Deciding to stay long-term in the United States, Lennon sold Tittenhurst Park to a longtime friend, who could make use of the grounds and the recording studio – his former bandmate Ringo Starr, who purchased the property on September 18, 1973.
Renaming the studio "Startling Studios", Starr made the facility available for use by other recording artists. Portions of T. Rex's film Born to Boogie were shot there, and the house also saw a social visit from cult folk musician Nick Drake.
Judas Priest planned to record their British Steel album at Startling Studios, but found the house itself more suitable, and moved recording equipment there.
In 1988, the property was sold for £5 million to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi. Since then further renovations to the manor has been carried out, and the interior no longer resembles the house lived in by Lennon and Starr. The property's value was estimated in 2007 to be £30 million.
In 2004, Peter Dennison, owner of French furniture firm Moth, offered for sale one of the original toilet seats from Tittenhurst Park. It was displayed in the window of the Brighton Musical Exchange shop in Trafalgar Street, Brighton. Mr. Dennison had bought the seat when his architectural salvage firm was offered furniture by the contractors doing the renovations at Tittenhurst Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.