"They just went in there and bang, bang, bang – three takes or so and nailed it”: Why Oasis’ Definitely Maybe was recorded twice

RECORDING WEEK 2024: Sawmills Studio in Golant, Cornwall has played host to many great artists including The Stone Roses, Supergrass, The Verve, Muse and more, but it’s perhaps best known for being the studio that eventually birthed Oasis's Definitely Maybe.

For while the album remains an eight-times platinum surefire classic it’s actually the band’s second attempt at getting it right.

And with the 30th anniversary of the album approaching and the small matter of those mega gigs next year, the studio staff that nailed it are telling the story of the sessions.

"You could tell they had played them a load of times as there was no messing about," explained John Cornfield, producer, sound engineer and co-owner of the studio to BBC News.

"They just went in there and bang, bang, bang - three takes or so and nailed it. They basically nailed it live, which is the way I like to record.”

The studio is famously only accessible on foot or, when the tides are right, by boat. As such, bands stay in residency with the seclusion and forced cohabitation giving them the ability to record at any time while the pressurised environment encourages bands to get the job done with zero distractions.

It’s clear that this sequestered sojourn provided the perfect backdrop to deliver Oasis’ debut – something perhaps missing from less focused sessions, both before and subsequently.

"The boys used to play pool in the lounge, which also had a turntable," says Ruth Taylor, who was the studio’s manager during the sessions. "They had sent a copy of their first single from the record company, which hadn’t been recorded here, and Liam put it on and said: 'Ruth, listen to this. We are going to be massive.'"

That track – Supersonic – was recorded as part of Oasis's ‘failed’ first sessions at the equally regarded Monnow Valley Studios in south Wales, famous for tracks by Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, Black Sabbath, Simple Minds and more.

Those sessions also saw the band record Live Forever, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Rock 'n' Roll Star with these ‘lost’ recordings finally being released as part of the album’s 30th Anniversary Deluxe Editions.

Oasis - Live Forever (Monnow Valley Version) [Official Visualiser] - YouTube

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However, while Noel Gallagher thought the tracks sounded “great” Creation Records, the band’s label felt that they lacked the energy of their live performances and at Sawmills a rawer, more direct approach was taken.

"It may have been technically against all the rules, but it sounded great. They were desperate to have another go, and they had 10 days to do it, and it was a question of getting it right this time,” says Dennis Smith, co-owner of Sawmills Studio.

It’s this second attempt that became the album that fans know and love.

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