Olympic Studios chosen to record Pop Idol singles

Olympic Studios, host to some of the greatest rock recording sessions in history, including albums from the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, was chosen as the studio of choice to mix and record three singles for the finalists of ITV’s rating hit ‘Pop Idol.’
The three double-A sided singles, from finalists Will Young, Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh, were recorded and mixed in an intensive five-day session at Olympic, and the whole process filmed and broadcast to an audience of over 10m who watched the penultimate ‘Pop Idol’ show.
Will Young was declared the eventual winner after more than eight million telephone votes were cast by viewers in the final on February 9. His debut single featuring a cover of Westlife’s ‘Evergreen’ and ‘Anything is Possible’ by Cathy Dennis immediately topped Amazon’s pre-order chart and is due for release on February 25.
For recording, the finalists used Olympic’s Studios 1 and 2, both designed by Sam Toyashima. The recently refurbished Studio 1 has one of the largest live areas and control rooms in London, and features an SL 9072 J Series SuperAnalogue console. Studio 2, equipped with an SL 4056 G Series console, is similarly spacious - an essential tribute in this instance as the television crews needed room to work.
Studio Manager Siobhan Paine worked hard with the team at Olympic to make sure that the experience for the budding stars was a positive. Ms Paine said: “It was great fun, the session went without a hitch.”
Winning Pop Idol Will Young said: “It was fantastic as I’ve always wanted to record a single and it’s still an experience I’ll cherish. I’m now even more determined to have a career as a singer. It’s a great way to earn a living.”
(GMcG)