© 2008 Electric Lady Studios

Issue No. 1, Volume MMVIII

Patti Smith,

Horses


After recording her first single “Hey Joe/ Piss Factory” at Electric Lady Studios in 1974, Patti returned to our Studio “A” to record her debut full-length Horses, with John Cale at the producer's helm. Released in November 1975, it contained Patti's incantatory reworkings of rock classics like "Gloria" and "Land (Of A Thousand Dances)". Horses cracked the American Top 50 and paved the way for a new generation of art-rat-punk.

David Bowie, Young Americans

With the Young Americans sessions mostly concluded in late 1974. During that time he was staying in New York and met John Lennon. The pair socialized frequently, and in January of 1975 would collaborate to finish the album inside Electric Lady’s Studio “A.”

The former Beatle contributed backing vocals to ‘Across the Universe’ and spoke with Bowie about the pressures of celebrity later that evening. Guitarist Carlos Alomar offered up a riff they’d been using for a cover of “Footstompin” by The Flares, and from there they quickly penned and recorded “Fame” – released July 25, 1975.

Jimi Hendrix,

Electric Lady

Studios


In 1968, Jimi Hendrix and his manager Michael Jeffery had invested jointly in the purchase of the Generation Club in Greenwich Village, but - their initial plans to re-open the club were abandoned when the local mafia added pressure for fees to compete in the neighborhood. It was an unwelcome association, and since commercial studio fees for Electric Ladyland sessions were so lofty, the pair instead decided to convert the space to a highly specialized and custom-built recording facility.

Designed specifically for Hendrix, the studio had round windows and a machine capable of generating ambient lighting in colors to fit any mood. It was a relaxing atmosphere, and the studio provided a creative space for Jimi to draft and perfect his songs - while engineer Eddie Kramer upheld the studio’s unparalleled professionalism in the background. The opening party was held on August 26, 1970.

Before boarding a flight for London to perform at the Isle of Wight, Hendrix created his last ever studio recording at his Electric Lady - a cool and tranquil instrumental known only as "Slow Blues".


 

Cross Section of Clients Tells Classic

 Recording Tale

Chuck Berry
Billy Cobham
Curtis Mayfield
Carly Simon
Peter Frampton
David Bowie
Stevie Wonder
AC/DC
Led Zeppelin
John Lennon
The Clash
The Rolling Stones
Guns N’Roses
Patti Smith
Lou Reed
Van Halen
Kiss
T.Rex
The Talking Heads
Violent Femmes
The Cars
Foreigner
Hall & Oates
Weezer
Prince
Al Green
Dave Matthews Band
 


 

Erykah Badu
D'Angelo
Steve Earle
Alice In Chains
The Mars Volta
Common
Regina Spektor
Muse
Goldfrapp
Metric
Mew
Glasvegas
The White Stripes
Manchester Orchestra
Bjork
Interpol
Arctic Monkeys
The Big Pink
Alberta Cross
Foo Fighters
Ryan Adams
Radiohead.
The Pretenders
Rufus Wainwright
The Black Crows
The Rumble Strips
Travis


Elvis Presley
Bob Dylan
Beyonce
Bebel Gilberto
James Taylor
Mary J. Blige
Maroon 5
N.E.R.D.
Lily Allen
Hole
Albert Hammond Jr.
Ronnie Spector
Gwen Stefani
Wolfmother
Jay Z
Mark Ronson
Talib Kweli
Beastie Boys
Lena Horne
Traffic
Whitney Houston
Madonna
Stevie Ray Vaughn
The Roots
Aretha Franklin
Frank Zappa
Eric Clapton


AC/DC,

Back in Black


Ranked as the sixth best-selling album of all time, Back In Black might be the purest distillation of hard rock ever. The title track, "Back In Black" - along with "Hells Bells" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" have become enduring anthems of strutting blues-based guitar - all employing the relentless logic of a sledgehammer.

Guitar & vocal overdubs were recorded at Electric Lady Studios during June, 1980 with producer Mutt Lang and engineer Tony Platt - who upon completion mixed the album in our Studio A.

The Rolling Stones, Some Girls

Recorded and mixed in-part at Electric Lady Studios in late 1977 and early 1978, Some Girls marks the group’s 16th American studio release. Carrying such heavy hitters as “Shattered,” “Miss You,” and “Beast of Burden,” Some Girls is The Rolling Stones best selling studio album to date - with RIAA certification of 6x Multi-Platinum.

Other album productions by the Stones at Electric Lady Studios include portions of Black and Blue, and Emotional Rescue - listen as Mick shouts the studio address to open Emotional Rescue on "Dance (Part 1).