Coordinates: 51.517612°N 0.

204961°W

Sarm West Studios

SARM Studios (formerly known as SARM West Studios) is a recording studio
SARM Studios
located in Notting Hill, London. The studios were established by Chris Blackwell,
the founder of Island Records, and were originally known as Basing Street Studios.
It has also been known in the past asIsland Studios. SARM is an acronym of Sound
and Recording Mobiles.[1]

The studios were built inside a former church[1] that had been deconsecrated.
Blackwell recorded a number of artists there for Island Records, such as Iron
Maiden,[2] Bob Marley, Steve Winwood, Free, Bad Company, Robert Palmer,
Jimmy Cliff, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, King Crimson, John Martyn, Mott
the Hoople, Quintessence, Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Sparks, Cat Stevens, Spooky
Tooth, Traffic, If, Jethro Tull, the Average White Band, and the Sensational Alex
Harvey Band.
Location Notting Hill, London,
The studios were also used by notable non-Island Records acts, such as Madonna, England
ABC, The Clash,[3] Pet Shop Boys,[2] KT Tunstall, Depeche Mode,[2] The Eagles, Owner SPZ Group
Dire Straits, East 17, Take That,[2] Boyzone, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Rihanna,
Affiliations Companies within the
Paul Mccartney, The Rolling Stones,[2] Genesis, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Joan
building:
Armatrading, Nik Kershaw and the Lighthouse Family.
ZTT Records
In 1970, two famous albums were recorded at the studios at the same time: Led Stiff Records
Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV and Jethro Tull's Aqualung.[4] Similarly, Bob Marley &
Perfect Songs
The Wailers and the Rolling Stones were in the studios at the same time at one point
Unforgettable Songs
in 1973. Marley also lived for a year in an upstairs apartment at SARM, and his
personal chef cooked at SARM for most of the 1980s. Queen booked the studios in Blacklist
summer 1977 and recorded part of their album News of the World there, including Entertainment
the hit "We Are the Champions";[1] Queen had previously used the studio to record TCP International
sections of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Prophet’s Song" at the studios in 1975, Website www.sarmstudios.com
and to record the video for "Somebody to Love" a year later.[3] Also the cathedral
organ on George Michael's album Faith (1987) was played there.[5]

[6]
In the mid 1970s, Sarm was the first 24-track recording studio in England; it later became the first with 48-track facilities.

In November 1984, Studio 1 at Sarm West was the venue for the recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas" by the members of
Band Aid in support of relief efforts for the 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia. In November 2014, the studios were used to record the
Band Aid 30 charity single.[7]

In May 2011, the studios announced a major refurbishment which would result in two new studios as well as music business offices.
The redesign would also include living accommodation, with the aim of facilitating a return to the studios’ 1970s policy of
concentrating on long-term bookings.[8]

The studios are currently owned by SPZ Group,[9] which is a holding company belonging to Trevor Horn and his late wife Jill
Sinclair. The Sarm Studios complex also houses the offices of the SPZ-owned record labels ZTT Records and Stiff Records,[8] and
publishing companiesPerfect Songs and Unforgettable Songs.

References
 1. "Mercury Paradise Audio Files"(http://www.mercuryparadise.com/hyper/BC_BR.html). www.mercuryparadise.com.
2. "Sarm Studios - Clients"(http://www.sarmstudios.com/clients/). www.sarmstudios.com. Retrieved 28 November
2014.
3. Bennett, John G (2009).A Journey Through Whitechapel and Spitalfields(https://web.archive.org/web/20141220103
936/http://www.inpressbooks.co.uk/media/downloads/309/Five%20Leaves%20-%20Journey%20through%20Whitec
hapel.pdf) (PDF). Nottingham: Five Leaves Publications. p. 45.ISBN 1905512546. Archived from the original (http://
www.inpressbooks.co.uk/media/downloads/309/Five%20Leaves%20-%20Journey%20through%20Whitechapel.pdf)
(PDF) on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
4. "Their Time is Gonna Come", Classic Rock Magazine, December 2007
5. "Ex-Wham singer George Michael has passed away at the age of 53"(http://fox6now.com/2016/12/25/ex-wham-sing
er-george-michael-has-passed-away-at-the-age-of-53/)
. FOX6Now.com. 2016-12-25. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
6. Sefton, Jamie (20 October 2014)."Trevor Horn talks Frankie, SARM and synths" (http://www.musicradar.com/news/t
ech/trevor-horn-talks-frankie-sarm-and-synths-609065/2)
. www.musicradar.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
7. Denham, Jess (13 November 2014)."Band Aid 30 song and music video to premiere on The X Factor results show
this Sunday" (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/band-aid-30-song-and-music-video-to-p
remiere-on-the-x-factor-results-show-this-sunday-9859540.html). The Independent. London. Retrieved 14 November
2014.
8. "Sarm Studios set for major revamp"(http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/sarm-studios-set-for-major-revamp/045
740). www.musicweek.com. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
9. "Sarm Studios - Home"(http://www.sarmstudios.com/). www.sarmstudios.com. Retrieved 28 November 2014.

External links
Official site
SPZ Group
RecordProduction.com

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est_Studios&oldid=839990660"

This page was last edited on 7 May 2018, at 01:07(UTC).

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