Jump to content

Shangri-La (recording studio)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shangri-La
LocationMalibu, California, U.S.
OwnerRick Rubin
Typerecording studio
Acreage1.73 acres (0.70 ha)[1]
Construction
Built1958
Renovated1976[2]
Website
shangrilamalibu.com

Shangri-La is a recording studio in Malibu, California, currently owned by record producer Rick Rubin. Originally a ranch property with a bungalow owned by actress Margo, it was leased by The Band in the 1970s and converted to a recording studio by Rob Fraboni to the precise specifications of Bob Dylan[3] and The Band. Interviews of The Band featured in Martin Scorsese's documentary The Last Waltz were filmed at Shangri-La. The property was purchased by Rick Rubin in 2011. Rubin and Shangri-La were the subject of a four-part documentary series, Shangri-La, which aired on Showtime in 2019.

History

[edit]
Shangri-La Ranch in May 2016

In 1958, Mexican-American actress Margo bought a 1.73-acre property in the hills above Zuma Beach. A ranch house was built and the site was named Shangri-La Ranch. Margo starred in the film adaptation of James Hilton's 1933 classic novel Lost Horizon, from where the fabled paradise "Shangri-La" originated. The property was an upscale bordello for the 1950s Hollywood elite and a filming site for the TV show Mister Ed in the 1960s.[4][2][5]

In 1974, the ranch property was leased by Canadian-American roots rock band The Band. The master bedroom was converted to a recording studio by record producer and audio engineer Rob Fraboni and in-house technician Ed Anderson according to the precise specifications of Bob Dylan and The Band.[4][2][5] The Band built it while taking time off after concluding the Bob Dylan and the Band 1974 Tour. Drummer Levon Helm later described Shangri-La as "a clubhouse and studio where we and our friends could record albums and cross-pollinate one another's music." They kept the name "Shangri-La" because to them, "Malibu felt like a paradise after years of gray Catskill winters" in upstate New York. The house came with a Naugahyde bar and bedrooms with mirrored walls, from Shangri-La's time as a bordello.[5]

Shangri-La was a functioning studio by the end of 1974, with Larry Samuels working as studio manager.[6] The Band's Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, and Rick Danko were living in houses near Shangri-La and were becoming involved in other outside projects. Levon Helm lived between Woodstock, New York, and Los Angeles, and used a bedroom at Shangri-La when he was in Malibu. Richard Manuel lived at Shangri-La for a year, living in a bungalow down toward Zuma Beach that was converted from the stable of Bamboo Harvester from Mister Ed. Manuel was heavily drinking Grand Marnier liqueur while living at Shangri-La.[5]

Richard Manuel of The Band lived at Shangri-La for a year, where he resided in a beach bungalow converted from the Mister Ed horse stable.

In 1976, Rob Fraboni teamed up with partners and purchased the house for $195,000, turning it into a semicommercial studio. Shangri-La was a state-of-the-art 24-track studio, equipped with the latest synthesizers.[7]

Interviews of The Band featured in Martin Scorsese's documentary The Last Waltz (1976) were filmed at Shangri-La.[8]

The 24-track console allowed The Band keyboardist Garth Hudson to record multiple layers of keyboards on several tracks on their sixth studio album, Northern Lights – Southern Cross.[9] Several albums were recorded under Fraboni's management, including Renée Geyer's So Lucky (1981), Bonnie Raitt's Green Light (1982), and Eric Clapton's No Reason to Cry (1976).

Clapton spent nearly three months at Shangri-La, hanging out and recording with The Band, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Pete Townshend, Joe Cocker, Billy Preston, Ronnie Wood, and Georgie Fame. Bob Dylan lived outside in a tent in the garden during Clapton's time at Shangri-La. Clapton formed a close friendship with Richard Manuel while at Shangri-La.[7] Garth Hudson recorded overdubs at Shangri-La for Van Morrison's 10th studio album, Wavelength (1978).[10]

In 1985, Rob Fraboni left Shangri-La to serve as vice president of Island Records. The studio's usage decreased dramatically after Fraboni's exit.[2]

In the late 1990s, Blaine "Beej" Chaney of the Minneapolis new wave punk band The Suburbs purchased the property for $2,125,000.[2][11] Over the next few years, he invested an additional $2 million into the studio, and with the help of producers Jim Niper and Pete Strobl, loaded it with the premium vintage audio equipment that is still in use today, including the centerpiece API 32 BUS console.[12][13] Immediately following these renovations, Chaney invited Mark Knopfler to record there, where he went on to make his acclaimed album, Shangri-La.[14] Also in 2003, they worked with Ethan Johns and Angelo Petraglia to record the debut album by Kings of Leon, Youth and Young Manhood.

