London’s world-famous Abbey Road Studios is running an open house event until this Sunday (August 15) as part of its 90th birthday celebrations.
‘Abbey Road: Open House’ gives visitors the opportunity to explore all three of the original recording rooms made famous by artists including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Oasis, Kanye West, Adele, Ed Sheeran and Frank Ocean. See ticket availability here.
Beyond the studios, visitors will be able to access the control rooms and the famous Studio Two Echo Chamber, which have existed since 1931.
The open house also exhibits legendary recording consoles, equipment and instruments. As per a press material, this includes: “the illustrious EMI TG MK3 recording console, used extensively on records since the late ‘60s; the iconic ‘Mrs Mills’ piano used by artists throughout the studios’ history and made famous in the 1960s by artists including The Zombies, Russ Conway and The Beatles; the iconic REDD.17 mixing console, as well as gems like the BTR3 tape machine and recently acquired Mellotron.”
The equipment listed above is still used for recording sessions today.
Abbey Road: Open House has kicked off today!
For one week only, we’re opening our doors to the public and offering a rare glimpse inside the legendary studios.
Will you be joining us? There are a very limited number of tickets remaining: https://t.co/CARjyVx0ME pic.twitter.com/G9lwgiD2L2
— Abbey Road Studios (@AbbeyRoad) August 9, 2021
Additionally, visitors will able to learn more about the studios’ rich history in film scoring. Demonstations will highlight how music was recorded for blockbusters ranging from The Lord Of The Rings trilogy to Raiders Of The Lost Ark, some Harry Potter franchise movies and Oscar-winning scores for Gravity and The Shape Of Water.
Isabel Garvey, Managing Director at Abbey Road Studios, said: “Celebrating 90 years of Abbey Road by inviting the public beyond the ‘no entry’ signs is a really exciting way for us to share the magic of the building. Abbey Road: Open House is a rare and fascinating opportunity to discover the stories behind some of the greatest music that has been the soundtrack to our lives, in the very rooms where it was made.”
Jack Franklin, Head of Events at Abbey Road Studios, added: “As a working studio, the doors to Abbey Road are normally closed, so being able to share a rare glimpse inside our very special building is something we’re all really excited about. With a project like this, the major challenge is selecting which bits of the story to tell – there is so much history here that editing it down to a 90-minute experience is all part of the fun of the job. I still remember the magic of stepping inside the building for the first time, so we want to give our guests that very same experience this summer.”
In related news, Mary McCartney, a photographer and filmmaker as well as the daughter of Paul McCartney, is set to direct a new documentary about the famous studios.
