Want to look inside Smart Studios, one of the city's best-known but least-noticed landmarks? One lucky fan was able to tour the analog and digital studios located on East Washington, famously founded and owned by Butch Vig and Steve Marker and renowned for recording classics by Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, among many, many other bands.
"I happened to be in Madison," notes the videographer, "where the kind and gracious staff gave me a tour of this iconic landmark."
The four-minute video tour set to several tracks by Garbage follows below.
"A few days before I left for Madison I stumbled across a YouTube video where Butch Vig was highlighting the mixing of 'Drain You' by Nirvana," explains the videographer. "Kurt Cobain's vocal was probably recorded in the booth I shot towards the end of the video, along with Dave Grohl and Krist Novaselic in the live room," she continues. This video clip featuring Butch Vig and his explanation of how "Drain You" (here) was recorded is one of several available for viewing online from the documentary Classic Albums ' Nirvana: Nevermind. Other clips include Vig discussing the recording of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (here, "In Bloom" (here), an early version of "Lithium" (here), "Polly" (here), and "Something in the Way" (here).
A few samples of tracks recently recorded at Smart Studios, including ones by Madison's Pale Young Gentlemen and Milwaukee's Testa Rosa, can be found at its MySpace page.
If you have a video by, of or about Madison and Madisonians, please consider adding it to the Isthmus YouTube group or send a message.
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