Luxury hotel guests get chance to record at Abbey Road

Guests staying at London’s Savoy and other Fairmont-owned hotels are being given the rare opportunity to record at Abbey Road, the studios made famous by the Beatles.
Through a deal between EMI, which owns the building, and Farimont, guests will be allocated a producer and session musician to help them record their very own track, the Independent reported.
It is hoped that the partnership will help support the future of Abbey Road in St John’s Wood, which is facing closure and possible sale to developers.
Beatles fans have championed the idea of making Studio Two into a museum, but the studio, which is now 80-years-old, does not have the funds.
Despite this, music is still recorded there by artists including Kylie Minogue and Elbow.
Speaking to the news provider, Kerin McDonald, head of brand & marketing at Abbey Road Studios, said that 60 chosen guests a year will “have access to the famous studios and be given help to record their song with vocal coaches and session musicians. They’ll get a CD of their recording as a souvenir”.
They will also be given a tour of the landmark, while corporation days could also be held there, giving up to 100 staff musical tuition and performance advice before recording a song.
In return, Fairmont will pay for the studio lounges to be refurbished.
While Abbey Road was made famous by the Beatles, who named an album after the studios, it was also where Pink Floyd, The Shadows and Oasis recorded music. It was where the film scores for Star Wars and Harry Potter were set down and Edward Elgar was the first composer to have his music performed there.
As part of Abbey Road’s anniversary celebrations, public tours are to be held later this year, with vintage music instruments and equipment on display, and a series of talks will be held about the history of recording music there.