The renowned recording studio, Record Plant, which first made its mark in New York City in 1968, has shut down, marking the end of an era for the iconic music industry hub.
In 1967, Gary Kellgren was working as a recording engineer at different New York City studios, including Mayfair Studios which was located at 701 Seventh Avenue near Times Square. This studio had the only professional 8-track recording system in New York at the time.
While at Mayfair Studios, Kellgren collaborated with artists such as the Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa, and Jimi Hendrix, not only engineering their recordings but also doing menial tasks like sweeping the floors of the studio.
Chris Stone, who had a business-oriented background, met Kellgren in late 1967 through mutual friends. Despite their different personalities, they quickly developed a friendship. Stone recognized Kellgren’s potential and helped him negotiate a higher salary, leading to Kellgren earning more for his work at the studio.
Thanks to a loan, Kellgren and Stone were able to build a new recording studio at 321 West 44th Street. The studio, named Record Plant, was designed to provide a creative and comfortable environment for musicians. It featured innovative recording equipment and opened on March 13, 1968.
Over the years, Record Plant became a popular destination for many artists, including the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Aerosmith, who worked on some of their iconic albums at the studio. The studio also played a significant role in the recording industry by pioneering quadraphonic sound and remote recordings.
In 1987, the New York Record Plant studio was sold and then subsequently it was closed for good. However, the legacy of the studio was far from over as Record Studio was expanded to Los Angeles and Sausalito, California.
The Sausalito, California location opened in 1972 and closed in 2008 before reopening under new ownership in the 2020s.
The Record Plant studio in Los Angeles would go on to play a pivotal role in producing highly influential albums, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run,” the Eagles’ “Hotel California,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours,” Eminem’s “The Marshall Mathers LP,” and Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” among many more. The impact of the Record Plant on the music landscape has been monumental but sadly, it is to be no more.
Recent advancements in the music industry have caused significant challenges for Record Plant and, thanks to those challenges, the end of an era has been reached as the closure of the last remaining Record Plant studio has been announced.
It’s a sad day in music history.
LOOK: Controversial songs from the year you were born
Gallery Credit: Stacker
