In 1977, the first music artist to record in the studio was the Dutch band
Solution with
Fully Interlocking (produced by Dudgeon) and mixed their next album ''
...It's Only Just Begun... there. That same year the single "Almost Gone" by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil was recorded followed in 1978 with one song by Larry Smith, Back and Fourth'' by
Lindisfarne,
Elton John's album
A Single Man including some unreleased tracks, as well the
Chris Rea's debut album
Whatever Happened to Benny Santini? with the 1979 follow-up
Deltics. Also in 1979-80
Shooting Star's self-titled
debut album, and two
Voyager albums
Halfway Hotel (1979) and
Act of Love (1980). In 1980, the Irish band
The Boomtown Rats, as well
Mary Wilson, recorded several unreleased tracks,
Elkie Brooks her best-selling album
Pearls,
Gilbert O'Sullivan album
Off Centre. In 1981
Mick Fleetwood mixed his solo album
The Visitor, and
Bill Wyman his soundtrack
Green Ice and single "
Je suis un rock star". In 1982 the band
Vandenberg recorded their eponymous
debut album,
Wishbone Ash their album
Twin Barrels Burning, and
Twisted Sister their 1983 major label debut
You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll. The Led Zeppelin songs "
Poor Tom" and "
We're Gonna Groove", which were originally recorded in 1970, were produced by Page at Sol Studios for release on the 1982 album
Coda. Page also recorded the
soundtrack for the film
Death Wish II at the studios. Page's band
The Firm recorded its self-titled
debut album there in 1984, the album being released the following year. The Firm's subsequent album,
Mean Business, was also recorded at Sol Studios, as was Page's 1988
solo album,
Outrider. Elton John recorded
Ice on Fire in 1985, as well his subsequent album
Leather Jackets released in 1986. In 1989,
Jeff Beck recorded and rehearsed the album ''
Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop, for which he received a Grammy award. Since 1989 or very early 1990s, the studio was in the property of Chris Rea until 2006, and there he co-recorded many of his songs and albums until 2006. In 2006 a Bonhams auction sold the Yamaha C7 piano which was used for The Road to Hell, The Blue Cafe, Stony Road, La Passione and Blue Guitars''. The grand piano at The Sol was a special
Bechstein E series that was originally reserved by Bechstein for performance and solo recital sales (
Tonenspielen), and was eventually purchased for use at the studio.
Stuart Epps, producer, engineer and studio manager worked at the studio from 1974 with
Gus Dudgeon, and then for Jimmy Page and Chris Rea. ==References==