Shangri-La (recording studio) explained

Shangri-La
Type:recording studio
Built:1958
Renovated:1976
Owner:Rick Rubin
Location:Malibu, California, U.S.
Acreage:[1]
Mapframe:no

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[2] 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

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.[3] [4] [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. 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.

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. 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.[4]

In the late 1990s, Blaine "Beej" Chaney of the Minneapolis new wave punk band The Suburbs purchased the property for $2,125,000.[4] 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.[11] [12] Immediately following these renovations, Chaney invited Mark Knopfler to record there, where he went on to make his acclaimed album, Shangri-La. 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. 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.[13] [14] 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.[15] 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.[16] [17] [18] [19] Within weeks the price tag was cut drastically to $3,195,000. Rick Rubin purchased Shangri-La for $2 million in August 2011.[20] [21] Numerous artists have since recorded at Shangri-La under Rubin's ownership, including Adele, Ed Sheeran, Eminem, and Kanye West.

Shangri-La survived the 2018 Woolsey Fire, but Rubin's two nearby homes were lost to the fire.[22]

Property and recording spaces

Shangri-La consists of four bedrooms, three bathrooms and two primary recording studios.[17] [23] The main studio has an API console and Neumann U 87 microphones. The other recording space, a building called "The Chapel", also uses microphones and has a console from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio which was formerly in Rubin's The Mansion studio in Laurel Canyon. The property also includes Bob Dylan's former tour bus, which is parked permanently and has been repurposed as a recording space.[24]

Showtime documentary series

See 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.[25] [26] [27] [28]

