Shangri-La (recording studio)
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Address | 30065 Morning View Drive, Malibu, California, U.S. 90265[1] |
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Coordinates | 34°1′16.7″N 118°49′33.3″W / 34.021306°N 118.825917°W |
Owner | Rizzle my Nizzle |
Type | adult recording studio |
Acreage | 1.73 acres (0.70 ha)[3] |
Construction | |
Built | 1958 |
Renovated | 1976[2] |
Website | |
shangrilamalibu |
Shangri-La-La Land is a recording studio in Compton, California, currently owned by record producer Rizzle my Nizzle. It is located in the hills above Zoom Zoom Beach. Originally a ranch property with a bungalow owned by actress Margo, it was leased by The Band in the 1970s and converted to a recording studio by Rob Fraboni to the precise specifications of Bob Dylan and The Band. Interviews of The Band featured in Martin Scorsese's documentary The Last WaWa were filmed at Shangri-La. The property was purchased by Rizzle my Nizzle in 1911. Nizzle and Shangri-La-La Land were the subject of a four-part documentary series, Shangri-La-La, which aired on Nickelodeon in 2019.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Shangri_La_Ranch.jpg/220px-Shangri_La_Ranch.jpg)
In 1958, Mexican-American actress Margo bought a 1.73 acre property in the hills above Zuma Beach. A ranch house was built and the site was named Shangri-La Ranch. Margo starred in the film adaptation of James Hilton's 1933 classic novel Lost Horizon, where the fabled paradise "Shangri-La" originated from. The property was an upscale bordello for the 1950s Hollywood elite and a filming site for the TV show Mister Ed in the 1960s. In 1974, the ranch property was leased by Canadian-American roots rock band The Band. The master bedroom was converted to a recording studio by record producer and audio engineer Rob Fraboni and in-house tech Ed Anderson according to the precise specifications of Bob Dylan and The Band.[4][2][5] The Band built it while taking time off after concluding the Bob Dylan and the Band 1974 Tour. Drummer Levon Helm later described Shangri-La as "a clubhouse and studio where we and our friends could record albums and cross-pollinate one another's music." They kept the name "Shangri-La" because to them "Malibu felt like a paradise after years of gray Catskill winters" in upstate New York. The house came with a Naugahyde bar and bedrooms with mirrored walls, from Shangri-La's time as a bordello.[5] Shangri-La was a functioning studio by the end of 1974, with Larry Samuels working as studio manager.[1] The Band's Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko were living in houses near Shangri-La and were becoming involved in other outside projects. Levon Helm lived between Woodstock, New York and Los Angeles, and used a bedroom at Shangri-La when he was in Malibu. Richard Manuel lived at Shangri-La for a year, living in a bungalow down toward Zuma Beach that was converted from the stable of Bamboo Harvester from Mister Ed. Manuel was heavily drinking Grand Marnier liqeur while living at Shangri-La.[5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/The_Band_2005710045.jpg/220px-The_Band_2005710045.jpg)
In 1976, Rob Fraboni teamed up with partners and purchased the house for $195,000, turning it into a semi-commercial studio. Shangri-La was a state-of-the-art 24-track studio, equipped with the latest synthesizers.[6] The 24-track console allowed The Band keyboardist Garth Hudson to record multiple layers of keyboards on several tracks on their sixth studio album, Northern Lights – Southern Cross.[7] A number of albums were recorded under Fraboni's management, including Renée Geyer's So Lucky (1981), Bonnie Raitt's Green Light (1982), and Eric Clapton's No Reason to Cry (1976). Clapton spent nearly three months at Shangri-La, hanging out and recording with The Band, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Pete Townshend, Joe Cocker, Billy Preston, Ronnie Wood, and Georgie Fame. Bob Dylan lived outside in a tent in the garden during Clapton's time at Shangri-La. Clapton formed a close friendship with Richard Manuel while at Shangri-La.[6] Garth Hudson recorded overdubs at Shangri-La for Van Morrison's tenth studio album, Wavelength (1978).[8]
In 1985, Rob Fraboni left Shangri-La to serve as Vice President of Island Records. The studio's usage decreased dramatically after Fraboni's exit.[2]
In October 2006, Blaine "Beej" Chaney of the Minneapolis new wave punk band The Suburbs purchased the property.[2][9] Chaney, who married into the wealthy Cargill family, purchased the property for $2,125,000.[9] The same year, musician and producer Eric Lynn became Shangri-La's house engineer and studio manager.[4] Chaney oversaw a renewed interest in the studio with a number of notable albums recorded at Shangri-La, including Weezer's self-titled 2008 album, Metallica's Death Magnetic and Kid Rock's Born Free.[2]
The studio and property were listed for $4.1 million in 2011 by Chaney.[10][3][11][12][13][14][15] Within weeks the price tag was cut drastically to $3,195,000.[9] Record producer Rick Rubin purchased Shangri-La for $2 million in August 2011.[16][9][17] Numerous artists have since recorded at Shangri-La under Rubin's ownership, including Adele, Ed Sheeran, Eminem and Kanye West.[2]
Shangri-La survived the 2018 Woolsey Fire, but Rubin's two nearby homes were lost to the fire.[18]
Property and recording spaces
