"Studios are part of the creative process... What makes them work or not work is their spirit, and that comes and goes."
— Chris Blackwell
From Island to Gilmour to Magical Thinker: (US Version)
The Creative Journey of PRODUCER (2006–2026)
In 2006, a group of acclaimed British writers, producers and musicians came together at London's legendary Basing Street Studios—founded by Island Records pioneer Chris Blackwell in 1969—to make music free from commercial expectation. The project united long-time collaborators including Chris Braide, Stephen Lipson, Ash Soan and others, with a shared ambition to rediscover the excitement of writing and recording simply for the love of great songs.
Rather than chasing current trends, the sessions embraced the traditions of classic British songwriting: strong melodies, imaginative arrangements and performances captured by musicians playing together in the room.
The Basing Street Years
The earliest recordings were made at the legendary Island Studios on Basing Street before the project later moved to Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire, the celebrated residential studio once owned by producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, following its time under David Gilmour.
Across these sessions, many of the album's defining songs began to take shape. Chris Braide's piano, lead vocals and melodic writing became central to the early recordings, with songs including Man on the Moon and Freeway emerging during this period of collaboration.
The sessions reflected the spirit of the project itself: experienced musicians exchanging ideas, refining arrangements and allowing the songs to develop naturally in the studio.
A Project That Evolved
As the recordings continued over the following years, the lives and careers of those involved changed considerably. In 2011, Chris Braide relocated to Los Angeles, where an increasingly busy international songwriting and production career saw him working with artists including Sia, Lana Del Rey, Beyonce, and Hans Zimmer.
With collaborators now working in different countries and schedules becoming more demanding, the project naturally evolved. Additional performances were recorded, arrangements continued to develop, and when the album was eventually released in 2012 as Made in Basing Street, it reflected the many creative contributions made during its long journey from conception to completion.
PRODUCER (2026)
Twenty years after those first writing sessions began, Chris Braide returns to the material with a new perspective.
Released under the title PRODUCER, this new edition presents Braide's own interpretation of the songs, restoring his original lead vocal performances while remaining faithful to the spirit of the recordings that inspired the project.
It is not intended to replace previous versions, but to sit alongside them as another chapter in the story—offering listeners the opportunity to hear the songs through the voice that first brought many of them to life.
Featuring striking new artwork and music films for Man on the Moon and Freeway, PRODUCER celebrates a remarkable period of collaboration and creativity. More than anything, it is a testament to songs that have endured, friendships forged in the studio, and the enduring belief that great music can continue to evolve long after the recording light has gone out, while the gatekeepers have long since faded into history.
Basing Street Studios may have gone, but its legacy lives on in every note. The spirit of the artists who recorded there—from Bob Marley to Cat Stevens—still echoes through these songs, linking PRODUCER to one of the most inspiring chapters in British recording history.
"We often used to spend all night in the studio, and when we came out it was already light outside, so we'd go back in for another ten hours until it got dark again."
— Alvin Lee, guitarist with Ten Years After and creator of the original Hook End Studios
By the time the PRODUCER sessions arrived at Hook End Manor, the studio had already become part of Pink Floyd history. Under David Gilmour's ownership, work on The Final Cut had begun there before the album continued across several London studios.
Archive photographs from the original 2008 Producers sessions at Hook End Manor, featuring Chris Braide, Stephen Lipson and Ash Soan.
