The Great British Recording Studios

If you’re looking for a perfect gift for the audiophile who loves British rock music of the 60s and 70s, this is it. Howard Massey examines 46 major recording studios of the period, looking at their personnel, equipment, the individual recording rooms and the original recording techniques. It’s all here, as verified by George Martin in the forward.

Massey supplies the answers to some great trivia questions, including “Where did the Beatles record, other than Abbey Road?” and “Which great music producer began his studio work by serving tea to the artists and staff members?” He also explains how the brilliant Glyn Johns recorded drums using just three microphones, and looks at the bizarre career of the paranoid recording producer Joe Meek. Meek was to record “Telstar” by The Tornadoes and “Have I The Right?” by The Honeycombs in his rented flat in London before he killed himself and his ever complaining landlady.

Massey supplies the background story on several prominent recordings, including an explanation of how a unique sound enlivened Blind Faith’s “Had To Cry Today.” And, there’s an explanation of how reverb, echo and phasing (“Pictures of Matchstick Men”) tricks were used. A fascinating work for music lovers!