In 2006, musician and producer Eric Lynn was invited to become Shangri-La's house engineer and studio manager. Chaney oversaw continued interest in the studio with a number of notable albums being recorded at Shangri-La, including Weezer's self-titled 2008 album, and Metallica's Death Magnetic.[2] Following his divorce from Sarah Macmillan, a Cargill family heiress, Chaney took a more hands-off role in the studio. In 2009, he invited his friend and fellow musician and producer, Jake Coyle, to manage the day-to-day operations at Shangri-La, allowing Eric Lynn to focus entirely on running recording sessions day to day.[15][16] Coyle facilitated increased interest and stability at Shangri-La during a tumultuous time for recording studios around LA, many of which permanently closed between 2009 and 2011.[17] Shangri-La was now officially experiencing a renaissance with Rick Rubin continuing to rent the property for the majority of his projects including the Gossip's Music For Men, Adele's 21, Kid Rock's Born Free, and The Red Hot Chili Pepper's I'm With You.

In 2011, the studio and property were listed by Chaney for $4.1 million.[18][19][20][21] Within weeks the price tag was cut drastically to $3,195,000.[11] Rick Rubin purchased Shangri-La for $2 million in August 2011.[22][11] Numerous artists have since recorded at Shangri-La under Rubin's ownership, including Adele, Ed Sheeran, Eminem, and Kanye West.[2]

Shangri-La survived the 2018 Woolsey Fire, but Rubin's two nearby homes were lost to the fire.[23]

Property and recording spaces

[edit]

Shangri-La consists of four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two primary recording studios.[19][24] The main studio has an API console and Neumann U 87 microphones. The other recording space, a building called "The Chapel", also uses U 87 microphones and has a console from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio which was formerly in Rubin's The Mansion studio in Laurel Canyon.[24] The property also includes Bob Dylan's former tour bus, which is parked permanently and has been repurposed as a recording space.[25]

Showtime documentary series

[edit]
Main article: Shangri-La (miniseries)

The studio and its owner Rick Rubin were the subject of the four-part documentary television series Shangri-La, which aired on Showtime in 2019. A "work-in-progress" cut of the docuseries was screened at the 2019 SXSW Festival. The first two episodes were directed by Morgan Neville, while the last two were directed by Jeff Malmberg.[26][27][28][29]

List of artists recorded

[edit]

