Marvin's Room (studio)
Encyclopedia
Marvin's Room is a recording studio
founded by American
soul
musician Marvin Gaye
.
Created by the singer in 1975 shortly after renegotiating a deal with Motown Records
, the singer built the studios in Los Angeles
as a spacious apartment-like complex big enough to be a studio, a home and, for a time, a dance club. It was once called "the Studio 54
of the West Coast".
There, Gaye recorded his late-'70s material including I Want You, Here, My Dear
, the hit single "Got to Give It Up
", his shelved Ballads album (later released as the Vulnerable
album in 1997), and a shelved disco-styled album, Love Man, which was later redone and released in 1981 as In Our Lifetime.
Gaye's studio would often run parties there where a vast majority of the Hollywood elite including Diana Ross
and Muhammad Ali
and other musicians and even politicians would be spotted.
The studio was shut down due to the singer's legal and financial troubles foreclosed on his house, cars as well as the studio. Marvin's ex, Janis Gaye
, said that Marvin was "emotionally crushed" by the sale of the studio in the end of 1979.
It was later rechristened in the mid-1980s as Eldorado Studios
where rock groups such as Alice in Chains
recorded there unbeknownst to anyone that the studio was once owned by Gaye. In 1997, the studio was restored by John McClain, who purchased the studio saving it from being turned into a photo lab. Since then, artists like Prince
, Michael Jackson
, Luther Vandross
, Mary J. Blige
, Usher
, Mariah Carey
, Lenny Kravitz
, and Drake
have all since recorded there. Drake recently recorded a song named after this legendary studio.
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
founded by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
musician Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
.
Created by the singer in 1975 shortly after renegotiating a deal with Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
, the singer built the studios in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as a spacious apartment-like complex big enough to be a studio, a home and, for a time, a dance club. It was once called "the Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
of the West Coast".
There, Gaye recorded his late-'70s material including I Want You, Here, My Dear
Here, My Dear
Here, My Dear is a studio double album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released December 15, 1978 on Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Marvin's Room in Hollywood, California from 1976 to 1977. A deeply personal and controversial album, Here, My Dear is notable for...
, the hit single "Got to Give It Up
Got to Give It Up
"Got to Give It Up" is a funk/disco song by American recording artist Marvin Gaye. Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart, it was recorded in three studio dates in 1976 with a final mixing in early 1977...
", his shelved Ballads album (later released as the Vulnerable
Vulnerable (Marvin Gaye album)
Vulnerable is a posthumous album which was recorded by American singer Marvin Gaye in the late 1970s and set to be released under the tentative title of The Ballads. Shelved in 1979, the album was released by Motown in 1997.-Background:...
album in 1997), and a shelved disco-styled album, Love Man, which was later redone and released in 1981 as In Our Lifetime.
Gaye's studio would often run parties there where a vast majority of the Hollywood elite including Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and other musicians and even politicians would be spotted.
The studio was shut down due to the singer's legal and financial troubles foreclosed on his house, cars as well as the studio. Marvin's ex, Janis Gaye
Janis Gaye
Janis Gaye is best known as the second wife of American musician Marvin Gaye.-Biography:...
, said that Marvin was "emotionally crushed" by the sale of the studio in the end of 1979.
It was later rechristened in the mid-1980s as Eldorado Studios
Eldorado Recording Studios
Eldorado Recording Studios is a recording studio in Burbank, California originally established in 1954 at the corner of Hollywood and Vine as a workshop for Johnny Otis...
where rock groups such as Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
recorded there unbeknownst to anyone that the studio was once owned by Gaye. In 1997, the studio was restored by John McClain, who purchased the studio saving it from being turned into a photo lab. Since then, artists like Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
, Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, and Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
have all since recorded there. Drake recently recorded a song named after this legendary studio.