Cherokee Studios
Encyclopedia
Cherokee Studios was a recording facility in Hollywood, founded in 1972 and closed in August 2007 to make way for a new building, after 35 years of operation under the Cherokee name as a well-renowned studio. Under the direction of a leading green developer, the site will become the Lofts @ Cherokee Studios http://www.loftsatcherokeestudios.com/ – a Green LEED
Platinum Live/Work complex offering professional recording studios in select units designed by Cherokee owner, Bruce Robb
.
In his autobiography, Beatles producer George Martin
dubbed Cherokee Studios the best studio in America.
In the early seventies, the Robb Brothers founded the original Cherokee Studios, first located in the countryside at a ranch in Chatsworth, and then on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood. The noted studio was owned and operated by the award-winning producer/engineers and brothers - Dee, Joe and Bruce Robb
, who had started their careers as performers in the 60’s as a Midwest-based folk rock band called The Robbs. Their manager was Con Merten. They switched to record production, and by the mid-seventies, with albums such as Pretzel Logic
and Station to Station
the studio had made its name.
At the peak of its success, Cherokee housed five studios at the Fairfax location, and an additional 3 studios at a satellite location acquired on Beverly Drive (formerly Lion Share/ABC Dunhill Records).
As an independent recording studio, not owned by a record or film company, Cherokee was unusual in the U.S. at the time, though not unique - Jimi Hendrix
' Electric Lady
, opened in 1970, had been constructed along similar ideas and was operated by itself, not by a major company.
Within the next couple of years, a fortuitous break presented itself when the MGM Records’ studio space in Fairfax came on the market. The new opportunity arrived not a moment too soon since the brothers had been locked out of their studio barn after a Sheriff’s bust for operating "an illegal home studio." Without hesitation, they made the purchase and commenced overhauling their new studio by hand with George Augspurger designed acoustics, state-of-the-art equipment and, once more, attention to every musician-client detail. The Robbs and Merten, with their new Cherokee Studios, maintained their credo, and the clients described it as "the vibe" – an artist-friendly atmosphere that could be felt as soon as one walked in the door.
Cherokee closed its doors on Aug 31, 2007. The last album recorded at Cherokee was Out of the Wilderness
from Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise
.
Acts that recorded at M.G.M. Recording Studios include: Count Basie
, Ella Fitzgerald
, Judy Garland
, Oscar Peterson
, Lou Rawls
, Elvis Presley
and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra
.
came to Cherokee Studios in 1975 to record his platinum album Station to Station
.
recorded the platinum selling albums Theatre of Pain
and Shout at the Devil
at Cherokee Studios. Technicians working on Shout at the Devil noted that the members of Mötley Crüe would "stay up for three days straight making music and not even think we were working hard, with girls were streaming in and out of the studio."
would pick up backup singing recording gigs with music producers Bruce Robb (producer)
and Steve Cropper
.
at Cherokee Studios in 1980, Ringo Starr
invited George Harrison
, Paul McCartney
and Linda McCartney
to guest on the album; Paul McCartney and Harrison also produced some of the tracks. Starr had approached John Lennon
to help out as well, had received two demos of songs which eventually wound up on the posthumous Lennon album Milk and Honey, and reportedly, Lennon had agreed to come to Los Angeles in January 1981 and take part in the recording; the album then would have been a modest Beatles reunion. The assassination of Lennon prevented those plans from coming to fruition. Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones also collaborated with Starr on the album at Cherokee, adding guitar, bass, saxophone, keyboards, and back-up vocals.
came to Cherokee Studios to record what would be his final album, The Wind
. Nick Read filmed Zevon’s final recordings at Cherokee for the documentary,Warren Zevon: Keep Me In Your Heart. Bruce Springsteen joined Zevon at Cherokee for the single "Disorder in the House," Cherokee owner Bruce Robb provided lead guitar on the first track of The Wind and support vocals on two other tracks.
's 1979 album Off the Wall
was recorded at Cherokee Studios. The album is among the best-selling albums of all time.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Platinum Live/Work complex offering professional recording studios in select units designed by Cherokee owner, Bruce Robb
Bruce Robb (producer)
Bruce Robb is an American musician, record producer, engineer, and music supervisor. He is most recognized for his active role in the formative years of the music industry: first as a member of “The Robbs” during the music revolution of the 1960s, then as a founder of Cherokee Studios in the...
.
In his autobiography, Beatles producer George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
dubbed Cherokee Studios the best studio in America.
