An iconic Los Angeles recording studio used by everyone from Black Sabbath to Guns N’ Roses is set to close its doors after 55 years of making rock and metal history.
Record Plant Recording Studios in Hollywood has been in operation since 1972, following in the footsteps of the New York location which opened four years earlier.
The LA location is where the Eagles recorded Hotel California and Guns N’ Roses made Appetite For Destruction. Fleetwood Mac recorded Rumours at the Record Plant and others including Sabbath, Judas Priest, Kiss, Nine Inch Nails, Whitesnake, Queen and Deep Purple also worked at the studio.
According to Los Angeles Magazine, the studio will close soon as a victim of sweeping advances in recording technology.
The magazine quotes studio engineer Gary Myerberg as saying: “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.
“If you want to go to the studio and spend $2000 a day, 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.”
Guitar technician Jesse McInturff adds: “The need for a big room is pretty minor at this point. There are less and less rock bands and you could record Taylor Swift in a vocal booth the size of a closet.”
Record Plant was one of the first studios to offer more than recording facilities. It provided suites for clients, a hot tub, waterbeds, bondage gear and even mirrored ceilings.
According to the Record Plant website, “more hits and Grammy award-winning
music is made at Record Plant than at any other studio in the world”.