Editing Rolling Stones Mobile Studio

{{short description|Mobile recording studio}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2015}}
The '''Rolling Stones Mobile Studio''' (also known as the '''RSM''') is a mobile [[recording studio]] inside a [[DAF F218 series|DAF F1600 Turbo]] truck, once owned by the English [[rock music|rock]] band [[The Rolling Stones]]. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using the RSM, including [[The Who]], [[Dire Straits]], [[Deep Purple]], [[Lou Reed]], [[Bob Marley]], [[Horslips]], [[Nazareth (band)|Nazareth]], [[Fleetwood Mac]], [[Bad Company]], [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Wishbone Ash]], [[Motörhead]] and the Rolling Stones themselves. Today, the RSM resides at the [[National Music Centre]] in [[Calgary]], where it remains a fully operational (though now stationary) recording studio.<ref>{{citation|last=[[The National (CBC)]]l|title=Rolling Stones' Mobile Recording Truck {{!}} Inside Tour|date=2016-06-26|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4_BUIM7gY0|access-date=2016-06-27}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Interior pix 3.gif|frame]]
The concept for the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio came about in 1968 when the Rolling Stones, tired of the 9-to-5 limitations of commercial recording studios and being billed for studio time sometimes spent rehearsing or composing, decided to find a way to record at [[Mick Jagger]]'s new [[Stargroves]] country estate. Since recording at this residential location would require all of the necessary recording equipment to be transported to Jagger's house, the band's road manager and pianist [[Ian Stewart (musician)|Ian Stewart]] introduced the idea of building a recording studio control room within a truck.

Under Stewart's guidance, a number of top engineers and producers, including [[Glyn Johns]], were consulted in the project's creation, which was then taken to Dick Swettenham's company [[Helios (mixing console)|Helios Electronics]]. Known for making mixing consoles for some of the most exclusive studios of the time, the company then produced the first working version of the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.

Originally intended only for use by The Rolling Stones, the RSM soon gained popularity with other rock bands, such as [[The Who]], [[The Faces]] and [[Led Zeppelin]]. Several classic albums were recorded with the Mobile Studio, including most of Led Zeppelin's ''[[Led Zeppelin III]]'' (1970) and ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]'' (1971), much of The Rolling Stones' ''[[Sticky Fingers]]'' (1971) and ''[[Exile on Main St.]]'' (1972), as well as the Stones' 1969 Hyde Park concert. The unit was used in a large variety of locations, everywhere from halls to barns to castles and the [[Montreux Casino|casino]] at [[Montreux]], Switzerland. During the making of the sixth Deep Purple album, ''[[Machine Head (album)|Machine Head]]'', the Mobile nearly caught fire as it stood next to the casino, which was set ablaze during a [[Frank Zappa]] concert. This incident became the inspiration behind Deep Purple's most famous song, "[[Smoke on the Water]]", which mentioned the Mobile in the lyrics ("We all came out to Montreux ... to make records with a mobile") and later referred to the Mobile as the "Rolling truck Stones thing".<ref name="MasseyH">{{cite book |last=Massey |first=Howard |title=The Great British Recording Studios |date=2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham, MD |isbn=978-1-4584-2197-5 |pages=307–314}}</ref>

In spring 1973, [[Tapani Tapanainen]] was hired as the RSM's permanent assistant sound engineer. During [[the Rolling Stones 1973 European Tour]], Mick McKenna joined the RSM and, working with Ian Stewart until his death in 1985, undertook the future development of the mobile studio to suit the changing patterns of work.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Angus|first=Janet|title=Rolling Stones' Mobile Studio|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/rolling-stones-mobile-studio/4135|magazine=Home Studio Recording|date=September 1984|access-date=19 April 2022}}</ref> From 1974 to 1975, the RSM was upgraded significantly. The 16-track recorder was upgraded to a 24-track recorder and 12 new inputs were added to make a total of 32 inputs. Additionally, a large amount of work was done to improve the acoustic sound of the unit.<ref name=MasseyH/>

By the 1980s, the pattern of work had shifted towards more broadcast-oriented products, mostly for major UK clients such as [[LWT]], [[BBC]], [[Capital Radio]], [[Tyne Tees Television]] and others. This prompted the inclusion of a synchronizing computer in 1982. This computer enabled audio and video tapes to be run in perfect time, which allowed the Mobile to record a show and then provide finished audio ready for transmission. This feature made it possible to provide the entire sound for several TV series incorporating such artists as [[Miles Davis]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Paul Young (singer and guitarist)|Paul Young]] and [[the Chieftains]]. The RSM was used to record Cliff Richard 'From a distance - The Event' DVD Wembley in June 1989. Engineered by Keith Bessey and Mick McKenna. A Central TV production. {{Citation needed|date=February 2014}}

===After the Stones===
[[File:MovingTheMobile.JPG|thumb|250px|left|Moving the mobile]]
In 1985, The Rolling Stones sold the RSM to [[Bill Wyman]], who in 1987 created the Ambition Invention Motivation Success project (the AIMS project), which was a vehicle to give new bands around the country a chance to work out of the Mobile Studio and produce a top-quality demo. The blue livery and yellow sign writing were applied as the colours of the project's sponsor [[Pernod]]. Producers Terry Taylor and Mick McKenna worked on about 60 tracks during the course of the project, which culminated with a final show at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in February 1988.

