The final studio album by the band, recorded at the EMI studios in 1969 (the studios were renamed 'Abbey Road Studios' in 1970). The front cover (above) is the only original UK released Beatles album without the name of the band or album title. The cover design, a photograph of the band traversing a zebra crossing outside the studios, was based on sketches by Paul McCartney.
The photograph was taken around 11:30am on Friday August 8th 1969.
Photographer Iain Macmillan recalls the shoot:-
"I remember we hired a policeman to hold up the traffic while I was up on a step ladder taking the pictures,the whole idea, I must say, was Paul McCartney's. A few days before the shoot, he drew a sketch of how he imagined the cover, which we executed almost exactly that day.
I took a couple of shots of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road one way, we then let some of the traffic go by and then they walked across the road the other way, and I took a few more shots. The one eventually chosen for the cover was number five of six. It was the only one that had their legs in a perfect 'V' formation, which is what I wanted stylistically."
The white Volkswagen Beetle on the left belonged to residents of the flats opposite who were away on holiday, the number plate (LMW 281F) was repeatedly stolen following the albums release. The man standing on the pavement on the right was Paul Cole an American tourist unaware he had been photographed until he saw the album cover some months later. The men in white further up the road on the left, were decorators subsequently identified as Alan Flanagan, Steve Millwood and Derek Seagrove.
Abbey Road, St John's Wood, London (Nov 2nd 2011)
I'm captured taking this photograph on The Abbey Road Webcam (below)
'The Crossing' live streaming webcam: here
August 8th 1969 November 2nd 2011
The Abbey Road sign, is often stolen and is subsequently replaced infrequently, when it is replaced it doesn't take long for it to be adorned with graffiti, before going missing again...
No comments:
Post a Comment