George signing Abbey Road

 

This session sure is "Something"

 

August 15, 1969

Tony Bramwell crosses Abbey Road

 

I wasn't going to post this photo because I didn't want to spread it any more than it already has. But then I was listening to the Beatles Channel on Sirrus XM this evening and heard Meg Griffin talking about this photo and how it is a photograph of Paul McCartney recently crossing Abbey Road. 

This is a beautiful photo, and I would love to know who the photographer was. But as I believed from the first time I saw it, this is NOT Paul McCartney. Jackie Spencer confirmed this when she discovered Tony Bramwell had posted this photo of himself crossing Abbey Road in 2019. So let me repeat that—this is a photograph of Tony Bramwell in 2019 and NOT a photo of Paul McCartney in 2024.   

While it is not Paul, I think it is great photo to remember Tony.   

Recording Abbey Road

Photos taken by Merele Frimark 

 

July 23, 1969 

Arrival for Abbey Road

 July 8, 1969 

On my way to work -- I signed an autograph...

 July 5, 1969 

Walking the dog

 

On my way to work...

 

Photo Auction happening now

 Heritage Auction is having a photo auction right now and part of the photos up for bid are amazing shots taken by Linda (Eastman) McCartney during The Beatles era.   Every so often Paul will release a photo of him and George together in the recording studio during the recording of Abbey Road.  Well -- the entire negative sheet is up for auction.  Take a look at that!    There are some other gems there, especially if you are someone who likes an almost-naked Paul McCartney. 

Take a look

https://entertainment.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=53+793+794+791+792+2088+4294938613&Nf=&Ntk=SI_Titles-Desc&Nty=1&Ntt=shepard&ic4=KeywordSearch-A-K-071316

From sorting fan mail to seeing Abbey Road being made: my life as a teenage Beatles employee

 https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/24/from-sorting-fan-mail-to-seeing-abbey-road-being-made-my-life-as-a-teenage-beatles-employee?fbclid=IwAR1poeeJzUNdEe3gge4YOLIC-67vAPZkGv9fjRXH5E7ck0OiFJPQIr69hjQ

Merele sitting at John's desk in his Apple Office on Savile Row in 1969.

I briefly spoke to the author of this artile, Merele Frimark when I was writing my current book "Dear Beatle People:  The Story of the Beatles North American Fan Club."  I thought her story was extremely interesting and I am happy to see that she has written some of her story for The Guardian and also publish some of the photos she took for the Official Beatles Fan Club in the United States.   Only 2 of her photos (2 of John Lennon) were sold through the club.   Other photos she has taken have been leaked over the years (incorrectly said to have been taken from Yoko Ono's stolen camera).  So few photos are available of The Beatles recording Abbey Road, so these are amazing.   

Merele had a very interesting story in the Official Beatles Fan Club in the United States.   If this story interests you, then you might be interested in buying a copy of my book.   I currently have hardcopies and paperbacks available directly from me.   Let me know if you are interested in buying one.   beatlesbusch66@gmail.com

Photos are taken and belong to Merle Frimark

From sorting fan mail to seeing Abbey Road being made:  my life as a teenage Beatles employee

Written by Merele Frimark

The Guardian

August 24, 2023

On the afternoon of 23 July 1969, I was a nervous 18-year-old American on my way to EMI Recording Studios on Abbey Road in St John’s Wood. Inside, the Beatles were putting the finishing touches on the song Come Together which would end up on Abbey Road . An endless stream of pilgrims would soon arrive at the pedestrian crossing on the cover, and the studios would be renamed to match.

As I entered, I heard voices and wailing guitars. Their assistant Mal Evans greeted me and put me at ease. John, Paul, George and Ringo were scattered around the studio. The place was bustling, with crew setting up, moving equipment and microphones, placing towels over the drum heads. Then came the introduction. The boys – as everyone seemed to refer to them – were reminded that I was from the New York office. They all smiled; I felt warmly welcomed. Then they got down to business. Not wanting to be intrusive, I took some candid photos; I was by no means a professional photographer, and this is the first time they’ve been published.

How did I get here? Two years earlier, I was a young fearless teen growing up in Queens, New York, who wanted to be Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane.  I had been to both Beatles concerts at Shea Stadium in 1965 and 1966, and was totally enamoured the minute their songs began playing on the radio and their now historic February 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Mine and so many other lives changed forever in that moment.

In high school, I heard the Beatles had an office in Manhattan. I took the subway to the office building in the heart of Times Square and took the elevator to the 18th floor. The sign on the door read Beatles (USA) Limited and Nemperor Artists, Ltd. I knocked and went inside. “Hi, are you here to be interviewed?” asked the woman at reception and I immediately said yes, having no idea what I would be interviewed for.

They were looking for teens to help sort the sacks of fan mail and hired me immediately. Each day after school I would hop on the subway and go to the office, and after graduating high school in 1968, they offered me a full-time job. I will never forget the excitement the day the demo of Back in the USSR arrived in the office before it was released – we were all so thrilled and played it immediately, over and over, blasting it out.

In July 1969, I paid to take a two-week vacation to London. I spent time in the Savile Row HQ of Apple Corps, with fans waiting outside for a glimpse of any Beatle that might pop in. I watched the moon landing on a small black and white TV at the office alongside Donovan.

