The Beatles in a row on a Zebra crossing, behind them is a white VW beetle. The photo has written music history – as the Cover of the album “Abbey Road”, published 50 years ago.
On the morning of 8. August 1969, Abbey Road, London in the amount of the EMI Studios, a short photo shoot. A policeman stops the traffic. There is not much going on in the street, the Fans are still there – which will only come in the afternoon, when the Beatles will make like almost every day in the Studio to the recording of the “Abbey Road”Album. It is 11:30 PM, at the roadside, Linda McCartney, and take photos of four moderately good-humored Beatles preparing to cross for the famous photo of the road.
John Lennon in the white suit seems a bit strange and looks as if he wanted to bring the behind. Behind him, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney make short a couple of faxes. George Harrison looks like everything is matter of indifference to him. The four run finally, back and forth, and again. The photographer Iain MacMillan, press the shutter button six Times – and is ready.
This is the four Beatles much too fast. Because, despite the simple idea, just need to run across the road, has been estimated for the photo-shoot for two to three hours – the musicians want to arrive in the afternoon to further recordings in the Studio. The production of the “Abbey Road”album is in full swing; it’s strenuous days and weeks, at 26. September is to appear on the Album.
Too great enthusiasm for the photo action, you will not recognize in the faces of the Beatles
Ringo still needs to shop
After the photo session only lasted about ten minutes, is it for the Beatles now: time to kill. Because to say you have not much. The former Beatles Roadie Mal Evans describes in his diary what happened after the photoshoot: “John and Paul quickly went around the corner to Paul’s home. Ringo went shopping. George visited the Zoo.”
The last posse
“Abbey Road” is the last Album the Beatles recorded together. The album “Let It Be” is already in production, comes out, but it was only in 1970, after the end of the Beatles. The “Let It Be”production has been under an even worse star as the 1968 “White Album”. The Band has long been estranged. There are business problems, disagreement over the Management, and finally, Yoko Ono, John Lennon’s wife, who won’t leave their man’s side and the other three Beatles on the nerves. Paul McCartney is the only one who still believes in something Good and persuaded the Band to a new, last-Beatles-Album. It’s the last squad before the final separation.
George Martin produced the Beatles from the beginning
“Word of honor, John is there too”
Paul calls the long-time Beatles producer George Martin, who is quite surprised – he thought, however, after the disastrous “Let It Be”recordings, that is the end of the Beatles had been there. In the “Beatles Anthology” describes Martin as Paul asks him: “We take a new plate – you want to produce you?” Martin’s reply: “Only if you let me do the same as before.” Exactly, to be assured, Paul, and must be Martin, then his word of honor that John would also be there.
Zebra stripes instead of the Himalayas
And finally, a very nice plate indeed, “” how Martin told later. “I think it was due to the fact that all were of the opinion that it would be the last.” The plate was originally going to get the title of “Everest” – a symbol of Reaching the highest summit. The original Plan is the Beatles as “the greatest Band in the world” for the Cover in front of the highest mountain in the world to scan. But this proves to be too time-consuming; the time up to the planned publication will be in short supply. So one opts for a pragmatic solution: A street scene outside the Studio. And so, the LP comes to your title: “Abbey Road”.
In the “Abbey Road Studios” have included the Beatles, many of their records – yet today, the Studio by musicians from all over the world is posted
The cover photo of the multi-million selling record is a pop culture icon. A countless number of times cited, by Fans reproduced and satirized. The rock band “The Red Hot Chili Peppers”, e.g., for their EP “The Abbey Road” in the Nude on the Zebra stripes on your sex parts, white socks hanging from it. The “Simpsons”, the “Teletubbies”, various disney characters, “star Wars”heroes, and other movie heroes have been immortalized on the Zebra stripes, the Beatles themselves on Segways, or with the beetle in the zero gravity offset. The artist and Blogger Wells tree took the photo in the present.
White beetle with a message of Death?
Even a conspiracy theory triggered the photo: This said that Paul McCartney was already in 1966, died, and since then a lookalike has been replaced. As “proof” the conspiracy theorists, the left-handed Paul is holding his cigarette in the photo in the right Hand. He is also on the photo barefoot – an English funeral Tradition.
And then the white bug is still there in the Background. On the number plate LMW is to recognize “28IF” to. This was interpreted as an abbreviation for “Linda McCartney widowed” (“Linda McCartney widowed”) or “Linda McCartney weeps” (“Linda McCartney weeps”). “28IF” served as an indication that Paul would have been in that year, 28 years old, when (“if”) he would not have died. A Calculation Error. Because of the in June 1942, born, Paul would have been at this time only 27 years old.
The reason for conspiracy theories: the white beetle on the album cover
Meanwhile, no one believes in anyway to something – and the lively, now 77-year-old Paul McCartney is working on his first Musical, and has indicated that it will perhaps be soon a new Album with the Outtakes of past Studio sessions.
The VW beetle, which had belonged to John Lennon now stands in the VW Museum in Wolfsburg. The former VW-archivist Eckberth joke of life purchased the car in 1999 for 34.160 German marks (about 17,000 Euro) and donated it to the Museum.
New edition of “Abbey Road”
Exactly 50 years later, a new edition of “Abbey Road” now appears. George Martin’s son Giles has made the tapes again and everything is re-mixed with Dolby Surround Sound and remastered. With The Hits “Here Comes The Sun” and “Come Together”, as well as a completely new-sounding Version of “Oh! Darling”. The anniversary edition comes in different versions on the market: From pure Vinyl and CD release to the Deluxe Box with DVD, Blu-ray and additional Demos and Session Tapes, for Beatles Fans a treat, as the special editions of the previous anniversary plates.
On 8. August 2019 celebrated by hundreds of Fans the 50. Anniversary of the photo shoot
“Abbey Road” live
Even live Fans can listen to – at least in Western Europe – the music of “Abbey Road”. The Dutch Band “The Analogues” has specialized in to play all the Beatles albums after 1966 live. What did the Fab Four, because the Fans were too loud and the music was too complicated, let “The Analogues” on the original instruments back to life. With the complete re-enacted the albums “Abbey Road” and “Let It Be” are the Dutch a permanent part of the Tour, through Belgium, France, Germany, even in England you have encountered already, and of course in your home.