| Nathan H 15.04.2018 15:18 |
As it’s said, A Night At The Opera was the most expensive album ever made in 1975 costing a whooping £40,000 back then. In today’s money more than £330,000. The reason is because of the number of studios used to record the album. I’ve been trying to put together all the studios and places which they used to write and record probably their signature album. In early August 1975, Queen move from London after they all had holidays to Herefordshire. Specifically, they rented Penrhos Court just outside the town of Kington. They stay there for three weeks write and play new material for ANATO. Then on the 24th August 1975, Queen make the 40-odd mile journey to Rockfield Studios just outside the town of Monmouth. At Rockfield they mainly work on Bohemian Rhapsody. One night while at Rockfield, the band watched the Marx Brothers movie A Night At The Opera. They hadn’t come up with a name for the album and so ended up nicking the title to name the album. They went back to London and Surrey to finish recording the album. They used four London studios; Roundhouse, Sarm East Studios, Scorpion and Wessex Sound Studios and Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey. Just a few days before they started their UK Tour the finally finished mixing the album as it took longer than expected to complete. So, it took them from the start of August to mid-November to write and record one of their greatest albums. It’s interesting to know how I live just a couple of miles from where Queen wrote one of their greatest albums… Have I got all the information above correct? |
| dysan 15.04.2018 16:43 |
Was GSTQ done at Trident? I seem to recall BM did that and Procession in his own in a little demo studio? |
| stevelondon20 15.04.2018 16:49 |
40k well spent. Such an Amazing Record. |
| Sebastian 15.04.2018 18:20 |
MusicFan15 wrote: As it’s said, A Night At The Opera was the most expensive album ever made in 1975 costing a whooping £40,000 back then.That's just spiel. There were probably several albums which had been more expensive before that one. Keep in mind that Queen saved fortunes in not hiring session musicians, being their own composers and arrangers, not getting any big-name producers and not having to fly anywhere as they'd just drive between England and Wales. MusicFan15 wrote: The reason is because of the number of studios used to record the album.While they did use quite a few, they weren't by any means the most expensive studios back then. They didn't go to Abbey Road or to the Record Plant in NY or LA (which would've also added flying and taking their equipment there, etc). MusicFan15 wrote: Then on the 24th August 1975, Queen make the 40-odd mile journey to Rockfield Studios just outside the town of Monmouth.Not true. By the 18th of August, they'd already started off three tracks at Rockfield ('Best Friend', 'Fred's Piano Thing' and 'Wreck of the 39'). By the 22nd, they'd already got a rough mix of 'Bo Rhap' (probably under a working title) at The Roundhouse. So, the whole 24th August date as the beginning of the sessions is completely false. MusicFan15 wrote: At Rockfield they mainly work on Bohemian Rhapsody.Not true. They also worked on ''39', 'Best Friend' and probably many other numbers from the album. MusicFan15 wrote: They went back to London and Surrey to finish recording the album.Just London, not Surrey. But according to the book about Rockfield Studios, they'd be driving back and forth, it wasn't that clear-cut anyway. MusicFan15 wrote: They used four London studiosNo: they used five. MusicFan15 wrote: Sarm East StudiosBack then, they were simply called 'Sarm'. MusicFan15 wrote: ScorpionThat's not the name. It was called 'Scorpio'. No 'n'. MusicFan15 wrote: Wessex Sound StudiosNo. Wessex had been bought by the Chrysalis group and they were undergoing refurbishment. They'd been used in 1974 and would be used again in 1976 and 1977, but not in 1975 as they were temporarily closed for renovations. MusicFan15 wrote: Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey.Back in 1975, the Ridge Farm was just a farm, not a recording studio. It became a recording studio in 1976. Queen used them to rehearse (before the August sessions in Wales), but not to record. All of that has been confirmed to me directly by the CEO of the studios, a decade or so ago. MusicFan15 wrote: Have I got all the information above correct?No, but you're on the right track about some of it. |
| dysan 15.04.2018 19:00 |
Excellent knowledge as always Sebasterick :) |
| Sebastian 15.04.2018 19:34 |
Thanks! |
| stevelondon20 15.04.2018 21:32 |
Great info mate! |
| Golden Salmon 15.04.2018 22:04 |
Sebastian, are you doing research to write a book? |
| Sebastian 16.04.2018 03:02 |
Who would buy that? |
| TomP63 16.04.2018 07:09 |
Yes Seb, I would for sure buy your book! Tom |
| cmi 16.04.2018 08:00 |
^ Yes indeed. Me too. |
| Golden Salmon 16.04.2018 08:16 |
I would exchange earnings for your electronically or physically available writings :-P |
| dysan 16.04.2018 08:24 |
Only if it had been checked over by QPL and appropriate mistakes added in. |
| andres_clip 16.04.2018 08:46 |
I would surely buy your book. |