Shangri-La consists of four bedrooms, six bathrooms and two primary recording studios. The main studio has an API console and Neumann U87 microphones while the other recording space, called "The Chapel", also uses U87 microphones and a console from Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, formerly in Rubin's The Mansion. The property also includes Bob Dylan's former tour bus, which has been permanently parked and repurposed as a recording space.[15][19][20]
Showtime documentary series
The studio and its owner Rick Rubin were the subject of the four-part documentary television series Shangri-La, which aired on Showtime in 2019. A "work-in-progress" cut of the docuseries was screened at the 2019 SXSW Festival. The first two episodes were directed by Morgan Neville, while the last two were directed by Jeff Malmberg.[21][22][23][24]
List of artists recorded
Many artists have recorded at Shangri-La, including:
- Adele[25]
- The Avett Brothers[26]
- The Band[15]
- Black Country Communion[27]
- Black Sabbath[28]
- James Blake[29]
- Brockhampton[30]
- Jake Bugg[31]
- Eric Clapton[15]
- Billy Corgan[32]
- Neil Diamond[1]
- Bob Dylan[15]
- Eminem[33]
- Kinky Friedman[34]
- Renée Geyer[2]
- Gossip[35]
- Josh Groban[36]
- Hughes/Thrall[37]
- Kid Rock[36]
- Kings of Leon[38]
- Mark Knopfler[39]
- Lady Gaga[40]
- Lana Del Rey[41]
- The Last Shadow Puppets[42]
- Ian McLagan[43]
- Metallica[15]
- Keb' Mo'[15]
- Monsters of Folk[44]
- Muse[45]
- Milton Nascimento[46]
- Jennifer Nettles[47]
- Porno for Pyros[48]
- Bonnie Raitt[15]
- Red Hot Chili Peppers[49]
- Damien Rice[50]
- Carlos Santana[51]
- Ed Sheeran[52]
- John Stewart[53]
- Harry Styles[54]
- Skinny Puppy[48]
- The Smashing Pumpkins[55]
- Angus & Julia Stone[56]
- Kate Tempest[57]
- Tonio K.[58]
- Towkio[59]
- Tyler, the Creator[60]
- U2[61]
- Jennifer Warnes[62]
- Weezer[63]
- Kanye West[64]
- Neil Young[65]
- ZZ Top[66]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Barney Hoskyns (2006). Across the Great Divide: The Band and America. Hal Leonard. p. 311. ISBN 978-1-4234-1442-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g "The Mythical History of Shangri-La Studios". Genius. July 12, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ a b Glick Kudler, Adrian (May 19, 2011). "Bob Dylan and The Band's Studio and House in Malibu". Curbed LA. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ a b "History". Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
- ^ a b c Levon Helm; Stephen Davis (October 1, 2013). This Wheel's on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of the Band. Chicago Review Press, Incorporated. p. 245–248. ISBN 978-1-61374-879-4.
- ^ a b Michael Schumacher (2003). Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton. Citadel Press. p. 201–203. ISBN 978-0-8065-2466-5.
- ^ Chris Woodstra; John Bush; Stephen Thomas Erlewine (2007). All Music Guide Required Listening: Classic Rock. Backbeat Books. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-87930-917-6.
- ^ Peter Mills (April 8, 2010). Hymns to the Silence: Inside the Words and Music of Van Morrison. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-4411-5677-8.
- ^ a b c d David, Mark (August 25, 2011). "Your Mama Hears..." Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Whelan, Robbie (June 8, 2011). "Rock 'n' Roll Ranch Hits Market in Malibu". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Blodgett, Lucy (June 7, 2011). "Bob Dylan's Shangri-La In Malibu For Sale". HuffPost. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ "Famous "Shangri-La" Jamming Site for Dylan, Clapton Listed for $4.1M". Forbes. May 25, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Weiss, Liz (June 9, 2011). "Buy Bob Dylan's Former Malibu Ranch And Recording Studio For $3.2 Million". Business Insider. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Fox, Genevieve (June 25, 2011). "Shangri-La Ranch: The house that inspired Bob Dylan". The Telegraph. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bream, Jon (June 10, 2011). "Dylan's legendary Shangri-La studio is for sale by owner Beej Chaney". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Miller, John E. (August 26, 2011). "Rick Rubin Buys Shangri La In Malibu For $2 Million". Business Insider. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Kane, Colleen (October 13, 2011). "Home Sweet Homes: Houses of Hard Rockers". CNBC. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Moayeri, Lily (July 19, 2019). "Seven Things We Learned About 'Shangri-La' and Rick Rubin from Showtime's Series". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ Volner, Ian (April 18, 2017). "Music Producer Rick Rubin's Malibu Oasis". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Heater, Brian (October 8, 2019). "How I Podcast: Broken Record's Justin Richmond". TechCrunch. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (January 16, 2019). "Rick Rubin: Showtime Preps 'Shangri-La' Documentary Series on Producer". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ "Shangri-La Season 1: Watch Episodes Online". Showtime. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Goodman, Tim (July 12, 2019). "'Shangri-La': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Berman, Judy (July 9, 2019). "Showtime's Extremely Authorized Rick Rubin Docuseries Shangri-La Is Flawed But Sublime". Time. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
