As it’s said, A Night At The Opera was the most expensive album ever made in 1975 costing a whooping £40,000 back then. In today’s money more than £330,000. The reason is because of the number of studios used to record the album. I’ve been trying to put together all the studios and places which they used to write and record probably their signature album.
In early August 1975, Queen move from London after they all had holidays to Herefordshire. Specifically, they rented Penrhos Court just outside the town of Kington. They stay there for three weeks write and play new material for ANATO.
Then on the 24th August 1975, Queen make the 40-odd mile journey to Rockfield Studios just outside the town of Monmouth. At Rockfield they mainly work on Bohemian Rhapsody. One night while at Rockfield, the band watched the Marx Brothers movie A Night At The Opera. They hadn’t come up with a name for the album and so ended up nicking the title to name the album.
They went back to London and Surrey to finish recording the album. They used four London studios; Roundhouse, Sarm East Studios, Scorpion and Wessex Sound Studios and Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey. Just a few days before they started their UK Tour the finally finished mixing the album as it took longer than expected to complete.
So, it took them from the start of August to mid-November to write and record one of their greatest albums. It’s interesting to know how I live just a couple of miles from where Queen wrote one of their greatest albums…
Have I got all the information above correct?
dysan · Member since
Was GSTQ done at Trident? I seem to recall BM did that and Procession in his own in a little demo studio?
stevelondon20 · Member since
40k well spent. Such an Amazing Record.
Sebastian · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
As it’s said, A Night At The Opera was the most expensive album ever made in 1975 costing a whooping £40,000 back then.[/QUOTE]
That's just spiel. There were probably several albums which had been more expensive before that one. Keep in mind that Queen saved fortunes in not hiring session musicians, being their own composers and arrangers, not getting any big-name producers and not having to fly anywhere as they'd just drive between England and Wales.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
The reason is because of the number of studios used to record the album.[/QUOTE]
While they did use quite a few, they weren't by any means the most expensive studios back then. They didn't go to Abbey Road or to the Record Plant in NY or LA (which would've also added flying and taking their equipment there, etc).
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
Then on the 24th August 1975, Queen make the 40-odd mile journey to Rockfield Studios just outside the town of Monmouth. [/QUOTE]
Not true. By the 18th of August, they'd already started off three tracks at Rockfield ('Best Friend', 'Fred's Piano Thing' and 'Wreck of the 39'). By the 22nd, they'd already got a rough mix of 'Bo Rhap' (probably under a working title) at The Roundhouse.
So, the whole 24th August date as the beginning of the sessions is completely false.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
At Rockfield they mainly work on Bohemian Rhapsody.[/QUOTE]
Not true. They also worked on ''39', 'Best Friend' and probably many other numbers from the album.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
They went back to London and Surrey to finish recording the album.[/QUOTE]
Just London, not Surrey. But according to the book about Rockfield Studios, they'd be driving back and forth, it wasn't that clear-cut anyway.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
They used four London studios[/QUOTE]
No: they used five.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
Sarm East Studios[/QUOTE]
Back then, they were simply called 'Sarm'.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
Scorpion[/QUOTE]
That's not the name. It was called 'Scorpio'. No 'n'.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
Wessex Sound Studios[/QUOTE]
No. Wessex had been bought by the Chrysalis group and they were undergoing refurbishment. They'd been used in 1974 and would be used again in 1976 and 1977, but not in 1975 as they were temporarily closed for renovations.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
Ridge Farm Studios in Surrey.[/QUOTE]
Back in 1975, the Ridge Farm was just a farm, not a recording studio. It became a recording studio in 1976. Queen used them to rehearse (before the August sessions in Wales), but not to record. All of that has been confirmed to me directly by the CEO of the studios, a decade or so ago.
[QUOTE] [b]MusicFan15 wrote:[/b]
Have I got all the information above correct?[/QUOTE]
No, but you're on the right track about some of it.
dysan · Member since
Excellent knowledge as always Sebasterick :)
Sebastian · Member since
Thanks!
stevelondon20 · Member since
Great info mate!
Golden Salmon · Member since
Sebastian, are you doing research to write a book?
Sebastian · Member since
Who would buy that?
TomP63 · Member since
Yes Seb, I would for sure buy your book!
Tom
cmi · Member since
^ Yes indeed. Me too.
Golden Salmon · Member since
I would exchange earnings for your electronically or physically available writings :-P
dysan · Member since
Only if it had been checked over by QPL and appropriate mistakes added in.
andres_clip · Member since
I would surely buy your book.
Chopin1995 · Member since
Me too!
If I can add anything, rehearsals began not later than the 1st August, look at the date here (from the photo sessions at Ridge Farm) - http://photofeatures.photoshelter.com/image/I00000Fb.Tnq4ejE
Also, I was doing some research lately and more than 200 photos can be found from rehearsing/recording the album (this can be more than 250 photos overall, including Brian's stereos shared in his book, or maybe over 300, who knows?):
- at least 6 photos of the band going from London to rehearsal e.g. http://www.photofeatures.com/queen/ppages/ppage28.html , http://cs419924.vk.me/v419924507/744c/aYa7Yzrqpl4.jpg
- at least 16 photos of Queen receiving Music Life gifts at Ridge Farm e.g. http://cs419924.vk.me/v419924507/7474/L9O48JKtVoE.jpg
- at least 173 photos of the band rehearing/relaxing at Ridge Farm (including playing snooker, posing at the entrance gate?, drinking tea probably, sitting on the grass, sitting at the swimming pool, playing tennis, rehearsal itself and more). No need of examples I think.
- at least 14 photos of the session at Sarm studio with Eddie Howell, probably in August as well e.g. http://i.pinimg.com/originals/6c/9b/a7/6c9ba74ac5a6e22a60c7ad3f34195cb3.jpg
- at least 8 photos of the proper recording session at Scorpio (late august/early septemer) e.g. http://i.pinimg.com/736x/29/2c/8d/292c8d2c3c056edb6fa1e7932f9a18fd.jpg
- and more e.g. Brian playing harp at Sarm studio
Worth noting that similar photos were taken during SHA recording session a year before AND similar photos were taken during Queen's first visit to Japan in 1975. They are sometimes mixed up with each other.
