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Abbey Road

The last album they recorded: a calmer set than the one before, closing with a side-long medley.
The Beatles, 1969

Released
26 September 1969
Recorded
22 February to 20 August 1969
Studio
EMI, Olympic and Trident Studios, London
Label
Apple
Producer
George Martin
Length
47:03

Sessions began at Trident with "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and paused until April for Starr's film work, with a further eight-week break from May to July. The mood was calmer than during the Get Back sessions, though the band argued over "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". The medley on side two was McCartney's idea, structured by Martin, and Lennon later called it junk. Billy Preston played Hammond organ on "Something" and "I Want You", and Mike Vickers programmed the Moog. The final sequencing on 20 August was the last time all four were in a studio together.

It spent 17 weeks at number one in Britain and 11 in the United States. Unterberger wrote that it was the most immaculately produced of their albums, with the possible exception of Sgt. Pepper. Pitchfork gives it 10 out of 10, and Rolling Stone placed it fifth in 2020.

Track listing

  1. Come Together4:19
  2. Something3:02
  3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer3:27
  4. Oh! Darling3:27
  5. Octopus's Garden2:51
  6. I Want You (She's So Heavy)7:47
  7. Here Comes the Sun3:05
  8. Because2:45
  9. You Never Give Me Your Money4:03
  10. Sun King2:26
  11. Mean Mr. Mustard1:06
  12. Polythene Pam1:13
  13. She Came In Through the Bathroom Window1:58
  14. Golden Slumbers1:31
  15. Carry That Weight1:36
  16. The End2:05
  17. Her Majesty0:23

Personnel

More from The Beatles

With the Beatles (1963), Please Please Me (1963), A Hard Day's Night (1964), Rubber Soul (1965), Help! (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), The Beatles (The White Album) (1968), Let It Be (1970)

Sources

  1. Abbey Road, Wikipedia