With a foreword by Paul McCartney

'It's semi-devotional -- a really special place' Florence Welch
'There are certain things that are mythical. Abbey Road is mythical' Nile Rodgers

Many people will recognise the famous zebra crossing. Some visitors may have graffitied their name on its hallowed outer walls. Others might even have managed to penetrate the iron gates. But what draws in these thousands of fans here, year after year? What is it that really happens behind the doors of the most celebrated recording studio in the world?

It may have begun life as an affluent suburban house, but it soon became a creative hub renowned around the world as a place where great music, ground-breaking sounds and unforgettable tunes were forged - nothing less than a witness to, and a key participant in, the history of popular music itself.

What has been going on there for over ninety years has called for skills that are musical, creative, technical, mechanical, interpersonal, logistical, managerial, chemical and, romantics might be tempted add, close to magic.

This is for the people who believe in the magic.

About the Author

David Hepworth has been writing, broadcasting and speaking about music and media since the seventies. He was involved in the launch and editing of magazines such as Smash Hits, Q, Mojo and The Word, among many others.

He was one of the presenters of the BBC rock music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test and one of the anchors of the corporation's coverage of Live Aid in 1985. He has won the Editor of the Year and Writer of the Year awards from the Professional Publishers Association and the Mark Boxer award from the British Society of Magazine Editors.

He lives in London, dividing his time between writing for a variety of newspaper and magazines, speaking at events, broadcasting work, podcasting at www.wordpodcast.co.uk and blogging at www.whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk.

He says Chuck Berry's 'You Never Can Tell' is the best record ever made. 'This is not an opinion,' he says. 'It's a matter of fact.'

Reviews
Engrossing...A stirring narrative that mirrors pop's twists and turns from its earliest days to the present * Slate *
A hugely enjoyable read for anyone who has ever bought a record, told with Hepworth's characteristic dry humour, beautifully illustrated and with a foreword by Paul McCartney...Engrossing, extansively researched -- Roger Alton * Daily Mail *
Hepworth captures the feeling of immediacy and excitement that exemplified the storied St John's Wood studio...An appropriately pacy chronicle of rapid cultural/technological evolution -- Ian Fortnum * Classic Rock *
The story of recorded music itself. Great details leap from every page -- Tom Doyle * Mojo *
Hepworth, one of the most authoritative music journalists and historians, brings the studio in suburban London to life * Big Issue *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529177251
Author David Hepworth
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Penguin (Transworld)
Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 34mm