Rockfield Studios

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Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in South Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.

The studios were founded by brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward in the early 1960s, by converting an existing farmhouse. In 1965, they became the world's first-ever residential studio, set up so that bands could come and stay in the peaceful rural surroundings to record.

The first big hit recorded in the studios was Dave Edmunds’ I Hear You Knockin' in 1970. Following that success, the studios were used to record Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in 1975. During a 12-month period in 1996-97, Rockfield sessions resulted in five UK Number One albums, by Oasis, Ash, Black Grape, The Charlatans and the Boo Radleys. Other acts using the studios have included Robert Plant, Black Sabbath, Budgie, Echo & the Bunnymen, Motörhead, Rush, Hawkwind, The Stranglers, Iggy Pop, The Pogues, Paul Weller, Simple Minds, Manic Street Preachers, Sepultura, and New Order.