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Thursday, July 27, 2017

ABBEY ROAD - We Visited The Beatles Recording Studio

1967 - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Abbey Road Studios

Abbey Road is about a mile from our apartment. It would have been a shame to come home without seeing it. 

Abbey Road Studios has been in continuous use since 1931. George Martin worked there as a producer over 10 years before he signed the Beatles to record there in 1962. The studios are quite large - some of the recording rooms being as large as a basketball court. The Beatles recorded all their albums there - some with a 100 piece orchestra.

The road has been made famous by the "Zebra" crossing out front. For the Abbey Road album - the Beatles posed crossing the street. 50 years later - people come to Abbey Road just to pose for that crossing. You are not allowed to go in the studios without permission - so it has become a pilgrimage for people to come here and stare. They let you write on the courtyard wall - although they repaint it every 3 months. 

They said that the Beatles would never last. They recorded together for about 10 years. The music lives on and people come here to show their love. I was 14 when I bought my first Beatle's album for $2.49.  I remember playing it over and over again - like yesterday. It is fun seeing generation appreciate the music - the Beatles did some wonderful new things with sound. 

There is a small store next to the studio where you can buy all their recordings and other trinkets. I was surprised to see a complete Beatles set of their songs selling for 50 pounds - heck we paid more than that for their music 50 years ago - and I was only making $1 an hour working for Morris Heisler. 

Many other musicians recorded at Abbey Road. King Edward VI made his famous "Kings Speech" in this studio. He was the stuttering king. 

This goes on all day - posing
This is the studio - it goes back far
Pictures in the store
Sgt Pepper
All music for sale
McCartney's Bass

I was just 18 
A 1931 recording microphone 
Koo Koo Kaa Choo
You can buy a street sign
From the music store




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