The Strawberry Recording Studios.

Posted on 02/02/2020 By

Strawberry Studios

Strawberry Recording Studios logo.

Back in January, we went to a football match at Meadowbank. The new state of the art stadium for Dorking Wanderers Football Club. It was a cup match, billed as the biggest game in their short history. A game against the relatively mighty Stockport County, from a higher league.

This story is not about football but, rather, the link between the two towns. A link leading to a story that has been on our “to do list” for a long time. The link described in the football programme was music and a pop group that became world famous back in the 1970s. 10cc. The link immortalised by Strawberry Recording Studios.

Bertie with the Dorking Wanderers v Stockport County programme.

Bertie reading the Dorking Wanderers v Stockport County programme. Advert for the Strawberry Recording Studios and an article about the connection.

Back in 1967, it seemed that all recording studios were sited in London. Peter Tattershall set up Strawberry in Stockport, supported by four house musicians: Eric Stewart, Graham Gouldman, Lol Creme and Kevin Godley. The name coming from the Beatles song Strawberry Fields.

Strawberry Recording Studios.

Strawberry Fields

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At first, the studio produced music for a variety of artists, but finally made its name when Neil Sedaka made his comeback in recording “Solitaire” there in 1972.

Solitaire

Cover of Neil Sedaka's studio album of 1972.

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The house musicians used the success of the studio to eventually form their own band. A band that was to achieve worldwide fame with a string of hit records recorded in Stockport. The band became 10cc. The first and biggest No 1 being:

I’m not in Love

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A Black & White photograph of 10cc in 1974.
Cover of Liam Newton's Biography: 10cc, the Worst Band in the World. Forward by Kevin Godley.
That success left Strawberry Recording Studios with a problem. The studio became so popular with visiting artistes that 10cc couldn’t find the time they needed for their own work. By now, three of the four musicians were living in Surrey. They found an old dilapidated former cinema in Dorking and transformed it into a world class recording studio. And called it Strawberry Studio South.

In researching this story we found a picture of what had been originally the Pavilion Cinema and received many comments of memories from long ago when it was still operating.

The Pavilion Cinema, South Street, Dorking.

The Pavilion Cinema, Dorking.

“How lovely to see the photo of the Pavilion. Such a scruffy cinema, but where Geoff and I first met. I was seeing ‘Fall of the House of Usher’ with a schoolfriend. Her boyfriend met her and brought his mate Geoff… the rest is history.”

“Whilst playing some 10cc yesterday, I remembered that my brother Bren and I both liked 10cc. We would go around ‘Deceptive Bends’, me on my Ariel Leader, Bren on his Beamer, onto the A24. They turned the old Pavilion Cinema in South Street Dorking into a recording studio. Strawberry Studio South. Now that site is apartments.”

“The drummer, Stuart Tosh, lived in South Holmwood for a while.” (Where Laurel Cottage is).

Of course, we have that magic word “cinema” again. So, the Technical Director has been doing some research of his own. Slightly miffed that he failed to find his own photograph of the cinema, he has at least found a couple of photographs of it in a later incarnation (see later). Little information seems to be available. It was built as an 800 seat cinema, opening on 26 March 1925. Although part of the Shipman & King circuit, it was operated by Dorking Regional Theatre Ltd. Records suggest that it closed on 14 April 1973. However, Bobby assures the Technical Director that by the time he arrived the year before it had already shut. Maybe someone reading this can shed more light on the subject. Interestingly, Gaumont Theatres opened their own cinema at the other end of town on 29 February 1938. At 1,290 seats, bigger than its older competitor. Unusually, however, a little over 6 month later it was acquired by Shipman & King, renaming it Embassy. They operated the two cinemas until both were closed – the Embassy also apparently on 14 April 1973, which may be where the confusion has crept in? The Embassy became a Kingdom Hall for Jehovah’s Witnesses, until 1983 when the council purchased it to build offices, although after demolition it became a car park…

For us, this is where the story really begins. We moved to Dorking in 1972. By the late 70s Andrew, our son, was going to the local school. 10cc were now celebratories in the town. Even if nobody ever saw them.

