Newcastle · Piccadilly · Oxford Circus · Nassau
Five pins, five players. Tap one.
Newcastle · 1964–1968
The Fine Art Building and the Hatton Gallery · King’s Road, Newcastle University
He was taught there by the pop artist Richard Hamilton, and felt the department’s link with American artists made it special.
He spent four years in the university’s Fine Art Department and later called it crucial to him as an artist and musician. He finished his studies in 1968; Roxy Music came four years later.
His fine-art training shaped how Roxy Music approached art, design and fashion on stage and on the sleeves.
The gallery keeps Kurt Schwitters’ Merz Barn Wall on permanent display.
The Hatton Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10am–5pm, closed Sunday. Free; no booking.
Central Arcade
As a young man he browsed for hours at Windows, the music shop in Central Arcade, looking at the record sleeves and the instruments.
A shopping arcade off Grey Street and Grainger Street, open in shop hours.
As a student he parked a Studebaker, a classic American car, outside his digs on Eslington Terrace in Jesmond.
His student digs on Eslington Terrace · private
He formed a student band, the Gas Board, with Graham Simpson and John Porter, who both went on to play in Roxy Music.
A private home, named only by its street and never mapped. The photograph shows the street, not the house.
King’s Road, Newcastle University · Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · free, no booking
The gallery in the Fine Art Building where Ferry studied under Richard Hamilton, with Kurt Schwitters’ Merz Barn Wall on permanent display.
Plan a visitLondon and beyond · from 1970
Nine rooms, five years. Pin a room to its year.
Demos from April and May 1971 brought the band to EG Management and Island Records. They had recorded two John Peel sessions for the BBC, on 4 January and 25 May 1972. Roxy Music was released on 16 June 1972.
York, then AIR · July 1973
Five pins, as on the first two albums.
AIR Studios, Oxford Circus
After a last show with the band at the York Festival, Brian Eno leaves on 2 July 1973; Eddie Jobson takes his place and the third album is made without him.
For Your Pleasure and the three albums after it were recorded or engineered there. AIR opened in October 1970 on the fourth floor of the Peter Robinson department store at Oxford Circus, in a former banqueting hall.
The studio left in 1991. The building is a shop now: look up from Oxford Circus.
South Stack, Anglesey · 1975
The Siren cover was photographed on the rocks near South Stack by Graham Hughes, with Jerry Hall, then Ferry’s girlfriend.
Siren came out in October 1975, produced by Chris Thomas. He sang a nearly complete vocal for Love Is the Drug in AIR Studio No. 1 late one night. Love Is the Drug reached number two in Britain and was their only top-30 hit in America.
South Stack, Anglesey
Guillemots, razorbills and puffins breed on the cliffs in spring; choughs are there all year.
An RSPB reserve: parking charges all year; toilets at the visitor centre 10am–5pm daily; Ellin’s Tower looks over the lighthouse.
South Stack Road, Holyhead, Anglesey · Parking charges all year
The reserve on the cliffs where the Siren cover was shot. Puffins, guillemots and razorbills in spring; choughs all year; Ellin’s Tower over the lighthouse.
Plan a visitAvalon · 1981–1982
Avalon’s backing tracks are built at Compass Point.
Compass Point Studios · West Bay Street, Nassau, New Providence
The band and the producer Rhett Davies then spent about a month at Compass Point, building backing tracks around Linn drum rhythms.
Work on Avalon began at Gallery, Phil Manzanera’s own studio, with no finished songs. Avalon was recorded and mixed in 1981 and 1982 at Compass Point, the Power Station and Gallery.
Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, opened Compass Point in 1977. The studio shut for good in 2010; in 2023 its building held the Studio Café, and the site was due to become housing.
The studio closed in 2010 and the site is planned for housing: see it from West Bay Street.
Others who recorded at Compass Point: Talking Heads · Dire Straits
King’s Hall, Newcastle · 11 July 2014
On 11 July 2014 he came back to King’s Hall for an honorary Doctor of Music. In 2013 he became lead patron of the campaign to renew the university’s Hatton Gallery.
Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle NE2 2EY · Rooms and rates on the hotel site
A 41-room hotel in a Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts house beside Jesmond Dene, in the suburb where Ferry had his student digs. Minutes from the city centre and the Hatton.
