Record Plant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Record Plant

The Plant
The former Record Plant studio in Sausalito, California
Address	1032 N. Sycamore Ave, Los Angeles, California 90038 321 W 44th St, New York City, New York 10036 2200 Bridgeway, Sausalito, California 94965
Location	New York City, New York, US (1968–1987) Los Angeles, California, US (1969–present) Sausalito, California, US (1972–2008)
Type	Recording studio

The Record Plant is a super famous recording studio where many of your favorite songs and albums were made! It first opened in New York City in 1968. Later, more studios opened in Los Angeles, California, and Sausalito, California. Today, only the Los Angeles studio is still open and making music.

This studio became well-known for making the recording space much more comfortable and fun for artists. Instead of plain, boring rooms, they created spaces that felt like a living room. They even added cool things like a Jacuzzi and a billiard table!

Many amazing albums were recorded here. Some of these include Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run, Blondie's Parallel Lines, the Eagles' Hotel California, and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. More recently, artists like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande have recorded songs at the Record Plant.

The Record Plant was started by two friends, Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone. They wanted to create a better place for musicians to work. While the New York and Sausalito studios eventually closed, the Los Angeles location continues to be a top spot for music creation.

New York Studio: Where It All Began

In 1967, Gary Kellgren was a talented sound engineer in New York City. He worked in a small studio that had the only professional 8-track recording system in the city. An 8-track system allowed musicians to record different parts of a song (like vocals, drums, and guitars) separately on eight different "tracks." This made it easier to mix and improve the sound. Gary worked with famous artists like Jimi Hendrix there.

Gary met Chris Stone, who was a smart business person. Chris saw how talented Gary was and suggested they start their own studio. They borrowed money and began building a new studio at 321 West 44th Street in early 1968.

A New Kind of Studio Environment

Gary and Chris wanted their new studio to feel like a comfortable living room for musicians, not a cold, clinical office. They opened the New York Record Plant on March 13, 1968. It was special because it used an innovative 12-track recording machine.

One of the first big projects at the new studio was The Jimi Hendrix Experience recording their album Electric Ladyland. Soon after, the studio even added a 16-track machine, which was very advanced for the time!

In 1969, Gary and Chris sold the New York studio to get money to open a second studio in Los Angeles. The New York studio later became the first to be designed for mixing quadraphonic sound, which is a way of recording music that makes it sound like it's coming from all around you.

Recording Live Events

The Record Plant also started doing "remote recordings." This means they would bring their equipment to live concerts and record the music there. On August 1, 1971, they recorded the famous The Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden.

Many famous bands recorded at the New York studio during the 1970s. Aerosmith recorded their albums Get Your Wings and Toys in the Attic there. The song "Walk This Way" was even written on the stairwell walls of the Record Plant!

Tragically, John Lennon was recording his song "Walking on Thin Ice" at the Record Plant on December 8, 1980, the day he was shot and killed.

In 1983, pop star Cyndi Lauper recorded her super popular debut album She's So Unusual at the New York studio. The New York Record Plant was eventually sold in 1987 and closed shortly after.

Los Angeles Studio: West Coast Expansion

The opening celebration in Los Angeles, December 4, 1969. Pictured L to R: Attorney Tom Butler, producer Tom Wilson, investors Ben Johnson and Ancky Johnson (cutting cake), founders Chris Stone and Gary Kellgren.

After their success in New York, Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone decided to open another studio on the West Coast. They chose Los Angeles and opened the new studio on December 4, 1969. This studio, sometimes called "Record Plant West," had a 16-track recorder, which was even bigger than the one in New York.

To stay ahead, the Los Angeles Record Plant installed a huge 24-track tape recorder in 1970. This allowed for even more complex and detailed recordings.

The Jim Keltner Fan Club Jams

In 1973, the Los Angeles studio added a third recording room called Studio C. Gary Kellgren started hosting special Sunday night "jam sessions" there. These were informal music gatherings led by famous drummer Jim Keltner. Many well-known musicians would show up to play together, including Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, and John Lennon. These jams were known as the "Jim Keltner Fan Club Hour."

One famous jam session in late 1973 included John Lennon, Mick Jagger, and other stars playing a blues song called "Too Many Cooks." It was a unique moment in music history!

Studio Changes and New Location

In July 1977, Gary Kellgren passed away. This was a very difficult time for Chris Stone, who then had to manage all three studios.

In January 1978, Studio C in Los Angeles was destroyed by an electrical fire. Luckily, musicians and engineers helped save many priceless master recordings, including those for Hotel California and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life.

Studio C was rebuilt and reopened in 1979 with brand new digital recording equipment. This was a big step forward from the older "analog" systems.