| Chopin1995 16.04.2018 10:24 |
Me too! If I can add anything, rehearsals began not later than the 1st August, look at the date here (from the photo sessions at Ridge Farm) - link Also, I was doing some research lately and more than 200 photos can be found from rehearsing/recording the album (this can be more than 250 photos overall, including Brian's stereos shared in his book, or maybe over 300, who knows?): - at least 6 photos of the band going from London to rehearsal e.g. link , link - at least 16 photos of Queen receiving Music Life gifts at Ridge Farm e.g. link - at least 173 photos of the band rehearing/relaxing at Ridge Farm (including playing snooker, posing at the entrance gate?, drinking tea probably, sitting on the grass, sitting at the swimming pool, playing tennis, rehearsal itself and more). No need of examples I think. - at least 14 photos of the session at Sarm studio with Eddie Howell, probably in August as well e.g. link - at least 8 photos of the proper recording session at Scorpio (late august/early septemer) e.g. link - and more e.g. Brian playing harp at Sarm studio Worth noting that similar photos were taken during SHA recording session a year before AND similar photos were taken during Queen's first visit to Japan in 1975. They are sometimes mixed up with each other. Is that all right? |
| Sebastian 16.04.2018 13:04 |
Great research. The 'Man from Manhattan' sessions were in January 1976, though. Regarding the book idea: I wasn't phishing for compliments - though I obviously appreciate the nice words some of you have said -, it was an honest question - the best I could come up with would be the printed version of a website, in which case you could simply browse through the website for free instead of paying. I love books (digital and physical) but there's nothing I could offer that you wouldn't find out on your own. Unlike Mark Blake or even the oft-vilified Laura Jackson, I've no agents or publishers or any verifiable journalistic or serious writing experience (a few thousand posts on an internet forum wouldn't count) and, unlike Peter Hince or Dr Brian May, CBE, I wasn't there and I haven't got anything exclusive or rare. Everything, and I do mean absolutely everything, of what I've learnt about Queen and music in general (which is not much to begin with), comes from searching stuff on the internet and listening to the songs. And, chiefly, it comes from making loads and loads of mistakes and then correcting them. But I haven't got a single primary source, a single demo or multi-track or manuscript or photograph that hasn't already made the rounds online. In that sense, there's nothing that'd make a book written by me in any way special or worthy of your dough. |
| Vocal harmony 16.04.2018 14:14 |
Sebastian, plenty of historians were not present at the events they research and sometimes write about, so I don't think you need to worry about not being part of the events. The secret of good historical writing is for the subject to be well researched and where possible written in an open informative and unbiased way that gets the facts over in a logical, educational, informative and maybe entertaining way. Through your posts on here I've learned huge amounts about a subject I thought I already knew a fare-amount about. Is there a book about Queen that's written from a different prospective and subject than those that have gone before? Yes why not. |
| Sebastian 16.04.2018 15:45 |
Sure, historians, people who are bona fide professionals at what they do. People who've been published. People who've had peer-reviewed articles in journals with some sort of credibility, people who've been part of seminars or who've been to lectures and conferences (sometimes as key-note speakers). All I have is a defunct website which was an utter failure and six thousand messages on an online forum, many of which have been pointless bickering with people who've called me all sorts of names and who've been, how shall I put it, not too welcoming of my feeble attempts at learning a little bit more about these great musicians. That also includes a number of people who used to praise my so-called research but then turned against me completely. Imagine how many of those would sabotage the book and give it poor reviews without even reading it. |
| Nathan H 16.04.2018 17:08 |
So, I think I’ve got the picture now. Queen went to Ridge Farm and Penhros Court to write songs and record demos before heading to Rockfield Studios. In Mark Blake’s fantastic biography of the group it states how Freddie wrote music for Bohemian Rhapsody while staying at Penhros. If it’s true about the picture of Freddie taken on the 1st August at Ridge Farm, it would mean that the group would’ve left there not long after the picture was taken because they had three weeks in Herefordshire before heading to Rockfield on the 24th August. I went to a display about the history of Rockfield and it had a sheet with the date and the singings which the group did too. There’s nothing going against the fact that might’ve recorded certain things at Ridge Farm and Penhros. At Rockfield they concentrated on Bohemian Rhapsody as that song alone took three weeks to record. They might’ve done other things but most of the time they did Bohemian Rhapsody. The London studios used would’ve been to finish of the album and do the final mixes of other songs. Presumably they spend about a month at Rockfield before moving back to London? |
