Born in the early 1960s inside RG. Jones Recording Studios, Oak Records captured a vibrant moment in British music history. Co-founded by Ronald Godfrey Jones and folk singer Derek Serjeant, the label pressed ultra-limited runs of folk, R&B and psych — including early recordings from The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, and Mick Ronson’s band The Rats. Some acts became legends; others disappeared, leaving behind only rare vinyl and myth.

The studio itself began in 1942 at Morden Manor, later moving to Wimbledon. It became one of the first British studios to adopt four-track recording (before Abbey Road), and over the next 30 years hosted sessions with The Who, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elton John, The Police and many more. In the ’80s, its SSL console and resident engineer Gerry Kitchingham helped shape hits right up to Mark Morrison’s Return of the Mack.

Though the studio closed in 2001, Oak’s legacy — and the creative force behind R.G. Jones Studios — lives on in every groove and every story.