At this point, we are delighted to introduce a guest contributor this week. The story of how Cliff Richard recorded there once was touched on briefly in this earlier blog. Here is the correct version from Bobby’s son, Andrew. Just 12 at the time.

Andrew’s Story

Picture the scene. A cold, wintry night in Dorking, and it’s snowing too. My Mum had heard through the grapevine that Cliff Richard was recording at the local Strawberry Studios, owned by 10cc and famous for ‘Deceptive Bends’ being recorded there. On arrival at a nondescript doorway down a dark alley, she ‘bravely’ pushed me forward and I knocked. Madcap Kenny Everett, Britain’s top comedy talent at the time, opened the door and was amused when I announced that my Mum was Cliff Richard’s top fan.

He disappeared, leaving us in the snow, and a few minutes later Cliff arrived. He was charming, signed autographs and chatted with my Mum. It was all a bit surreal, as was watching Cliff singing ‘Living Doll’ on the Kenny Everett Show a few weeks later – the soundtrack had been recorded that snowy night at Strawberry Studios. Oh, and there’s more. I mentioned the experience at school and it turned out my teacher’s husband was chief sound engineer at the Studio – as a consequence my whole class got to tour Strawberry Studios a few weeks later. We also helped with a new recording of ‘School’s Out’ by a local band – the Studio sound team came to our school in the holidays and recorded us crashing desk lids and noisily running down corridors!

And here is that clip of Cliff and Kenny from his show:

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Cliff Richard playing guitar sitting on a typists chaier, with Kenny Everett wheeling him away...

Cliff at Strawberry Studio with Kenny Everett.

Many other famous musicians recorded in Dorking, including Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, the Moody Blues, Yes and Sad Café. 10cc recorded more albums in Dorking including, most famously, ‘Deceptive Bends’ that became (and still is) part of local folklore. The name coming from a road sign on the A24’s notoriously dangerous Mickleham bends.

Album cover of 10cc's "Deceptive Bends" - featuring a diver in full gear carrying a lady in a red dress across his arms.

10ccs record covers were always innovative. The name ‘Deceptive Bends’ may well have come from a road sign. But the ‘bends’ in the picture refer, it is thought, to the ‘bends’ that divers can experience, or the curves of the young lady’s body. From the album. “The Things we do for Love”.

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Mickleham Bends. The road sign was just round this bend.

Mickleham Bends. The road sign was just round this bend.

‘Bloody Tourists’ was another album recorded in Dorking which Bobby still has for the track the band immortalised that included ‘From Dorking to Ocho Rios’.

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Another famous track was “Dreadlock Holiday

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Bertie sat in a comfy armchair alongside the album sleeve of 'Bloody Tourists'.

Bertie sat in a comfy armchair alongside the album sleeve opened up to show the inside double spread of 'Bloody Tourists'.

‘Bloody Tourists’.

Bertie sat in a comfy armchair alongside the album sleeve back cover of 'Bloody Tourists'.

‘Bloody Tourists’ – You got a lot for your pocket money buying vinyl years ago!

Recorded and mixed at Strawberry Studios South, Dorking, Surrey, England.

Bertie sat in a comfy armchair alongside the track insert of 'Bloody Tourists'.

‘Bloody Tourists’ track insert.

Lyrics to 'From Rochdale to Ocho Rios' - featuring Dorkin'.

Can’t spell Dorking, but sounds fine.

Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder at the Strawberry Studios South.

10cc are not forgotten by the older generation and are regularly played on programmes like Johnny Walker’s Sounds of the Seventies on Radio 2. And they still tour, with only Graham Gouldman of the original line up now involved.

