The Kills: Live At Electric Lady is officially on sale in collaboration with Record Store Day, available only at participating independent record shops throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan.
The live album was recorded on the 15th anniversary of the band’s first ever performance together. Playing to a small, invitation-only crowd inside Electric Lady’s Studio “A,” Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince deliver a snarling, powerful 10 song set.
As Hendrix would make each new recording, it would be logged and stored at his own Electric Lady Studios, which he opened in August 1970. “Electric Lady had this enormous wall of closets, and most of them were full of tapes, and only Jimi and I had the keys,” Kramer recalls. “We’d say, ‘Let’s get this pile out and go through it.’ He had these legal pads, and as we listened he would write down precisely what the instruments should be doing.” But before they could finish the album, Hendrix died while on tour in Europe that September.
Even though Electric Lady was open for only a short time, Kramer has vivid memories of working on music there with Hendrix. The sessions would be like performances in and of themselves: Hendrix would be handling the faders for the guitar and vocals, and Kramer would be leaping around the console trying to keep it all together. “After we faded down, we’d collapse laughing,” he says. It was that experience, both having fun with Hendrix and learning what he wanted from a mix, that has provided the template for how Kramer has mixed all of Hendrix’s posthumous releases.
This week, Billy Idol announced the vinyl rerelease of the multi-platinum ‘Rebel Yell,’ featuring the classic songs “Flesh For Fantasy,” “Eyes Without A Face,” and “Rebel Yell.” Check out an excerpt from an old article from Mix about the recording of the lead single from the album:
Read the original article here, and grab a copy of the reissue here.
Billboard Magazine had a chat with Zayne Malik while he was working inside our Studio A:
“There aren’t many places in New York, or anywhere else for that matter, that feel as cocooned from the outside world as the live room in Electric Lady’s Studio A. Designed to Jimi Hendrix’s specifications, the curvy space is stocked with shiny vintage gear, faded Persian rugs and a cosmic, wall-sized mural. On this Sunday night in September, a little after 9 p.m., the room’s sole occupant is a slight, strikingly handsome 24-year-old, whose unique combination of global fame and acute anxiety can make life outside of insulated creative oases like this one challenging, and who is currently kicked back on an overstuffed leather sofa, pulling meditatively from a joint and watching the smoke curl toward the sound-deadened ceiling.”
Recently in an interview with Mitch Lafon, Gene Simmons of KISS told the story of producing one of Van Halen’s first demos at Electric Lady Studios:
“I discovered Van Halen playing in a club and signed them to my Man of 1,000 Faces production company, flew them to New York, produced 15 songs at Electric Lady Studios.
And then when I got too busy I tore up the contract and I said, ‘You guys are free. I gotta go back on tour, and if I have time at the end of the tour I’ll go shopping for a deal for you. I can’t ethically, personally, hold on to you guys while I’m off on tour.’
So I did the right thing. And the guys, of course, got signed right away. And in return, the brothers Van Halen were kind enough to appear on three songs that I wrote when we came back from Japan in 1978.”
“Founded by Jimi Hendrix in 1970, the Big Apple landmark still operates in the heart of Greenwich Village as one of the oldest working studios in the city due in part to its cool aesthetic, which partner/GM Lee Foster describes as “late-’60s futurism meets midcentury modern.” Stevie Wonder and Blondie are just a few of the acts that have recorded at the location, while Foster’s stewardship has helped reawaken the space in recent years with artists like Ryan Adams and St. Vincent gracing its rooms.”
We are proud to announce the release of Fleet Foxes new live 10″ vinyl EP called ‘The Electric Lady Session,’ out on Black Friday, November 24 at selected independent record stores. The EP contains four songs recorded live during their WFUV session here in Studio A. To find a participating independent record store near you, visit recordstoreday.com. Thanks to Nonesuch and WFUV for making this happen.
Charlotte Gainsbourg’s album “Rest,” recorded at Electric Lady, has garnered Pitchfork’s coveted Best New Music accolade. From Pitchfork:
“Songs like these affirm life, even in the face of death. They transform personal suffering into public spectacle. Few things are more terrifying than exposing our bruises to others, knowing that they could misunderstand, or prey on our vulnerability. On Rest, Gainsbourg doesn’t just reveal her pain, but monumentalizes it, lays out a red carpet, and invites people to watch. Her refusal to be sequestered by grief is, quite literally, a death-defying feat.”
