The Beatles London Walk-Blog 3

     Throughout our whole Beatles experience in the UK, I have found that a lot more things than I had expected both influenced the Beatles and were influenced by them as well. Not only have the Beatles influenced American and British culture, but also were affected by American and British cultures. Today our group was privileged enough to take a walking tour around London to see the main Beatles sites, and influences. Our first stop of our walking tour was Paul McCartney's office MPL.  This was an interesting place, because at first glance it looks like just a regular office building with the simple initials of MPL on the front of it, little did I know it was Paul McCartney's music publishing house. MPL was started by McCartney as a branch off of the Beatles Apple Corps. You can only imagine how many artists hit up that spot to try and get their music out there and listened to.

  One of the things I thought of while walking through the streets of London on this walking tour, was just how being in the London atmosphere would have impacted the Beatles. London was a very different place for the Beatles outside of Liverpool and gave them whole new areas to explore and play their music at. Being around the people, the different music clubs, and having that fresh area where people are not as close to you and know you as a neighbor would have been a good and fresh change. Having that escape from home would have definitely had a huge impact on the Beatles, they got a taste of a different life style, and the feeling of being away from home more and more. I can imagine for anyone that the feeling of independence would and will change you as a person and make you see things in a different way, just as The Beatles did.

   Another area that we walked up to was the famous building where the Beatles held their last concert together as a group. This building is better known as The Apple Corps studios. Just imagining the Beatles on top of the building, trying to hear the music and songs they sang was just surreal. Although this marked the beginning of the end of the Beatles, there are still many historic memories played into this building. Watching the videos of them playing on the rooftop, you begin to see people emerging onto other rooftops, in the streets, out of their windows, trying to listen and see the Beatles, little did they know that would be the last time ever. We were told that the Beatles had played songs a number of times over to get the perfect cut. They turned the rooftop both into a video setting, recording area, stage and a historic place. Although this is the place where the last concert was held, there were still many more Beatles songs, and inspirations to happen.  Can you imagine being in that area, or being one of the last people to see them on the rooftop? A memory I can only imagine would be irreplaceable.

  John Lennon is known for his music, being artsy, his humor, and his fads. There is one occasion in particular where all of these fall together, nothing other than the story behind Johns famous glasses. John had wanted to enter into an Ad Lib club, however this club did not allow him in for certain reasons, including not wearing a tie. So John and another comedy group decided to pull something else and basically make fun of this Ad Lib gentlemen club. He wore a top hat, black coat, and these perfectly round, wire glasses. He stood outside of this "club", looking like a gentleman. The funny thing about these glasses, is that they were actually very uncool at the time. Kids wearing glasses did not want that style and  would ask for another pair, here come the funny part. After seeing John wearing these glasses, all of a sudden they were popular and everyone wanted a pair. Hence, fad started and without John even trying.


    One of the things the Beatles accomplished more than anything was the fact that they could have worn a pine cone on their head and the next hour or so, millions of people would be doing the same thing. The Beatles did more than just inspire music in people they unknowingly dressed people. What they Beatles wore everyone wore, how the Beatles looked, everyone looked the same. Not a day went by that the Beatles didn't start some inch of a fad, for example Johns glasses, and that was on accident. One of the most influential places the Beatles overtook was Carnaby Street. This was one of the main places the Beatles would shop for new and interesting styles, but the minute people aka fans, found out who was shopping there, Carnaby Street instantly became over populated with people wanting the same clothes as the Beatles, even hoping to get a run in with them as well. Soon after, the Beatles had to find a new area to shop. Another interesting thing along Carnaby Street, is a Carnaby Street sign, very similar to that of the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Coincidence?





  The last and best place our group went to, was non other than Abbey Road. Not only is this one of my favorite albums, but it is my favorite album cover. The back story behind how this album cover, was showing signs of Paul McCartney's death, is so intriguing. Abbey Road is the last recorded album of the Beatles and includes some of the Beatles most popular songs. When we were hogging up the Abbey Road Street, it was easy to imagine how much easier it was for the Beatles to get their picture. We had to practically stop and hold up traffic just to walk across the street, in order to get the picture exactly right by crossing back over. Our guide was telling us how this is the most copied picture in the world, which I can easily understand, saying as I was one of the million to copy it. This album was supposed to be an album recorded the way the Beatles used to record songs, but it ended up being just a collection of singles and songs from the members themselves. Although this was the marking of the last piece of the Beatles, it turned out to be a very memorable and influential bit. The walls along side Abbey Road are covered with messages and signatures from fans all over the world. It is repainted over every so weeks and filled up just as fast. It is easily seen that the Beatles still remain a very big impact on the lives of many.