Albert Grossman, who was the manager of Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary, first arrived in Bearsville in 1964 with his future wife, Sally, and Dylan via Dylan's station wagon, and went to work creating a retreat for the community of artists with whom he worked. The Bearsville recording studios would be just one component of the complex that would eventually include Bearsville Records, Turtle Creek Barn and Apartments, Location Recorders, the Bearsville Theatre, and multiple restaurants. The two-hour drive from New York City, a "retreat" for some artists, combined with residences owned by Albert Grossman, amplified this value.[1]
1969-1979
Bearsville's first recording studio, Studio B, was completed in 1969. Studio B was initially designed by Robert Hansen and later re-designed and modified by John Storyk of the Walters-Storyk Design Group and acoustician George Augspurger.[2] The larger Studio A featured a large 2,400 square foot tracking room with a 35-foot high ceiling. Originally intended as a project studio for Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson of The Band, Turtle Creek Barn and Apartments offered recording facilities combined with a private living space.
Other artists recording at Bearsville in the 1970s included The Isley Brothers, NRBQ, Patti Smith Group, and Foghat. Additionally, The Rolling Stones rehearsed at Bearsville from May 27 until June 8, 1978 for their US Tour 1978, with the recordings of these rehearsals later released as the Complete Woodstock Tapes 4-disc set.[4]
1980s
In 1980, Grossman built Rundgren's Utopia Video Studio, which would later house radio station WDST.[2] In 1985, a remodel of Studio A was completed, including the addition of a Neve 8088recording console custom-built for and previously in use at The Who's Ramport Studios.[5]
In 1986, Grossman's wife Sally assumed directorship of Bearsville following his death. From 1986 to 1989, Bearsville hosted recording sessions for The Pretenders, Marshall Crenshaw, Suzanne Vega, Joe Jackson, and others, and Tesla recorded their first two studio albums at the studios.
In 1988, The Replacements had a 10-day recording session at Bearsville during which they trashed the recording studio and living quarters and played a game they called "dodge knife" that was like dodgeball but using knives. The recordings, originally intended for the band's album Don't Tell a Soul were not included on the album. They were eventually released in 2019 as part of the Dead Man's Pop box set.[6]
R.E.M. recorded significant portions of three successive albums at Bearsville, beginning with Green (1988). The music historian Barney Hoskyns, in his 2016 book about Woodstock, Small Town Talk, wrote that the band's presence "was certainly a highwater mark in the studio's life."[7]
In 1989 a barn was converted to create The Bearsville Theater, with space for rehearsals and live performances.[8]
1990s
In the early 1990s, Bearsville hosted sessions to record albums for Living Colour and The Connells. In late 1993 and early 1994, Jeff Buckley recorded his only studio album, Grace at Bearsville.
In 2002, the building that housed the original Bearsville Studios A and B was sold, with Sally Grossman utilizing components from the former studios to repurpose the Turtle Creek Barn into a new studio named Bearsville at Turtle Creek.[10] By 2004, Sally Grossman had sold all Bearsville complex properties, including the Turtle Creek Barn, the Bearsville Theater, two restaurants, and the Utopia soundstage.[11]
Bearsville Center (2019-present)
In August 2019, the Bearsville Theatre complex was purchased by Lizzie Vann, who re-opened the complex as the Bearsville Center.[12][13] This set in motion a multi-million-dollar renovation of the complex to repair extensive water damage from roof leaks.[14]
Selected list of albums recorded at Bearsville Studios (by year)
