ABBEY ROAD

'The Inside Story of The World's Most Famous Recording Studio' here is the incredible history of how Abbey Road became mythical on its long and winding road. A home fit for divas, knights of the realm and weeping piano players, we see Al Bowlly, the microphone and the invention of intimacy, Noël Coward and Gracie Fields taking on Hitler, George Martin with the tape and the smell of money, Cliff, the RS124, Hazel Yarwood, the class system and stereo, the compressor, the Beatles, Sgt Pepper, J. S. Bach, Pink Floyd and their cow and eight tracks in search of strange, Roy Harper, Jacqueline du Pré, Pinky and Perky, Steve Harley, Alan Parsons, Star Wars, Tina Turner, Noel Gallagher, and English Heritage monetising the brand. Mixing the past and remixing the future, the book includes a play list, bibliography and a foreword by Sir Paul McCartney who remembers the first time walking into Abbey Road 60 years ago. What began life as an affluent suburban house soon became a creative hub renowned around the world as a place where great music, ground-breaking sounds, and unforgettable tunes were forged. Here is its 90 years seeing skills that are musical, creative, technical, mechanical, interpersonal, managerial, chemical and romantic - close to magic. 380pp, many photos.