The Music Centre, Wembley

[b][l=De Lane Lea Music Centre][/b] -or The Music Centre, as it came to be known- was a British studio complex. It contained 3 recording studios, 2 mix/remix rooms (that later were combined and became Studio 4 that opened in September 1985), 2 disc cutting rooms, and 1 film editing room.
[b]To be used for recordings between Autumn 1971 and April 1982. For May 1982 onwards recordings, please use [l=CTS Studios][/b].
[b]Please, consider also [l=De Lane Lea Music Centre] if stated that way on the release[/b].

[b]Not to be confused with the 1960s active [l=The Music Centre (2)] (acetates)[/b].

Despite the Kingsway studio being enormously profitable, [l=De Lane Lea Studios] was forced to relinquish the space in the late 1960s. Fortunately, its parent company, BET, owned Wembley Stadium and some adjacent land that had been used as a parking garage. The decision was made to construct a multi-room studio complex there, directly above what had once been an ornament boating lake. The studio was conceptualized and designed by (formerly at [l=Kingsway Studios]) studio manager [a=Dave Siddle]. Construction took two years, and in 1971 The Music Centre was formally opened by [a=Princess Margaret Rose]. It was the first purpose built recording studio in the UK (built from scratch, not in a converted building), constructed to such a size that it would be able to handle work from rock bands up to the largest orchestras for film scores.
Toward the end of 1972, [l=CTS Studios] management were informed that a property development company had acquired the Bayswater building with the intention of repurposing it. A search was immediatly begun for suitable new premises. The solution came in the form of a fortuitous merger between CTS and De Lane Lea Music.
In 1973, the two companies concluded a complicated series of negotiations and CTS was purchased by De Lane Lea and relocated to Wembley. In 1982, the name of the facility was officially changed to [b], better known as [/b].

[u]Note[/u]: Sometimes it was still called 'CTS...' after the merge and before 1982, as on "[m=96898]".

Records cut here are identifiable by an etched "The Music Centre" or "MC" in whatever variation in the runouts.
Please use [i][u]Lacquer Cut At[/u][/i] when crediting the studio.
(For "De Lane Lea" or "DLL" in whatever variation etchings, please use [l=De Lane Lea Music Centre]).
[b]For records cut after April 1982, please use [l=CTS Studios][/b].

If runout etchings (between Autumn 1971 and April 1982) include '[b]420W[/b]', please use:
[i]Lacquer Cut At[/i]: The Music Centre, Wembley
[i]Pressed By[/i]: [l=PRS Ltd.]

[u]Timeline[/u]
July 1965-Autumn 1971: [l=De Lane Lea Studios]
Autumn 1971-1981 (or probably April 1982): [b][l=De Lane Lea Music Centre]/[l=The Music Centre, Wembley][/b]
(Probably after April) 1982-February 1987: [l=CTS Studios]

Name variations found on releases include:
- C.T.S. The Music Centre, Wembley, Middlessex
- CTS, The Music Centre, Wembley, Middlessex
- CTS, The Music Centre, Wembley, London
- Music Centre, Wembley
- Music Centre, Wembley, England
- Music Centre, UK
- The Music Centre
- The Music Centre, London
- The Music Centre (Wembley)
- The Music Centre, Wembley, England
- The Music Centre, Wembley, London
- Music Centre Recording Studio
- The Music Centre Studio, London
- Music Centre Studio, Wembley, London
- Music Centre Studios, Wembley
- Music Center
- The Music Center
- The Music Center, Webley
- Music Center, London
- Music Center UK
- Music Center Studio, London
- Music Center Studios, Wembley, London
- Music Center Sound Studio, Wembley , England
- Music Center, Wimbley, London
- Wembley Music Center
- Wembley Studios

Known engineers:
- [a=Terry Johnson (2)]
- [a=Dick Plant]
- [a=Dick Lewzey]
- [a=John Richards]
- [a=David Hunt (3)]
- [a=John Acock]
- [a=Rafe McKenna]
- [a=Anthony Duggan]
- [a=Kenny Denton] (joined in 1971)
- [a=David Strickland]
- [a=Keith Dickens]
- [a=Paul Hume]
- [a=Richard Goldblatt]
- [a=Bob Zimbler]
- [a=Pete Wandless]
- [a=Mike Pela]
- [a=George Sloan]
- [a=Kevin Metcalfe] (mastering, 1975-1979)
- [a=Bob Jones (6)] (mastering)

Maintenance engineer:
- [a=Dave Siddle]