Record Plant

Record Plant
Binksternet · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Record Plant
Caption	Interior of a Record Plant studio in the 1970s
Location	New York City, Los Angeles, Sausalito
Opened	1968
Founder	Gary Kellgren, Chris Stone
Genre	Rock, pop music, hip hop, jazz
Notable alumni	John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Prince

Record Plant

Record Plant is a renowned American recording studio company founded in 1968, notable for its role in producing landmark albums across rock, pop, R&B, and hip hop. Its studios in New York City, Los Angeles, and Sausalito became creative hubs for artists, producers, and engineers associated with major labels and influential movements from the late 1960s through the 1990s. The company is recognized for pioneering studio design, artist-friendly environments, and technical innovations that shaped modern recording practices.

History

The studio was established in 1968 by audio engineer Gary Kellgren and entrepreneur Chris Stone in New York City, quickly attracting acts signed to Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, and Capitol Records. In the early 1970s the founders expanded to Los Angeles to serve the West Coast music scene that included artists from Warner Bros. Records, Reprise Records, and Elektra Records. Financial pressures, personnel changes, and shifts in the recording industry led to multiple ownership transitions involving companies associated with EMI, Warner Music Group, and private investors during the 1980s and 1990s. The studios adapted to transformations brought by the rise of compact disc production, the influence of MTV, and the emergence of hip hop while continuing to host sessions for major acts linked to Arista Records, RCA Records, and Sony Music Entertainment.

Facilities and Locations

The original New York facility on West 44th Street featured multiple live rooms and control rooms designed to accommodate ensembles signed to Atlantic Records and Blue Note Records. The Los Angeles complex in Hollywood offered bespoke rooms frequented by artists with contracts at Warner Bros. Records and Geffen Records, while the Sausalito location near San Francisco served musicians connected to Grateful Dead-adjacent projects and acts on Columbia Records. Each site incorporated custom consoles, echo chambers, and isolation booths tailored by engineers who had worked with studios like Capitol Studios and A&M Studios. The studios’ lounges and residential-style amenities were modeled to attract stars represented by managers from agencies such as William Morris Agency and Creative Artists Agency.

Notable Recordings and Artists

Sessions at the studios produced seminal recordings by a wide range of artists. In the late 1960s and 1970s, musicians associated with The Beatles' solo careers, members of Led Zeppelin, and artists connected to Motown Records booked time there. Landmark albums and tracks recorded in the studios involved artists like John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix collaborators, Pink Floyd-adjacent engineers, and members of Fleetwood Mac during the making of commercially pivotal records. In later decades, recordings featured pop icons such as Madonna-associated producers, Prince collaborators, and hip hop artists affiliated with Def Jam Recordings and Bad Boy Records. Producers and engineers who worked at the studios included names linked to Quincy Jones, Phil Spector, and Brian Eno sessions.

Production and Technical Innovations

The company gained acclaim for integrating designer control rooms and live rooms that borrowed acoustic concepts used at Abbey Road Studios and RCA Studios. Engineers introduced flexible patch bay configurations and outboard gear chains compatible with consoles by manufacturers similar to Neve Electronics and API. The studios were early adopters of multitrack recording formats that paralleled advances from Ampex and embraced mixing techniques used by producers tied to Stax Records and Sun Records. They also played a role in the evolution of overdubbing practices popularized by producers working with The Beach Boys and The Rolling Stones. Later upgrades included digital audio workstations influenced by platforms developed by companies like Avid Technology and integration of sampling technology used by producers working with Public Enemy and N.W.A..

Ownership and Management

Founders Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone managed the business through its initial expansion before selling interests amid the changing landscape of corporate consolidation affecting labels like EMI and Warner Music Group. Subsequent proprietors included industry investors and managers with ties to production companies and artist management firms such as Irving Azoff's operations. Executive producers and studio managers who ran day-to-day operations often came from backgrounds at Motown Records, Columbia Records, and independent production houses connected to Island Records. Personnel shifts reflected broader trends of studio acquisition and brand licensing common in transactions involving PolyGram and other major music conglomerates.

Legacy and Influence

The studios’ legacy is evident in the records that shaped popular music and in the careers of engineers and producers who trained in its rooms and moved on to work with major labels like Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group. Its model of combining high-end equipment with artist-centered amenities influenced later facilities such as Nothing Studios and boutique studios started by producers associated with Nile Rodgers and Rick Rubin. Cultural references to sessions at the studios appear in biographies of figures linked to John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Fleetwood Mac, and in histories of recording practices tied to the development of rock music, pop music, and hip hop. The company remains a touchstone in discussions about studio design, production workflows, and the commercial consolidation of recording real estate during the late 20th century.

Category:Recording studios in the United States