“Rest” is the fourth project recorded here this year to receive Pitchfork’s praises, along with ‘Melodrama’ by Lorde, ‘A Deeper Understanding’ by The War On Drugs, and ‘Crack-Up’ by Fleet Foxes. Read the rest of the Pitchfork review here.
Charlotte Gainsbourg was interviewed by Vanity Fair in anticipation of her upcoming album ‘Rest,’ recorded here at Electric Lady Studios. Read the article here.
A few weeks ago, photographer Christopher von Steinbach stopped by our studios for a shoot with Darya Dar for Playboy Magazine’s new music issue – it’s available on stands now.
Annie Clark talks about her upcoming St. Vincent album, recorded in part here at Electric Lady Studios, with The New Yorker:
“Most days, she got up at sunrise, took a Pilates class, and then headed to Electric Lady to work past sundown. She had dinner in the studio, or else alone at a nearby restaurant, or in her room. A book or an episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and then early to bed.”
Last week, Lorde revisited Electric Lady Studios with Vevo to film intimate versions of songs from “Melodrama” in the same room where they were written and recorded:
Randy Newman’s performance Wednesday night at New York’s Electric Lady Studios will be broadcast on WFUV-FM/New York during the week of August 4, when “Dark Matter,” his first album of new material in nine years, is released.
Fleet Foxes has announced the release of their new album “Crack-Up”, produced by Robin Pecknold and bandmate Skyler Skjelset, which is out June 16th via Nonesuch Records. Much of the album was recorded here in Studio A and D. Read more about the upcoming release here or enjoy their brand new lyric video below:
Lorde released the first single “Green Light” on her upcoming album entitled “Melodrama”, co-written by Jack Antonoff and partially mixed and recorded at Electric Lady Studios. Read more about her process and influences here, or watch the video below.
Ryan Adams announced in an Instagram video that he will be hiding “golden ticket”-style vinyl recordings in box sets of his new album “Prisoner”, available for purchase February 17th. According to his website, “12 randomly selected box sets will contain a one-of-a-kind solo acoustic 7″ of one of Prisoner’s 12 tracks recorded direct-to-vinyl in the vintage Voice-O-Graph booth at Electric Lady Studios. Only one single of each song exists and only one run of the Prisoner: End of World Edition [box set] will ever be pressed.”
This Tidal film is a rare look into J. Cole’s studio process while he was recording his LP entitled ‘4 Your Eyez Only’ in Studio A. Released December 9th, this was Cole’s fourth consecutive album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Watch the documentary via Rolling Stone here.
We won’t try to say it better than The New York Times, so please check out this article on Lady Gaga’s inspiration and journey to “Joanne”, her latest album recorded and mixed at Electric Lady Studios.
Recorded and mixed at Electric Lady, ‘Ash & Ice,’ by The Kills is out today on Domino Records. The album was co-produced by John O’Mahony, engineered by Phil Joly, and mixed by Tom Elmhirst. Check it out here.
The Kills announce new album “Ash & Ice,” and also share new video “Doing it to Death.” Produced by Jamie Hince, co-produced by John O’Mahony in Electric Lady’s Studio A, and mixed by Tom Elmhirst in Electric Lady’s Studio C. See video below:
More information about the album and tour dates @ pitchfork.com
“Patti Smith releases Horses Live at Electric Lady Studios – the debut recording from Electric Lady Records, an ongoing series of curated and limited edition vinyl releases.” Read more @ Uncut
Grammy-winning, resident client and friend, Tom Elmhirst, recently sat down with Billboard at Electric Lady Studios to discuss the power of vinyl and his all-time favorite records. Read the full article here.
‘”I saw them and signed them and flew them to New York and put them in Electric Lady Studios [in 1976].” – Gene Simmons.’ Read more @ Rolling Stone Magazine
“Recreations of classic albums are curious things, but Patti Smith’s live performance last year of Horses, was by all accounts a spitting, powerful affair and marks the launch of the famed studios’ Electric Lady Records vinyl imprint.” – Read more @ Pitchfork
“Cry of Love,” (Track Records) was released 45 years ago, March 1971: a posthumous release composed mostly of songs he recorded in 1970 with Eddie Kramer at his new studio, Electric Lady, as sketches for what was to be his follow up to “Electric Ladyland.”
