Hook End Recording Studios was a

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for Sound recording and reproduction, recording and Audio mixing, mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home proje ...

located in Hook End Manor, a 16th-century

Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...

house near Checkendon, Oxfordshire, England. Its previous owners include the musicians Trevor Horn and

David Gilmour David Jon Gilmour ( ; born 6 March 1946) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who is a member of the rock band Pink Floyd. He joined in 1967, shortly before the departure of the founder member Syd Barrett. By the early 1980s, Pink F ...

History

Hook End Recording Studios geograph-2136270-by-Des-Blenkinsopp

The original studio, Space Studios, was built by Alvin Lee of the band Ten Years After when he first bought the house. Many recordings were made during Lee's tenure, including '' On the Road to Freedom'' (1973), before he sold the house and studio to

of the band

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

, who used the studio to record parts of the band's album '' The Final Cut'' (1983). Gilmour sold the house and studio to

Clive Langer Clive Langer (born 19 June 1954) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films '' Still Crazy'' and '' Brothers of the Head''. Biog ...

and

Alan Winstanley Alan Kenneth Winstanley (; born 2 November 1952) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Clive Langer. Early life He was born in Fulham in November 1952 to parents Ken and Doreen. ...

. They sold it to Trevor Horn, who turned it into Hookend Productions Ltd. Several major rock bands have recorded albums at the studios. These include

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...

' '' Gold Against the Soul'' (1993),

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...

's '' Disintegration'' (1989) and '' Mixed Up'' (1990), and

Marillion Marillion are a British neo-prog band, formed in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in 1979. They emerged from the post-punk music scene in Britain and existed as a bridge between the styles of punk rock and classic progressive rock, becoming the mo ...

's '' Seasons End'' (1989) and '' Holidays in Eden'' (1991). In or around 2009, Hook End Manor was purchased by Mark White, who reportedly still owned it as of 2016. In October 2017, the house was reported to be abandoned and in a state of disrepair.

References

Recording studios in England Culture in Oxfordshire David Gilmour Former recording studios {{recording-studio-stub