Tours of Abbey Road Studios
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Over the last 35 years I've been inside the studios about half a dozen times and every time the opportunity presents itself I think to myself 'Do I really need to go again?' And everytime I do go back I never regret it, its an amazing experience so yes, I've finally got round to booking a ticket and I'm going back again.
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Just got back from London having been at Abbey Road studios this afternoon. In celebration of their 90th anniversary they have opened up all three studios, so I was especially excited to visit studio 3 for the first time. The tour begins with a video presentation in the control room of studio 3 before being able to have a look round the actual studio. Quite a few Beatle tracks were recorded in there including paperback Writer.
After leaving studio 3, you basically make your own way and in your own time around studio 2 ans studio 1. Studio 2 you enter by the control room this time before decending the stairs into the studio itself. Lots of instruments (old keyboards,guitars, drums etc) and technical equipment (amps, speakers,recording machines, mics etc) are all laid out to see but not touch. Also the 'echo chamber' at the rear of the studio was open again. The Beatles used it several times,including on Yellow Submarine and A Day In The life.
And then it was a short walk down the corridor to Studio 1, which was set for an orchestral session. Its so big that Pink Floyd use to hold football matches in there with the studio engineers. Lots of signage around all the studios giving various details about sessions held there etc. In sudio 1 one board mentioned the part of the studio where the All You need Is Lobe live broadcast took place. The tour ends with a sound presentation in the control room of Studio 1 of part of the Star Wars sound track recorded there. Hearing the orchestra coming out loud and clear through the speakers was very impressive.
I was also aware that it was 52 years ago today when the Beatles recorded the orchestral overdubs in Studio 1 for Golden Slumbers /Carry That Weight / The End, Something and Here Comes The Sun. I could just imagine George Martin and George Harrison on the podium in that studio.
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So jealous! Would love to tour Abbey Road Studios! I wish they would have tours in the week before Beatleweek in Liverpool, then next year we could go! (we were originally scheduled to fly to London next Friday the 20th, but cancelled)
We are rescheduling to fly to London on Aug. 19, 2022. Already got hotel in Liverpool for 6 nights. The hotel we want to stay in while in London doesn't take reservations that far in advance - have to wait until Sept. 6th. And Delta won't take reservations until Oct. -
Nancy R wrote:
I wish they would have tours in the week before Beatleweek in Liverpool, then next year we could go! (we were originally scheduled to fly to London next Friday the 20th, but cancelled)
I think a lot of people cancelled their trips to the UK this year. For a Sunday afternoon in the middle of August Abbey Road itself was relatively quiet. At any one time there was only about a dozen people around the crossing area when normally there would be crowds. The traffic was actually free flowing most of the time. Hopefully your holiday plans for next summer will be trouble free.
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Kestrel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
I wish they would have tours in the week before Beatleweek in Liverpool, then next year we could go! (we were originally scheduled to fly to London next Friday the 20th, but cancelled)
I think a lot of people cancelled their trips to the UK this year. For a Sunday afternoon in the middle of August Abbey Road itself was relatively quiet. At any one time there was only about a dozen people around the crossing area when normally there would be crowds. The traffic was actually free flowing most of the time. Hopefully your holiday plans for next summer will be trouble free.
Yes, thank you, I hope so!!
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Abbey Road last Sunday afternoon,exactly 52 years and 7 days after the Beatles crossed it for their album cover.
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I took the previous photo to compare with the existing 1969 photo of the Beatles waiting to cross the zebra. I could have zoomed in more but basically I got the angle right. The reason for taking the photo was becasue I've been reading comments over the years about how the crossing has been moved further away (although not by much) from the road junction. Comparing the then and now photos I think shows that the crossing hasn't moved at all. Or if it has then not by more than an inch or two.
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Kestrel wrote:
I took the previous photo to compare with the existing 1969 photo of the Beatles waiting to cross the zebra. I could have zoomed in more but basically I got the angle right. The reason for taking the photo was becasue I've been reading comments over the years about how the crossing has been moved further away (although not by much) from the road junction. Comparing the then and now photos I think shows that the crossing hasn't moved at all. Or if it has then not by more than an inch or two.
Great photos!!
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Nancy R wrote:
Great photos!!
Thank you. It's nice to see the little hedge is still there and looking healthy. It hasn't grown much in 52 years though? Do you think someone has been cutting it?
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Kestrel wrote:
Nancy R wrote:
Great photos!!
Thank you. It's nice to see the little hedge is still there and looking healthy. It hasn't grown much in 52 years though? Do you think someone has been cutting it?
Undoubtedly!
