Singing Expo's praises — how Studio 86 let everyone record a hit
During Expo 86, anyone could walk in to this professional studio and lay down a track
One of the most popular attractions at Expo 86 was Studio 86, a fully functional, high-quality recording studio where anyone could walk away with their very own musical recording.
Visitors paid $16.95, tried their best at singing along to a popular song and received a cassette of their performance.
The studio was co-owned and run by Jim Benedick, who had a long history of consulting for previous world fairs.
"I was looking for some kind of an idea that would be unique to the Expo when we came up with the recording studio idea," he said.
During the five months of Expo 86, 55,000 songs were recorded by an average of 300 people per day.
The attraction consisted of 11 private studios and one 'not-so private studio,' — a glass booth located at the front of the building, open to crowds of onlookers.
Located right in the heart of the Plaza of Nations, the studio also hosted celebrity performances by Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Daryl Hannah, Steve Miller, the Judds and more.
While karaoke bars are standard fare now, that was not the case 30 years ago.
The idea of singing with a professional backing track and getting a cassette afterward was novel.
"Karaoke was just starting. I did know a couple of people had karaoke machines. But this way, you could get a quality recording and that's what people liked," said Benedick.
"People went into the studio that normally would not sing. We heard some people had phenomenal voices, and we were wondering how those people never got to be recording artists. But that was few and far between."
Moonlighting
Aside from running Studio 86, Benedick did have a chance to record a few songs himself, with his business partner Ron Thompson.
"We would do the Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson song To All The Girls I've Loved Before.
"Later that day, a couple of people walked up to me and said 'Hey, we saw you recording at the studio. Don't give up your day job!'"
The Plaza of Nations, the location of Studio 86, was the heart of Expo. Today, it is home to a casino, nightclubs and an outdoor amphitheatre.
With files from the CBC's The Early Edition
To hear the audio version of this story, including some classic '80s hits sung by Expo participants, click the link labelled: Remembering Studio 86