Test shot for the “Abbey Road” album

On 8 August 1969, photographer Iain Macmillan captured the now-iconic photograph of The Beatles crossing the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios for the cover of the “Abbey Road” album.

Before the official shoot, Macmillan staged a quick test – enlisting four people, one of whom was the Beatles’ roadie Kevin Harrington. Harrington later recalled that this trial shot was taken on a Sunday morning, suggesting it was taken on August 3, 1969. However, in his 2019 “Hornsey Road” lectures, Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn argues it actually took place on August 7, 1969, the day before the main session.

Notably, the white Volkswagen Beetle that appears in the final cover image had already been parked at the same location – according to Lewisohn, its owner left it there before going on holiday, so it remained in place for several days.

Towards the end of the recording sessions I was asked, along with Steve Brendell, to meet on a Sunday morning at EMI Studios. Ian McMillan, the photographer, wanted to take a few shots of four people walking across the zebra crossing outside the studio on Abbey Road to show the boys what the album cover idea would look like. To make up the foursome, two studio porters were drafted in as well. I know a photo exists of the four of us but I am not in a position to publish it.

Kevin Harrington – From “Who’s The Redhead On The Roof….? My life with The Beatles“, 2015

The actual picture was taken on a Friday but the previous Sunday I was asked to go to EMI Studios. I didn’t know what it was until I turned up with Steve Brendell [another assistant] and saw Iain MacMillan the photographer. We normally had Sundays off but I was happy to do anything for the band.

Iain said he needed four people to walk across the Zebra crossing. So we went into the studios and grabbed a couple of porters. And we then spent twenty minutes or so walking back and forwards across the Zebra crossing. Iain seemed to have a drawing in his hand about how it was supposed to look, at least that’s what I remember. The drill was that Iain wanted four guys just to act out how it would look in the picture. It was really just a mock-up for Iain to show the band how it would look. I know a photo exists of the four of us but I am not in a position to publish it.

From “And in the End: The Last Days of the Beatles” by Ken McNab, 2019

Going further

The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years

"With greatly expanded text, this is the most revealing and frank personal 30-year chronicle of the group ever written. Insider Barry Miles covers the Beatles story from childhood to the break-up of the group."

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Solid State: The Story of "Abbey Road" and the End of the Beatles

Acclaimed Beatles historian Kenneth Womack offers the most definitive account yet of the writing, recording, mixing, and reception of Abbey Road. In February 1969, the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to the Beatles' sound, and included "Come Together," "Something," and "Here Comes the Sun," which all emerged as classics.

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