Record Plant Studios

Record Plant Studios (also known as just "The Record Plant") were three famous recording studios which were started and run by Gary Kellgren (who was the creative engineer, producer & studio designer) and Chris Stone (a National Sales Rep for Revlon Cosmetics). The first opening of the Record Plant was in New York City at 321 West 44th Street [http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=321+West+44th+Street,+New+York,+NY map] , in 1968. The next year, they opened a studio in Los Angeles. In 1972, the studio also opened up in Sausalito, California. In the 1980s, the New York and Sausalito studios ended up under different management and the Los Angeles studio became the main studio. The Los Angeles and Sausalito studios are currently owned and managed separately, and the New York studio has closed down. The Los Angeles studio is known as "The Record Plant", and the Sausalito studio is known as "The Plant."

The huge success of the Record Plant was largely due to Gary Kellgren's existing relationships and work with legendary artists like Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, and the Velvet Underground as well as Kellgren's desire and dream to build a studio that was not only a comfortable living environment, but also enhanced the creative juices of the recording artists. He single-handedly changed the look and feel of recording studios to what they are today. Before the Record Plant opened, studios consisted of four white walls, hard wood floors, folding chairs, and fluorescent lighting in a rectangular room with bad coffee and donuts and an engineer dressed in a tie and jacket. Kellgren designed acoustically superior studios with state of the art equipment and a creative living room feel and turned the studio into a place where artists repeatedly stated they wanted to live. It was also his idea to build in a Jacuzzi which had never been done before.

The first album recorded at the Record Plant in New York was "Electric Ladyland" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, released in 1968. Through the years, hundreds of albums were first cut there (Hotel California by the Eagles, Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder, etc.). During the 1970s, house engineers Shelly Yakus and Roy Cicala also gave many local bands their start by donating session time and materials to upcoming artists, engineering and producing their demo tapes. This was part of the Record Plant's successful marketing plan which led to its as having recorded nearly 10% of the top 100 albums on the Billboard charts.

A long list of Award winning American music has been written and recorded in the Sausalito studio, more than any other singular structure in Sausalito and/or Marin County. The Record Plant Studios have hosted musical artists in virtually all musical genres: Rock-and-roll, reggae, country music, jazz, punk, blues, folk, soul, zydeco, hip-hop and rockabilly.

Management Changes

The Sausalito studio has been managed separately from the Los Angeles studio since 1980, after it was sold to Laurie Nicochea. The studio business then became "The Plant Studios" or simply, "The Plant."The Plant was sold by Nicochea to Stanley Jacox in 1984. After Jacox's arrest for tax evasion in 1985, the Sausalito studio was possessed by the government, who ran it with a skeleton crew for about a year until selling it at government auction to Bob Skye in 1986; he took ownership in 1987. In 1988, Skye recruited Arne Frager as a partner and Frager bought him out a few years later. The Plant Studios closed in March of 2008.

In 1987, the New York studio was sold to Sir George Martin and closed soon afterwards.

elected list of albums recorded at Record Plant New York (by year)

*The Jimi Hendrix Experience: "Electric Ladyland" – 1967-68
*The Soft Machine: "The Soft Machine" – 1968
*John Lennon: "Imagine" – 1971
*Aerosmith: "Get Your Wings" – 1973-74
*Bruce Springsteen: "Born to Run" – 1974-75
*Artful Dodger: " Artful Dodger Honor Among Thieves 1975-76
*The Outlaws: "Outlaws" - 1975
*Aerosmith: "Toys in the Attic" – 1975
*Moxy: "Ridin' High" – 1977
*Artful Dodger: "Babes On Broadway" 1977
*Bruce Springsteen: "Darkness on the Edge of Town" – 1977-78
*Patti Smith Group: "Easter" – 1978
*David Bowie: "Lodger" – 1979
*John Lennon & Yoko Ono: "Double Fantasy" – 1980

Note: The Who initially recorded their album "Who's Next" at the Record Plant, but the recordings weren't useful for release. Ultimately The Who recorded "Who's Next" at the Olympic Studios in London.

Producers and engineers associated with Record Plant New York

*Gary Kellgren (co-founder, producer and engineer)
*Shelly Yakus (house engineer)
*Roy Cicala (house engineer)
*Andy Abrams (house engineer)
*Mitchell Plotkin (studio manager)
*Ray Colcord (producer)
*Jack Douglas (producer)
*Jimmy Iovine (engineer and producer)
*Jay Messina (engineer)
*Sam Ginsberg (engineer)
*Frank Hubach (engineer)
*Jason Sapan (associate engineer)
*Richie Apuzzo (associate engineer)
*Rod O'Brien (associate engineer)
*Corky Stasiak (associate engineer)
*David Thoener (associate engineer)
*Tom Rabstenek (mastering engineer)
*Greg Calbi (mastering engineer)
*Paul Prestopino (maintenance technician)
*Kooster McCallister (remote recording engineer)
*David Hewitt (remote recording engineer)

elected list of albums recorded at Record Plant Los Angeles (by year)

