Honky Chateau (August 4, 2013) – "classic 70s hits” Feature – The Guardian

The 4 August 2013 edition of The Guardian (Observer section) reports on the French country house Château d’Hérouville, the studio where Elton John and David Bowie recorded classic 1970s hits, now up for sale.

Publication: The Guardian

Date: August 4, 2013

Country: United Kingdom

The article describes the grand faded salons of the Château d’Hérouville, nicknamed the “Honky Château” after Elton John’s album of the same name. Elton was one of the first to record there in 1972, followed by David Bowie, who arrived with producer Tony Visconti and Brian Eno to work on material. The piece notes that Marc Bolan, David Bowie and many other artists also used the studio. It details the history of the 1740 staging post, its conversion into a residential studio, periods of neglect, ghost stories linked to Frédéric Chopin, and the current asking price after years of emptiness.

CONTEXT AND NOTES 

The feature highlights the property’s rock history and its availability for sale after long periods of disuse.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS 

Event: Property and music-history feature

Era: 2013 (looking back to 1970s recordings)

Tone: Nostalgic, informative Photography: Colour photos of the chateau and David Bowie and Marc Bolan

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

• Headline referencing the “Honky chateau” and classic 70s hits

• Mentions of Elton John, David Bowie and Marc Bolan recording there

• Details of the building’s history, studio use and current sale

• Photographs of the chateau and Elton John

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