“The Cry of Love gathers the final essential recordings of one of rock’s true giants and reflects his legend at the same time it faithfully expands it” – Ultimate Classic Rock. Read full article here.
Last night industry insiders and Def Jam staff came together under our roof to give a first listen to West’s highly anticipated album, “The Life of Pablo.” Check out these headbangers @ Tidal.
HBO’s “Vinyl,” created and produced by legends Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, Terence Winter, and starring Bobby Cannavale and Olivia Wilde, shoots and records original music at Electric Lady Studios. Newsweek says:
“Scorsese set the tone in Vinyl’s quest for authenticity. Location manager Kip Myers used many historic buildings, shooting at the Brill Building (a renowned home to music industry), the Chelsea Hotel and Electric Lady Studios, which guitar shaman Jimi Hendrix built. Vinyl also recorded its original music there.”
Catch the premiere of Vinyl on HBO February 14 at 9pm EST.
David Bowie’s first ever no. 1 single in the US, “Fame”, was written and recorded at Electric Lady in 1975. Today, Bowie’s Blackstar has become his first ever no. 1 album (US) on the Billboard 200 chart and was mixed by Tom Elmhirst at Electric Lady in 2015. Congratulations, David, and thank you for bringing your genius to our door for both achievements.
Cage The Elephant’s, “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” available today! Mixed by Tom Elmhirst in Studio C and produced by friend, Dan Auerbach. Check it out on iTunes.
Adele’s historic “25” sells 3.8 million copies in its first week, destroying the previous record for first week album sales and representing 41% of total albums sold in the U.S. last week. Nine songs, including the hit single “Hello” were mixed by Tom Elmhirst in Electric Lady’s Studio “C”.
On November 23, Jose Cuervo celebrated the launch of their new tequila, “Reserva de la Familia’s The Rolling Stones Tour Pick Collector’s Edition” in our Studio A. The limited edition bottle honors the pivotal role Jose Cuervo played in fueling The Rolling Stones’ infamous 1972 North American tour, which was dubbed the ‘Tequila Sunrise Tour’. Legendary photographer Bob Gruen took the stage to reminisce and offer an inside look at what it was like to be on one of the most publicized tour’s of all time. To read more about the night head on over to The Examiner.
Truly brilliant and breathtaking to hear our beloved friend Patti Smith speak the words from each page while recording the audiobook version of her new book “M Train.”
We love when friends come to visit. Our pal Keith dropped by the studio for an interview with Noisey to discuss growing up on guitar. Check it out below:
Ryan Adams announces new LP, “PRISONER,” recorded entirely at Electric Lady Studios. Read up on how the album was inspired by the Smiths and Springsteen here.
“Yours, Dreamily,” out TODAY. We’re very proud to have helped make this one (and on our way to the record store to buy a vinyl copy immediately). Check it out on iTunes
Patti Smith performed her landmark debut album Horses for a packed Studio A in celebration of our 45th anniversary last night. Says Billboard, “…the intimate concert from the peerless rock icon was full of more life, fire and spit than practically any other show I’ve ever seen.” Read more @ Billboard.
Electric Lady Studios and the beautiful Louise Pedersen were both featured in this month’s Marie Claire Italia, as captured by friend and photographer Nagi Sakai . Check out the full feature here.
“D’Angelo said, ‘We’re going to Electric Lady…it has the blessings of the spirits. We have to go there. It’s only right.'”
From 1996-2002, the Soulquarians, also known as Questlove, D’Angelo, Common, Erykah Badu, James Poyster, J. Dilla, Bilal, Q-Tip, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli, took up residence in our studios for what would prove to be a defining period in music. Read more about that magical time @ Red Bull Music Academy.
Congratulations to everyone who made 2014 another amazing year in music from Electric Lady Studios. Huge thanks to the artists, engineers, producers and staff who make it all possible.
