Prompt #0: Hello, Goodbye! — The Beatles in London

 (01.12.2025 — 01.14.2025)   

“One sweet dream came true today…”

   Five years ago, I became enthralled by the magical, musical wonder of The Beatles. Hailing from the lively port city of Liverpool, The Beatles are one of the most famous and beloved groups to ever come out of Great Britain. Not only did they widely impact modern music, but also fashion, artwork, politics, and cultural movements. References to their iconic songs, albums, and live performances can be found all throughout the world, but especially in England. One of my goals while in London was to visit landmarks related to “The Fab Four”. I was able to make my way to a couple of them. Here’s what I discovered!

The Beatles during their famous “Mad Day Out” photoshoot, 

London, 1969 (Photo by Tom Murray).

Abbey Road

    There’s no questioning that the most famous site to visit in relation to The Beatles is Abbey Road. Even if you know little/nothing about the band, you’ve most likely heard and seen references to this iconic place everywhere. The famous street in London is home to Abbey Road Studios, the recording studio where The Beatles began and ended their career together. Originally an old townhouse, the building was converted to Abbey Road Studios (then known as EMI Recording Studios) in 1931. In 1963, The Beatles began using it during the making of their first album, Please Please Me. Over the years, the studios have become a resource for thousands of impactful musicians, such as Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, and Radiohead.

Abbey Road Studios (today).

The Crosswalk

    While the studio is rich in musical history, this site is probably more well known for the crosswalk in front of it! The iconic white lines were featured on the cover of The Beatles’ 1969 release, Abbey Road (named after the street and studios where it was recorded). The photo, shot by Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan, has become the inspiration for countless parodies and recreations. It has also been subject to conspiracy, being included as “evidence” for the infamous “Paul Is Dead” theory (you can read more about this here — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_is_dead). The Beatles themselves have even referenced the cover later during their solo careers. 

    These days, the site is very chaotic, full of tourists, traffic, and graffiti. My friends and I were able to hurry across and create our own little homage to this masterpiece, similar to what The Beatles had done over fifty years ago. It was a dream come true (at least for me, the Beatlemaniac of the group)!

Abbey Road album cover.

   

Emma, Lauren, and I crossing Abbey Road!

A quick pose on the crosswalk!

Apple Corps Headquarters (3 Savile Row)

    The next spot on my Beatle landmarks list was located in the artsy district of SoHo. To passersby, this tall brick building on Savile Row may seem insignificant. However, it holds a very special place in the hearts of Beatles fans. From 1969 to 1975, it was home to Apple Corps, a multi-media company founded by the band. Its main division is Apple Records, the label that The Beatles have released music under since 1968. Other notable artists to be signed with Apple Records include Badfinger, Mary Hopkin, and Billy Preston.

3 Savile Row (the old Apple Corps. building) today.

    While Apple Corps is still in business, the building itself is no longer in use, changing between different stores and galleries throughout the years. Along with everything that it provided as the company’s headquarters, this building has an even deeper significance in Beatles history.

Rooftop Concert

    After The Beatles wrapped up Abbey Road, they embarked on one the most stressful songwriting journeys of their entire lives. The band were tasked with writing and performing an entire album’s worth of new material within just three weeks. The group had the basement of Apple Corps converted into a recording studio, where many of the songs were completed. This collection of tunes would become their twelfth, and final, album, Let It Be. The performance would be broadcasted live, being the first time that the band had played in front of a live audience in almost two years. As they were writing and recording, they were also having had a documentary-style film made about them. Talk about pressure! All the while, they were struggling from internal, personal disputes. 

    Eventually, the televised performance was scrapped, and The Beatles decided to go for a completely public gig (which would appear in the film, Let It Be, and later, Get Back). The band, along with keyboardist Billy Preston, climbed to the top of the Apple Corps building where they played a forty minute set on the roof. They probably would have played longer, if it weren’t for the police shutting them down due to noise complaints. Imagine complaining about hearing amazing music? And The Beatles? I could never…

    Sadly, this was the group’s last performance together, making it a bittersweet moment for Beatles fans and music lovers around the world.

Plaque commemorating the rooftop concert.

The Beatles performing “Don’t Let Me Down” on the roof 

of Apple Corps (as seen in the film Let It Be). Check it out!

    For some more cool (and highly recommended) listening, here is a playlist that I made containing all of my favorite Beatles tunes!

• https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0X2eDkdMlUvJ5sw81boF35?si=ZRqwK3dISrSOcwTJFXBMVA&pi=e-FC6xxI6fT4WB

    Overall, I’d say that my mini, self-guided Beatles tour was a success. I felt overcome with emotions at each stop, having admired their talents — as a whole and individually — for so long. I cannot wait for the day that I make my way to Liverpool, where I’ll find a plethora of locations with deep Beatles lore. For now, I’ll leave you with my favorite lyric on Abbey Road (and one of my favorites ever written).

“And in the end

The love you take

Is equal to the love you make...”

— “The End”, The Beatles

- Gillian