Astoria (recording studio)
Astoria is the houseboat converted intoa recording studio by David Gilmour , the singer and guitarist of the British rock group Pink Floyd . Theboat, builtby Fred Karno in1911, is moored on the Thames ( England ) upstream from Tagg's Island .
Historical background
The boat itself was built in 1911 for the theater owner and Charlie Chaplin boss Fred Karno in Brentford , who wanted to own the best houseboat on the river. The cost amounted to 20,000 pounds , which today approximately 900,000 pounds (about 1.3 million euro would correspond). It was designed to accommodate a 90-piece orchestra on the deck. After Karnos went bankrupt in the 1920s, the boat was sold to singer Vesta Victoria , who owned it until 1930. In the same year the outside of the boat was reinforced with steel and it was moored off Tagg's Island on the Thames until 1951. David Gilmour bought the houseboat in 1986 because, according to his own admission, he had spent half of his life in studios without windows and lights and was looking for a studio of his own that would fit his needs. He was particularly impressed by the many windows and the picturesque surroundings that surround the boat.
Musical meaning
The Pink Floyd albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason , The Division Bell and The Endless River, as well as the solo album Gilmours On an Island , released in 2006, were largely recorded in the Astoria's studio. Other artists such as Porcupine Tree , Procol Harum , Kula Shaker and Nick Cave also worked in the studio.
Web links
- Photos of the Astoria
- Documentation Three Men in a Boat
- Video interview with David Gilmour about the Astoria
Individual evidence
- ↑ "National Register of Historic Vessels" ( Memento of the original from April 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. nationalhistoricships.org.uk (Eng.)
- ↑ “The Astoria” ( Memento of the original from May 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. blueyonder.co.uk (engl.)
Coordinates: 51 ° 24 ′ 42.8 " N , 0 ° 21 ′ 29.1" W.