Abbey Road Studios: Beyond the Beatles' creative home
Amy Winehouse, Oasis and Duran Duran are among the stars who've recorded their hits at the legendary studios that have witnessed 90 years of music history.
Glenn Miller
Three months before his death in December 1944, American trombonist Glenn Miller did his final recordings there with singer and entertainer Dinah Shore, who sang two songs with him. During World War Two, the studio was also used for recordings in English and German that were used as propaganda by US forces in Nazi Germany.
Alma Cogan
In the 1950s, Alma Cogan was a star in England. She had almost 20 hits, the most famous of which was "Dreamboat." All her songs were recorded at Abbey Road Studios, which was known as the EMI Recording Studios back then.
The Beatles
In the 1960s, the Beatles practically lived at Abbey Road Studios. In 1962, they played there in front of producer George Martin, who secured them a record deal. The Beatles' first official album, "Please Please Me" was produced here, followed by many more. The studio gained cult status after being featured on the now-iconic cover of the group's "Abbey Road" album.
Oasis
The Britpop band set new standards with their album "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" that featured hits like "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back In Anger." Wanting to top their success with their follow-up album, "Be Here Now," Oasis went to Abbey Road to record it. Unfortunately, they were already totally estranged and high on cocaine: the album sold well, but was rather mediocre.
Film scores for Indiana Jones, Harry Potter and more
From the start, EMI Electrola's major orchestral recordings were produced there. In 1981, John Williams had the London Symphony Orchestra record the soundtrack to "Indiana Jones — Raiders of the Lost Ark" at Abbey Road Studios. Later, the soundtracks for the "Lord of the Rings" films and the "Harry Potter" series were recorded there too.
Pink Floyd
The renowned Pink Floyd albums "Wish You Were Here" and "The Dark Side of the Moon" were produced at Abbey Road Studios. The console used to record the latter was auctioned off in March 2017 to an anonymous buyer who paid $1.8 million for this coveted piece of music history. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason poses with the console, which was also trusted by Paul McCartney and Kate Bush.
Duran Duran
The New Wave band recorded their fourth studio album "Notorious" here in 1986, supervised by producer Nile Rodgers. As Rodgers was more a funk pop instead of New Wave specialist, the band's sound changed a lot. This was also partly because of the change in its lineup after the departure of drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor, turning the former quintet into a trio.
Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett
"Body and Soul," a duet by Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett required several takes. Winehouse was overwhelmed by the experience of performing with Bennet but the established crooner put her at ease, telling her old stories — and finally the jazzy classic was created. It also ended up being Amy Winehouse's final recording.
The Analogues
The most unusual Beatles cover band in the world plays songs by the Fab Four live that the Beatles themselves never played live. Among other things, this Dutch tribute band brought the Beatles' "White Album" to the stage with incredible musical precision. They recorded the "Abbey Road" album live in London — in the studios of the same name, of course.