| Golden Salmon 16.04.2018 17:10 |
Sebastian wrote: In that sense, there's nothing that'd make a book written by me in any way special or worthy of your dough.You're very rigorous, which is the ideal quality for the kind of book we'd love to read. You're ahead of many who have already published inaccurate depictions of the band and their history. That also includes a number of people who used to praise my so-called research but then turned against me completely. Imagine how many of those would sabotage the book and give it poor reviews without even reading it.Just use a pseudonym :-P Don't let your encyclopedic knowledge go to waste! |
| The Real Wizard 16.04.2018 18:01 |
dysan wrote: Was GSTQ done at Trident? I seem to recall BM did that and Procession in his own in a little demo studio?It sure was. link @ 0:45 it says "TAP" - Trident Audio Productions. It was recorded on October 27, 1974, just days before the Sheer Heart Attack tour began. |
| The Real Wizard 16.04.2018 18:09 |
Chopin1995 wrote: If I can add anything, rehearsals began not later than the 1st August, look at the date here (from the photo sessions at Ridge Farm) - link Also, I was doing some research lately and more than 200 photos can be found from rehearsing/recording the album (this can be more than 250 photos overall, including Brian's stereos shared in his book, or maybe over 300, who knows?): - at least 6 photos of the band going from London to rehearsal e.g. link , link - at least 16 photos of Queen receiving Music Life gifts at Ridge Farm e.g. link - at least 173 photos of the band rehearing/relaxing at Ridge Farm (including playing snooker, posing at the entrance gate?, drinking tea probably, sitting on the grass, sitting at the swimming pool, playing tennis, rehearsal itself and more). No need of examples I think. - at least 14 photos of the session at Sarm studio with Eddie Howell, probably in August as well e.g. link - at least 8 photos of the proper recording session at Scorpio (late august/early septemer) e.g. link - and more e.g. Brian playing harp at Sarm studioNicely done ! Has a proper archive of photos from Queen's studio sessions ever been assembled? If not, then maybe we should do it. |
| FriedChicken 17.04.2018 05:53 |
I'd definitely buy your book (or a book like that) Sebastian. I've got this Day to Day book from The Beach Boys, and it's amazing. |
| FriedChicken 17.04.2018 05:56 |
Ugh, imagine having to work with a tracksheet like the one you see Brian holding in the God save the Queen video Bob posted. I'd go crazy |
| Togg 17.04.2018 10:12 |
From my perspective a near as damn it totally accurate history of recording dates and studios used plus instruments etc would be a great book I do suspect it wouldn't break any publishing records, but it would be nice, so go for it Seb if you feel so inclinded... I recently bought an amazing book detailing in incredible accuracy all the drums Roger has used or owned, frankly it was a stunning body of work, and as a drummer it finally nailed many questions I had and such things as tom sizes and why the move to Yamaha etc It would seem to me if you have all this knowledge sitting there it should be released or used in some way rather than simply on moanzone... |
| The Fairy King 17.04.2018 11:39 |
Sebastian wrote: In that sense, there's nothing that'd make a book written by me in any way special or worthy of your dough.I would buy it. Not only because i am sure you will do an excellent job. You have proven to us many times you do your research and you have a knack for writing. :) |
| dudeofqueen 17.04.2018 11:41 |
Togg, re: >It would seem to me if you have all this knowledge sitting there it should be released or used in some way rather than simply on moanzone... A website is much more fluid and can be edited and updated as more, updated or corrected information becomes available. To be perfectly honest, it's exactly what the official site should be hosting, but those fucking idiots can't see past flogging a few t-shirts. It's also what Greg should have done with the Queen Live book, but, hey......... I'd possibly be in the market for a physical beast though if it was the only way of getting everything in one place. |
| jozef 17.04.2018 13:17 |
To Chopin1995 ... I have found the following description for these images: "The band at the airport arriving back to London, England from Japan in May 1975. Photo by Erica Echenberg." |
| jozef 17.04.2018 13:19 |
... and by Chris Walter. |
| Chopin1995 17.04.2018 13:23 |