In the early seventies, the Robb Brothers founded the original Cherokee Studios, first located in the countryside at a ranch in Chatsworth, and then on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood. The noted studio was owned and operated by the award-winning producer/engineers and brothers - Dee, Joe and Bruce Robb
Bruce Robb (producer)
Bruce Robb is an American musician, record producer, engineer, and music supervisor. He is most recognized for his active role in the formative years of the music industry: first as a member of “The Robbs” during the music revolution of the 1960s, then as a founder of Cherokee Studios in the...
, who had started their careers as performers in the 60’s as a Midwest-based folk rock band called The Robbs. Their manager was Con Merten. They switched to record production, and by the mid-seventies, with albums such as Pretzel Logic
Pretzel Logic
Pretzel Logic is the third studio album by the American jazz-rock band Steely Dan, originally released in 1974. The album's opening song, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", became the band's biggest hit, reaching #4 on the charts soon after the release of the album. The album itself went gold, and...
and Station to Station
Station to Station
Station to Station is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1976. Commonly regarded as one of his most significant works, Station to Station is also notable as the vehicle for Bowie's last great 'character', The Thin White Duke...
the studio had made its name.
At the peak of its success, Cherokee housed five studios at the Fairfax location, and an additional 3 studios at a satellite location acquired on Beverly Drive (formerly Lion Share/ABC Dunhill Records).
History
After spending years on the road and logging time in countless studios across the country as a band, The Robbs had become acquainted with just about every unwelcome situation typical of the life of a touring musician at the time. Together with their manager, Con Merten, they relocated to Los Angeles from the Chicago/Milwaukee area to focus more on producing and managing, rather than on performing. Their ideas focused on making the studio a creative space designed for musicians and engineers.As an independent recording studio, not owned by a record or film company, Cherokee was unusual in the U.S. at the time, though not unique - Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
' Electric Lady
Electric Lady
Electric Lady is an album by Elkie Brooks.Recorded between 2004 and 2005 at Slave to the Rhythm Studios, it was released on CD in 2005 by Swing Cafe...
, opened in 1970, had been constructed along similar ideas and was operated by itself, not by a major company.
Within the next couple of years, a fortuitous break presented itself when the MGM Records’ studio space in Fairfax came on the market. The new opportunity arrived not a moment too soon since the brothers had been locked out of their studio barn after a Sheriff’s bust for operating "an illegal home studio." Without hesitation, they made the purchase and commenced overhauling their new studio by hand with George Augspurger designed acoustics, state-of-the-art equipment and, once more, attention to every musician-client detail. The Robbs and Merten, with their new Cherokee Studios, maintained their credo, and the clients described it as "the vibe" – an artist-friendly atmosphere that could be felt as soon as one walked in the door.
Cherokee closed its doors on Aug 31, 2007. The last album recorded at Cherokee was Out of the Wilderness
Out of the Wilderness (album)
Out of the Wilderness is the 5th studio album by musical artist, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, which was released on April 21, 2009 by independent record label Quarter 2 Three Records.- Album Description :...
from Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise
Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise is an American band. It formed in 1994 when former members of the band Second Self met a blind street performer by the name of Robert Bradley. Robert Bradley was born in Alabama, but gained musical experience and spirit by singing as a child at The Alabama...
.
Coming Back
In late August of 2011, the official website announced "New Studio Coming to Hollywood", but no details are provided at this time.Prominent clients
Under MGM RecordsActs that recorded at M.G.M. Recording Studios include: Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, "O.P." by his friends. He released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, and received other numerous awards and honours over the course of his career...
, Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
.
David Bowie
With Cameron Crowe documenting the recording sessions for Rolling Stone, David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
came to Cherokee Studios in 1975 to record his platinum album Station to Station
Station to Station
Station to Station is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1976. Commonly regarded as one of his most significant works, Station to Station is also notable as the vehicle for Bowie's last great 'character', The Thin White Duke...
.
Mötley Crüe
Mötley CrüeMötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
recorded the platinum selling albums Theatre of Pain
Theatre of Pain
-Personnel:*Vince Neil - vocals*Mick Mars - guitar*Nikki Sixx - bass*Tommy Lee - drums, piano-Singles:*"Smokin' In the Boys Room" was released on June 24, 1985.*"Home Sweet Home" was released on September 30, 1985.-Charts:...
and Shout at the Devil
Shout at the Devil
Shout at the Devil is the second album by heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on September 26, 1983. "Looks That Kill" and "Too Young to Fall in Love" became huge hits and "Shout at the Devil" became very popular as well.-Reception:...
at Cherokee Studios. Technicians working on Shout at the Devil noted that the members of Mötley Crüe would "stay up for three days straight making music and not even think we were working hard, with girls were streaming in and out of the studio."
