Seven Weird Places Artists Have Recorded Music

On Tuesday, NME reported that a London location of fried chicken chain Nando’s built a recording studio in their restaurant. The studio features “pioneering” recording equipment and an in-house engineer to help aspiring artists create the perfect sound. According to the story, the studio is an extension of chain’s “Nando’s Music Exchange” program.

Inspired by this unique recording experience, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, has collected a list of other odd places artists can and have recorded music. From coffins and bank vaults to bodegas, electronics stores and record shops, here are seven of the most unique recording spots in the world.

1.       Apple Store: While a handful of Apple store locations have programs where you can learn how to edit photos and audio, it is less common for an artist to record an entire album there. But that is what Brooklyn rapper Prince Harvey did. Upon losing his friend’s apartment and all of his equipment, he decided to set up shop in one of Apple’s NYC stores and complete his debut album.

2.       Record Shop: At most record shops, one can only purchase albums and possibly see an in-store performance. But Nashville’s Third Man Records goes a step further. The shop owned by former White Stripes frontman Jack White gives you the opportunity to record and press it on vinyl, all in one place. There are two options for recording there:  an old-style record booth where you can record on the fly and a “live venue with direct-to-acetate recording capabilities.”

3.       Bodega: In 2015, soda brand Sprite decided to advertise their product and support hip-hop music at the same time with a bodega-style pop-up shop in New York on the Bowery. Besides selling Sprite and Sprite-themed products, the shop also had a stage and recording facility, and held events throughout that summer. Artists that recorded there included Vince Staples and Wale.

4.       Coffin: Sometimes you have to do something drastic to get the sound you want. Such was the case when metal band Sunn O))) were recording the song “Bathory Erzebet” for their album ‘Black One.’ The story goes that when it was time for guest vocalist Malefic of Xasthur to perform his vocals, the band handed him a microphone and made the extremely claustrophobic artist record from inside a coffin.

5.       Bank Vault: Many artists create music in their own home studios. However, not many people have a home with a bank vault in it. Aphex Twin allegedly bought an abandoned bank in the mid-1990s and kept his music equipment set up in its vault.

6.       Science Lab: A lot of artists nowadays like to “go back to basics” when they record. But none have done this quite like They Might Be Giants. In 1996 during the recording of their sixth album ‘Factory Showroom,’ the duo decided to record the track “I Can Hear You” in the most analog way possible: using Thomas Edison’s 1890 wax cylinder recorder. The recording was done at the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey in front of a small audience, where, according to a press release, they were “singing and playing acoustic instruments as loud as we could into a pair of enormous metal cones…which fed the sound into a hundred year old non-electrical recording device…The wax cylinder recorder carves a groove into a rotating tube of softened wax with a needle that is vibrating from the sound pressure collected at the small end of the cone.”

7.       Dungeon: Again, a castle doesn’t necessarily sound like that crazy a place for a band to record music. But Black Sabbath isn’t just any band. When they decided to record their album ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath’ at the Clearwell Castle in Gloucestershire, they decided to do all their rehearsing in its dungeon. The band’s members claimed to have seen apparitions down there, which inspired some of the albums darker songs, such as the title track.

Artists have recorded music in a lot of strange places. Retail spaces, science labs and coffins don’t seem like locations you would ever think to combine with the recording process. Nando’s restaurant recording studio seems just as outlandish. But who knows, maybe the next breakout star will record a monstrously popular album there while enjoying a chicken sandwich.

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Find music from these creative artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop. We have thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Rocky Horror at 42: 7 Musical Facts about the Cult Classic

UA Cinema Merced. The Rocky Horror Picture Show,
 opening night, January of 1978. Found on Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Robin Adams.

On September 26, 1975, the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ hit movie screens for the first time. Originally a flop, the film became a cult classic, spawning countless midnight showings and shadow troupes around the world. It has launched the careers of a handful of its actors and continues to have the longest theatrical release of any film.

‘Rocky Horror’ holds a special place in cinema, as well as rock culture. The gaudiness of its costumes and music helped to influence (and were influenced by) the burgeoning counterculture of 1970s punk and glam. More than four decades later, the film is still seen as a symbol of rebelliousness, reflected in its continued popularity and musical influence.

In honor of its 42^nd year in theaters, Vinyl Bay777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at how the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ influenced music. Here are seven facts about the film, its music and its place in rock culture.

1.       It was originally a stage show: ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ was originally a musical that started in London in 1973. The original production was successful, something that could not be said for the Broadway production two years later.

2.       Richard O’Brien wrote all the music: To the casual fan of ‘Rocky Horror,’ Richard O’Brien is just Riff Raff, the alien butler. But he is also the creative mind behind the show. He and his writing partner Jim Sharman wrote all the dialogue and music for the production, and consequently the film.

3.       It launched Meat Loaf’s music career: ‘Rocky Horror’ transformed a lot of actors’ careers, including those of Susan Surrandon, Barry Bostwick and Tim Curry, as well as Meat Loaf. Before ‘Rocky Horror,’ Meat Loaf was a Broadway actor with a slowly budding music career. He released an album in 1971, ‘Stoney & Meat Loaf,’ that had moderate success. But after the cult success of the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ (Meat Loaf’s first film appearance), his popularity grew. In 1977, he released ‘Bat Out of Hell,’ his most successful album to date.

4.       The original soundtrack didn’t have all the songs on it: The original soundtrack to ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was missing two iconic songs from its track list. One was “Sword of Damocles,” sung by Rocky after he comes to life. The other is “Planet Schmanet, Janet,” performed by Dr. Frank N. Furter in an effort to scare Janet. Both songs were included in later releases, although they were not studio recordings.

