44-808: The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (subtitled The Official Story of the Abbey Road Years 1962–1970 ) is a 1988 reference book on the English rock band the Beatles written by Mark Lewisohn . It was published by Hamlyn in the UK and by Harmony Books in the US. The book is written in the form of a diary, documenting each day from 1962 through 1970 that the Beatles spent in a recording session or producers and engineers spent mixing and editing their music. The book has been widely described as an "essential" reference book for study of
88-595: A centre for rock and roll music when Cliff Richard and the Drifters (later Cliff Richard and the Shadows ) recorded " Move It " there, and later pop music material. EMI is closely associated with the Beatles, who recorded almost all of their albums and hits there between 1962 and 1970 using the four-track REDD mixing console designed by Peter K. Burkowitz. The Beatles named their 1969 album Abbey Road . Iain Macmillan took
132-417: A chronological guide of the group's live performances. The book took years to research and compiles over 1,000 primary sources to provide an exhaustive guide. Imagine what it was like for me, walking into Abbey Road Studios, opening tape boxes that had not been touched since they were shelved 20 years ago, and listening through professional equipment to the Beatles' recording-session tapes. I was able to sit in
176-405: A control room at the studio where the Beatles worked, doing my own mixes and isolating tracks , and I can honestly say I was surprised by everything I heard. – Mark Lewisohn , 1988 Because of his work compiling The Beatles Live! , EMI commissioned Lewisohn in 1987 to continue Barrett's work and write a book detailing the Beatles' recording sessions. Besides Abbey Road Studios staffers and
220-452: A fan than a critic, with his descriptions reliant on adjectives like "brilliant" rather than evaluating a recording's "color, texture and mood". Writing in 2009 for The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles , John Kimsey wrote that the " 'definitive ' [account]" of the band's recording history and studio practices has since been "supplanted" by Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew 's 2006 book, Recording
264-429: A glossary of recording industry terms and a note from Townsend on the recording technology used by the band. The book has been widely described as an "essential" Beatles reference book and required reading for anyone attempting a serious study of the band. In Michael Brocken and Melissa Davis's guide to Beatles literature, The Beatles Bibliography , they describe it as "one of the cornerstones of Beatles scholarship", and
308-628: A long time," although he did not name them or include himself among them. "I have so many memories there with the Beatles," McCartney said, "It still is a great studio. So it would be lovely for someone to get a thing together to save it." In March 2015, Abbey Road Institute was founded as a school for music production and audio engineering. In addition to the London location, Abbey Road Institute offers education globally with schools in Amsterdam , Frankfurt , Johannesburg , Miami , Paris and Sydney . All of
352-554: A one-page preface by Ken Townsend and a ten-page interview between Lewisohn and Paul McCartney . Each entry first notes the date; the studio location, usually EMI or Apple Studios ; the session time; the songs recorded or mixed, including the number of takes; and the names of the producer and engineers involved. Lewisohn then writes about the details of the particular session, such as overdubbing , false starts and studio chatter, as well as information about session musicians , orchestration and any other related information. He discusses
396-546: Is "superb, but superb in the way an encyclopedia is superb", contending that it provides much more than the typical reader would expect, leaving a book that "focuses more on the trees than on the forest". The authors Stephen Thomas Erlewine , Chris Ingham and Colin Fleming each praise the book as engrossing in its narrative of each particular recording session, though Fleming finds some of Lewisohn's descriptions of songs lacking. Riley similarly criticises Lewisohn for writing more like
440-534: Is a computer program or data that is stored electronically, which is usually found on a computer, including information that is available on the Internet. Libraries offer numerous types of electronic resources including electronic texts such as electronic books and electronic journals , bibliographic databases , institutional repositories , websites , and software applications . Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios )
484-692: Is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road , St John's Wood , City of Westminster , London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company , a predecessor of British music company EMI , which owned it until Universal Music Group (UMG) took control of part of it in 2013. It is ultimately owned by UMG subsidiary Virgin Records Limited (until 2013 by EMI Records Limited, nowadays known as Parlophone Records and owned by UMG's competitor Warner Music Group ). The studio's most notable client
