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Release : September 1969

Abbey Road

By The Beatles

Details

  • UK release date: Sep 26, 1969
  • US release date: Oct 01, 1969

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From TheBeatles.com:

First issued on 26th September, 1969 Abbey Road was the final Beatles album to be recorded but not their last to be released. Let It Be, though mainly recorded in January, 1969 was finally released in May, 1970 alongside the film of the same name.

Following the ‘live’ nature of the “Let It Be” recordings, for Abbey Road, The Beatles returned to the North London studios to create carefully crafted recordings with ambitious musical arrangements. Interestingly, 12 of the songs that appeared on the finished album were played during the filmed rehearsals and sessions for “Let It Be” back in January.

For the first time on a Beatles album, the front cover contained neither the group’s name nor the album title just that iconic photograph taken on the zebra crossing near the entrance to the studios in London NW8 in August 1969.

Abbey Road entered the British album chart at no.1 in October and stayed there for a total of seventeen of its 81 weeks in the chart. In the US, it spent eleven weeks at #1 during its initial chart stay of 83 weeks.

The final Beatles album was first released on 8th May, 1970, just prior to the launch of the cinema film of the same name.

Rehearsals and recording sessions for the album had taken place in January, 1969 first At Twickenham Film Studios and later in the basement and on the roof of their Apple headquarters in London’s Savile Row.

A single comprising of “Get Back” and “Don’t Let Me Down” was released in April, 1969 but as The Beatles focussed their energies on a new album mainly recorded at Abbey Road, The “Get Back” album as it was then called remained unreleased.

Once Abbey Road had been issued and the completion of the documentary film now imminent, it was noticed that rehearsals of George’s song “I Me Mine” featured prominently in the film but had not been recorded in the studio. This was remedied on 3rd January, 1970 when George, Paul and Ringo performed it without John who was in Denmark. A second single from the album, which was now titled Let It Be appeared on 6th March.

Up to now the idea behind the album had been to capture the group “live in the studio” without overdubs or effects but this changed when producer, Phil Spector was brought in to re-produce the tracks. The Long And Winding Road, which had been given a new musical arrangement featuring orchestra and choir, was released as a single in the US and other markets but not the UK and became the group’s final # 1 single.

The album reached no. 1 for a three week stay during its 59 week chart stay. In the US, the album enjoyed a four week stay at #1 during an initial chart life of 55 weeks.

I don’t like people explaining albums. The only way you can explain it is to hear it, You can’t really use words about music, otherwise we’d do a talking album. The album is the explanation, and it’s up to you to make sure what you want of it. There is no theme to Abbey Road. There never is a theme to any of our albums, although some people saw one in Sgt Pepper.

Paul McCartney – Interview with Evening Standard, September 1969

The long and unwinding road that cuts through the tree-lined suburbs of North London leads to an unassuming house, set back from the main road.

This house is, of course, Abbey Road Studios.

Our first arrival was thrilling: we entered by the tradesman’s entrance – still not qualified to use the grand front door – and discovered that this ‘house’ went on forever with studios, rooms, offices and cupboards, filling every inch of its vast interior.

Studio Two was bigger than anything we had worked in before and, as we set up our basic equipment, we marvelled at its grandeur. Four boys in their early twenties starting a recording career that would last for, who knows, five, six years, or perhaps even longer.

The memories of that first session and the ones that followed are still vivid and remind me of how far we travelled, and how much we learned.

Our guide in the process was George Martin, who at that point was a junior producer in EMI’s hierarchy.

We gazed in wonder at the magic of the recording process and how they could turn our live noises into a real record. After, we climbed the long stairway to the control room, where the grown-ups lived, to hear what we had achieved.

Through the following years we lived and breathed music creating a succession of ever evolving songs that led to our final album.

Having gone through some difficult days we had decided to go back to where we once belonged to record again with George Martin and this time agreed to the disciplines that had always been a part of recording with him. We all had plenty to contribute.

John brought in ‘Come Together’, which was changed from a Chuck Berry sound-alike to a sexy swamp song. George had brought two of the most beautiful songs he had ever written. Having been a late bloomer as a songwriter, he was now peaking with ‘Something’ and ‘Here Comes The Sun’, both of which would become Harrison classics. Ringo had taken a ride beneath the waves in his ‘Yellow Submarine’ and had found a magical ‘Octopus’s Garden’.

I had screamed ‘Oh! Darling’ into existence along with ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’, summing up our business woes, and ‘Golden Slumbers’, laying down our burdens.

John had created the achingly elegant, crystal-clear ballad ‘Because’.

We had decided to gather up our fragments of songs we hadn’t quite finished and create a train of thoughts that could bring the album to a close.

The Beatles recording journey had gone through many twists and turns, learning curves and thrilling rides. Here we were – still wondering at the magic of it all.

And in the end, the love we take… Well, you know the rest.

Paul McCartney – Foreword to 2019 “Abbey Road” Deluxe Edition
From Disc And Music Echo – September 27, 1969

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Going further

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

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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