Many artists have recorded at Shangri-La, including:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Glick Kudler, Adrian (May 19, 2011). "Bob Dylan and The Band's Studio and House in Malibu". Curbed LA. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "The Mythical History of Shangri-La Studios". Genius. July 12, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  3. ^ Newman, Martin Alan (2021). Bob Dylan's Malibu. Hibbing, Minnesota: EDLIS Café Press. ISBN 9781736972304.
  4. ^ a b "History". Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d Levon Helm; Stephen Davis (October 1, 2013). This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. pp. 245–248. ISBN 978-1-61374-879-4.
  6. ^ a b Barney Hoskyns (2006). Across the Great Divide: The Band and America. Hal Leonard. p. 311. ISBN 978-1-4234-1442-1.
  7. ^ a b Michael Schumacher (2003). Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton. Citadel Press. pp. 201–203. ISBN 978-0-8065-2466-5.
  8. ^ Hodenfield, Chris (June 1, 1978). "'The Last Waltz': A Concert Becomes a Legend". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Chris Woodstra; John Bush; Stephen Thomas Erlewine (2007). All Music Guide Required Listening: Classic Rock. Backbeat Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-87930-917-6.
  10. ^ Peter Mills (April 8, 2010). Hymns to the Silence: Inside the Words and Music of Van Morrison. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-4411-5677-8.
  11. ^ a b c David, Mark (August 25, 2011). "Your Mama Hears..." Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  12. ^ "Mentor - Pete Strobl". mbm-peeracumen. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. ^ "Jim Niper | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  14. ^ "Shangri-La (Mark Knopfler album)", Wikipedia, July 30, 2020, retrieved August 4, 2020
  15. ^ "It's Amazing". It's Amazing. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  16. ^ "Fine Lion (@finelionband) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  17. ^ "Studios left out of the mix". Los Angeles Times. October 13, 2009. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  18. ^ Whelan, Robbie (June 8, 2011). "Rock 'n' Roll Ranch Hits Market in Malibu". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h Bream, Jon (June 10, 2011). "Dylan's legendary Shangri-La studio is for sale by owner Beej Chaney". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  20. ^ "Famous "Shangri-La" Jamming Site for Dylan, Clapton Listed for $4.1M". Forbes. May 25, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  21. ^ Fox, Genevieve (June 25, 2011). "Shangri-La Ranch: The house that inspired Bob Dylan". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  22. ^ Miller, John E. (August 26, 2011). "Rick Rubin Buys Shangri La In Malibu For $2 Million". Business Insider. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  23. ^ Moayeri, Lily (July 19, 2019). "Seven Things We Learned About 'Shangri-La' and Rick Rubin from Showtime's Series". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  24. ^ a b Heater, Brian (October 8, 2019). "How I Podcast: Broken Record's Justin Richmond". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  25. ^ Volner, Ian (April 18, 2017). "Music Producer Rick Rubin's Malibu Oasis". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  26. ^ Reed, Ryan (January 16, 2019). "Rick Rubin: Showtime Preps 'Shangri-La' Documentary Series on Producer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  27. ^ "Shangri-La Season 1: Watch Episodes Online". Showtime. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  28. ^ Goodman, Tim (July 12, 2019). "'Shangri-La': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  29. ^ Berman, Judy (July 9, 2019). "Showtime's Extremely Authorized Rick Rubin Docuseries Shangri-La Is Flawed But Sublime". Time. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  30. ^ Gaston, Peter (May 28, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: Adele in the Studio". Spin. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  31. ^ Strength, Reed (June 10, 2016). "Listen to a New Avett Brothers Song, "Satan Pulls the String"". Paste. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  32. ^ Sisario, Ben (August 9, 2023). "Jon Batiste Has Got the Whole Wide Music World in His Hands". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  33. ^ Breihan, Tom (July 1, 2024). "beabadoobee – "Ever Seen"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  34. ^ Drozdowski, Ted (December 17, 2010). "Joe Bonamassa Takes Communion". Guitar World. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  35. ^ Angle, Brad (August 8, 2013). "Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath Opens Up About His Battle with Cancer and the Struggle to Make '13'". Guitar World. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  36. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (May 5, 2016). "James Blake: 'I'm the opposite of punk. I've subdued a generation'". The Guardian. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  37. ^ Martoccio, Angie (January 19, 2023). "How boygenius Became the World's Most Exciting Supergroup". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  38. ^ Carmichael, Rodney (August 1, 2019). "No, Brockhampton's 'I Been Born Again' Is Not A Religious Conversion Anthem". WAMU. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  39. ^ Anderson, Stacey (November 21, 2013). "He Loves New York, but Can't Drink There". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  40. ^ Case Study 01 (liner notes). Daniel Caesar. Golden Child Recordings. 2019. CS01LP.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  41. ^ Slingerland, Calum (October 12, 2017). "William Patrick Corgan 'Ogilala' (album stream)". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  42. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (February 9, 2023). "Depeche Mode Drops 'Ghosts Again,' Confirms New Album Release Date". Spin. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  43. ^ Markman, Rob (November 7, 2013). "Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 By The Numbers". MTV. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  44. ^ Lasso from El Paso (liner notes). Kinky Friedman. Epic Records. 1976. PE 34304.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  45. ^ Krol, Charlotte (October 4, 2021). "Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan announces new album Imposter with Soulsavers". NME. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  46. ^ Beth Ditto (October 11, 2012). Coal to Diamonds. Simon and Schuster. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-4711-2598-0.