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#1732886891841528-1063: Is informative; the authors avoid opinions and the use of the first person, and emphasize facts. Indices are a common navigation feature in many types of reference works. Many reference works are put together by a team of contributors whose work is coordinated by one or more editors, rather than by an individual author. Updated editions are usually published as needed, in some cases annually ( Whitaker's Almanack , Who's Who ). Reference works include textbooks , almanacs , atlases , bibliographies , biographical sources , catalogs such as library catalogs and art catalogs, concordances , dictionaries , directories such as business directories and telephone directories , discographies , encyclopedias , filmographies , gazetteers , glossaries , handbooks , indices such as bibliographic indices and citation indices , manuals , research guides , thesauruses , and yearbooks . Many reference works are available in electronic form and can be obtained as reference software , CD-ROMs , DVDs , or online through
572-404: Is written in the form of a diary detailing each day either the Beatles spent in a recording session or producers and engineers spent mixing and editing their music. The diary begins with the band's first recording session at EMI Recording Studios on 6 June 1962, while drummer Pete Best was still in the band, and finishes on 8 May 1970 with the release of the album Let It Be . The book includes
616-525: The Internet . Misplaced Pages , an online encyclopedia , is both the largest and the most-read reference work in history. In contrast to books that are loaned , a reference book or reference-only book in a library may only be used in the library and may not be borrowed from the library. Many such books are reference works (in the first sense), which are usually used briefly or photocopied from and, therefore, do not need to be borrowed. Keeping reference books in
660-550: The University of Texas at Austin describes the book as a "bio-discography" – a portmanteau of biography and discography – illustrating the Beatles' progression and story through study of their recorded music. He writes that it serves as "the standard by which all bio-discographies will be measured". Lewisohn's 1992 book, The Complete Beatles Chronicle , combines the work of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions with The Beatles Live! to provide an exhaustive day-by-day account of
704-443: The Beatles . The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions was one of the first books to document a band or artist through their recording sessions. Similar works covering Elvis Presley , Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix were written following its release. In the introduction to his 1995 book on Dylan's recording sessions, Clinton Heylin acknowledges that Lewisohn's book remains "perhaps the best-known 'sessionography ' ". David Hunter of
748-532: The Beatles' producer George Martin , publicist Derek Taylor and engineer Geoff Emerick . Besides Barrett's previous research, the collection of Beatles recordings stored at Abbey Road Studios had never been properly archived. Listening to over four hundred hours of tapes, Lewisohn's working process served the dual purpose of both researching the book as well as organising the collection, cataloguing its various mixes , submixes, mastertakes and outtakes. Hamlyn published The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions in
792-419: The Beatles, Lewisohn was the first person granted access to listen to all of the Beatles' working tapes, a privilege not extended again until 1995 for writer Mark Hertsgaard . Working from 1987 through 1988, the book took two years to research and write. Lewisohn consulted the studio's recording paperwork, reproducing some of it in the book, and interviewed eighty people who were present at the sessions, including
836-523: The British government declared Abbey Road Studios a Grade II listed building which protected it from major alteration. The following December, the pedestrian crossing at Abbey Road was listed on the National Heritage List. Paul McCartney , speaking to BBC Newsnight on 16 February 2010, said there had been efforts to save Abbey Road by "a few people who have been associated with the studio for
880-474: The Studio Two room, where the Beatles made most of their records. While a new mixing console was being installed in the control room, the studio was used to host a video presentation called The Beatles at Abbey Road . The soundtrack to the video had a number of recordings that were not made commercially available until the release of The Beatles Anthology project over a decade later. In September 2012, with
924-454: The UK in September 1988. A book launch was held on 26 September at Abbey Road Studios, with wax figures of the Beatles temporarily moved to the studio from London's Madame Tussauds wax museum for the event. Harmony Books published it in the US the following month, re-titled as The Beatles Recording Sessions . Spanning 204 pages, most of The Complete Beatles Recording Session