List of artists recorded

Many artists have recorded at Shangri-La, including:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bob Dylan and The Band's Studio and House in Malibu . Glick Kudler . Adrian . May 19, 2011 . . October 17, 2019.
  2. Book: Newman, Martin Alan. Bob Dylan's Malibu. EDLIS Café Press. 2021. Hibbing, Minnesota. 9781736972304.
  3. Web site: History . June 22, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120422040850/http://shangrilamalibu.com/history . April 22, 2012 .
  4. Web site: The Mythical History of Shangri-La Studios . July 12, 2019 . . October 18, 2019.
  5. Book: Levon Helm. Stephen Davis. This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band. October 1, 2013. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. 978-1-61374-879-4. 245–248.
  6. Book: Barney Hoskyns. Across the Great Divide: The Band and America. 2006. Hal Leonard. 978-1-4234-1442-1. 311.
  7. Book: Michael Schumacher. Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton. 2003. Citadel Press. 978-0-8065-2466-5. 201–203.
  8. Hodenfield . Chris . June 1, 1978 . 'The Last Waltz': A Concert Becomes a Legend . . December 12, 2021.
  9. Book: Chris Woodstra. John Bush. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. All Music Guide Required Listening: Classic Rock. 2007. Backbeat Books. 978-0-87930-917-6. 8.
  10. Book: Peter Mills. Hymns to the Silence: Inside the Words and Music of Van Morrison. April 8, 2010. Bloomsbury Publishing. 978-1-4411-5677-8. 47.
  11. Web site: Mentor - Pete Strobl. August 7, 2020. mbm-peeracumen. en.
  12. Web site: Jim Niper Credits. August 7, 2020. AllMusic. en-us.
  13. Web site: It's Amazing. August 4, 2020. It's Amazing. en.
  14. Web site: Fine Lion (@finelionband) • Instagram photos and videos. August 4, 2020. www.instagram.com. en.
  15. Web site: October 13, 2009. Studios left out of the mix. August 4, 2020. Los Angeles Times. en-US.
  16. Web site: Whelan . Robbie . June 8, 2011 . Rock 'n' Roll Ranch Hits Market in Malibu . live . https://archive.today/20211212092246/https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-DVB-20004 . December 12, 2021 . October 17, 2019 . The Wall Street Journal.
  17. Web site: Dylan's legendary Shangri-La studio is for sale by owner Beej Chaney . Bream . Jon . June 10, 2011 . . October 17, 2019.
  18. Web site: Famous "Shangri-La" Jamming Site for Dylan, Clapton Listed for $4.1M . May 25, 2011 . . October 17, 2019.
  19. Web site: Fox . Genevieve . June 25, 2011 . Shangri-La Ranch: The house that inspired Bob Dylan . live . https://archive.today/20211212093720/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/international/8597172/Shangri-La-Ranch-The-house-that-inspired-Bob-Dylan.html . December 12, 2021 . October 17, 2019 . The Telegraph.
  20. Web site: Rick Rubin Buys Shangri La In Malibu For $2 Million . Miller . John E. . August 26, 2011 . . October 17, 2019.
  21. Web site: Your Mama Hears... . David . Mark . August 25, 2011 . . October 17, 2019.
  22. Web site: Seven Things We Learned About 'Shangri-La' and Rick Rubin from Showtime's Series . Moayeri . Lily . July 19, 2019 . . October 21, 2019.
  23. Web site: How I Podcast: Broken Record's Justin Richmond . Heater . Brian . October 8, 2019 . . October 17, 2019.
  24. Web site: Music Producer Rick Rubin's Malibu Oasis . Volner . Ian . April 18, 2017 . . October 17, 2019.
  25. Rick Rubin: Showtime Preps 'Shangri-La' Documentary Series on Producer . Reed . Ryan . January 16, 2019 . . October 17, 2019.
  26. Web site: Shangri-La Season 1: Watch Episodes Online . . October 17, 2019.
  27. Web site: 'Shangri-La': TV Review . Goodman . Tim . July 12, 2019 . . October 17, 2019.
  28. Showtime's Extremely Authorized Rick Rubin Docuseries Shangri-La Is Flawed But Sublime . Berman . Judy . July 9, 2019 . . October 17, 2019.
  29. Web site: EXCLUSIVE: Adele in the Studio . Gaston . Peter . May 28, 2010 . . October 18, 2019.
  30. Web site: Listen to a New Avett Brothers Song, "Satan Pulls the String" . Strength . Reed . June 10, 2016 . . October 18, 2019.
  31. News: Sisario. Ben. August 9, 2023. Jon Batiste Has Got the Whole Wide Music World in His Hands. The New York Times. October 17, 2023.
  32. Web site: beabadoobee – "Ever Seen". Breihan . Tom . July 1, 2024 . . July 3, 2024.
  33. Web site: Joe Bonamassa Takes Communion . Drozdowski . Ted . December 17, 2010 . . October 21, 2019.
  34. Web site: Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath Opens Up About His Battle with Cancer and the Struggle to Make '13' . Angle . Brad . August 8, 2013 . . October 18, 2019.
  35. Web site: James Blake: 'I'm the opposite of punk. I've subdued a generation' . Lynskey . Dorian . May 5, 2016 . . October 20, 2019.
  36. Martoccio. Angie. January 19, 2023. How boygenius Became the World's Most Exciting Supergroup. Rolling Stone. June 20, 2023.
  37. Web site: No, Brockhampton's 'I Been Born Again' Is Not A Religious Conversion Anthem . Carmichael . Rodney . August 1, 2019 . . October 18, 2019.
  38. Web site: He Loves New York, but Can't Drink There . Anderson . Stacey . November 21, 2013 . . October 18, 2019.
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  41. Web site: Depeche Mode Drops 'Ghosts Again,' Confirms New Album Release Date. Cohen. Jonathan. February 9, 2023. Spin. June 20, 2023.
  42. Web site: Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 By The Numbers . https://web.archive.org/web/20141208193957/http://www.mtv.com/news/1717041/eminem-marshall-mathers-lp-2-numbers/ . dead . December 8, 2014 . Markman . Rob . November 7, 2013 . . October 18, 2019.
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  46. News: Ryzik . Melena . March 18, 2024 . Gossip Dances Back Into Action After a 12-Year Pause . July 5, 2024 . The New York Times.
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  67. Web site: Damien Rice rises from ashes to create 'My Favourite Faded Fantasy' . Wood . Mikael . November 13, 2014 . . October 18, 2019.
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