Henson Recording Studios was established in 2000 at the former A&M Studios. In 1966, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss purchased the former Charlie Chaplin Studios from CBS to serve as a headquarters for A&M Records. A&M converted two of the old sound stages and Chaplin's swimming pool into a recording studio. A 1968 profile on Alpert and Moss described their renovation of Chaplin's old studios:
"The old sound stages are in the process of being completely rebuilt into what must be the most luxurious and pleasant recording studios in the world. Chaplin's cement footprints are one of the few reminders of the past."
In 1985, the USA for Africa hit single and video "We Are the World" was recorded in A&M's Studio A by a cast that included Michael Jackson, Lionel Ritchie, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen. Many of the recording industry's greatest stars have recorded albums and videos at the studios, among them The Rolling Stones, John Lennon, George Harrison, Van Morrison, The Doors, Eric Clapton, Styx, The Carpenters, The Police, The Moody Blues, Oingo Boingo, Soundgarden, U2, Kiss, Tom Petty, Metallica, No Doubt, Rage Against the Machine, Dr. Dre, Daft Punk, Shakira, Pearl Jam, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake. It was here where Cheryl Cole recorded the fastest selling single in the UK of 2012, Call My Name.
Music videos filmed at the lot include "Every Breath You Take" by The Police and Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters".
In February 2000, Jim Henson's children purchased the studio for $12.5 million to serve as the new home of The Jim Henson Company. The 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m2) facility was leased to The Jim Henson Co. under a ten-year lease and renamed "The Jim Henson Company Lot". The company decided to keep the old A&M recording studio intact, renaming it Henson Recording Studios.
In 2011, classic rock band Van Halen's comeback album, A Different Kind of Truth, was recorded in Henson Studio C with producer John Shanks. On February 1, 2012, Van Halen performed a memorable live set at Henson Studios to a celebrity-packed crowd, adding to the performance legend of the studio.
Henson Recording Studios was also one of the places where punk rock band The Offspring recorded their ninth studio album Days Go By (2012) with producer Bob Rock.
The studios are located on North La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, California.
Famous quotes containing the word recording:
“Self-expression is not enough; experiment is not enough; the recording of special moments or cases is not enough. All of the arts have broken faith or lost connection with their origin and function. They have ceased to be concerned with the legitimate and permanent material of art.”
—Jane Heap (c. 1880–1964)