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#1732886891841968-421: The album's cover photograph outside the studios, with the result that the nearby zebra crossing has become a place of pilgrimage for Beatles fans . It has been a tradition for visitors to pay homage to the band by writing on the wall in front of the building even though it is painted over every three months. In December 2010, the zebra crossing at Abbey Road was given a Grade II listed status . After becoming
1012-461: The authors Stuart Shea and Robert Rodriguez characterise it as "[p]ossibly the most important Beatles book ever published", writing it was a "landmark" by providing the general public with so much previously unknown information. The book contained a number of revelations that countered the accepted wisdom. ... Like its predecessors Lennon Remembers and Shout! , The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions impacted all subsequent scholarship on
1056-470: The band. In the early 1980s, John Barrett, a balance engineer employed by EMI , found himself unoccupied while undergoing chemotherapy . Ken Townsend , the General Manager of Abbey Road Studios , later recalled suggesting Barrett keep his mind engaged by listening to the Beatles ' session tapes and write down information pertaining to them. Author Stephen Matteo alternatively suggests Barrett's work
1100-413: The building from any major alterations. Originally a nine-bedroom Georgian townhouse built in 1831 on the footpath leading to Kilburn Abbey , the building was later converted to flats where the best-known resident was Maundy Gregory , who was famous (or infamous) for selling political honours. In 1929, the Gramophone Company acquired the premises. The property benefited from a large garden behind
1144-572: The campuses offer the same course, the Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering, which has been developed in collaboration with industry leaders and the team at Abbey Road Studios. Some campuses offer additional short courses, including Portfolio Preparation, Song Production Masterclass, Music theory Fundamentals for Producers amongst others. In April 2021, Abbey Road Institute London announced it would be expanding and moving into
1188-592: The command of EMI head Fred Gaisberg . The recordings went on to spur a revolution among Bach aficionados and cellists alike. "Fats" Waller played the Compton organ there. Glenn Miller recorded at the Abbey Road studios during World War II , when he was based in the United Kingdom. In 1931 an echo chamber was built in the studios, in the early days of artificial reverberation. In 1958, Studio Two at EMI became
1232-440: The fate of various session tapes, the differences between mono and stereo mixes and the technical advancements first pioneered on the Beatles' recordings. UK release dates of singles, albums and EPs are also mentioned, discussing their chart success and sales numbers. Following the diary entries, the book includes a complete discography of all the Beatles' UK and US releases, including singles, EPs and albums. It concludes with
1276-583: The group. – Historiographer Erin Torkelson Weber, 2016 Later writers have relied heavily on the book's research. The critic Tim Riley writes the book is "indispensable for close listening", and the authors Ian MacDonald and Mark Hertsgaard each described it as being indispensable for the research of their own books, Revolution in the Head (1994) and A Day in the Life (1995), respectively. Hertsgaard writes it
1320-581: The group. Secondary sources Citations to The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions Books Journal, magazine and newspaper articles UK edition US edition Reference book A reference work is a work, such as a paper , book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents ), to which one can refer for information . The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than read beginning to end. The writing style used in these works
1364-436: The library assures that they will always be available for use on demand. Some reference-only books are too valuable to permit borrowers to take them out. Reference-only items may be shelved in a reference collection located separately from circulating items. Some libraries consist entirely, or to a large extent, of books which may not be borrowed. These are the main types and categories of reference work: An electronic resource
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1408-433: The new information and suggested the catalogue be published, but Barrett's death in 1984 precluded it. The project was nearly abandoned until Abbey Road employee Kathryn Varley pushed for its completion. Mark Lewisohn began formally researching the Beatles in the late 1970s, working as a research assistant for Philip Norman 's book Shout! (1981). In 1986, Lewisohn published his first reference book, The Beatles Live! ,
1452-483: The opening of the studios in November 1931 when Edward Elgar conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in recording sessions of his music. In 1934, the inventor of stereo sound , Alan Blumlein , recorded Mozart 's Jupiter Symphony which was conducted by Thomas Beecham at the studios. The neighbouring house is also owned by the studio and used to accommodate musicians. During the mid-20th century,
