BUSTING A BEATLES MYTH - THEY DIDN'T RECORD ALL THEIR MUSIC AT ABBEY ROAD!
Think of the Beatles in the studio and immediately you imagine the four mop tops dotted around the vast room at Abbey Road churning out their masterpieces - and you would be correct...almost.
Dedicated Beatle fans probably know full well that the band wandered from Abbey Road occasionally for various reasons, and conducted recording sessions at other studios, but the casual fan might be surprised to learn that some of their biggest songs were born away from the iconic EMI studio that is forever tied to their legend.
The first time this happened was in early 1964 when the band were briefly in France prior to their all-conquering invasion of America, and in a couple of hours (and just four takes) they created "Can't Buy Me Love" at EMI Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris. It was completed at Abbey Road but the basic tracks were already done.
For the next few years they were resident at Abbey Road and turned out a whole library of classic songs, but by 1967 there were a few London studios that were beginning to gain a reputation, primarily because they offered 8-track recording, something which Abbey Road was slow to adopt.
Between 1967 and 1969 the band utilised these facilities to record songs that many believe were done at Abbey Road. For example at Trident Studios they did Honey Pie, Martha My Dear, Dear Prudence, Hey Jude and I Want You (She's So Heavy), at Chappell they taped Your Mother Should Know, At De Lane Lea they did It's All Too Much, and at Regent they taped Fixing A Hole.
And let's not forget the Let It Be sessions in January 1969 - once the ill fated rehearsals wrapped up at Twickenham Film Studios, the band convened at Apple Studios and put together a makeshift temporary recording studio and commenced recording such classics as The Long And Winding Road, Let It Be, Two Of Us, I've Got A Feeling, One After 909, Dig A Pony, and the evergreen Get Back.
There was even a song that was taped on another continent, namely George's "The Inner Light" which started life at EMI India.
Of course, many of these songs were completed with overdubs and mixing etc at Abbey Road, under the watchful eye of George Martin (but not all the time, Martin's absence from certain Beatle session could make for another essay similar to this one), and the band will forever be linked to the famous studio, as the vast majority of their stellar output was recorded at that imposing iconic white building in north London, just a short walk away from THAT zebra crossing.