From the Gobi Desert to Abbey Road Studios
Our Chinese guests, along with Caroline presenters Steve Anthony and Richard Lavelle in Abbey Road's Studio Two
The incredible 72-channel mixing desk overlooking Studio One
Steve Anthony at the 'Lady Madonna' piano
Not the Gobi desert this time – but the real thing!
From the Gobi Desert to Abbey Road Studios
Only a few weeks after Steve Anthony and Richard Lavelle travelled to China, they found themselves entertaining a team from Muzen Audio here in the UK.
Such is Muzen’s fascination with Radio Caroline that four of their team visited London last week so that they could take a trip out to see the MV Ross Revenge. The team comprised the owner, the creative director and the editor in chief of Radiooo Station and a representative from Muzen Audio.
Before venturing out to the River Blackwater during the weekend, the Muzen team had obtained permission to visit Abbey Road Studios and invited Steve and Richard to accompany them on Thursday 20th September.
It was an early start with an 08:45 arrival at the Studios. After being let in through the locked gates and after a group photo was taken, the party entered the impressive reception area. Their guide explained the history of Abbey Road Studios , naming the many famous artists that have recorded there. Apart from the Beatles and Pink Floyd, probably the most well known names, the actual list of artists who have passed thought its doors reads like an A to Z of the music world.
There are three studios. The first they were shown was the smallest; Studio Three, where Dark Side of the Moon was recorded. The accompanying control room contained a huge mixing desk that Steve couldn’t resist playing with but in all honesty, didn’t have a clue what he was doing! Moving next to Studio One, the vastness of the room was impressive with an equally impressive control suite attached. They were told that the Studio wasn’t used much in the 60s and 70s for recording. However, the Beatles used it as a tennis court and Pink Floyd used it as a car park……..apparently. The Studio’s fortunes changed when the makers of the film Raiders of the Lost Ark used the studio to record the music soundtrack. Since then, many well known blockbusters, including the Star Wars series’ soundtracks have been recorded there.
Lastly was Studio Two, which is the one used most frequently by the Beatles in 1960s and several reminders of their tenure remain. The guide struck the keys on an upright Steinway piano and the first chords of the song Lady Madonna rang out. The very piano that was used on that and other well known Beatles tracks. The mellotron used on ‘Strawberry Field Forever’ stood quietly at one end of the room while a Beatles tribute band was tuning up at the other. All in all a very atmospheric room and fascinating to think that so much the familiar popular music we all listen to was recorded there.
The final stop was the in-house café where many photos of the famous people that have used it, adorned the walls. Sadly, there were no famous faces in there on the day of the visit ….apart from, of course our two presenters.
The visit wouldn’t have been complete without an attempt (yes, a poor one, we accept that) at recreating that famous album cover from all those years ago. It would have taken a brave camera person to take perfect replica as this would have meant standing in the middle of what is today a very busy thoroughfare. We can only conclude that the Police van seen on that album cover probably brought the necessary policemen in it that would have halted the traffic while that famous other photoshoot took place.