Gooseberry Sound Studios


Gooseberry Sound Studios, also known as just Gooseberry Studios, were recording studios at 19 Gerrard Street, Chinatown, London, located in a cellar underneath a dental practice.
The studio was owned by Peter Houghton and was known in its early days for its particularly cheap rates. This affordability made it popular with reggae artists and punk bands wanting to make cheap demos.

History

It originally opened in around 1968 as 'Studio 19' as a 4-track demo recording studio, before becoming an 8-track demo recording studio in mid-1972. By 1976, the studio had moved to 16-track and then moved to 24-track in 1980.
One of the first successful recordings at Gooseberry was in 1974 by 15-year old Louisa Mark with a cover version of "Caught You in a Lie" by Robert Parker. The song, seen as the first lovers rock single, was a hit with reggae audiences and sold 10,000 copies in the first week of its release in June 1975.
Between 17 and 28 January 1977, punk band Sex Pistols recorded some demos at the studio which were the last recordings together by the original members of the band. These demos include "Pretty Vacant", "God Save the Queen" and "E.M.I." One of the most well-known albums recorded at Gooseberry was Replicas by Tubeway Army, with their hit single "Are "Friends" Electric?". The album was recorded between December 1978 and January 1979.
The studios closed in around the mid-1990s.

Notable recordings

Note: dates indicate when the recordings were released.

Albums

1970s

1970s