The Beatles It is considered by many the most influential band in history. The group made up of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr broke barriers not only from the musical and sound aspect, but also from the aesthetic and conceptual aspects within the art of music.
Since their debut album “Please Please Me” in 1963, Liverpool’s Fab Four They laid the foundations of rock-pop, as well as the structure of modern music as we know it today. And in 1969, already with all the prestige and respect, they were recording what would be their last album as a group: Abbey Road.
However, The members were in a difficult moment: Lennon was increasingly distancing himself from the group and exploring his relationship with Yoko Ono, Harrison was finally finding his own sound and the confidence to launch a solo career, and Ringo was simply exhausted from the dynamic in the studio. McCartney, the only one who felt like a Beatle, had greatly worn out his relationship with Lennon, his running mate.
The Beatles They had just recorded the White Album and Let It Beboth projects whose recording sessions were arduous, with many fights and arguments. There was a tense atmosphere that predominated towards the end of the band’s career..
What is the album “Abbey Road” by the Beatles like?
Paul’s promise was not kept: he had said that they would record Abbey Road like the old days. Unfortunately, it was not possible to return to those times, where the spirit and energy were different. In fact, Lennon appeared relatively rarely in the studio to record.
In the words of Geoff Emerickthe sound engineer for much of the group’s catalog, in his book “The Sound of The Beatles”: “At this late stage in the Beatles’ career, it seemed that “The best way they had to make an album (and perhaps the only one) was for each member to work separately.”.
Between cracked egos and irritated souls, the four offered a final effort in what would be their last recordings together. Everyone had changed and none of them denied it. In those study sessions a peace pact was formed between the members. There was no energy to fight or lose patience.
However, The final product was what is considered one of the great works of the British band: an elegant project with a clean sound, and divided into two, the first part with independent songs and hits like “Come Together”, “Something” and “Here Comes The Sun”, and the second half composed a symphonic medley, which begins with “You Never Give Me Your Money” and ends with “Her Majesty.” This medley final denotes the musical talent of The Beatles to create complex and attractive pieces.
The story of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover
When giving a title to the album, The band thought of calling it “Everest.”because of the brand of cigarettes that Emerick smoked. From there McCartney proposed traveling to the peak of that mountain to take a photo there. The other three members disapproved. It was there that Ringo jokingly sketched the name Abbey Road, from the name of the studio where they recorded, and the photo is on the street in front of the building.
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A little out of conviction and a little out of laziness, The Beatles opted for the idea of the drummer. After some sketches made by Paul, on August 8, 1969, after finishing the song “The End”, photographer Ian MacMillana friend of Lennon, portrayed the four musicians on the street zebra in front of the Abbey Road studios. It was summer and very hot.
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There were six photos taken by the manager, who had just 10 minutes to do his job.. However, no more time was needed, since on the fifth try they found the right one.
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In the photo, you can see Lennon in a white suit, Ringo in a black suit and McCartney, equally formal but barefoot, because he was uncomfortable in his sandals. Harrison was the only one with a different outfit, a shirt and jean pants.
The image is not only iconic for being one of the most famous album covers in the history of music, but it also symbolizes the group’s farewell, walking with their backs to their studio and heading towards what would be a new horizon for each one. of its members.
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And despite their differences in artistic vision and their deteriorated relationship, at the end of the recording Paul, John, George and Ringo were able to reconnect with the magic they once had. They could sound like Beatles one last time.
Curiosities of the Abbey Road album
Some curiosities about the Abbey Road album:
- Tommy Nutter is the name of the suit designer. that The Beatles were wearing, except for Harrison.
- It is the only Beatles album that It does not have the name of the band or the title of the project on the cover.
- This is where the theory comes from. “Paul is dead”which had begun to circulate in September 1969, because McCartney was barefoot in the photo. Then other hidden messages and clues that the band had supposedly left were added. According to one theory, the cover revealed that he had died because of the members’ clothing: John was the priest, Ringo the undertaker and George the gravedigger.
- Of the six photos taken, the fifth was chosen because the feet of the four members were in time.
- He VW Beetle that appears behind The Beatles on the cover became iconicto the point that in the years after the album the license plate was stolen on several occasions. In 1986 it was sold for £2,530 at auction.
- Paul Cole is the name of the American tourist who accidentally appeared behind the band on the cover. He hadn’t even known about it until he saw a copy of the album months later.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