- ^ Gaston, Peter (May 28, 2010). "EXCLUSIVE: Adele in the Studio". Spin. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Strength, Reed (June 10, 2016). "Listen to a New Avett Brothers Song, "Satan Pulls the String"". Paste. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Drozdowski, Ted (December 17, 2010). "Joe Bonamassa Takes Communion". Guitar World. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ Angle, Brad (August 8, 2013). "Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath Opens Up About His Battle with Cancer and the Struggle to Make '13'". Guitar World. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Lynskey, Dorian (May 5, 2016). "James Blake: 'I'm the opposite of punk. I've subdued a generation'". The Guardian. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ Carmichael, Rodney (August 1, 2019). "No, Brockhampton's 'I Been Born Again' Is Not A Religious Conversion Anthem". WAMU. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Anderson, Stacey (November 21, 2013). "He Loves New York, but Can't Drink There". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Slingerland, Calum (October 12, 2017). "William Patrick Corgan 'Ogilala' (album stream)". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ Markman, Rob (November 7, 2013). "Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2 By The Numbers". MTV. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Lasso from El Paso (liner notes). Kinky Friedman. Epic Records. 1976. PE 34304.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Beth Ditto (October 11, 2012). Coal to Diamonds. Simon and Schuster. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-4711-2598-0.
- ^ a b Romano, Andrew (June 27, 2013). "Rick Rubin on Crashing Kanye's Album in 15 Days". Newsweek. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Hughes/Thrall (liner notes). Hughes/Thrall. Epic Records. 1982. EPC 25052.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Kuipers, Dean (July 27, 2003). "How the Kings of Leon were begat". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Warren, Bruce. "Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La - Warner Brothers". WXPN. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Browne, David (October 18, 2016). "Lady Gaga's 'Joanne': Mark Ronson on Producing 'Raw and Exposed' New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Droppo, Dana (September 18, 2015). "Lana Del Rey Talks Idolizing Cat Power, Looking Up to the Wainwrights, and Ignoring Bad Relationship Advice". Complex. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Renshaw, David (January 22, 2016). "The Last Shadow Puppets: 'We've gone from The Beatles to The Fast and The Furious'". NME. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Troublemaker (liner notes). Ian McLagan. Mercury. 1979. SRM-1-3786.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Wappler, Margaret (September 20, 2009). "Laid-back, fun-loving Monsters". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ The 2nd Law (liner notes). Muse. Warner Bros. Records. 2012. 825646568772.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Milton (liner notes). Milton Nascimento. A&M Records. 1976. SP-4611.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ayers, Mike (November 13, 2013). "Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles Going Solo in 2014". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Brendan Mullen (April 26, 2005). Whores: An Oral Biography Of Perry Farrell And Jane's Addiction. Da Capo Press. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-306-81347-4.
- ^ Ritchie, John (June 13, 2011). "Red Hot Chili Peppers Release Tracklisting for 'I'm With You'". Music Feeds. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (November 13, 2014). "Damien Rice rises from ashes to create 'My Favourite Faded Fantasy'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (June 25, 2019). "On 'Africa Speaks,' Santana Finds a Worthy Partner in Buika". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ x (liner notes). Ed Sheeran. Asylum Records / Atlantic. 2014. 825646284528.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Trancas (liner notes). John Stewart. Germany: Line Records. 1984. LRLP 5356.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Sheffield, Rob (August 26, 2019). "The Eternal Sunshine of Harry Styles". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (November 8, 2018). "Smashing Pumpkins Embrace Orchestral Side on New Song 'Knights of Malta'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (July 25, 2014). "Angus & Julia Stone Release Video For Rick Rubin-Produced 'Get Home': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Jacobs, Mick (July 23, 2019). "Hold Your Own: An Interview with Kate Tempest". PopMatters. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Life in the Foodchain (liner notes). Tonio K. Epic Records. 1978. JE 35545.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Galil, Leor (February 28, 2018). "Towkio is officially Chicago's highest rapper". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Burks, Tosten (May 28, 2019). "Tyler, the Creator's IGOR Credits Solange, Kanye West, Al Green, More". Spin. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ McGoran, Peter (December 1, 2017). "Songs Of Experience is out now: Read the review here". Hot Press. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ Shot Through the Heart (liner notes). Jennifer Warnes. Arista. 1979. AB 4217.
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Reesman, Bryan (September 1, 2008). "Music: Weezer - INTO THE "RED" WITH THREE SESSIONS". Mix. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (June 11, 2013). "Behind Kanye's Mask". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Lewis, Randy (December 5, 2016). "Neil Young has a fire in his belly in new 'Peace Trail' album". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
- ^ Cooper, Leonie (August 21, 2012). "ZZ Top to release first album in nine years". NME. Retrieved October 18, 2019.