Scoring Stages: Anvil Denham Studios

Anvil Recording Group

Denham Studios

Denham, England

Built by Alexander Korda in the 1930s, the Denham Studio was akin to the Hollywood studio backlots.  Located in Denham, Buckinghamshire, the large studio was the filming locations for several films by some of England's best - Powell & Pressburger, Laurence Olivier and David Lean.  Eventually the studio worked on less films, partially due to the work done at the nearby Pinewood Studios (still in use today).  In 1952, the Denham Studio closed as a major film studio.  After a location change, the Anvil Recording Group moved into the large scoring stage on the Denham property in 1966.  Some early scores recorded there include a few Bernard Herrmann scores (due to Hollywood musicians' strike).

Some of the best sound equipment and people was used there, including the new Neve console, Ken Cameron and Eric Tomlinson.  Many films were scored there before developers demolished the entire Korda Studios in 1980.  Along with the studio, many recording tapes from the studio's history were lost.  That same year, the Anvil team created Anvil-Abbey Road Screen Sound, and began the long history of film scoring at Abbey Road Studios.    

Scores recorded here include:
Black Narcissus (1947) - Brian Easdale

The Red Shoes (1948) - Brian Easdale
Vertigo (1958) - Bernard Herrmann
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960) - Bernard Herrmann
Mysterious Island (1961) - Bernard Herrmann
Dr. No (1962) - Monty Norman
Fahrenheit 451 (1966) - Bernard Herrmann
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) - Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman, arr Irwin Kostal
2001: A Space Odyssey [rejected] (1968) - Alex North
The Battle of Britain [rejected] (1969) - William Walton
The Battle of Britain (1969) - Ron Goodwin
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) - Miklos Rozsa
Ryan's Daughter (1970) - Maurice Jarre
Jane Eyre (1970) - John Williams
Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - Jerry Bock, arr John Williams
Frenzy (1972) - Ron Goodwin
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) - John Addison
The Omen (1976) - Jerry Goldsmith
Star Wars (1977) - John Williams
Superman (1978) - John Williams
The Boys from Brazil (1978)  - Jerry Goldsmith
The Great Train Robbery (1978) - Jerry Goldsmith
Dracula (1979) - John Williams
Alien (1979) - Jerry Goldsmith
Flash Gordon (1980) - Howard Blake
Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - John Williams

Eric Tomlinson at the Neve mixing console

Recording Star Wars, 1977

Recording Star Wars, 1977

Recording Superman, 1978

Recording The Empire Strikes Back, 1979


Recording The Empire Strikes Back, 1979

Bonus Video: Recording The Empire Strikes Back at Anvil