The Mobile was subsequently returned to the commercial marketplace, which had become extremely competitive, both financially and technically. It remained in operation until its closure in April 1993. The last recordings made by it were with Mick's brother [[Chris Jagger]] and his band Atcha!, at the unit's base in [[Pinewood Studios]].

In 1996 the Mobile, still in its original form, was sold through auction at Bonham’s and taken to the US by [[Loho Studios]] in New York City. After a bit of technical service, it was put into action in the underground music scene in New York, making recordings including live performances of [[Patti Smith]], the [[Ramones]] and nearly 30 other bands at the Continental for the ''Best of NYC Hardcore'' album.<ref>{{cite web|last=Porter|first=David|title=11 legendary recording studios to rival Abbey Road|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/11-legendary-recording-studios-to-rival-abbey-road-220872#content|website=musicradar.com|publisher=Future plc|date=17 February 2010|access-date=19 April 2022}}</ref> In 1999, the "final" show of [[DGeneration]] at Coney Island High in the East Village, NYC was recorded from the Mobile by Loho Studios' staff engineer, Greg Di Gesu.

The unit is currently owned by the [[National Music Centre]] in Calgary, Alberta, Canada (Cantos Music Collection acquired it in November 2001).<ref>{{cite web|title=Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio|url=https://collections.nmc.ca/objects/460/rolling-stones-mobile-recording-studio|website=Studio Bell|publisher=National Music Centre|access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref>

== Notable projects ==
[[File:MobileEntrance3.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Mobile Studio entrance]]

=== Singles ===
* "[[Smoke on the Water]]" – [[Deep Purple]]
* "[[No Woman, No Cry]]" – [[Bob Marley and the Wailers]]
* "[[Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter]]" – [[Iron Maiden]]

=== Albums ===
*1970: ''[[Led Zeppelin III]]'' – [[Led Zeppelin]]
*1971: ''[[Sticky Fingers]]'' – [[The Rolling Stones]]
*1971: ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]'' – Led Zeppelin
*1971: ''[[Who's Next]]'' – [[The Who]]
*1972: ''[[Machine Head (album)|Machine Head]]'' – [[Deep Purple]]
*1972: ''[[Exile on Main St.]]'' – The Rolling Stones
*1972: ''[[Happy to Meet – Sorry to Part]]'' – [[Horslips]]
*1973: ''[[Houses of the Holy]]'' – Led Zeppelin
*1973: ''[[Live Dates]]'' – [[Wishbone Ash]]
*1973: ''[[Penguin (album)|Penguin]]'' – [[Fleetwood Mac]]
*1973: ''[[Mystery to Me]]'' – Fleetwood Mac
*1973: ''[[Recorded Live]]'' – [[Ten Years After]]
*1973: ''[[Who Do We Think We Are]]'' – Deep Purple
*1974: ''[[Burn (Deep Purple album)|Burn]]'' – Deep Purple
*1974: ''[[Rampant (album)|Rampant]]'' - [[Nazareth (band)|Nazareth]]
*1975: ''[[Physical Graffiti]]'' – [[Led Zeppelin]]
*1975: ''[[Live! (Bob Marley & the Wailers album)|Live!]]'' – Bob Marley and the Wailers
*1975: ''[[Run with the Pack]]'' – [[Bad Company]]
*1977: ''[[Live! (Status Quo album)|Live!]]'' – [[Status Quo (band)|Status Quo]]
*1977: ''[[Moonflower (album)|Moonflower]]'' – [[Santana (band)|Santana]]
*1979: ''[[Life in a Day (album)|Life in a Day]]'' – [[Simple Minds]]
*1980: ''[[Toyah! (live album)]]'' - [[Toyah (band)|Toyah]]
*1981: ''[[Rocket 88 (album)|Rocket 88]]'' – [[Rocket 88 (band)|Rocket 88]]
*1983: ''[[Alchemy: Dire Straits Live]]'' – [[Dire Straits]]
*1985: ''[[A Physical Presence]]'' – [[Level 42]]
*1985: ''[[Live After Death]]'' – Iron Maiden
*1986: ''Just in Time'' – [[Buddy Rich]]
*1990: ''[[No Prayer for the Dying]]'' – Iron Maiden

== References ==
{{reflist}}

<!-- ==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4_BUIM7gY0 Rolling Stones' Mobile Recording Truck Inside Tour] – [[The National]] -->

{{Navboxes|title=The Rolling Stones|list={{The Rolling Stones}}{{The Rolling Stones singles}}{{The Rolling Stones albums}}}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Recording studios in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Mobile recording studios]]
[[Category:The Rolling Stones]]