1496-452: The sessions included The Mike Sammes Singers , who backed up The Beatles on "I Am the Walrus" and "Good Night." In 1979, EMI commissioned the British jazz fusion band Morrissey-Mullen to record Britain's first digitally recorded single record at Abbey Road Studios. Abbey Road Studios got its start in the film scoring business in 1980 when Anvil Post Production formed a partnership with
1540-493: The site into luxury flats. It had also been reported there was a possibility the studios could be purchased by the National Trust to preserve what was in effect a historical building. A Save Abbey Road Studios campaign attempted to ensure the premises remained a working studio. On 21 February 2010, EMI stated it planned to keep the studio and was looking for an investor to help finance a "revitalisation" project. Meanwhile,
1584-540: The studio effect known as automatic double tracking (ADT). The chief mastering engineer at Abbey Road was Chris "Vinyl" Blair, who started his career as a tape deck operator. From 1966 to 1971, the Walt Disney Music Company recorded vocals, instrumentals and narration and dialogue for over a dozen albums at Abbey Road for U.S. and international release, including The Aristocats, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Doctor Dolittle, Heidi and The Wizard of Oz . Most of
1628-429: The studio was extensively used by British conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent , whose house was located near the studio building. The Gramophone Company merged with Columbia Graphophone Company to form Electric and Musical Industries (EMI) in 1931, and the studios later became known as EMI Recording Studios. In 1936 cellist Pablo Casals became the first to record Johann Sebastian Bach 's Cello Suites No. 1 & 2 at
1672-406: The studio's general manager in 1974, Ken Townsend began a rebranding effort to capitalise on the studio's connection with the Beatles. To emphasise the studio's independence, Townsend commissioned the artist Alan Brown to design a unique logo, and in 1976 the facility officially changed names from EMI Studios to Abbey Road Studios . Having previously been mostly restricted to UK-based EMI acts,
1716-660: The studio's name-change served the added purpose of encouraging non-EMI acts to record at the studio. Notable producers and sound engineers who have worked at Abbey Road include Fred Gaisberg (who had first recorded Enrico Caruso in Milan in 1902, and had set up the first recording studio in London at Maiden Lane in 1898), Walter Legge , George Martin , Tutti Camarata , Geoff Emerick , Norman "Hurricane" Smith , Ken Scott , Mike Stone , Alan Parsons , Peter Vince , Malcolm Addey, Peter Bown, Richard Langham, Phil McDonald, John Kurlander, Richard Lush and Ken Townsend , who invented
1760-417: The studio, called Anvil-Abbey Road Screen Sound. The partnership started when Anvil was left without a scoring stage when Denham Studios were demolished. It ended in 1984 when EMI merged with Thorn Electrical Industries to become Thorn EMI . Abbey Road's success in the scoring business continued after the partnership ended. From 18 July to 11 September 1983, the public had a rare opportunity to see inside
1804-474: The takeover of EMI, the studio became the property of Universal Music . It was not one of the entities that were sold to Warner Music as part of Parlophone and instead the control of Abbey Road Studios Ltd was transferred to Virgin Records . On 17 February 2010, it was reported that EMI had put the studios up for sale because of increasing debts. There was reported interest by property developers in redeveloping
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1848-489: The townhouse, which permitted a much larger building to be constructed to the rear; thus, the Georgian façade belies the true dimension of the building. The architectural partnership Wallis, Gilbert and Partners was hired to convert the property into a recording studio , an unusual request at the time. Three purpose-built studios were constructed and the existing house was adapted for use as administration offices. Pathé filmed
1892-507: Was the Beatles , who used the studio – particularly its Studio Two room – as the venue for many of the innovative recording techniques that they adopted throughout the 1960s. In 1976, the studio was renamed from EMI to Abbey Road. In 2009, Abbey Road came under threat of sale to property developers. In response, the British Government protected the site, granting it English Heritage Grade II listed status in 2010, thereby preserving
1936-449: Was intended to gather interesting unreleased material for The Beatles at Abbey Road , a 1983 multimedia presentation at Abbey Road Studios. Barrett produced a colour-coded catalogue, which Townsend later said displayed an "incredible" attention to detail. In 1982, while attending Liverpool 's annual Beatles convention, Townsend, Barrett and author Brian Southall used Barrett's work during a Q&A session. Attendees were enthusiastic about
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