The Saturday List #202 - My top 20 Mill Hill Musical Connections

I wonder how many residents of Mill Hill and the surrounding area are aware of the rich musical heritage of Mill Hill. As the owner of one of Londons leading music studios, I see many talented musicians on a Daily basis, but there is far more than just great artists rehearsing and recording in Mill Hill. Lets have a look at the our rich musical heritage

1. Rock and Roll Legend Billy Fury is buried in Mill Hill.

Great day 4 a drive to 1 of my fav pubs in Mill Hill today, & checking the grave of Billy Fury on the way. pic.twitter.com/GvfmeUUvqh

— Denis H (@JoeMeekSociety) January 15, 2016

2. Record Mogul Lord Levy has lived in Mill Hill for decades(I used to deliver his newspapers and play his nephew at Tennis when he had a house on Uphill Road with a tennis court in the garden). He signed such 70's legends as Alvin Stardust and Bad Manners.

Hank Marvin

3. Legendary guitarist Hank Marvin had a house on Wise Lane (his son Paul was the drummer of the False Dots for a while!). His sons attended Mill Hill School and later Moat Mount.



4. African Legend Mose Fan Fan recorded Africa Moto at Mill Hill Music Complex. This song was one of the theme tunes for th 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

5. BRIT Award winning artists Kate Nash's Dad bought her first guitar in Mill Hill Music Complex, to cheer her up after she broke her leg. She went on to use it to write smash hit "Foundations".
6. Whilst we are on the subject of Foundations, the legendary 1960's band of that that name regularly rehearse at Mill Hill Music Complex, and will be appearing at The Mill Hill Music Festival in June.

7. 1980's Rockabilly outfit were born and raised in Mill Hill (and Edgware). They were the first paying customers of Mill Hill Music Complex and have regularly rehearsed in Mill Hill ever since.

8. Lee Thompson, legendary Sax player of Madness, filmed the video for Fu Manchu by The Lee Thonpson Ska Orchestra in Mill Hill. There are scenes shot in Mill Hill Music Complex and at The Mill Hill Services Club.
9. The Amy Winehouse documentary feature film has a clip of Amy rehearsing in Studio 9 before she was famous.

10. Amy bought the Blue Fender Strat that she used on her first TV appearance at Mill Hill Music Complex.

11. Queens of The Stone Age frontman had his nose cut off in Studio 1 of Mill Hill Music Complex for an episode of Toast of London.
12. The pre production work for Morrissey's gold disk winning album Years of Refusal was done at Mill Hill Music Complex. There is a gold disk in reception.

Look what we've got oon display in our studio reception Morrissey gold disc for years of refusal pic.twitter.com/4tOGah5b7F

— MillHillMusicComplex (@MillHillMusicCo) April 26, 2014

13. Jack Jones, drummer of seminal Mod band The Creation (who gave the label its name), used to run the tea hut on Mill Hill Broadway Station for many years.

14. Frankie Vaughn used to get his car repaired at Mac Metals crash repairers in Bunns Lane Works. The car had a built in jukebox, reputedly stacked with all Frankies hits!

15. There have been three specialist record shops in Mill Hill Broadway over the years. The first was Mill Hill Television (now a hardware store), the second was Broadway Sounds, now The Bridge and the third was Stephen Siger (who moved from Edgware) which is now a hairdresser. Woolworths also used to sell records.

16. Rapper superstar Steflon Don filmed a video at Mill Hill School. When this showed images of young ladies being rather naughty, the school sacked the headmistress!
17. Legendary Hawkwind Guitarist Hew Lloyd Langton recorded his last studio album at Mill Hill Music Complex.
18. Buzzcocks frontman Pete Shelley recorded a video interview for classic rock magazine in Studio 7 at Mill Hill Music Complex.

19. Over 1,000 musicians a week now use the facilities at Mill Hill Music Complex. It is the largest independent music studio complex in North West London. Click here to see some of the more well known customers.

20. Mill Hill Music Complex started in 1979 as a musicians collective in what was the caretakers cottage. A second studio was added in 1980 when John and Melissa Basil opened up STN studios in what is now studio 2. This year the studio celebrates 40 years of providing facilities for amazing musicians in Mill Hill!