Central Sound Studios
9 Denmark Street London
1958
Central Sound Studios - first situated at number 6 Denmark Street - was opened by professional big band singer Freddie Winrose (real name Freddie Packham) in 1958. After a successful singing career fronting big bands Freddie had established himself as one of the country’s foremost singing teachers, and Denmark Street was the perfect place at the time to run his business from.
He became the person to go to for record companies who would send over their young and newly signed pop proteges; his pupils included Shirley Bassey, Helen Shapiro and Scott Walker.
Tin Pan Alley
Earning the nickname of London’s Tin Pan Alley in the 1920s, Denmark Street became the centre of London's music scene since its origins as a sheet music supplier in Victorian times. Between 1975 and 77 Malcolm McLaren took a lease on the outbuilding of No 6, the downstairs used as a studio and the upstairs as living accommodation for Steve Jones and Glen Matlock.
Murder on Tin Pan Alley
Starting off as a small demo facility, Freddie Winrose would soon bring his son Freddie Junior to take over the engineering role. In 1967 they also took over the upstairs floors of number 9 Denmark Street and built a new studio there, next door to the famous Giaconda cafe.
Number 9 was originally owned by Reg Calvert, an artist manager, music promoter, and became vacant because Calvert was murdered by a former business associate on the 21st June 1966 over a pirate radio business deal.
The new control room was situated above the recording area at the top of the building.
David Bowie
In 1967 the equipment comprised:
Studer 1" 4 Track
Ampex half inch 2 track.
EMT Reverb plate.
12:2 Custom built desk.
In May 1965 David Bowie went into the studios with the band
The Lower Third to record demos.
Denmark Street’s Notable Music Industry Businesses of the 1960s
No. 4
Regent Sound Studios occupied the ground floor, with Essex Music Publishers located above.
No. 5
The New Musical Express (NME) operated here from 1952 until 1964. In 1969, the premises became the Top Gear musical instrument shop.
No. 6
The original home of Central Sound Studios.
No. 8
Southern Music Studio — a ground-floor studio located within the offices of the Southern Music publishing company.
No. 9
Central Sound Studios moved upstairs to No. 9 in 1967.
Melody Maker also began life at 9 Denmark Street in 1926.
The La Gioconda Café was the primary social hub where musicians such as David Bowie, The Small Faces, and Jimi Hendrix met to talk business and form bands.
No. 20
Mills Music, a publishing office where a young Elton John worked in 1963. He would often nip across the street to play piano on songwriters’ demos at Regent Sound.
No. 21
KPM Publishers and Studios operated in the basement.
Also based here was Peter Maurice Music, where Lionel Bart wrote songs that were sold by the publisher to artists such as Marty Wilde and Adam Faith.
No. 22
Tin Pan Alley Studios occupied the basement from 1954 onwards. The Small Faces and Manfred Mann made their first recordings here.
By early 1963, the ground floor became home to the Musical Exchange, one of the first guitar shops on the street. It was run by the Macari family, and the famous Tone Bender fuzz pedal was developed in the back room.
No. 23
Pan-Musik occupied the building, with Pan Studios in the basement. The Who used the studio for some of their early demos.
No. 25
Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd., who took over Regent Sound in 1967.
No. 26
Julie’s Café — a cheap and popular hangout for bands.
1968 - Central Sound Studios
1968
1968 was to be a successful year for the studio, recording three hit singles that landed in the top ten:
Honeybus - I Can’t Let Maggie go.
Easybeats - Hello, how are you?
Bee Gees - The Singer Sang his Song.
For a certain generation The Honeybus song will always be associated with the Nimble Bread advert.
1968
1969
The studio was still 4-track in 1969.
1971
The studio had a brief spell as an 8-track in the early 70s, using a Sound Techniques A Range Desk.
1972
in July 1972 Central Sound went 16-track adding an Ampex M100 tape machine and a new 20 Channel Sound Techniques System 12 Desk.
1972 - 16-Track
Freddie Packham Junior had taken over the business by now from his Father, bringing in Mac Geddes as studio Manager.
1972
Right: The Control Room of Central Sound Studios.
1977
By 1977 the studio had changed its name to Central Recorders and was preparing to go 24-track. They ordered a Raindirk Quantum desk and put the Sound Techniques desk up for sale.
