The Story Behind Abbey Road
Image From:
The Daily Beatle News
Only six photos were taken by photographer Iain Macmillan during one of the most famous photo shoots in rock history. On the morning of Friday, August 8, 1969, all four Beatles gathered outside EMI Studios in London. Macmillan, a freelance photographer and friend of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, was given just ten minutes to capture the shot that would become the iconic cover of Abbey Road.
A policeman halted traffic as Macmillan climbed a stepladder in the middle of the street, taking a series of six photos as the band walked back and forth across the zebra crossing. Paul McCartney later reviewed the contact sheet and chose frame five as the best showing all four members walking confidently in sync.
The arrangement of the Beatles on the cover was soon seen as symbolic- John Lennon, dressed in white, was said to represent Jesus.Ringo Starr, in a black suit, was viewed as the undertaker. George Harrison, wearing denim, was the gravedigger.
Not long before Abbey Road’s release, an American newspaper published a rumor that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 and been replaced by a lookalike named William Campbell. The Abbey Road cover was cited as “proof” of this bizarre theory, which only fueled public fascination.
Even decades later, Abbey Road remains one of the most beloved and imitated album covers of all time. Artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers have recreated it, and thousands of fans still travel to the famous crosswalk to take their own photo.
Do you think the album would have made the same impact if the photo had been taken somewhere else?
My personal favorite song on the album is “Something”, declared by Frank Sinatra as one of the most romantic songs ever written.
Listen-https://youtu.be/VWO3nEuWo4k?si=cXm7aqEUHIQp-tzM
1. "Iain Macmillan." San Francisco Art Exchange. https://sfae.com/Artists/Iain-Macmillan.
2."Iain Macmillan." Snap Galleries Limited. May 01, 2020. Accessed September 07, 2020. https://www.snapgalleries.com/portfolio-items/iain-macmillan/.
3.https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg_w_c4OQam/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=92f09d9b-8b50-4ee4-98bc-f5a7e163a49b&img_index=2