Thinking about the best recording studios in the world? One simply cannot miss the name Abbey Road Studios. Starting from classic rock n roll, pop to modern hip hop music; this studio has empowered many legendary bands and artists. Sharing a fair portion of the musical contribution in the music industry, this recording studio has become the platform for all kinds of musicians to take a fruitful flight. The studio is situated at 3 Abbey Road in the City of Westminster, London. The company was founded back in 1931 in November by The Gramophone Company Limited, which later turned into Electric and Musical Industries also known as EMI. EMI owned the studio until 2013 until Universal Music Group took over it.
Early days
The Studio was inaugurated with a grand opening performance by the Land of Hope & Glory which was conducted by Sir Edward Elgar on 12th November 1931. With the help of EMI engineer Alan Blumlein, the studio was installed with modern recording technology and innovations which created a huge buzz among the musicians. The 9 bedroom studio house was fully equipped for artists to jam, rehearse, and record purposes. The tools and equipment were developed by those who introduced many advanced audio techniques such as Artificial Double Tracking (ADT). By the time the studio spent two decades, it started featuring not only classical music but also well-renowned jazz and rock n roll bands.
Featured Artists and Films
Starting from Sir Cliff Richard’s ‘Move It’ to legendary The Beatles, everyone has been a part of Abbey road. With each passing year, new artists are being introduced through this studio while keeping its legacy intact. The Beatles’ name is intertwined with the studio’s name as one of the most significant albums was recorded in Studio Two which later on garnered a lot of attention from around the world. The album was named ‘Abbey Road’. The band had a total of 210 songs and 190 out of them were recorded in this studio. Not only The Beatles, but some of the wildest experiments by Pink Floyd also took place in this studio making it the birthplace for amazing tracks ever made in the music industry of all eras. Aretha Franklin, Shirley Bassey, The Hollies, and many others also joined the steps to success. With those exceptional years of chart-busting tracks featuring exciting rock and pop music, the studio became the potential recording place for everyone. Radiohead, Oasis, Sam Smith, Kate Bush, Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran, Frank Ocean, Adele, and Lady Gaga have also enriched the studio by making countless timeless records that are still buzzing through the music industry. With the progress in audio recording and sound effects in movies, Abbey Road started to provide support to the movie makers and audio directors by helping them make the best background score and soundtracks. Some of the legendary movies of all time such as, ‘Raiders of The Lost Ark’, ‘The Lord of The Rings Trilogy’, ‘Harry Potter series’, ‘Skyfall’, and many others have been recorded and sound designed through this studio. The list also includes some of the recent hits such as ‘Black Panther’, ‘The Shape of Water’, ‘Gravity’, and so on. Most of these movies won or got nominated in the Oscars for the best background score and sound designs. With the passing days, Abbey Road is remastering the old tracks and albums by Abba, Krept & Konan, Johnny Marr, Roxy Music, Graham Coxon, The Rolling Stones, and so on.
Abbey Road Institute
With the sky-high progress of the recording studio, it came up with an educational institute to teach people more about music. Abbey Road Institute was founded in March 2015 where thousands of students can join to learn music production and audio engineering. The institute was quickly welcomed by music lovers around the world as it spread its branches through global schooling over Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Amsterdam, Miami, Sydney, and Paris. The campuses are well equipped with modern and advanced audio technologies for music. It offers Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering, the same course over every school to provide an unbiased musical educational experience. There are also some additional courses such as Music theory Fundamentals, Song Production Masterclass, Portfolio Preparation as a Musician as many others. In April This year Abbey Road Institute London has announced its goal to expand even more all over the world.
Controversies
Even though Abbey Road Studios has maintained its legacy with success through all these years, a controversy once occurred regarding the sale of the studio. On 17 February 2010, a report came out that EMI is putting up the studio for auction as the company is running on high debts. Some also told that it would be purchased by the National Trust of England. However, the love and support of the music lovers and musicians were able to protect the studio from selling. With consecutive protests and marches, on the following December, the pedestrian crossing at Abbey Road was announced on National Heritage List.
Website Link: https://www.abbeyroad.com/