If These Walls Could Sing (2022, Disney Plus)
No. 3 Abbey Road, a private residence purchased by The Gramophone Company in 1931, is by all accounts a magical place where all the microphones work, and the top notch loyal staff and technicians, (innovative, cool boffins, artists in their own right), remain for decades. You can feel the magic of past projects seeping through the hallowed walls creating an atmosphere that inspires musical artists to push creative boundaries. Paul McCartney muses, "If These Walls Could Sing," in reference to memories of musical greatness hanging out in that space, attached to the very walls.
Mary McCartney, daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney, directed this wonderful documentary about the history of Abbey Road in London, formerly EMI Studios, made famous in large part by her father and his Beatles bandmates, John, George, and Ringo.
A good chunk of the film is devoted to The Beatles legacy. The boys arrived as buskers, the balance engineers mixed as they went along, and they left bona fide legends thanks to their talent, the efforts of genius producer and label head George Martin, manager Brian Epstein, and their contact, which allowed them free use and the run of the studio; they used it as an experimental playground.
Their home was Studio Two, where they had access to Mrs. Mill's piano. Daniel Barenboim's classical Steinway, among other instruments. For A Day in the Life, Paul wanted an Orchestral * to end the song, which George Martin helped to direct.
There is footage of Macca singing Blackbird in Studio Two as he tapped his feet on the floor to create that marvelous sound. Ringo's special memory is of hauling all the instruments into Studio Three to make a wall of sound for Yer Blues.
This film history includes much more than the Lads from Liverpool. Studio One, which is the ideal size room for an orchestra has hosted recordings for the likes of Daniel Boirbaum and his then wife, virtuoso cellist Jacqueline du Pré playing the Elgar Concerto, as well as John Williams directing scores for George Lucas' films using The London Symphony in the 1970s as the studio usage sought a reawakening.
At Abbey Road, Pink Floyd made their first album while The Beatles made Abbey Road. Wings, Sir Edward Elgar, Cliff Richard, (an early ambassador of Rock and Roll), then-studio musician Jimmy Page, Kate Bush, Noel and Liam Gallagher, Celeste, and Dame Shirley Bassey, who held the last note of the James Bond theme sooooooo long -- until the credits ended, that she collapsed on the floor.
Oasis, Elton John, the irrepressible Feli Kuti, Roger Waters, Cilia Black, The Hollies, Nile Rogers, and Giles Martin, all took part in interviews. Each story is high caliber and spans time, countries, and genres.
The film is on Disney Plus. I bought a month long membership just to see it. I loved it so much I watched it twice. I was lucky enough to visit 3 Abbey Road multiple times in my life and take a picture on the Zebra Crossing. Music is my prayer and this studio is hallowed ground to me.