Hot spot for pop stars: BBC's Maida Vale Studios in London
London's Maida Vale studios have hosted pop and rock stars for decades. Now, the BBC has sold the building to German film composer Hans Zimmer, among others.
A retreat spot for the BBC Symphony Orchestra
Beginning in 1934, the BBC used the building in the upscale London neighborhood of Maida Vale. Not only was it the center of BBC News production during World War II, it also became home to the British broadcaster's symphony orchestra. The musicians rehearsed there and gave concerts. This image shows violionist bad boy Nigel Kennedy. In addition, many recordings were made in the studios.
The Beatles hosted a radio show
In addition to classical music, rock and pop music eventually made their way into the famous studios. In 1963, The Beatles hosted their own radio show at Maida Vale: "Pop Go The Beatles," which ran for 15 weeks in the afternoon slot. They performed songs such as "Please Please Me," "Twist and Shout" and "P.S. I Love You," among others.
Host of a legendary radio show: John Peel
The Maida Vale Studios gained worldwide renown also thanks to radio presenter John Peel. He was a music nerd who offered young talents of all genres a major platform on his radio show, which was broadcast between 1967 and 2004. Many well-known stars came to him to promote their new albums: from Bob Marley to David Bowie, Elton John and The Fugees, to the White Stripes.
Nirvana writes music history
The gigs hosted by John Peel, at which the invited artists performed a handful of songs, went down in music history as the "Peel Sessions." The US grunge band Nirvana was a guest on John Peel's radio show three times: in 1989 with their first album "Bleach," in 1990 with the milestone "Nevermind," and a final appearance in September 1991.
Nick Cave visited John Peel with his band in 1984, 2001
Neither The Beatles nor the Rolling Stones ever recorded a "Peel Session," although Peel promoted British artists in particular. Instead, many other bands and solo artists appeared on his show, including Queen, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Gossip, Genesis, Nick Cave and even German bands like F.S.K. and Einstürzende Neubauten.
US superstar Beyonce on a promotional tour
But apart from John Peel, the studios themselves also had their appeal. US singer Beyonce traveled to London for an exclusive radio concert in 2003. Her album "Dangerously In Love" had just been released, and the single "Crazy in Love" climbed to the top of the charts in many countries around the globe. In Great Britain and the US, she reached number one.
Indie pop star Declan Mckenna
The Maida Vale Studios were also known as a concert venue. They gave a stage to musicians and fans with an intimate concert experience, as audience capacity was limited to 220 people. As part of the Future Festival, British shooting star and singer-songwriter Declan Mckenna took the stage at the legendary studios in West London in 2017.