The Real Wizard wrote:!!! This is exactly the idea I have and why I started collecting those photos! I also did The Miracle and I was able to find 27 photos. From what I know this can be done for at least 13 albums. I've never seen any Queen II studio session photo and Innuendo as well, sadly...Chopin1995 wrote: If I can add anything, rehearsals began not later than the 1st August, look at the date here (from the photo sessions at Ridge Farm) - link Also, I was doing some research lately and more than 200 photos can be found from rehearsing/recording the album (this can be more than 250 photos overall, including Brian's stereos shared in his book, or maybe over 300, who knows?): - at least 6 photos of the band going from London to rehearsal e.g. link , link - at least 16 photos of Queen receiving Music Life gifts at Ridge Farm e.g. link - at least 173 photos of the band rehearing/relaxing at Ridge Farm (including playing snooker, posing at the entrance gate?, drinking tea probably, sitting on the grass, sitting at the swimming pool, playing tennis, rehearsal itself and more). No need of examples I think. - at least 14 photos of the session at Sarm studio with Eddie Howell, probably in August as well e.g. link - at least 8 photos of the proper recording session at Scorpio (late august/early septemer) e.g. link - and more e.g. Brian playing harp at Sarm studioNicely done ! Has a proper archive of photos from Queen's studio sessions ever been assembled? If not, then maybe we should do it. |
| Chopin1995 17.04.2018 13:28 |
To Jozef... Thank you for this info. I must say I wasn't sure these photo are from the circumstances I stated initially. I think you're right. So from my first post: 1.- at least 6 photos of the band going from London to rehearsal 2.- at least 14 photos of the session at Sarm studio with Eddie Howell, probably in August as well doesn't belong to ANATO sessions. |
| Sebastian 17.04.2018 22:36 |
MusicFan15 wrote: So, I think I’ve got the picture now. Queen went to Ridge Farm and Penhros Court to write songs and record demosThere's no evidence that they recorded any demos there. They rehearsed, that's all we know. MusicFan15 wrote: heading to Rockfield on the 24th August.Again, no: they'd already recorded at Rockfield on or before the 18th, and a rough mix of Bo Rhap had been done at The Roundhouse on the 22nd. MusicFan15 wrote: I went to a display about the history of Rockfield and it had a sheet with the date and the singings which the group did too.The signings, IIRC, were done three decades after the fact. The sheet with the date is based on the 1995 SOS article, which has loads of inaccuracies, including that one. MusicFan15 wrote: There’s nothing going against the fact that might’ve recorded certain things at Ridge Farm and Penhros.There's nothing going for that either. It's like saying, 'sure, Senegal will win the World Cup - there's nothing against the fact maybe it could happen.' MusicFan15 wrote: At Rockfield they concentrated on Bohemian RhapsodyNo. They recorded other pieces for the album as well. '39 and 'Best Friend' have been confirmed, also 'Good Company' is strongly suspected. The rest could've also been started there. MusicFan15 wrote: as that song alone took three weeks to record.Again, that's the kiddie version of the story, the one they tell to make it sound romantic and spectacular. In reality, evidence points out albums being recorded as projects where they'd be jumping from song to song and using several studios at the same time. So, it'd be perfectly possible for someone to be doing something for one song and then someone else being elsewhere mixing something else, etc. MusicFan15 wrote: The London studios used would’ve been to finish of the album and do the final mixes of other songs.All the mixes were done at Sarm, including the single. MusicFan15 wrote: Presumably they spend about a month at Rockfield before moving back to London?Source? Chopin1995 wrote: 2.- at least 14 photos of the session at Sarm studio with Eddie Howell, probably in August as wellNo, not August: January. |
| Togg 18.04.2018 07:43 |
dudeofqueen wrote: Togg, re: >It would seem to me if you have all this knowledge sitting there it should be released or used in some way rather than simply on moanzone... A website is much more fluid and can be edited and updated as more, updated or corrected information becomes available. To be perfectly honest, it's exactly what the official site should be hosting, but those fucking idiots can't see past flogging a few t-shirts. It's also what Greg should have done with the Queen Live book, but, hey......... I'd possibly be in the market for a physical beast though if it was the only way of getting everything in one place.Agreed, but the website searchable with easy, all the information Seb has posted here gets lost and is practically impossible to find unless you trawl through thousands of posts, so sure in theory a website is better, but if Seb would like to earn some money, maybe a free to access website is less appealing? |
| dudeofqueen 18.04.2018 09:25 |
Togg, re: >but if Seb would like to earn some money, maybe a free to access website is less appealing? Using adverts might generate some cash if that's the end goal, but I suspect it's not a motivating factor for him.......? |
| Chopin1995 18.04.2018 10:55 |
Sebastian wrote:Yes Seb, I know thanks to you that's why I'm excluding it :)Chopin1995 wrote: 2.- at least 14 photos of the session at Sarm studio with Eddie Howell, probably in August as wellNo, not August: January. |
| Sebastian 18.04.2018 20:21 |
By the way... |
