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The initial sessions for Ocean Rain took place at Crescent Studios in Bath, where 'The Killing Moon' was recorded with producer David Lord. But the group rejected the backing track, which was re-recorded at Amazon studios in Kirkby near Liverpool, with de Freitas playing with brushes rather than drumsticks.

In November 1983, the band began work in Paris at Studios Des Dames, the main studio of French Phonogram. Luckily, in Pete de Freitas, there was a French speaker in the group, enabling them to communicate more effectively with studio engineer Henri Lonstan. Echo & The Bunnymen recorded most of the basic tracks within a week and then had time to experiment with some of the arrangements. On 'The Yo-Yo Man', de Freitas played celeste, Pattinson marimba and Sergeant a glockenspiel. And Sergeant's solo on 'My Kingdom' was played on an acoustic guitar over-driven through an old valve amplifier.

In December the group decamped to another Paris studio, Studio Davout, near Pere Lachaise cemetery where they recorded 'Silver' and 'Crystal Days' and added a 35-piece orchestra, with Lonstan assisting with the recording of the strings. Adam Peters completed the orchestral arrangements and also played cello and piano on the album.

McCulloch had often been sleeping off the previous night's partying while the others were laying down instrumental tracks, but when it came to recording his vocals in a side studio at Davout he didn't like the sound and the sessions were abandoned. Rather ironically, to get the performance he wanted, he ended up recording vocals on his own at Amazon Studios in Kirkby, where he also fine-tuned the lyrics.