Strawberry Studios

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Strawberry Studios was a recording studio in Stockport, England that became closely associated with pop band 10cc.

The facility was originally named Inner City Studios and located above a music store in the town centre. In early 1968 it was bought by Peter Tattersall, a former road manager for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas. Tattersall invited Eric Stewart – then lead guitarist and singer of The Mindbenders and later a member of 10cc – to join him as a partner in July 1968. According to liner notes in the CD Strawberry Bubblegum - A Collection of Pre-10cc Strawberry Recordings 1969-1972, the pair moved to larger premises in Waterloo Road in October, with Stewart choosing the studio's new name in honour of his favourite Beatles song, "Strawberry Fields Forever".

Within months songwriter and future 10cc member Graham Gouldman joined the pair as an investor. The studio was used extensively by Stewart, Gouldman and the other two musicians who would join them to form 10cc -- Lol Creme and Kevin Godley -- as well as major artists including Neil Sedaka, Barclay James Harvest, The Smiths and Paul McCartney.

Gouldman and Stewart opened Strawberry Studios South in Dorking, Surrey in 1976 following the departure of Godley and Creme. The first 10cc album to be recorded there was 1977's Deceptive Bends. In 1978 Strawberry Mastering opened in London, which now meant the studio had complete control of the process from recording to pressing.

10cc sold their interest in the Stockport studio in the 1980's, but returned to record Windows in the Jungle in 1983.

In 1986, the neighbouring Yellow Two recording studio took over the running of Strawberry in Stockport. It ceased operation as a music studio in the early 1990s and was converted for use for film and video production.

Both Strawberry Mastering and Strawberry South had closed by 1983.

[edit] External links

• History of Strawberry Studios [1]