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recorded three albums at the
Montserrat studio in the 1980s.
80:
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and classical recordings, as well popular music, television
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and is closed to the public. Olveston House operates as a
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907:"Why do the children of Montserrat sing about a volcano?"
803:"The Ruins of George Martin's Caribbean Recording Studio"
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where the producer had a residence at Olveston House in
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Video tour and producer interviews shot at Air Studios
758:(Podcast). BBC Music. 18 December 2019. Archived from
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571:"4 Top British A&R Men Form Production Concern"
774:"Montserrat: A Photo Tribute to Sir George Martin"
488:By 1986, the studio equipment list read, in part:
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356:As of 1979 the studio consisted of a 46-channel
294:Ruins of the AIR Studio in Montserrat, May 2013
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233:AIR Lyndhurst Hall, Hampstead (1991–present)
727:"London's Legendary AIR Studios Up For Sale"
270:, and dialogue, sound effects and music for
752:"Olga Fitzroy (Recording and Mix Engineer)"
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225:AIR London became popular in the 1970s for
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1024:Mass media companies established in 1965
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253:designed in 1880 by Victorian architect
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548:Category:Albums recorded at AIR Studios
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33:Associated Independent Recording (AIR)
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532:The 2021 Australian documentary film
931:Gordon, Vanessa (30 December 2020).
678:Womack, Kenneth (4 September 2018).
601:"Studio File: AIR Lyndhurst, London"
630:The Great British Recording Studios
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249:Congregational Church, a Grade II
170:Oxford Street, London (1970–1991)
25:
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437:Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
405:recorded their hugely successful
957:Divola, Barry (20 August 2021).
849:– via World Radio History.
99:Associated Independent Recording
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894:. 16 February 1980. p. 14.
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349:who were recording their album
200:Peter Robinson department store
933:"Olveston House in Montserrat"
905:Hastie, Paul (27 March 2014).
832:"Studio Diary: AIR Montserrat"
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577:. 4 September 1965. p. 18
241:AIR Lyndhurst Hall in May 2007
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1:
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298:In 1975, AIR was sold to the
599:Bieger, Hannes (June 2015).
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1014:Recording studios in London
994:philsbook.com / AIR Studios
725:Young, Clive (7 May 2018).
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286:AIR Montserrat (1979–1989)
194:on the fourth floor of 214
43:; 59 years ago
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1029:Music production companies
367:24-track recorders, three
306:, a British colony in the
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964:The Sydney Morning Herald
214:booths, and a 56-channel
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27:British recording company
830:Third, Bill (May 1979).
222:to AIR's specification.
937:East End Taste Magazine
628:Massey, Howard (2015).
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429:Earth, Wind & Fire
372:2-track tape recorders
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715:Womack (2018), p. 420
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390:for the then dormant
333:16.74111°N 62.21472°W
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218:, custom-designed by
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688:. pp. 407–408.
686:Chicago Review Press
418:Ghost in the Machine
989:AIR Studios website
762:on 17 January 2020.
338:16.74111; -62.21472
329: /
257:and located in the
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888:Billboard Magazine
756:Does My Music Suck
521:facility is now a
459:the Rolling Stones
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52:in London, England
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695:978-0-912777-77-1
639:978-1-4584-2197-5
535:Under the Volcano
471:Little River Band
347:Climax Blues Band
255:Alfred Waterhouse
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16:(Redirected from
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867:. 24 August 2017
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509:Hurricane Hugo
451:Gerry Rafferty
447:Paul McCartney
439:(pre-recorded
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276:Spitfire Audio
247:Lyndhurst Road
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216:mixing console
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811:. 6 June 2018
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654:"AIR Studios"
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968:. Retrieved
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869:. Retrieved
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843:. Retrieved
839:Studio Sound
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813:. Retrieved
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782:. Retrieved
780:. 8 May 2016
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760:the original
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734:. Retrieved
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699:. Retrieved
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661:. Retrieved
658:Facebook.com
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579:. Retrieved
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504:Steel Wheels
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442:Junk Culture
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363:, a pair of
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351:Real to Reel
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280:Olga Fitzroy
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146:John Burgess
142:Ron Richards
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115:Ron Richards
111:John Burgess
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68:John Burgess
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970:2 September
942:2 September
865:DireStraits
815:2 September
784:2 September
701:21 November
527:guest house
523:modern ruin
475:Duran Duran
336: /
272:video games
264:film scores
227:spoken word
208:Bösendorfer
198:, atop the
165:AIR Studios
123:AIR Studios
83:.airstudios
18:AIR Studios
1008:Categories
871:30 January
554:References
413:the Police
399:Elton John
388:title song
324:62°12′53″W
321:16°44′28″N
304:Montserrat
212:soundproof
184:Claridge's
150:Parlophone
575:Billboard
467:Midge Ure
380:recorded
308:Caribbean
259:Hampstead
188:Connaught
135:producers
133:In 1965,
911:BBC News
663:28 April
542:See also
433:Ultravox
57:Founders
916:25 July
845:7 April
395:volcano
383:Volcano
129:History
76:Website
46: (
38:Founded
736:9 July
692:
636:
610:9 July
581:9 July
144:, and
117:, and
892:(PDF)
835:(PDF)
497:list.
312:Salem
158:Decca
972:2021
944:2021
918:2014
873:2020
847:2021
817:2021
786:2021
738:2024
703:2022
690:ISBN
665:2019
634:ISBN
612:2024
583:2024
481:and
455:Rush
421:and
358:Neve
186:and
152:and
85:.com
48:1965
41:1965
731:Mix
494:SSL
445:),
427:),
365:MCI
156:of
148:of
103:AIR
81:www
1010::
961:.
935:.
909:.
863:.
837:.
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794:^
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562:^
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101:(
50:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.