Legendary Los Angeles recording studio to close after 50 years
The word ‘legendary’ gets thrown around far too easily these days but, when looking at the breadth and quality of music recorded at the Record Plant recording studio in Los Angeles, it is the only word that feels appropriate. Now, though, the recording studio has announced that it will close, following over 50 years of hosting a plethora of iconic artists.
Originally, the studio was established in 1968 in New York City, which played host to the likes of New York Dolls, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder and Lou Reed. However, in 1969 the studio opened another branch on the West Coast, which quickly became their defining location. The studio helped to establish Los Angeles as an oasis of high-energy rock and roll on the West Coast; a reputation which continues to this day.
Since 1986, the studio has been located on Sycamore Avenue in the heart of Los Angeles, Record Plant was among the first music studios of its kind. As opposed to simply being a recording booth and a mixing desk, Record Plant featured suites, hot tubs and other amenities that meant artists could set up shop in the studio for an extended period of time.
The sheer amount of iconic artists that passed through the doors of Record Plant over the years is incomprehensible. A few highlights include Black Sabbath, B.B. King, Frank Zappa, Eagles, Devo, Guns ‘N’ Roses, and even Beyoncé. Essentially, if you can think of a name in American rock and pop music over the past 50 years, they probably recorded at Record Plant in LA.
Due to the groundbreaking nature of the studio, its closure is a devastating blow to the music scene and history of Los Angeles. Explaining the potential reasons for the closure, studio engineer Gary Myerberg said, per Los Angeles Magazine , “There is no money in the recording music business. That’s basically like a flyer for your show. I don’t think there’s much hope for the recording industry in LA.”
Continuing, the engineer gave a depressing account of the state of modern music technology. “If you want to go to the studio and spend $2000 a day,” he said, “just take that and buy a laptop and a sample library or tell AI what song you want to make and it’ll make it.”
While Myerberg might be overestimating the power of a laptop compared to a multi-million dollar custom built studio filled to the brim with specialist equipment, the closure of Record Plant does provide a worrying view of the future of music. Now that one of the most legendary studios in America has closed its doors, there is no telling how many other recording studios could potentially follow.
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