Utopia Studios

British recording studio and cutting facility, opened in October 1976, located in London, UK. Owned by [a=Phil Wainman], with original manager [a=John Mackswith] (formerly of [l=Lansdowne Studios]).

The studio originally consisted of a main recording studio and a cutting room (cutting room completed in January 1977), with a mix room and second studio being added later. The rooms were all designed by Eastlake's [a=Tom Hidley], except for Studio 2 which was too small for a full Eastlake treatment. Before Utopia Studios, the first studio to set-up in Spencer Court was [l=Sound Developments Studio], established in 1971 by Roger Sinclair.

Utopia was sold in 1991 to [a=John Hudson] and Kate Hudson, owners of [l=Mayfair Studios], and was rebranded as "Mayfair Village", ultimately closing in June 1992.

Discs cut at Utopia are usually identifiable by the "[url=https://img.discogs.com/Dtu9VW8la8boKr-9EfIGMBzVdRY=/fit-in/600x425/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/L-266218-1478347770-4068.jpeg.jpg]lyre symbol[/url]" etched in the runout area of vinyl releases often displayed as "ƱTOPIA" or just by the "Ʊ".
[b]Note[/b]:
Please use [Utopia lyre symbol] instead of Ʊ when just the symbol is found, e.g. for Ʊ, Ʊ JEFF, Ʊ K, etc.
Use Ʊtopia when the lyre symbol just replaces the letter U.

Discs cut for can be identified by [b]//x UT[/b] (March 1969 until February 1979).
Discs cut for can be identified by [b]▽E UT[/b] (February 1979 - December 1981) and by [b]▽420 U[/b] (January 1982 - mid 1988).
Discs cut for can be identified by a tailing [b]IUT or 2UT[/b]. Note IU / 2U etc. on Lyntone pressings do [b]not[/b] mean Utopia.

Known recordings engineers who worked there include:
[a=James Guthrie],
[a=Andy Jackson],
[a=Tim Palmer],
[a=Chris Brown (8)],
[a=Martin Russell],
[a=Pete Smith],
[a=Chris Stone],
[a=Peter Walsh]

Known mastering engineers include:
[a=Ian Cooper] (1976 - 1979),
[a=Gordon Vicary] [1978 - 1981),
[a=Kevin Metcalfe] (1979 - 1983),
[a=Steve Angel] (1981 - 1988),
[a=Miles Showell] (1984 - 1989),
aka [a=Pounda] (1988)
[a=Noel Summerville] (1989-1990)