Ryan Adams brought down the house in Studio A Live Tuesday night in celebration of the release of his new self-titled record “Ryan Adams”. His interview, like the man himself, is one we’re not likely to forget. Catch the intimate discourse on pinball and record-making today, September 12th, or look for it on the archives at WFUV.org.
Lana Del Rey’s sophomore album, ‘Ultraviolence’, features tracks “Cruel World,” “Pretty When You Cry,” and “Guns and Roses,” co-produced by Lee Foster for Electric Lady Studios; Recorded in Studio “A” with Electric Lady Chief Engineer, Phil Joly, and Assistant Engineer, Vira Byramji.
“She uses the word to sing about physical aggression, but the ultimate violence seems like it would be erasure, silencing, negation, the stuff you don’t hear about because it’s an absence by nature…. That negative space is its own kind of violence. Lana Del Rey steps into the shadows it leaves. She has power there, whispering old secrets, giving voice to characters who never got to speak for themselves… She is exactly the villain our history needs.”
Electric Lady is proud to have participated in the making of Coldplay’s sixth studio album, ‘Ghost Stories.’ Produced by Paul Epworth, tracking for portions of the album took place in Studio A and our API tracking suite during July of 2013.
Read more about Coldplay’s fourth-in-a-row # 1 album here.
In the wake of his first solo # 1, ‘Happy’, Pharrell shares about his upbringing, the support of others and gratitude in the comfort of Electric Lady’s historic Studio A.
To honor a fallen friend, “Trouble” T. Roy, and cousin, Heavy D, Pete Rock with Rich Kidd & Raz Fresco recreate the celebrated 1992 classic “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)” in our Studio A.
Singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer, bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan teamed up with legends Chick Corea and Miles Davis prodigy, Wallace Roney, in Electric Lady’s Studio “A”.
To listen to track “Little Sur”::: click here.
To listen to John and Chick talk about jamming, the nature of improvisation, and what happens when you throw the rules out the door::: click here.
Soledad O’Brien interviews Def Jam founder Russell Simmons in Studio A. Russell speaks about his philanthropy and finding enlightenment all while continuing to work in, and shape, today’s ever-evolving Music Industry.
Electric Lady hosted tracking and mixing sessions for Arcade Fire’s fourth studio album, Reflektor — produced by James Murphy and released today. Mixed entirely in Studio “C” by resident friend and client, Tom Elmhirst (with additional engineering by Ben Baptie), the album marked our first-ever sessions with the band and re-introduced David Bowie to our facility for his feature on the title track.
The Clash recorded two consecutive albums at Electric Lady, one of which was their 1982 release, Combat Rock. It was the band’s best-selling album of all time. We recently found rare footage of the band recording at Electric Lady with engineer, Joe Blaney. Watch below:
Pt. 1
Pt. 2
This week, surviving members, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, joined Portlandia’s Fred Armisen to discuss and compare the rivaling histories of The Clash and Ian Rubbish and the Bizarros (Armisen’s well-loved SNL character) in a spoof documentary short for one of our favorite websites, Funny Or Die:
This summer U2 recorded their version of “This Is” for Aslan singer, Christy Dignam in the intimate setting of Electric Lady Studio “A.” The filmed performance was later premiered for a live audience at “A Night for Christy” – a fundraiser event to assist Dignam with the medical treatment needed to fight his rare form of blood cancer.
We’re honored to have been featured on Mix Magazine’s October cover (2013), available in print at select stores, as well as on their website. The article delves into our history and current going-ons, checking in with the talented engineers who work under our roof.
Check out what they all have to say about Electric Lady culture here:
Electric Lady is no stranger to musical greatness, but when the elusive genius we all know as Prince showed up unannounced, we nearly lost composure. There have been many invitations over the years to draw the man to the studio, but, true to form, Prince appeared on our doorstep on a random Saturday afternoon, plugged in, and gave us an unforgettable two days in Studio “A”. Prince, if you’re reading this…please come back often.
Words can’t describe the unbelievable transformation our Studio “A” and third floor have undergone since new ownership arrived in late 2010. So, we made two videos to document the overhaul.
Watch below as we race through hundreds of hours and show you the results:
“MIX Suite” and Studio “A” Construction || Renovation
“API Room” and Studio “C” Construction || Renovation
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