Sound City @Van Nuys

Villavic · #1 09-03-2023, 12:02 PM

When I was in California years ago, I went to some iconic places related to Fleetwood Mac. The first and obvious place was the Record Plant at Sausalito; I’ve been twice there but the first time I went it was with ledgie BN (some of you may remember him) in 1998; he also showed me the school where Lindsey & Stevie met, I guess it was Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton.

But what I missed to look for, was the studio in Van Nuys where Mick met Keith Olsen and heard Frozen Love to appreciate the guitarist:

Sometime late in November 1974, while we were home in L.A. on a break from the Heroes tour, I started to look around for another studio, since we expected to make our next album soon after we quit touring. I was just doing my managerial thing. One day I went grocery shopping at a supermarket in the Valley, and in the parking lot I bumped into a man I knew named Thomas Christian, who mentioned in passing that he was working for a studio in Van Nuys called Sound City. You should check it out, he suggested. So I piled the groceries and the kids in the back of my seedy old Cadillac and went right over to this studio. At Sound City I was introduced to Keith Olsen, the engineer. To demonstrate the sound of the studio, he played me a track called "Frozen Love," from an album that he had recorded there. (Mick's first book)

Does anybody know if that studio is the one in 15456 Cabrito Rd, Van Nuys? And is it still the same building? Maybe my next time in the West Coast I will include that stop.

PS: I read few years ago the Record Plant could be demolished. Does anybody know if it’s still there?

Macfan4life · #2 09-03-2023, 12:53 PM

I am not in CA so I cant answer your question. But if you are ever traveling through Miami, you can visit Criteria studios (now The Hit Factory) where Go Your Own Way and other parts of Rumours was recorded. The Eagles also recorded half of Hotel California at the same studio. The studio is called The Hit Factory today and is still in business. Its located at 1755 NE 149 Street Miami.
I think many hip hop artists record there today. But back in the day some of rock's biggest bands and songs were recorded there. Fleetwood Mac spent lots of time in the Miami area. When met Lindsey briefly at his meet and greet I welcomed him to Miami and he said how much time the band spent here. The band used to also have a place in Key Biscayne I think before the Buck/Nicks days. My memory is Bob Welch drew his inspiration for Bermuda Triangle there. I could be wrong but I think he and John boated in Miami then. Many moons later Chris threw out the town in her Bad Journey song.

Here is a tour of the Hit Factory by Howard Stern's Richard Christy many years ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUD4qOV37e0

FuzzyPlum · #3 09-03-2023, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villavic

When I was in California years ago, I went to some iconic places related to Fleetwood Mac. The first and obvious place was the Record Plant at Sausalito; I’ve been twice there but the first time I went it was with ledgie BN (some of you may remember him) in 1998; he also showed me the school where Lindsey & Stevie met, I guess it was Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton.

But what I missed to look for, was the studio in Van Nuys where Mick met Keith Olsen and heard Frozen Love to appreciate the guitarist:

Sometime late in November 1974, while we were home in L.A. on a break from the Heroes tour, I started to look around for another studio, since we expected to make our next album soon after we quit touring. I was just doing my managerial thing. One day I went grocery shopping at a supermarket in the Valley, and in the parking lot I bumped into a man I knew named Thomas Christian, who mentioned in passing that he was working for a studio in Van Nuys called Sound City. You should check it out, he suggested. So I piled the groceries and the kids in the back of my seedy old Cadillac and went right over to this studio. At Sound City I was introduced to Keith Olsen, the engineer. To demonstrate the sound of the studio, he played me a track called "Frozen Love," from an album that he had recorded there. (Mick's first book)

Does anybody know if that studio is the one in 15456 Cabrito Rd, Van Nuys? And is it still the same building? Maybe my next time in the West Coast I will include that stop.

PS: I read few years ago the Record Plant could be demolished. Does anybody know if it’s still there?

Didn’t Ken C buy the record plant? Or become co owner or something??? Not sure if it’s been used for much???!!!!????

HomerMcvie · #4 09-03-2023, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

Didn’t Ken C buy the record plant? Or become co owner or something??? Not sure if it’s been used for much???!!!!????

Yes. He did buy it. I don't know if he did it solo or not, though.

bombaysaffires · #5 09-05-2023, 11:35 PM

the BuckVie record was done at The Record Plant, in good old Studio D built and paid for by FM and where Tusk was recorded

HomerMcvie · #6 09-06-2023, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

the BuckVie record was done at The Record Plant, in good old Studio D built and paid for by FM and where Tusk was recorded

I would love to see where it says that? My disc says "recorded at Village Studios, Lindsey Buckingham's house, and Mitchell Froom's house".

Shirley to god they didn't rename The Record Plant...

**jbrownsjr** · #7 09-06-2023, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

the BuckVie record was done at The Record Plant, in good old Studio D built and paid for by FM and where Tusk was recorded

I think you meant "Village"

David · #8 09-06-2023, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villavic

Does anybody know if that studio is the one in 15456 Cabrito Rd, Van Nuys? And is it still the same building? Maybe my next time in the West Coast I will include that stop.

Still there.

https://www.facebook.com/SoundCityStudios/

bombaysaffires · #9 09-06-2023, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I think you meant "Village"

Yeah now you got me wondering if I'm confusing the two....

I went back to this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVsqngf9yE but they don't say...but I'm sure someone on here recognizes which studio this is... Village??

David · #10 09-07-2023, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

Yeah now you got me wondering if I'm confusing the two....

I went back to this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxVsqngf9yE but they don't say...but I'm sure someone on here recognizes which studio this is... Village??

The Village is where Fleetwood recorded Tusk in 1978. They refurbished studio D. At the time, that place was called the Village Recorder, and it’s shown extensively in the Tusk documentary. Stevie asked for a vocal booth that looked like a sunset in Tahiti, according to Sound on Sound. It’s on Butler in West LA.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...htmlstory.html

The Record Plant is on Sycamore in LA. Mac recorded some of Rumours at the Sausalito location and then recorded more in LA.

bombaysaffires · #11 09-07-2023, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

The Village is where Fleetwood recorded Tusk in 1978. They refurbished studio D. At the time, that place was called the Village Recorder, and it’s shown extensively in the Tusk documentary. Stevie asked for a vocal booth that looked like a sunset in Tahiti, according to Sound on Sound. It’s on Butler in West LA.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...htmlstory.html

The Record Plant is on Sycamore in LA. Mac recorded some of Rumours at the Sausalito location and then recorded more in LA.

thanks, I totally mis-named the studio. I recalled all the stories and how they spent the money to customize it to their tastes etc etc but the brain cells short circuited on the name. No more middle of the night posting for me.