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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
303:. 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 (
191:
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.
500:
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,
527:
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.
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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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334:) 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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94:) is an independent recording company founded in London in 1965 by record producers
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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
850:"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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621:. Lanham, Maryland, US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 195–219.
948:"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.
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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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896:"Why do the children of Montserrat sing about a volcano?"
792:"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
747:(Podcast). BBC Music. 18 December 2019. Archived from
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560:"4 Top British A&R Men Form Production Concern"
763:"Montserrat: A Photo Tribute to Sir George Martin"
477:By 1986, the studio equipment list read, in part:
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345:As of 1979 the studio consisted of a 46-channel
283:Ruins of the AIR Studio in Montserrat, May 2013
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222:AIR Lyndhurst Hall, Hampstead (1991–present)
716:"London's Legendary AIR Studios Up For Sale"
259:, and dialogue, sound effects and music for
741:"Olga Fitzroy (Recording and Mix Engineer)"
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214:AIR London became popular in the 1970s for
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1013:Mass media companies established in 1965
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242:designed in 1880 by Victorian architect
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537:Category:Albums recorded at AIR Studios
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22:Associated Independent Recording (AIR)
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521:The 2021 Australian documentary film
920:Gordon, Vanessa (30 December 2020).
667:Womack, Kenneth (4 September 2018).
590:"Studio File: AIR Lyndhurst, London"
619:The Great British Recording Studios
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238:Congregational Church, a Grade II
159:Oxford Street, London (1970–1991)
14:
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426:Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
394:recorded their hugely successful
946:Divola, Barry (20 August 2021).
838:– via World Radio History.
88:Associated Independent Recording
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883:. 16 February 1980. p. 14.
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338:who were recording their album
189:Peter Robinson department store
922:"Olveston House in Montserrat"
894:Hastie, Paul (27 March 2014).
821:"Studio Diary: AIR Montserrat"
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566:. 4 September 1965. p. 18
230:AIR Lyndhurst Hall in May 2007
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1:
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287:In 1975, AIR was sold to the
588:Bieger, Hannes (June 2015).
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1003:Recording studios in London
983:philsbook.com / AIR Studios
714:Young, Clive (7 May 2018).
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275:AIR Montserrat (1979–1989)
183:on the fourth floor of 214
32:; 59 years ago
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1018:Music production companies
356:24-track recorders, three
295:, a British colony in the
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953:The Sydney Morning Herald
203:booths, and a 56-channel
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16:British recording company
819:Third, Bill (May 1979).
211:to AIR's specification.
926:East End Taste Magazine
617:Massey, Howard (2015).
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418:Earth, Wind & Fire
361:2-track tape recorders
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704:Womack (2018), p. 420
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379:for the then dormant
322:16.74111°N 62.21472°W
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207:, custom-designed by
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677:. pp. 407–408.
675:Chicago Review Press
407:Ghost in the Machine
978:AIR Studios website
751:on 17 January 2020.
327:16.74111; -62.21472
318: /
246:and located in the
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877:Billboard Magazine
745:Does My Music Suck
510:facility is now a
448:the Rolling Stones
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41:in London, England
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684:978-0-912777-77-1
628:978-1-4584-2197-5
524:Under the Volcano
460:Little River Band
336:Climax Blues Band
244:Alfred Waterhouse
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440:Gerry Rafferty
436:Paul McCartney
428:(pre-recorded
350:mixing console
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265:Spitfire Audio
236:Lyndhurst Road
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800:. 6 June 2018
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957:. Retrieved
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903:. Retrieved
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858:. Retrieved
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828:Studio Sound
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802:. Retrieved
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771:. Retrieved
769:. 8 May 2016
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749:the original
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723:. Retrieved
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650:. Retrieved
647:Facebook.com
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392:Dire Straits
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352:, a pair of
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340:Real to Reel
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269:Olga Fitzroy
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135:John Burgess
131:Ron Richards
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104:Ron Richards
100:John Burgess
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57:John Burgess
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959:2 September
931:2 September
854:DireStraits
804:2 September
773:2 September
690:21 November
516:guest house
512:modern ruin
464:Duran Duran
325: /
261:video games
253:film scores
216:spoken word
197:Bösendorfer
187:, atop the
154:AIR Studios
112:AIR Studios
72:.airstudios
997:Categories
860:30 January
543:References
402:the Police
388:Elton John
377:title song
313:62°12′53″W
310:16°44′28″N
293:Montserrat
201:soundproof
173:Claridge's
139:Parlophone
564:Billboard
456:Midge Ure
369:recorded
297:Caribbean
248:Hampstead
177:Connaught
124:producers
122:In 1965,
900:BBC News
652:28 April
531:See also
422:Ultravox
46:Founders
905:25 July
834:7 April
384:volcano
372:Volcano
118:History
65:Website
35: (
27:Founded
725:9 July
681:
625:
599:9 July
570:9 July
133:, and
106:, and
881:(PDF)
824:(PDF)
486:list.
301:Salem
147:Decca
961:2021
933:2021
907:2014
862:2020
836:2021
806:2021
775:2021
727:2024
692:2022
679:ISBN
654:2019
623:ISBN
601:2024
572:2024
470:and
444:Rush
410:and
347:Neve
175:and
141:and
74:.com
37:1965
30:1965
720:Mix
483:SSL
434:),
416:),
354:MCI
145:of
137:of
92:AIR
70:www
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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