Rumbo Recorders was a recording studio in the
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 ...
neighborhood of
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
History
In 1977,
Daryl Dragon
Daryl Frank Dragon (August 27, 1942 – January 2, 2019) was an American musician, known as Captain from the pop musical duo Captain & Tennille with his then-wife, Toni Tennille.
Career
Born into a musical family, Dragon was the son of ...
and
Toni Tennille
Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille (born May 8, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist, best known as one-half of the 1970s duo Captain & Tennille with her former husband Daryl Dragon; their signature song is " Love Will Keep Us ...
, the husband and wife team widely known as
Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille were American recording artists whose primary success occurred in the 1970s. The husband-and-wife team were "Captain" Daryl Dragon (1942–2019) and Toni Tennille (born 1940). They have five albums certified gold or platinu ...
, began building the studio at 20215 Saticoy Street for their own private use following the success of their single "
Love Will Keep Us Together
"Love Will Keep Us Together" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It was first recorded by Sedaka in 1973. American pop duo Captain & Tennille covered the song in 1975, with instrumental backing almost entirely by “Captain ...
". Dragon named the studio Rumbo Recorders after a toy elephant he named Rumbo when he was 5 years old.
The studio's entrance was appropriately flanked by a large pair of elephant statues.
After reassurance from
Geordie Hormel
George "Geordie" Hormel (July 17, 1928 – February 12, 2006) was an American musician and recording studio proprietor.
Early life and career
Hormel was the son of Jay Catherwood Hormel and grandson of George A. Hormel, the founder of Hormel Fo ...
at
Village Recorder
The Village (also known as Village Recorders, or the Village Recorder) is a recording studio located at 1616 Butler Avenue in West Los Angeles, California.
History
The building was built by the Freemasons in 1922 and was originally a Masonic ...
of the commercial viability of a studio, Dragon hired Rudy Brewer, who had done work at The Village, to complete Studio A. Rumbo Recorders opened in 1979.
[ Studio A featured a 650 square foot control room outfitted with a 60-input Neve V Series recording console and two ]Studer
Studer is a designer and manufacturer of professional audio equipment for recording studios and broadcasters. The company was founded in Zürich, Switzerland, in 1948 by Willi Studer. It initially became known in the 1950s for its professiona ...
A827 24-track multitrack recorders.[
In the early 1980s, the studio expanded into a space vacated by a swimming pool supply company to build Studio B, whose design was inspired by ]Caribou Ranch
Caribou Ranch was a recording studio built by producer James William Guercio in 1972 in a converted barn on ranch property in the Rocky Mountains near Nederland, Colorado, on the road that leads to the ghost town of Caribou. The studio was in op ...
, where Dragon & Tennille had visited while working with The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...
in 1974. Studio B featured a 660 square foot control room, outfitted with a 40-input Trident 80C console. A decade later, Rumbo Studio B would be the inspiration for the design of 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 ...
's own Belmont Recording Studio, The location of projects such as Guns N' Roses' ''Appetite for Destruction
''Appetite for Destruction'' is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It was released on July 21, 1987, by Geffen Records. The album was released to little mainstream attention in 1987. It was not until the following ...
'' and '' The Spaghetti Incident?'', as well as Slash's Snakepit
Slash's Snakepit was an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in 1994. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band with equal contributions ...
's ''It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" is a song performed by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett, and written by Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins. It was released in June 2003 as the lead single from Jackson's 2003 compilation album '' Greatest Hits Volume ...
'', Studio B is a favorite of Mike Clink
Mike Clink is an American record producer. He began his career as an engineer at Record Plant Studios, recording such bands as Whitesnake, Triumph, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, UFO (including ''Strangers in the Night''), Jefferson St ...
, who particularly likes the room for tracking drums.[
In 1991, Rumbo added Studio C for overdubs. Studio C featured a 650 square foot control room with a 32-input Trident 80 Series console. It also added two isolation booths. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recorded their album '' Into the Great Wide Open'' in Rumbo Studio C.][
In 2003, citing massive changes in the recording industry, Dragon and Tennille sold Rumbo Recorders.][
]
Location
Rumbo's location in the West San Fernando Valley offered producers and artists a creative space away from the distractions of Hollywood, and factored into producer Mike Clink's choice of Rumbo Recorders for the recording of Guns N' Roses album, ''Appetite for Destruction''.[
]
Notable artists
A number of notable artists recorded at Rumbo, including Guns N' Roses, Megadeth, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Roy Orbison, Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
, Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots (also known by the initialism STP) is an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass, backing vocals), and Eric Kr ...
, REO Speedwagon, The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...
, Mötley Crüe, 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 ...
, No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, the ...
, Keb' Mo'
Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician and five-time Grammy Award winner. He is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link ...
, Pink
Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...
, Spinal Tap, Survivor, Maroon 5, and Ringo Starr.
Selected list of albums recorded at Rumbo Recorders (by year)
* Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille were American recording artists whose primary success occurred in the 1970s. The husband-and-wife team were "Captain" Daryl Dragon (1942–2019) and Toni Tennille (born 1940). They have five albums certified gold or platinu ...
: ''Keeping Our Love Warm
''Keeping Our Love Warm'' is the sixth studio album by the American duo Captain & Tennille. Issued in 1980, it was their final full-length release recorded for Casablanca Records.
Background
''Keeping Our Love Warm'' was the last major album fr ...
'' - 1980
* Survivor: ''Eye of the Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a song by American rock band Survivor. It was released as a single from their third album of the same name and was also the theme song for the 1982 film ''Rocky III'', which was released a day before the single. The son ...
'' - 1982
* REO Speedwagon: '' Wheels Are Turnin''' - 1984
* Dio: '' Sacred Heart'' - 1985
* Guns N' Roses: ''Appetite for Destruction
''Appetite for Destruction'' is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It was released on July 21, 1987, by Geffen Records. The album was released to little mainstream attention in 1987. It was not until the following ...
'' - 1987
* Fleetwood Mac: ''Tango in the Night
''Tango in the Night'' is the fourteenth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 13 April 1987. It is the fifth and final studio album from the band's most successful lineup of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood ...
'' - 1987
* Megadeth: ''Rust In Peace
''Rust in Peace'' is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 24, 1990 by Capitol Records. It was the first Megadeth album to feature lead guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. The songs " ...
'' - 1990
* Mr. Big: '' Lean into It'' - 1991
* Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: '' Into the Great Wide Open'' - 1991
* Stone Temple Pilots: ''Core
Core or cores may refer to:
Science and technology
* Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages
* Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding
* Core (optical fiber), the signal-carrying portion of an optical fiber
* Core, the centra ...
'' - 1992
* Bad Religion: '' Stranger Than Fiction'' - 1994
* UFO
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
: '' Walk on Water'' - 1995
* Maroon 5: ''Songs About Jane
''Songs About Jane'' is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Maroon 5. The album was released on June 25, 2002, by Octone and J Records. It became a sleeper hit with the help of five singles that attained chart success, including " H ...
'' - 2002
Producers and engineers associated with Rumbo Recorders
* Mike Clink
Mike Clink is an American record producer. He began his career as an engineer at Record Plant Studios, recording such bands as Whitesnake, Triumph, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Megadeth, UFO (including ''Strangers in the Night''), Jefferson St ...
* Greg Droman
* Richard Dashut
References
External links
Rumbo Recorders 1980 Brochure by Eric Wrobbel
{{coord missing, Los Angeles County, California
Recording studios in California
Audio engineering
Music of Los Angeles