Los Angeles, California’s Record Plant studio has seen hundreds of incredible artists pass through its doors, from Fleetwood Mac to Eagles to Guns N’ Roses and more. Unfortunately, it looks like the legendary recording studio is finally closing its doors after 55 years in business, according to recent reports.
The Significance of Record Plant
Record Plant has been a major part of rock and roll history since it opened its doors in 1969. KISS, Deep Purple, Queen, Nine Inch Nails, Black Sabbath and more artists in the rock scene have recorded their albums within its walls.
Record Plant was also one of the first recording studios to feature a home-like room environment for recording artists. That contrasted quite a bit from the more sterile, “laboratory” vibe of your typical recording studio. This was an intentional move by founders Chris Stone and Gary Kellgren, who believed musicians would be able to deliver better takes if they were physically comfortable. The studio was also known for catering to its biggest rock stars’ every whim in the form of hot tubs, waterbeds, and more.
It’s really unfortunate that Record Plant is closing for good. And many fans of the famed studio are wondering what went wrong. When it comes down to it, the industry has been changing quite a bit over the last few decades… Particularly when it comes to technological advancements and changes.
“There is no money in the recording music business,” said Gary Myerberg, a Los Angeles studio engineer. “That’s basically like a flyer for your show. […] If you want to go to the studio and spend $2,000 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.”
There’s also less of a need for a big, comfortable room to record in nowadays. Rock bands have shrunk over the last few decades, and individual musicians can easily record in the tiniest of studios. To put it simply, recording studios like Record Plant have become obsolete in 2024.
It’s a sad thing to see, but we hope things in the music recording industry will change for the better.
Photo courtesy of Record Plant’s X account
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