It was 56 years ago today…
It was 56 years ago today…
September 26 should be Abbey Road day
The 56th anniversary of the release of the iconic Abbey Road album by The Beatles is September 26, 2025. This should be Abbey Road Day, as it is an album of superlatives. Not only does it contain some of The Beates best-known songs, but the album sleeve has also become iconic in its own right, copied by countless memes.
Five things you might not know about Abbey Road!
- First off, Abbey Road was’nt going to be the original title. With the clock ticking down on their deadline, the Beatles were hunting for a fitting title. At one point, they fancied calling it Everest — after a brand of “cool” cigarettes. But the idea of jetting off to the Himalayas for just a cover shot? Not exactly tempting. They scrapped that plan and grabbed a quick snap right outside their own studio. And hey, presto: Abbey Road was born.
- What about the cover shoot itself? The album took long time to record. You might imagine they spent hours getting the perfect shot, but in fact, only six photos were taken. Ian Macmillan, the photographer, had to work swiftly on the bustling street, with the Fab Four crossing the zebra three times. Ian managed just one shot each time. After comparing transparencies, Paul chose the fifth snap as the winner.
- Take a closer look at that iconic image — they are actually walking away from their recording studio. That white building to the left? That’s where the magic happened, and the band wanted to show the world them leaving their creative haunt, which had been their playground for years.
- And what about Paul’s bare feet, you ask? Contrary to the wild conspiracy theories flying around at the time, Paul’s decision to go barefoot was entirely down to comfort. John Kosh, the band’s art director, revealed Paul just kicked off his sandals because they were pinching. No hidden meanings, just a guy enjoying a hot day.
- And to round off, a bittersweet fact: Abbey Road was the last album the Beatles recorded together. Although Let It Be was the final album released before they split in April 1970, most of it was laid down prior to the Abbey Road sessions. August 20th, 1969, marked the last day all four Beatles jammed together in the studio.
Last thing: this was the album that fuelled the rumours that Paul McCartney had actually died. One of the “clues” is the the licence plate of the white Volkswagen in the photo. It contained the elements 28IF, which some took to refer to the age of 28 that Paul would have been if he was alive. Well, he was alive and he was 27! But conspiracies rarely let facts get in the way of a good story. I hear the car is now in a German museum.
(Michael Leahy. Source: Photo: UMG)