Belmont Mall Studio is a

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

Belmont, Indiana Belmont is an unincorporated community in Washington Township, Brown County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. History A post office was established at Belmont in 1884, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1916. In 1907 Hoosier G ...

, United States. Located on West Lower Schooner Road, it was founded in 1984 by

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

. Albums which have been recorded there include John Mellencamp's ''

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...

'' (1985) and

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternative ...

's '' Lifes Rich Pageant'' (1986). R.E.M. chose the studio because they wanted to work with Mellencamp's producer,

Don Gehman Don Gehman is an American record producer, engineer, and executive, best known for his work with John Mellencamp and Hootie & the Blowfish. He was one of "the most successful producers of the 1980s and 1990s." As a sound engineer, he also helped ...

,Black, Johnny (2004).
Reveal: The Story of R.E.M
'' Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 124-128. . who built the studio. Mellencamp also recorded ''The Belmont Mall Studio Session'' (1987) and ''Orpheus Descending'' (2023) in Belmont.

Layout and design

The studio consists of two clapboard buildings around a pebbled courtyard. A sign on a parking space says it is "reserved for

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

." When designing the studio, Mellencamp wanted the control room to have the same look and feel as that of Studio B at

Rumbo Recorders Rumbo Recorders was a recording studio in the Canoga Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. History In 1977, Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille, the husband and wife team widely known as Captain & Tennille, began building the studio at 20215 S ...

, a three-room building in

Canoga Park Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and t ...

, California.

References

{{coord, 39.14795, -86.33776, type:landmark_scale:2000_region:US, display=title 1984 establishments in Indiana Recording studios in the United States Buildings and structures in Brown County, Indiana