Then Derek Taylor, the Beatles’ press officer and a great mentor to me, arranged for me to go to EMI Studios, and in I wandered. Bearded George, dressed in blue jeans and matching shirt sat atop the organ; John in all white, with beard and beads, sat in front of the drum kit area; Paul was dressed casually in a white T-shirt and barefoot, constantly moving around the studio, with Ringo in bright red trousers at his drums. George Martin was there too, checking just about everything.

As they began to rehearse sections of Come Together, Paul seemed to be taking the lead. At certain points he would stop, suggesting “it’s four beats, Ringo,” and walk over for a pow-wow: “All good.” Paul and George harmonised together as George worked on his wailing guitar solos. John ran his fingers along the neck of his guitar as he tuned up.

Paul was the most animated that day; John was rather quiet as he had recently returned to the studio following a car accident in Scotland. I brought some white flowers for him and he placed one on the amp next to him. George remained rather pensive, while Ringo had great patience and calm.

I continued to tiptoe around. Trying to take it all in, listen to what they were playing while being invisible. I made eye contact with John and Paul a few times. I remained cool and smiled. Time stood still.

It was time to leave. I waved goodbye and ventured out and down those famed steps.

At that time, I had no idea what was to come: Within a year the band would split up.

In 1970, with the breakup imminent, I left the New York office (though I remain in touch with my former office mates to this day). Fate continued to shine on me, as my maternal grandfather predicted. A Russian immigrant and musician in the early 1900s, he would tell fortunes and read tea leaves, and my mother asked him if her very active little girl would be a musician. He replied: “No, she’ll be involved in show business, but behind the scenes.” Not wanting to influence me, my mother hadn’t told me this. I then took a job at one of the city’s top theatrical PR firms, working on the original Broadway production of the musical Hair and more – the start of a successful career in entertainment marketing and PR.

Later, in August 1980 while biking in Central Park, I happened upon John sitting on a bench with his baby son, Sean. I approached, said hello and chatted for a bit. He was so very happy. Four months later he was gone. What a privilege and honour to have come together with him and his bandmates for that brief, momentous time in history.

Unbelievable!

 This is one of those stories that sounds like it never really happened.  However, it DID because there is photo proof!   Much thanks to Gus from the Solo Beatles Photo Forum for posting this story and photographs.   It is a great one!

Highland Haven’s Jim Higgins recreated the famous album cover image with Paul McCartney. Here’s his Brush with Fame story:

In April 1973, I was working in London when my friend Joe came to visit. We decided to skip the museums and pursue a pilgrimage to the famous Abbey Road crosswalk. Beatles fans since high school, we had a simple quest: get photos of each other strutting across like John, Ringo, Paul, and George did on the front cover of the “Abbey Road” album. 

We set out one early spring evening and wandered lost until some locals gave us directions to “the crosswalk.” The spot was in front of EMI Recording Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) at 3 Abbey Road in London, where almost all of The Beatles’ albums were recorded.   Like a couple of goofy tourists, we set about the business of photographing each other in between a steady flow of heavy traffic on Abbey Road. I waited for a break in traffic to get a shot of Joe crossing.

Then, it was my turn.  As Joe was setting up for the shot, we noticed a familiar face turning the corner and walking toward us.   Joe uttered — almost disbelieving — “Paul McCartney?” 
It was him!  And he walked right up to us.

“Yeah, you taking a picture of your friend crossing the road there?” he asked Joe with a playful smile.

“Yes! Is that where you guys crossed?” Joe asked.

“Yeah. Do you want me to be in the picture with him?”

“Sure!” Joe said.


Then, McCartney walked over to where I was standing.
“What a stroke of luck,” Paul said. “The folks back home will never believe this.” (And the intervening 50 years have proved that out.)

I could hardly move a muscle, let alone a foot, as Paul nudged me on.  “You can cross now,” he said.

The two of us scuttled across Abbey Road — Paul McCartney smiling broadly and waving his arms and me in front with an ear-to-ear grin.

We spoke briefly on the other side waiting for traffic to let up. He wanted to know where we were from (Massachusetts) and how we liked London (unforgettable!). We crossed back to the EMI side, but I could tell he was in a hurry to get going, so I asked for a quick photo of him with my pal Joe.

“Yeah, sure,” he said obligingly. “But just one more. I’ve really got to be getting along to work.” (The work he was getting back to was recording with his new group, Wings.)

I got the shot, thanked him, and watched as he walked through the door at EMI and disappeared inside.

Wow! I had just crossed Abbey Road with Paul McCartney!

Paul is Live album shoot

 

July 22, 1993 

The Paul is Live album isn't one of my favorite live albums that Paul made, but it sure has my favorite album cover!  Paul and Arrow are so cute crossing Abbey Road!  

Sign right here....

 

The dangers of crossing Abbey Road

 

Jetting across Abbey Road

 

Abbey Road

 

Practice walk

 

Here are some Apple employees taking a walk across Abbey Road as a test run for the Beatles to do the same for the album cover.   Notice that the same Beetle car is in the background.   

Playback

Paul talks to Ringo about drumming....

Inside the hottest party of the year

Quite a party was thrown on September 26, 2019!   Inside Abbey Road Studios anyone who was important in the world of the Beatles was inside to hear the new release of Abbey Road.   Family, friends and of course Paul, Ringo and Olivia were all there to celebrate 50 years of an amazing album.