Check rooms10 places you can visit, in Newcastle, London, Anglesey, Los Angeles, Nassau and New York. His student digs and the house where Roxy was born are private homes: named by their street, never mapped.
Pins mark public places; private homes are named but not pinned.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. The Hatton Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10am–5pm, closed Sunday. Free; no booking.
General reference · Public access · Coordinate precision: building · Not an exact scene or camera position; not a visitor route. A shopping arcade off Grey Street and Grainger Street, open in shop hours.
King’s Road, Newcastle University
He spent four years in the university’s Fine Art Department and later called it crucial to him as an artist and musician.
The Hatton Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10am–5pm, closed Sunday. Free; no booking.
Central Arcade, Grainger Town, Newcastle
As a young man he browsed for hours at Windows, the music shop in Central Arcade, looking at the record sleeves and the instruments.
A shopping arcade off Grey Street and Grainger Street, open in shop hours.
Stay
A hotel beside the Dene, in the suburb of his student digs.
Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle NE2 2EY · Rooms and rates on the hotel site
A 41-room hotel in a Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts house beside Jesmond Dene, in the suburb where Ferry had his student digs. Minutes from the city centre and the Hatton.
Check roomsGo there
The Hatton Gallery, the South Stack cliffs and London music walks.
King’s Road, Newcastle University · Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · free, no booking
The gallery in the Fine Art Building where Ferry studied under Richard Hamilton, with Kurt Schwitters’ Merz Barn Wall on permanent display.
Plan a visitSouth Stack Road, Holyhead, Anglesey · Parking charges all year
The reserve on the cliffs where the Siren cover was shot. Puffins, guillemots and razorbills in spring; choughs all year; Ellin’s Tower over the lighthouse.
Plan a visitLondon
Live marketplace results for rock and music history walks in London. Check each itinerary for Oxford Circus, Piccadilly and Kensington.
Live marketplace results · itineraries change
Compare toursWhat’s on
Exhibitions and talks in the building where he trained.
Checking current event dates…
Take it home
Michael Bracewell’s history of the band, the first album and Avalon.
Michael Bracewell
Michael Bracewell’s history of how Roxy Music was put together, from the art schools to the first album.
Find the bookRoxy Music · LP, Island ILPS 9200, 1972
The first album, released in Britain on 16 June 1972.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyRoxy Music · LP, E.G. EGHP 50, 1982
The last studio album, from Compass Point and the Power Station.
Live marketplace search · listings and condition change
Find a copyDates, prices, rooms and stock change: confirm with the provider before you travel or buy. A stay or tour is described as a filming location only where the card says so.
Every place and moment behind this page, with sources.
12 of 12 places · 17 of 17 Moments
King’s Road, Newcastle University
He studies fine art at Newcastle, taught by Richard Hamilton.
Newcastle makes him an honorary Doctor of Music in King’s Hall.
Central Arcade, Grainger Town, Newcastle
He spends hours in the Windows music shop, looking at the sleeves and instruments.
Eslington Terrace, Jesmond: a private home
A student band with Graham Simpson and John Porter, and a Studebaker that has to be pushed.
Kensington High Street: a private home
He forms Roxy Music in London; Mackay brings his VCS3 and introduces Eno.
Demos from the spring of 1971 bring EG Management and Island Records.
Piccadilly, London
They record the first album at Command Studios on Piccadilly, with the songs already in their heads.
Roxy Music is released, on the same day as Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust.
Kensington Gore, South Kensington
They play the Royal College of Art.
Park Lane, Croydon, opposite Fairfield Halls
They support David Bowie at the Greyhound in Croydon.
Fourth floor of the former Peter Robinson store, Oxford Circus
For Your Pleasure is made at AIR, above the Peter Robinson store.
After a last show with the band at the York Festival, Brian Eno leaves on 2 July 1973; Eddie Jobson takes his place and the third album is made without him.
Ferry sings Love Is the Drug in AIR Studio No. 1.
South Stack Cliffs RSPB reserve, Holy Island, Anglesey
Graham Hughes photographs Jerry Hall on the rocks near South Stack for the Siren cover.
8901 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood
They play the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles.
West Bay Street, Nassau, New Providence
Avalon’s backing tracks are built at Compass Point.
441 West 53rd Street, Manhattan
At the Power Station they re-cut the title track and Yanick Etienne sings on it.
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