*Black Sabbath: "Master of Reality" – 1971
*Black Sabbath: "Black Sabbath Vol. 4"' – 1972
*Fleetwood Mac: "Rumours" – 1976
*Brian May + Friends: "Star Fleet Project" – 1983
*Queen: "The Works" – 1984
*REO Speedwagon - 1979
*Rod Stewart - 1979

Well-known albums recorded at The Record Plant Studios Sausalito

Some notable albums recorded and/or mixed at The Plant Studios include:
* "Supernatural" by Carlos Santana (1999)--Also tracked at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California
* "Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac (1976)--Tracked at The Village, W. Los Angeles, CA
* "Graffiti Bridge" by Prince (1990)
* "Centerfield" by John Fogerty (1985)
* "Emotions" by Mariah Carey (1991)--Co-tracked at Tarpan Studio, San Rafael, California
* "Music Box" by Mariah Carey (1993)
* "Sports" by Huey Lewis and the News (1983)--One track recorded at The Automatt, San Francisco, CA
* "Before These Crowded Streets" and "Busted Stuff" by Dave Matthews Band (1998, 2002)
* "Load" by Metallica (1996)
* "ReLoad" by Metallica (1997)
* "White Pony" by Deftones (2000)
* "Late Registration" by Kanye West (2005)
* "The Marshall Mathers LP" by Eminem (2000)
* "Live Lycanthropy" by Papa Wheelie (2002)
* "For You--Prince 1978
* Rick James: "Fire It Up" (1979), "Garden Of Love" (1980), "Street Songs" (1981; tracking also at Motown/Hitsville, W. Hollywood, CA)
* "Joy And Pain Maze featuring Frankie Beverly (1980) Odd note, 2nd Engineer was noted as "Sick Ranchez" on the vinyl copy, instead of Rick Sanchez.

Bay Area musicians recorded at The Record Plant Studios Sausalito

The Plant Studios has been the choice for many of the San Francisco Bay Area's recording artists, both locally grown and transplanted, world-renowned and not, including:
* Sly and the Family Stone
* Tower of Power
* Santana
* Metallica
* Train
* Jefferson Starship
* 4 Non Blondes
* Huey Lewis and the News
* Van Morrison
* John Lee Hooker
* The Doobie Brothers
* Too Short
* Kronos Quartet
* Sammy Hagar
* Journey
* John Fogerty
* The Donnas
* Chris Isaak
* Roy Rogers
* Primus
* Charles Brown
* Ronnie Montrose
* Bob Weir
* The Grateful Dead
* Tony! Toni! Tone!
* Tracy Chapman
* Papa Wheelie
* Zero
* Michael Franti / Spearhead
* E-40
* Crystal City
* Rick James

Artists from around the world

Some of the more famous names who have made the pilgrimage to this historic studio to record and/or mixed albums at The Plant Studios Sausalito are:
* Three Dog Night
* Bob Marley
* Aretha Franklin
* Dave Matthews Band
* Luther Vandross
* Candlebox
* The Blind Boys of Alabama
* Andrea Bocelli
* Peabo Bryson
* Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
* Zakir Hussain
* Dan Fogelberg
* Joe Satriani
* Faith No More
* Oysterhead
* Echobrain
* Papa Wheelie
* Rusted Root
* Big Head Todd and the Monsters
* The Breeders
* The Deftones
* Mariah Carey
* Elisa Toffoli ("Then Comes the Sun", recorded spring/summer 2002)
* Michael Bolton
* Carrie Underwood
* Sonia Dada
* American Music Club
* Zucchero Forniciari
* Kenny Wayne Shephard
* Kenny G
* Prince
* Mother Love Bone
* String Cheese Incident
* Drivin' and Cryin'
* Peter Frampton

Charitable causes

The Plant Studios is known for supporting numerous charitable causes, especially music-related endeavors, like:
* hosting recording sessions for children in the Little Kids Rock program
* donating tracks to benefit albums like KFOG radio station's long-running Live From The Archives series which raises funds for the Bay Area Food Bank and homeless shelters.
* hosting recording sessions for relief efforts (Hurricane Katrina)
* organizing a "Hair Harvest" from the long-haired musician types for Locks of Love, who provide wigs for children who have lost their hair due to illness.

External links

* [http://www.plantstudios.com The Plant Studios Sausalito Official website]
* [http://www.bryndle.com/marin/15.html Photo of studio and story]
* [http://www.recordplant.com Record Plant Recording Studios Los Angeles Homepage]
* [http://www.recordproduction.com/record_plant_studios.htm video tour around Record Plant]