Bonnie Raitt
While living in one of the West Hollywood apartment complexes directly behind Cherokee Studios, Bonnie RaittBonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
would pick up backup singing recording gigs with music producers Bruce Robb (producer)
Bruce Robb (producer)
Bruce Robb is an American musician, record producer, engineer, and music supervisor. He is most recognized for his active role in the formative years of the music industry: first as a member of “The Robbs” during the music revolution of the 1960s, then as a founder of Cherokee Studios in the...
and Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
.
Ringo Starr
While he was recording Stop and Smell the RosesStop and Smell the Roses
Stop and Smell the Roses is the eighth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 1981 following the twin commercial disasters of Ringo the 4th and Bad Boy .-History:...
at Cherokee Studios in 1980, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
invited George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
to guest on the album; Paul McCartney and Harrison also produced some of the tracks. Starr had approached John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
to help out as well, had received two demos of songs which eventually wound up on the posthumous Lennon album Milk and Honey, and reportedly, Lennon had agreed to come to Los Angeles in January 1981 and take part in the recording; the album then would have been a modest Beatles reunion. The assassination of Lennon prevented those plans from coming to fruition. Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones also collaborated with Starr on the album at Cherokee, adding guitar, bass, saxophone, keyboards, and back-up vocals.
Weird Al Yankovic
Weird Al Yankovic recorded his first album at Cherokee in 1982. The album sold over 500,000 copies.Warren Zevon
In 2002, a terminally ill Warren ZevonWarren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
came to Cherokee Studios to record what would be his final album, The Wind
The Wind (album)
The Wind is the last studio album by American singer/songwriter Warren Zevon, released in 2003. Zevon began recording the album shortly after he was diagnosed with inoperable pleural mesothelioma , and it was released just two weeks before his death on September 7, 2003 .The album was awarded the...
. Nick Read filmed Zevon’s final recordings at Cherokee for the documentary,Warren Zevon: Keep Me In Your Heart. Bruce Springsteen joined Zevon at Cherokee for the single "Disorder in the House," Cherokee owner Bruce Robb provided lead guitar on the first track of The Wind and support vocals on two other tracks.
Michael Jackson
Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's 1979 album Off the Wall
Off the Wall (album)
Off the Wall is the fifth studio album by the American recording artist Michael Jackson, released August 10, 1979 on Epic Records, after Jackson's critically well received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to...
was recorded at Cherokee Studios. The album is among the best-selling albums of all time.
Other acts
Acts that have recorded at Cherokee Studios include:- 30 Seconds to Mars30 Seconds to Mars30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...
- AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
- Automatic 7Automatic 7-Beggar's Life:-At Funeral Speed:-Musical style:Automatic 7's style has been compared to Social Distortion, Jawbreaker and Face to Face. John Hulett cites Jawbreaker as Automatic 7's greatest influence, and says that the band are Jawbreaker fans....
- Barbra StreisandBarbra StreisandBarbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
- Concrete BlondeConcrete BlondeConcrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:...
- Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
- David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
- DevoDevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
- Diana RossDiana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
- The Go-Go'sThe Go-Go'sThe Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
- Lillian AxeLillian AxeLillian Axe is a hard rock band from New Orleans who write and perform music from acoustic ballads to full out heavy metal anthems. Four studio recordings were released before they disbanded in 1995...
- KornKornKorn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
- Lenny KravitzLenny KravitzLeonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
- Lita FordLita FordLita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
- Rollins BandRollins BandRollins Band was an American rock band led by singer and songwriter Henry Rollins.They are best known for the songs "Low Self Opinion" and "Liar", which both earned heavy airplay on MTV in the early 1990s...
- Steely DanSteely DanSteely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
- Suicidal TendenciesSuicidal TendenciesSuicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
- Van HalenVan HalenVan Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
- The Broken Homes
- Radio Active Cats
Selected gear list
Studio 1- Custom Trident A-Range Mixing Console with 48 Channels
- Universal AudioUniversal AudioUniversal Audio is the fifth and final studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Delgados, released September 20, 2004. The album is considered to showcase a more 'stripped down' sound than its predecessor Hate, featuring less orchestral themes....
1176 Limiting Amplifier- 2 - DBX 160x
- GML 8200
- Pultec EQ P1-A
- Pultec MEQ-1
External links and References
- Mixonline.com article
- REthink Development, official website for Lofts @ Cherokee Studios
- THE RECORD @ Cherokee Studios, Lofts @ Cherokee Studios official blog
- A Conversation with Bruce Robb on the Conversion of Cherokee Studios into Lofts