One Two Three Four
About the Book
You've heard the records. You've memorised every note. But you've never heard the stories behind them. One, Two, Three, Four pulls back the curtain on rock and reggae's most legendary sessions, revealing what actually happened when Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, and Paul McCartney walked into the studio and created history.
Richard Digby Smith wasn't a journalist with a notepad. He was the engineer with his hands on the faders, capturing every take, every mistake, every moment of genius. He heard the rough vocals that became iconic. He witnessed the arguments that sparked breakthroughs. He was in the room for four decades of music history that nobody else can tell you about.
This isn't another book about rock stars behaving badly. It's the real story of how legendary records actually get made!
Smith takes you inside the creative chaos where classics were born. You'll discover how a single decision at the mixing desk changed a song forever. How tension in the studio produced magic on tape. How engineers turned raw performances into the sounds that defined your life. With technical insight, humour, and unflinching honesty, this memoir is a masterclass in the art of recording from someone who learned from the absolute best.
If you've ever wanted to know what it really takes to make a record that lasts forever, this is the book that finally tells you.
Inside the Pages
Stairway at Basing Street
Led Zeppelin’s power was forged in sweat and tape. Richard pressed record on riffs that shook walls — chaos and precision colliding in a single take.
Abbey Road Studio Two
Walking into the same room once ruled by the Beatles felt like crossing into legend. Richard relives the awe of leaving his own mark at history’s most famous studio.
Stairway at Basing Street
Led Zeppelin’s power was forged in sweat and tape. Richard pressed record on riffs that shook walls — chaos and precision colliding in a single take.
The book is here
MOST MUSIC BOOKS ARE WRITTEN BY PEOPLE WHO STOOD ON STAGE. THIS ONE'S WRITTEN BY THE GUY IN THE CONTROL ROOM WHO PRESSED RECORD.
Why It Matters
Richard’s memoir is more than a catalogue of sessions — it’s a reminder of how timeless music is born.
Every fader moved, every tape rolled, every late-night experiment in sound became part of the soundtrack of our lives. One, Two, Three, Four brings that world to the page, letting you stand shoulder to shoulder with the artists and engineers who shaped it.
As Richard himself says:“Dreams can, eventually, come true.”