  47. ^ Ryzik, Melena (March 18, 2024). "Gossip Dances Back Into Action After a 12-Year Pause". The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  48. ^ a b Romano, Andrew (June 27, 2013). "Rick Rubin on Crashing Kanye's Album in 15 Days". Newsweek. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  49. ^ Hughes/Thrall (liner notes). Hughes/Thrall. Epic Records. 1982. EPC 25052.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  50. ^ "Imagine Dragons: From Home Studio to Shangri-La". www.ableton.com. October 27, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  51. ^ "Rick Rubin: The 60 Minutes Interview". CBS News. January 15, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  52. ^ Mitchell, Matt (April 8, 2024). "Marcus King Gets in the Mood". Paste. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  53. ^ Kuipers, Dean (July 27, 2003). "How the Kings of Leon were begat". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  54. ^ Warren, Bruce. "Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La - Warner Brothers". WXPN. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  55. ^ Browne, David (October 18, 2016). "Lady Gaga's 'Joanne': Mark Ronson on Producing 'Raw and Exposed' New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  56. ^ Droppo, Dana (September 18, 2015). "Lana Del Rey Talks Idolizing Cat Power, Looking Up to the Wainwrights, and Ignoring Bad Relationship Advice". Complex. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  57. ^ Renshaw, David (January 22, 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets: 'We've gone from The Beatles to The Fast and The Furious'". NME. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  58. ^ Juvet, Aedan (September 18, 2020). "Lido Talks New Album PEDER and Exploring New Sounds". Contrast Magazine. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  59. ^ Troublemaker (liner notes). Ian McLagan. Mercury. 1979. SRM-1-3786.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  60. ^ Wappler, Margaret (September 20, 2009). "Laid-back, fun-loving Monsters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  61. ^ The 2nd Law (liner notes). Muse. Warner Bros. Records. 2012. 825646568772.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  62. ^ Milton (liner notes). Milton Nascimento. A&M Records. 1976. SP-4611.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  63. ^ Ayers, Mike (November 13, 2013). "Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles Going Solo in 2014". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  64. ^ Zemler, Emily (February 13, 2024). "Pearl Jam Preview New Album With Electrifying Single 'Dark Matter'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  65. ^ a b Brendan Mullen (April 26, 2005). Whores: An Oral Biography Of Perry Farrell And Jane's Addiction. Da Capo Press. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-306-81347-4.
  66. ^ Trendell, Andrew (May 11, 2023). "Queens Of The Stone Age announce new album 'In Times New Roman' and share 'Emotion Sickness'". NME. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  67. ^ Ritchie, John (June 13, 2011). "Red Hot Chili Peppers Release Tracklisting for 'I'm With You'". Music Feeds. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  68. ^ Wood, Mikael (November 13, 2014). "Damien Rice rises from ashes to create 'My Favourite Faded Fantasy'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  69. ^ Strauss, Matthew (March 3, 2020). "Run the Jewels Join Rick Rubin on Broken Record Podcast: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  70. ^ Pareles, Jon (June 25, 2019). "On 'Africa Speaks,' Santana Finds a Worthy Partner in Buika". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  71. ^ x (liner notes). Ed Sheeran. Asylum Records / Atlantic. 2014. 825646284528.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  72. ^ Blistein, Jon (November 8, 2018). "Smashing Pumpkins Embrace Orchestral Side on New Song 'Knights of Malta'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  73. ^ Trancas (liner notes). John Stewart. Germany: Line Records. 1984. LRLP 5356.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  74. ^ Brandle, Lars (July 25, 2014). "Angus & Julia Stone Release Video For Rick Rubin-Produced 'Get Home': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  75. ^ Kaufman, Gil (February 11, 2020). "The Strokes Reveal 'The New Abnormal' Album Details: Hear First Song 'At the Door' & See Track List". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  76. ^ Sheffield, Rob (August 26, 2019). "The Eternal Sunshine of Harry Styles". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  77. ^ Jacobs, Mick (July 23, 2019). "Hold Your Own: An Interview with [Kae] Tempest". PopMatters. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  78. ^ Life in the Foodchain (liner notes). Tonio K. Epic Records. 1978. JE 35545.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  79. ^ Galil, Leor (February 28, 2018). "Towkio is officially Chicago's highest rapper". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  80. ^ Burks, Tosten (May 28, 2019). "Tyler, the Creator's IGOR Credits Solange, Kanye West, Al Green, More". Spin. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  81. ^ McGoran, Peter (December 1, 2017). "Songs Of Experience is out now: Read the review here". Hot Press. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
  82. ^ Shot Through the Heart (liner notes). Jennifer Warnes. Arista. 1979. AB 4217.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  83. ^ Reesman, Bryan (September 1, 2008). "Music: Weezer - INTO THE "RED" WITH THREE SESSIONS". Mix. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  84. ^ Caramanica, Jon (June 11, 2013). "Behind Kanye's Mask". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  85. ^ Lewis, Randy (December 5, 2016). "Neil Young has a fire in his belly in new 'Peace Trail' album". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  86. ^ Cooper, Leonie (August 21, 2012). "ZZ Top to release first album in nine years". NME. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shangri-La_(recording_studio)&oldid=1239694092"