Vinyl of the Week - 15 NOVEMBER 2020

Abbey Road, The Beatles

It was 11:30am on the 8th August, 1969 when four of the most famous people on the planet waited at the edge of a pedestrian crossing on the street where EMI studios was located. Photographer Iain Macmillan perched atop a ladder as a single police officer stopped traffic so The Fab Four could walk single file across the now infamous Abbey Road crossing. The result, one of the most recognised album covers of all time. So much so that EMI changed its name to Abbey Road Studios in its honour. The famous scene has been copied by thousands of fans and even got parodied by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, who did it naked (with a few strategically placed socks). The poor owner of the VW beetle on the cover had to change his number plates after getting them “souvenired” by fans multiple times. The album itself is now looked upon as one of the band’s best but it would be the last time they would record together. I love the way this album is laid out. Side one starting with the epic “Come Together” then one of my favourite songs, “Something”, followed by Ringo’s “Octupus’s Garden” and Harrison’s “Oh! Darling” with it’s Frank Zappa-esque vibe. Side two featuring the most brilliant 16-minute medley of songs, opening with “You Never Give Me Your Money”, followed by four McCartney tracks (including the iconic “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window”), closing with “The End” (and after 14 seconds of silence, a rather cool surprise with the hidden track, “Her Majesty”). Sadly, this last song was an omen of things to come with the Beatles going their separate ways the following year. I wonder if the people on the cover watching from a distance ever realised just how historic this moment would become. A great story to tell the kids - DS