Few album covers are as iconic as Abbey Road by Beatles. In fact, concept designer John Kosh felt that the group was so famous that the image needed no further identifiers. His assessment proved spot on. The record went straight to number one and the Abbey Road aesthetic invaded pop culture, leading to numerous parodies and imitations by amongst others Sesame Street, the Simpsons and, of course the Peanuts gang, as shown in today's featured product. Both Kanye West and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers used that same zebra crossing in their cover art for albums recorded in the studio. Paul McCartney himself got in on the act in 1993 with Paul is Live. And that's not counting all the internet memes inspired by Abbey Road. If we ever do get round to colonizing Mars, the Abbey Road parodies will probably follow us to the Red Planet as well.
The man responsible for this image, Iain MacMillan was born on 20 October 1938 in Carnoustie, a town near Dundee in Scotland. On the day of the shoot, 8 August 1969, he snapped a series of six images that featured the Fab Four crossing and re-crossing the street, which is located just outside the record studio. Traffic was briefly halted. MacMillan mounted a step ladder. And magic happened. MacMillan had connected with the band through commissions he had done for Yoko Ono. He continued to work with Ono on several other projects, including her book Flies. He also provided cover art for several Lennon/Ono recordings, including Live Peace in Toronto, Some Time in New York City and Wedding Album.
Almost as soon as it was released, the photo gained a life of its own. Fans were quick to spot symbolic clues that supposedly offered proof of Paul McCartney's death three years earlier in a car accident. The record company encouraged this speculation, as the urban legend provided additional publicity. In reality, these elements were mere coincidence. For example, Paul had taken off his shoes because they were uncomfortable and the police van was most likely present to regulate traffic for the photoshoot.
The image is also infused with the gravity of marking the end of an era, a coming of age for the band. Both Lennon and McCartney married in 1969 and several band members were engaging in side projects. A recently released recorded conversation seems to imply that the group was planning a further album. Abbey Road, however, marked the last time they worked together as a band.
For music fans, a visit to Abbey Road ranks high on the itinerary of music themed tourist attractions. If you keep an eye on the traffic, you can snap and share your own version of the famous Beatles image. Other nearby sights include Regent's Park and Lord's Cricket Ground. If you can't make it in person, connect to the webcam now installed at Abbey Road.
Sources and Further Reading https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/iain-macmillan-2469215 https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/beatles/the-beatles-abbey-road-album-cover-facts-meaning/ https://www.biography.com/news/beatles-abbey-road-album-cover-anniversary https://www.nme.com/photos/abbey-road-31-tributes-and-parodies-1436999 https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/11/the-beatles-break-up-mark-lewisohn-abbey-road-hornsey-road https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Macmillan https://freetoursbyfoot.com/abbey-road-crossing/ https://www.earthcam.com/world/england/london/abbeyroad/?cam=abbeyroad_uk
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