The Los Angeles Record Plant grew so much that it moved to a new, larger location in Hollywood in 1986. This new spot was a historic studio where legends like Elvis Presley and Louis Armstrong had recorded.

In 1991, Rick Stevens bought the Record Plant and made it even better. He added private lounges and an atrium with a Jacuzzi and a billiard table, making it a truly luxurious place for artists.

Modern Music at the Plant

The Los Angeles Record Plant has continued to be a hub for modern music. In 2002, hip-hop artist Kanye West recorded his hit song "Through the Wire" there, even though his jaw was wired shut after a car accident! He also recorded parts of his next two albums, Late Registration and Graduation, at the Plant.

The studio's control room in 1988

Beyoncé has also recorded many songs at the Record Plant. She worked on parts of her albums B'Day, 4, and Lemonade at the studio.

Sausalito Studio: The Northern California Retreat

Side door, opens onto Marinship Way, across from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model

On October 28, 1972, Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone opened their third Record Plant location in Sausalito, Northern California. They wanted a studio that felt like a getaway, far from the busy city music scene. The building was designed to be comfortable and inspiring.

The Sausalito studio quickly became one of the top recording spots in the San Francisco Bay Area. Artists like the Grateful Dead and Gregg Allman recorded there.

Unique Features and "The Pit"

The Sausalito studio was full of quirky features. Chris Stone had a limousine with a custom license plate that said "DEDUCT," and Gary Kellgren had a purple Rolls-Royce with "GREED" on its plate! Inside, there was a jacuzzi, and the conference room even had a waterbed floor! They had chefs to cook organic food and guesthouses for musicians to stay in.

One of the most unusual rooms was called "the Pit." It was a small, acoustically "dead" room (meaning sound didn't echo much). The engineer's controls were sunk 10 feet into the floor, surrounded by the musicians' area. It looked very futuristic, with bright maroon carpet on the floors, walls, and ceiling. There was even a bunk bed you could reach by climbing through a giant pair of red lips! Artists like Bill Wyman (from the Rolling Stones) and Van Morrison jammed there.

Famous Albums from Sausalito

Many iconic albums were recorded at the Sausalito Record Plant. In 1976, Fleetwood Mac recorded their legendary album Rumours there. Stevie Wonder also worked on his masterpiece Songs in the Key of Life at the Sausalito studio.

In 1977, a young Prince recorded his debut album, For You, at the Sausalito Record Plant. He played every instrument himself!

In the early 1980s, singer and producer Rick James spent a lot of time at the Sausalito studio. He recorded his multi-platinum album Street Songs there, which included hits like "Super Freak".

Changes and The Plant Studios

In 1981, Chris Stone sold the Sausalito studio. It was renamed "The Plant Studios" or simply "The Plant." The studio continued to be a popular place for artists. Huey Lewis and the News recorded their hugely successful album Sports there in 1983.

Later, the studio had some financial changes and was even owned by the federal government for a while! In the 1990s, recording engineer Arne Frager bought the studio and made more improvements. He even raised the roof in Studio A to get a bigger drum sound for Metallica!

Metallica recorded their albums Load and Reload at The Plant. Other artists like Mariah Carey, Dave Matthews Band, and Santana (who recorded his huge comeback album Supernatural there) also used the studio.

By the 2000s, it became harder for large recording studios to make money because bands started buying their own recording gear. The Sausalito studio closed its doors in 2008.

However, in 2020, a group of investors bought the Sausalito Record Plant. It reopened in 2021 as "The Record Factory" and is now known as "2200 Studios," still making music today!

Selected Albums Recorded at Record Plant New York

Producers and Engineers at Record Plant New York

• Gary Kellgren (co-founder, producer and engineer)
• Shelly Yakus (house engineer)
• Roy Cicala (house engineer)
• Jack Douglas (producer)
• Jimmy Iovine (engineer and producer)
• Tony Bongiovi (house engineer)
• Jay Messina (engineer)
• Jimmy Robinson (producer and engineer)
• David Hewitt (remote engineer, director of remote recording)

Selected Albums Recorded at Record Plant Los Angeles

Selected Albums Recorded at Record Plant Sausalito

Images for kids

• 

  Letting off steam in 1974. Gary Kellgren, second from right, mugs for the camera.

• 

  Studio C was destroyed by fire in January 1978.

• 

  Guitarist Bob Welch and producer Jimmy Robinson at the Record Plant in 1979

• 

  Detail of the front door, showing whimsical animal musicians

• 

  Jimmy Robinson and Gary Kellgren in the "Pit" in 1975