The time is gone, but the song is far from over: this week's Find of the Week is a matched pair of Neumann U 87 microphones that came straight from Britannia Row, Pink Floyd's personal studio.
Not long after the London legends released Wish You Were Here in 1975, Pink Floyd acquired a three-story block at 35 Britannia Row in Islington that they converted into their personal recording studio. It would be where the band would track the entirety of 1977's Animals as well as early sessions for 1979's The Wall, including the iconic children's choir that appears on "Another Brick In The Wall".
They weren't the only band to use the space: Joy Division would record all of Closer there, and when the members of that band regrouped as New Order, they'd return to the studio to track Power, Corruption & Lies. Eventually, Floyd drummer Nick Mason assumed ownership of the studio before selling it to its longtime studio manager in the early 1990s, around the same time that the studio would host Kevin Shields and Bilinda Butcher, who were recording My Bloody Valentine's vocal tracks for Loveless.
These microphones, on the other hand, need very little introduction: since the large-diaphragm condenser was introduced by Neumann in 1967, the U 87 quickly earned its reputation as the industry standard in recording and broadcast studios the world over. With three selectable polar patterns—cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8—not to mention a switchable highpass filter, it remains one of the most versatile microphones in the history of recorded sound.
While there's no info on which recordings this particular pair of U 87s were used on, the seller indicates that the microphones date back to the early 1970s. Considering their reputation, it's safe to assume they were used on countless occasions during the studio's years of operation. The microphones are in good working order and ship with a certificate of authenticity. Be sure to check out the full listing for more photos and information, and make an offer on this bona fide piece of rock and roll recording history today.