The Beatles' Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr recording at Abbey Road Studios for the 'Our World' live television broadcast in 1967. Shutterstock
The Beatles' Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr recording at Abbey Road Studios for the 'Our World' live television broadcast in 1967. Shutterstock
The Beatles' Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr recording at Abbey Road Studios for the 'Our World' live television broadcast in 1967. Shutterstock
The Beatles' Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr recording at Abbey Road Studios for the 'Our World' live television broadcast in 1967. Shutterstock

Abbey Road Studios turns 90: from 'Ceremonials' to 'Late Orchestration', here are six key albums recorded in the London venue


Saeed Saeed
  • English
  • Arabic

To be a fly on the wall in the rooms of Abbey Road Studios.

For the past 90 years, this London music institution – formerly known as EMI Recording Studios – not only birthed some of the greatest pop music of all time, but also became a key tourist destination in its own right.

Even the nearby pedestrian crossing on Abbey Road, immortalised on the album cover of The Beatles' 1969 Abbey Road album, remains a haven for Beatlemaniacs and is now listed as a national heritage site.

This music and pop-culture history will be explored in a documentary by Mary McCartney, daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, to mark the studio's 90th anniversary, which takes place in November.

Titled If These Walls Could Sing, the film features interviews with artists and staff.

Paul McCartney during a recording session for The Beatles in October 1968. Apple Corps Ltd
Paul McCartney during a recording session for The Beatles in October 1968. Apple Corps Ltd

"Some of my earliest memories as a young child come from time spent at Abbey Road. I've long wanted to tell the story of this historic place," McCartney said.

And what a story to tell, with an eclectic list of famous artists who have travelled to the venue over the years for inspiration and to perfect their creative vision.

Here are six classic and varied albums recorded in Abbey Road Studios over the years.

1. ‘Abbey Road’ by The Beatles (1969)

The album that gave the venue its name.

The Beatles' penultimate release was not only a document of a band in flux, but a love letter to a place that provided them with inspiration over the years.

Recorded over a five-month spell in 1969, the album produced seminal hits including Come Together and Here Comes the Sun. In what can be viewed as an ingenious, or lazy, marketing campaign, the album's cover shot of the band crossing the road to the studio is based on a sketch by Paul McCartney.

Taken by photographer Iain Macmillan, that memorable image was captured at 11.35am on August 8 of that year. With a local policeman stalling traffic for the Fab Four, the whole session took 10 minutes and the final photograph was chosen from a reel of six images. Such was the success of the album, major label EMI renamed the venue from EMI Recording Studios to Abbey Road Studios in 1969.

2. ‘Afrodisiac’ by Fela Kuti (1972)

Finding the right studio to harness the energy and capture the detailed sound of this album was essential, with its large and sprawling band whipping up a stew of thick grooves, sharp horns and polyrhythmic beats.

Kuti's choice of Abbey Road Studios was inspired. With Kuti as producer, the album became one of the bedrocks of the post rock music movement, which came to be 15 years later.

3. ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ by Pink Floyd (1973)

By the time the English prog-rock maestros entered the studios to record this career-defining eighth album, they were a well-oiled machine.

With tracks developed on previous tours, the band recorded 10 songs across two sessions between 1972 and 1973. Nearly 50 years later and 45 million albums sold, The Dark Side of the Moon isn't just a career highlight for the band, but also pushed the boundaries for cutting-edge audio production.

4. ‘The Last Emperor’ soundtrack album produced by David Byrne and Ryuichi Sakamoto (1987)

This Academy Award-winning film score traces its inspiration to Abbey Road Studios, where former Talking Heads singer-songwriter David Byrne and Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto recorded the majestic soundtrack.

The duo presented a lush collection of mostly instrumental tracks melding East Asian harmonies with western classical orchestration.

5. ‘Late Orchestration’ by Kanye West (2006)

Kanye West brought hip-hop to the building. Well, sort of. Fresh from the success of his brilliant 2005 album Late Registration, the rapper and producer recreated the baroque sounds of the album by performing a "hip-hop with strings" concert at Abbey Road Studios.

Recorded and shot in front of an intimate audience and backed by a 17-piece all-female string orchestra, Late Orchestration testifies to West's ambition and experimentation.

The cover art for the release has the West teddy bear mascot crossing the famed pedestrian Abbey Road crossing.

6. ‘Ceremonials’ by Florence and The Machine

Cashed up by the success of 2009 debut album Lungs, Florence and The Machine rinsed the extra budget by heading to Abbey Road Studios to record a grand album.

With the celestial fluttering of harps to the expansive strings and Welch's bewitching vocals, Ceremonials was meant to be recorded in Abbey Road Studios. Its success propelled the group to arena act status.

 

 

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Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

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The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper

Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km

Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now

Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Specs

Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
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Third Test

Day 3, stumps

India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151

India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

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THURSDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court

Starting at 10am:

Lucrezia Stefanini v Elena Rybakina (6)

Aryna Sabalenka (4) v Polona Hercog

Sofia Kenin (1) v Zhaoxuan Yan

Kristina Mladenovic v Garbine Muguruza (5)

Sorana Cirstea v Karolina Pliskova (3)

Jessica Pegula v Elina Svitolina (2)

Court 1

Starting at 10am:

Sara Sorribes Tormo v Nadia Podoroska

Marketa Vondrousova v Su-Wei Hsieh

Elise Mertens (7) v Alize Cornet

Tamara Zidansek v Jennifer Brady (11)

Heather Watson v Jodie Burrage

Vera Zvonareva v Amandine Hesse

Court 2

Starting at 10am:

Arantxa Rus v Xiyu Wang

Maria Kostyuk v Lucie Hradecka

Karolina Muchova v Danka Kovinic

Cori Gauff v Ulrikke Eikeri

Mona Barthel v Anastasia Gasanova

Court 3

Starting at 10am:

Kateryna Bondarenko v Yafan Wang

Aliaksandra Sasnovich v Anna Bondar

Bianca Turati v Yaroslava Shvedova

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Company profile: buybackbazaar.com

Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech, micro finance

Initial investment: $1 million

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Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)

What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
What is a black hole?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)

Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)

Saturday

Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Sunday

Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)

Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)

Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)

 

 

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio

Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda