The image of George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon striding across the road outside EMI studios in St John’s Wood is probably the group’s most iconic image to date. The image, which was taken as part of a photoshoot with late Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan, would then be made into the cover of their Abbey Road album by then Apple Records art director John Kosh.

The creator of one of the most iconic album covers talks about his creative decisions.

Kosh shared that since the album was initially planned to follow the White Album, he came up with the idea of having four separate portraits of the group against a black background for contrast. “They were kind of falling apart, and that was supposed to be their swan song,” he says. “So a ‘black’ album was my answer to the White Album. It was supposed to be the last thing they were going to do. Was I wrong!”

But then Abbey Road replaced Get Back on the release schedule (by the time Get Back was released it had a new title, Let It Be). Kosh had to come up with a new cover in a matter of two days. “We had a deadline,” he said. “We had to go to press and the album was late and you just had to deal with it.”

Kosh decided to use the shots taken on the street of the same name and not to use the band’s name on the cover. “We thought, if you didn’t know the Beatles by now, where have you been?” he added. 

The four Beatles walked across the zebra crossing six times and the whole thing only took about ten minutes. Pic five of six would later adorn the album’s cover. 

The post The Secrets behind the “Abbey Road” Cover appeared first on EverydayKoala.

The Kinks are commemorating their innovative 1969 LP with a massive four-disc deluxe edition box set that includes new mono and stereo mixes of Arthur, bonus tracks, demo, and rehearsal recordings, and the long-lost solo album from guitarist Dave Davies that he made amid the studio sessions for Arthur. The box set will also contain a book with essays about The Kinks, new interviews with members of the group, photos from the time period and the script for a proposed Arthur play.

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) was a groundbreaking concept album about a British carpet-layer, who moves to Australia after World War II. It followed The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, which also told a story across an entire album.

As for a possible tour, Dave Davies told Rolling Stone, “I really don’t know. I think it’s possible. It’s not out of the question. But at this stage, it’s far too early to say. It would be fun though, wouldn’t it?”

The post The Kinks Celebrate 50th Anniversary With Massive Box Set appeared first on EverydayKoala.

The image of George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon striding across the road outside EMI studios in St John’s Wood is probably the group’s most iconic image to date. The image, which was taken as part of a photoshoot with late Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan, would then be made into the cover of their Abbey Road album by then Apple Records art director John Kosh.

The creator of one of the most iconic album covers talks about his creative decisions.

Kosh shared that since the album was initially planned to follow the White Album, he came up with the idea of having four separate portraits of the group against a black background for contrast. “They were kind of falling apart, and that was supposed to be their swan song,” he says. “So a ‘black’ album was my answer to the White Album. It was supposed to be the last thing they were going to do. Was I wrong!”

But then Abbey Road replaced Get Back on the release schedule (by the time Get Back was released it had a new title, Let It Be). Kosh had to come up with a new cover in a matter of two days. “We had a deadline,” he said. “We had to go to press and the album was late and you just had to deal with it.”

Kosh decided to use the shots taken on the street of the same name and not to use the band’s name on the cover. “We thought, if you didn’t know the Beatles by now, where have you been?” he added. 

The four Beatles walked across the zebra crossing six times and the whole thing only took about ten minutes. Pic five of six would later adorn the album’s cover. 

The post The Secrets behind the “Abbey Road” Cover appeared first on EverydayKoala.

The Kinks are commemorating their innovative 1969 LP with a massive four-disc deluxe edition box set that includes new mono and stereo mixes of Arthur, bonus tracks, demo, and rehearsal recordings, and the long-lost solo album from guitarist Dave Davies that he made amid the studio sessions for Arthur. The box set will also contain a book with essays about The Kinks, new interviews with members of the group, photos from the time period and the script for a proposed Arthur play.

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) was a groundbreaking concept album about a British carpet-layer, who moves to Australia after World War II. It followed The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, which also told a story across an entire album.

As for a possible tour, Dave Davies told Rolling Stone, “I really don’t know. I think it’s possible. It’s not out of the question. But at this stage, it’s far too early to say. It would be fun though, wouldn’t it?”

The post The Kinks Celebrate 50th Anniversary With Massive Box Set appeared first on EverydayKoala.