Astoria (recording studio)

Astoria is the recording studio to the converted houseboat by David Gilmour, the singer and guitarist of British rock group Pink Floyd. It lies on the River Thames (England ) near the Hampton Court Palace.

Historical Background

The boat itself was built in 1911 for theater owners and Charlie Chaplin Manager Fred Karno built in Brentford, who wanted to have the best houseboat on the river. The cost amounted to 20,000 pounds, which would correspond today about 900,000 pounds (about 1.3 million euros ). It was designed so that a 90 - piece orchestra took place on the deck. After the bankruptcy Karno the boat was sold to the singer Vesta Victoria, who had it until 1930 in possession. In the same year, the outside of the boat was reinforced with steel and it was moored to 1951 before Tagg 's Iceland on the Thames. David Gilmour purchased the houseboat in 1986, he had spent half his life in studios with no windows and light in his own words, and looking for its own studio that met his expectations. Especially impressed he was by the many windows and the picturesque setting that surrounds the boat.

Musical meaning

The two known Pink Floyd albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell, as well as published in 2006, Gilmour's solo album On to Iceland were recorded mostly in the studio of Astoria. Furthermore, other artists such as Porcupine Tree, Procol Harum, Kula Shaker and Nick Cave worked in the studio.