Strawberry Studios South closed after just four years and the band returned to Stockport. The old building became a builders merchants before final demolition and is unrecognisable now as residential housing.

Despite becoming a builders merchants, they hung onto the Strawberry sign. And you can see that backdoor, where Andrew and his Mum met Cliff and Kenny.

The former Pavilion Cinema, later Strawberry Studio South, in its later guise as "Classic Bedrooms".

The former Pavilion Cinema, later Strawberry Studio South, in its later guise as “Classic Bedrooms”.

Below is a link to another photograph of the former Pavilion Cinema, here as “Coombe & Co” builders merchants.

90 Dorking Pavilion 10

Stockport Strawberry Recording Studios North closed in 1992, but the building survives, with due reference to its former use.

Strawberry Studios North (Stockport) today.

And here’s one more 10cc track for the road.

I’m Mandy Fly Me

Lighting a Candle for Diddley.

Spring is on the way. Personified by the first Soleil D’Or narcissus direct from the Isles of Scilly. When we see them on sale, we look back to wonderful times on those islands. Beautiful scent. Just for a while. Diddley loved them in the bedroom.

A lit candle for Diddly with some cut Soleil D’Or narcissus in a vase behind.
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Guest WriterMusic    


  1. Stephanie Tully says:

    Great storey Bobby and Bertie

  2. Tim Morris says:

    Ah yes the deceptive bends really were deceptive – I terrified my Police driving instructor by overtaking a rather large lorry on one of them – the lorry cut us up and the driving instructor tried to sit on my lap as the lorry’s large wheels loomed about half an inch from the passenger window. We survived but had to have a stiff cup of tea at Rykas to recover!
    Incidentally, 10cc’s Kevin Godley lived at Tara behind the Golden Grove in Chertsey for many years – he was the occupant after Keith Moon and before Vince Clarke (Erasure)

    • Bertie says:

      Not only deceptive but narrow lanes. Must have been terrifying alongside a lorry. Its testament that they reduced the southbound to one lane using three quarters of the width. The speed camera and noe average speed have tamed it a lot. But it has the wrong camber in places. Bikers used to love it speeding between the two roundabouts . Nearly fifty years ago.

  3. Kate green says:

    Our drive to school took us along those deceptive bends… I remember the sign. I loved I’m not in love by 10cc and the album the Soundtrack had an epic song One Night in Paris. My sister and i would perform it witb great drama in my bedroom.
    Thanks for trip down memory lane

  4. Worth says:

    Does anyone remember the exact address of the studio?

  5. Mike Miles says:

    Thanks for this. I married a girl from Dorking in 1988, whom I met in Australia in 1986 – where we live. Dorking is my ‘home away from home’. During the 70s I was a mad Sedaka fan and knew of the 10cc connection. I have been thrilled to learn of the Dorking connection with 10cc. Deceptive….or Mickleham Bends I also know well. We love staying in Westhumble on holidays these days. Love the football connection ypu also shared.

    • Bertie says:

      Thank you for this. All seems a long time ago. We saw Neil Sedaka at Fairfield Hall when he credited the UK for his “comeback” in making Laughter in the Rain a hit. Since that was 1974 it does date me a bit. I am pleased you come back this way now and again. I live in South Holmwood and love it

  6. Adam says:

    Do you know the exact location of the former Strawberry South studios? A street number would be great. Thanks.

  7. Nick Heath says:

    A great story. I look back frequently that purely by accident of birth, I grew up in a town that is now one of the most desired places to live in the South, if not the UK. And we rubbed shoulders (not knowing it) with Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder. Heard stories of the raffish (understatement) Ollie Reed’s goings on at his house nearby and him being banned from every pub in Dorking. I used to go shopping in Shere with my Grandpa, now you can’t get parked there. These all used to be normal, lived in places. Now they are aspirations. I’m becoming one of ‘those’ people lol

    Stawberry Studios was legendary. So much happened there. Music has been so important to me.

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