Strawberry Studios ‘I am in Love’ exhibition opens

Strawberry Studios “I Am in Love” exhibition has opened in Stockport to celebrate 50 years of Strawberry Studios and its fantastic legacy of the famous recording studios.

The exhibition at Stockport Museum explores Stockport’s musical heritage via film, conversation, collections, graphics, and above all else, the music.

Set up in 1967, Strawberry Studios became one of the first professional recording studios outside of London. With a technical opulence built on co-owners 10cc’s success, the Stockport-based studio provided a level of sophistication never before seen in the North.

It soon became the ‘go to studio’ for a diverse range of national and international artists. 10cc, Paul McCartney, The Buzzcocks, Neil Sedaka, Sad Cafe and the Bay City Rollers all stepped through Strawberry’s doors.

While the music greats recorded some huge hits of the day, local bands also had access to state-of-the-art equipment, encouraging the development of a new wave of post-punk Northern music.

Peter Wadsworth, Music Historian, said: “This exhibition will allow the town and wider region to understand the role that Strawberry played in the Manchester music narrative, something that has been missing for too long. The vision of people like Peter Tattersall and 10cc, who challenged the London-dominance of the recording studio industry from their studio in Stockport, deserves to be recognised and remembered.”

Strawberry Studios exhibition at Stockport Museum

Legendary Factory Records Producer, Martin Hannett used Strawberry as his studio of choice and numerous iconic bands recorded their music within its walls. Joy Division, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, James and The Happy Mondays all visited Stockport creating what has since become the infamous Manchester sound.

Strawberry Studios may have stopped recording in 1993 but nothing can stop the music living on. 50 years later, the sounds still speak for themselves, ensuring that Strawberry remains forever preserved in music history.

Councillor Kate Butler, Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said: “It is fitting that this new exhibition which celebrates how Stockport’s Strawberry Studios nurtured and captured that iconic Manchester sound should be hosted by Stockport Museum – only a stone’s throw away from where such memorable music was made.”

The exhibition will run from 27th January 2017 to 29th January 2018.

Stockport Museum at 30 Market Place, is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Entry to the exhibition is free.