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| Sherwood Studios | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sherwood Studios |
| Location | Nottinghamshire, England |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Founder | Michael Sherwood |
| Type | Recording studio |
| Notable alumni | Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Adele |
Sherwood Studios is a recording complex established in the late 1960s that became influential in British and international music production. Founded by producer Michael Sherwood, the studio hosted sessions spanning rock, pop, electronic, and film score projects, attracting major artists, engineers, and producers. Sherwood Studios' reputation rests on a combination of bespoke acoustic design, cutting-edge analog-to-digital integration, and a client roster that included globally recognized musicians, composers, and film studios.
Sherwood Studios opened in 1967, contemporaneous with the rise of acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, David Bowie, and The Kinks. In the 1970s the studio attracted progressive rock acts such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and King Crimson, while also booking pop and soul sessions with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, and Dusty Springfield. During the 1980s Sherwood adapted to synth-driven production trends alongside artists like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Pet Shop Boys, The Human League, and New Order. The 1990s saw sessions from alternative and Britpop figures including Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, Pulp, and Suede, as well as electronic producers affiliated with Warp Records, XL Recordings, Mo' Wax, and Ninja Tune. Film and television composers from Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Howard Shore, Ennio Morricone, and Danny Elfman used Sherwood for orchestral and hybrid scoring. The studio navigated industry shifts through partnerships with labels like EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Island Records, and Atlantic Records.
Sherwood's complex featured multiple rooms named after regional landmarks and collaborators. Studio A featured a large live room inspired by designs from Abbey Road Studios, AIR Studios, and Trident Studios with movable acoustic panels influenced by concepts from Les Paul, Dr. Harry Olson, and Walter Legge. Studio B offered isolation booths used by jazz and session musicians such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald. The control rooms were designed with input from consultants who had worked at Capitol Records, Sun Studio, and Motown Records; the layout echoed ergonomic approaches championed by engineers affiliated with George Martin, Alan Parsons, Phil Spector, and Glyn Johns. Residential facilities for artists referenced the hospitality models used by Stax Records and Château d'Hérouville and occasionally hosted guests like Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr.
Sherwood Studios hosted landmark albums, singles, and scores. Classic rock sessions included work on projects for Pink Floyd's experimental recordings, David Bowie's late-period albums, and Genesis's studio efforts. Pop landmarks included sessions with Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, George Michael, and Adele. Alternative and electronic productions involved Radiohead's studio experimentation, Bjork's avant-garde work, and collaborations with producers like Brian Eno, Nigel Godrich, Trevor Horn, Mark Ronson, and Rick Rubin. Film and television scoring sessions were booked by production companies connected to Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Paramount Pictures, and BBC Studios, with composers such as Hans Zimmer, John Powell, Alexandre Desplat, James Newton Howard, and Ramin Djawadi recording at Sherwood.
Sherwood employed engineers, producers, and session musicians who collaborated with mainstream and underground figures. In-house producers and engineers included alumni linked to George Martin, Alan Parsons, Tony Visconti, Steve Lillywhite, Flood, and Daniel Lanois. Session musicians who recorded there intersected with networks including The Wrecking Crew, Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, and orchestral players associated with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and BBC Symphony Orchestra. Vocalists, arrangers, and conductors who worked in Sherwood's scoring suites included names from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Elton John, Sting, Paul Simon, and Carole King projects. Management and A&R contacts came from Columbia Records, RCA Records, Polydor Records, Universal Music Group, and Beggars Banquet Records.
Originally privately financed by Michael Sherwood with investment from regional patrons and music entrepreneurs linked to Nottinghamshire County Council cultural schemes and trusts such as the Welsh Arts Council model, Sherwood Studios entered joint ventures with labels including EMI, Island Records, and Sony BMG across the 1980s and 1990s. Ownership structures shifted amid consolidation in the recording industry, with corporate stakeholders comparable to holdings by Vivendi, Time Warner, Bertelsmann, and private equity groups that acquired assets from PolyGram and Chrysalis Records. Licensing deals saw Sherwood renting space to international delegations affiliated with Nippon Columbia, Universal Music Japan, Sire Records, and Rough Trade Records. The studio also formed partnerships for scoring work with Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and independent film houses linked to festivals such as Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival.
Sherwood Studios integrated consoles and outboard gear from manufacturers like Neve Electronics, API, Solid State Logic, Studer, Ampex, EMT, Telefunken, Neumann, and AKG Acoustics. Early digital adoption included systems from Sony 3324, Alesis ADAT, Digidesign Pro Tools, and later surround formats tied to Dolby Laboratories and DTS. The studio participated in development trials for remote recording techniques used by bands on tours with promoters such as Live Nation Entertainment and AEG Presents and collaborated with research engineers from BBC Research & Development, IRCAM, MPEG LA, and universities like University of Oxford and University of Cambridge on spatial audio experiments. Sherwood's maintenance shop serviced vintage gear paralleling collections at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame archives and bespoke restorers linked to Abbey Road Studios technicians.
Sherwood Studios influenced production aesthetics across genres and was cited in interviews by artists associated with British Invasion, Glam Rock, Synth-pop, Britpop, and Electronic dance music. Critics and journalists from outlets like Rolling Stone, NME, Pitchfork, The Guardian, The Times, and Melody Maker noted Sherwood's role in landmark recordings. The studio's legacy is discussed in books and documentaries focusing on periods represented by Peter Doggett, Mark Lewisohn, David Hepworth, Simon Reynolds, and filmmakers chronicling music history for BBC Four and Channel 4. Sherwood's cultural footprint is reflected in exhibitions at Victoria and Albert Museum, British Library, and regional music museums, and in oral histories preserved by institutions such as the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Sound and Vision archives.
Category:Recording studios in England