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Behind the magical mystery door: history, mythology and the aura of Abbey Road Studios

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 September 2016

Samantha Bennett
Samantha Bennett*
Affiliation:
School of Music, Research School of the Humanities and the Arts, Building 100, Childers Street, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In rock historiography, Abbey Road Studios is depicted as the rock canon's ultimate recording house; home to the Beatles, Pink Floyd and a generation of classic rock album production. In recent years, the studio has struggled to maintain itself as an operational recording house, yet effectively exploits its past to secure its future. This article considers issues of heritage, pilgrimage and tourism before elucidating brand ‘Abbey Road’ as a conflation of geographical location, zebra crossing, graffiti wall, recording house and aura. In separating the tangible aspects of Abbey Road's heritage – the zebra crossing, graffiti wall and the Beatles Abbey Road album – out from its intangibles – its ‘magic’, legacy and studio ‘vibe’ – Abbey Road's studio aura is exposed as a commodity in its own right.

Type
Articles
Information
Popular Music , Volume 35 , Issue 3 , October 2016 , pp. 396 - 417
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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Discography

The Beatles, Abbey Road. Apple. PCS 7088. 1969 Google Scholar