5.       The costumes helped influence punk fashion: Perhaps it’s a bit of a “which came first” kind of deal, but ‘Rocky Horror’ came out around the same time that punk and glam were starting to take hold of counter culture. It was O’Brien’s idea to have a show inspired by rock and roll and glam. With the Sex Pistols being dressed by a shop in London called Sex (a place known for leather bondage wear), New York glam rock bands embracing androgynous stage personas and the prevalence of torn fishnet stockings and bright hair dye, ‘Rocky Horror’s’ place within punk is hard to deny.

6.       There was even a punk cover album of the entire soundtrack: Speaking of ‘Rocky Horror’ being a punk show, an album of punk bands covering the entire soundtrack (Including “Sword of Damocles” and “Planet Schmanet, Janet”) came out in 2003. None of the bands included were early bands that would have been around at the time of the show, but it does show the continued influence the show had on punk. Bands on the album include Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Alkaline Trio, Big D and the Kids Table, Swingin’ Utters and The Ataris.

7.       Meat Loaf wasn’t the only musician to have a hit because of the show: ‘Rocky Horror’ did more than just make Meat Loaf a music star. Other cast members dabbled in music in the film’s wake as well. This included Little Nell, who released ‘The Musical World of Little Nell’ in 1978, and Tim Curry, who released ‘Fearless’ in 1979. The later reached 53 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and produced the minor hit “I Do the Rock.”

The ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ has had a great influence on music and counterculture. Not only did it create big stars like Meat Loaf, it had an indelible impact on punk and rebellion in the 1970s. More than four decades later, people still identify with what it has come to stand for.

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Find ‘Rocky Horror’ and other groundbreaking soundtracks at Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands of titles to choose from ranging in genre from soundtracks to rock to rap to classical and beyond. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Michael Jackson: Seven Groundbreaking Singles

On this day in 1958, Michael Jackson was born. The “King of Pop” would have been 59 today.

Michael Jackson led an amazing and prolific life and music career. Starting out at just five years old with his brothers in The Jackson 5, Michael’s career took off. His talent at such a young age stood out and by the time he was 14 made the transition to solo artist. Over the next four decades, he released hit after hit, breaking numerous records and making history. Even after his sudden passing in 2009, his career continued to flourish as continuous praise and several posthumous releases kept him in the public eye.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, would like to honor Michael Jackson’s legacy by taking a look back at his groundbreaking music career. Here are seven singles that changed music, music videos, and popular culture forever.

1.       “Thriller”: “Thriller” is one of Jackson’s most iconic songs and its video is even more iconic. Known for its graphic content, its epic graveyard dance scene and Jackson’s red leather jacket, the short horror film runs 14 minutes, longer than your typical music video. But because of its length and level of detail, it also revolutionized what a music video could be. It is also the only music video to have been selected for inclusion in the National Film Registry. There is still major interest in the video as well, with a 3-D upgrade of the video coming to movie theaters soon.

2.       “Billie Jean”: When MTV launched in 1980, they didn’t really play much music from black artists, usually just the ones that were integrated with white artists. This changed in 1983, after complaints from not only music fans but VJ’s and artists themselves made MTV reevaluate their line-up. Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was the first video from a black artist that the network deemed appropriate to put in rotation. The song’s inclusion and success opened up a new platform for black artists to get their music heard by a new and wider audience.

3.       “We Are The World”: With large-scale charity singles en vogue in 1985 following the success of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie were tasked with writing one for an American audience. What transpired was the hit “We Are The World,” which featured more than 40 performers singing about the famine in Africa. Once released, the song broke records, becoming the fastest-selling American pop song in history and the first single to ever go multi-platinum.

4.       “Love Never Felt So Good”: Michael Jackson has even been breaking records posthumously. In 2014, Jackson’s estate released an 8-song album of unreleased material called ‘Xscape,’ with “Love Never Felt So Good” as its first single. The song ended up peaking at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking two records. The first was for having top 10 singles in five different decades as a solo artist, a record he still holds alone to this day. The other was for the most amount of time spent in the top 10 to more than 42 weeks (this record has since been broken).

5.       “Dirty Diana”: Jackson’s 1987 album ‘Bad’ featured the singles “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Bad,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Man in the Mirror” and “Dirty Diana,” released consecutively and each hitting number one on the Hot 100. This record stands to this day, with the only artist to even tie the record being Katy Perry.

6.       “Black or White”: When Michael Jackson released the video for “Black or White” in 1991, it was a television event. It was the first time a video was shown simultaneously on a global scale, with the MJ website noting that 500 million people tuned in to watch.

7.       “You’re Not Alone”: We all know that Michael Jackson is a number one-selling artist. But he is also the first artist to have a single debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. “You’re Not Alone,” the second single from Jackson’s 1995 album ‘HIStory,’ sold more than 120,000 units in its first week, leading it to take the top spot on the chart, something that hadn’t happened in the 37 years the chart had been around.

Michael Jackson released some of the most important music in pop history. From the contributions he made to the art of the music video to the impact he had on black representation in music, his career has been filled with innovation. His talent landed him countless chart successes that have made him one of (if not THE) the best-selling artists to date. Michael Jackson’s legacy proceeds him, as his continued popularity only shows that his music and cultural impact have gotten stronger.

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Celebrate iconic artists like Michael Jackson at Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands of titles to choose from in an array of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia. Stop by our Plainview store at 101-14 Dupont Street or check us out online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.