Beatles album covers – 20, Manchester Square, London

 

When I was a boy there were two Beatles compilation albums in the sideboard - The Red Album (1962-1966) and The Blue Album (1967-1970.) On the front cover of each album Paul, John, George and Ringo are looking down into the camera. Here I am in Manchester Square in Marylebone in central London where the photographs were taken. It was EMI’s headquarters. The old building has been much updated but you can still see the line in the brickwork where the famous glass atrium once was.

 

I took a few pictures and spotted someone watching me from one of the windows (they must be used to geeks by now.) As EMI was a big label some massive musicians and bands must have visited this building in the sixties and seventies. If you read the best biography about the Beatles (by Hunter Davies) by the time The Blue Album was released the lads were tiring and even hating being The Beatles (especially George.) Folk say Yoko's presence at recording sessions irritated the lads and split them up but there was a raft of other things: the end of touring, musical differences, the rejection of George's songs, individual artistic agendas, general animosity and Brian Epstein's suicide.

 

I stood by the railings where David Bowie once stood (see photo) and wondered how many people walk passed this place without knowing the biggest and the best of musical talent had been there.

 

 

 

As it used to look…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Bowie…

 

 

 

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