When did The Beatles cross the road?

15 Responses

  1. John Medd says:

    Too much to hope that pictures from the week before (dress rehearsal, if you will) exist?

  2. Unknown says:

    Kevin Harrington has a print of the rehearsal picture which I have seen. As far as I know, it will be used for an upcoming book. Can't reveal more details.

  3. Adam Smith says:

    The 8 August date is confirmed in Mal Evans' diary (which also confirmed our calculation of the time of day, using the lamp-post as a sundial on the 1989 anniversary). The shutter/film speed information came from Iain himself: I met him two or three times in the late 80s. He said transparency number five (transparencies, not negatives) went missing after he'd sent it to New York for some reason. No mention of the day having been a Sunday, nor of no.5 being lost by the sleeve printer.

    Adam Smith

    co-author, The Beatles' London

  4. Richard Porter says:

    Yes, Mal's diary says August 8th. He also says the Beatles recorded in the studio later the same day – but no recordings were made on Sundays. August 8th it is!

  5. Eduardo Ferreira Coelho de Souza says:

    New history after 50 years???? Come on man!!!! 8th is CORRECT!!!!!

  6. SammyG says:

    …plus, would the three decorators in the background have been at work on a Sunday?

  7. Unknown says:

    But what about the traffic?

  8. Unknown says:

    New history after 50 years? … well yes of course. Don't be surprised about that – I'm still uncovering it every day for the All These Years trilogy I'm writing. But not this one. August 8th is definite. Not only did Mal keep a diary, so did several of the fans who waited outside the studio every day that eventful summer, noting their shock when turning up at EMI in the early afternoon to learn that the Beatles had been photographed on the zebra crossing that morning, catching them all out. Friday 8 August it was, 100 per cent.

  9. wogew says:

    Thank you, all who commented. I think we can safely conclude that it was that Friday, like the earlier sources all agreed upon.

  10. John Medd says:

    And this is why there will never be another Beatles; this has transcended music. We're now talking about forensic reconstruction – camera shutter speeds, third party diaries, angle of the sun. I love it!

  11. Popper says:

    Isn't there a bread van in one of the photos? I doubt bread van drivers would have worked Sundays either.

  12. Unknown says:

    "Believe it or not but back in those days it was quite common to send an original to the blockmakers, ie for an album cover – even a Beatles one, and never see it again."

    I dare say that that is why we have seen so many amazing Sgt Pepper Cover / and interior cover outtake photos in wonderful condition – but the reprints of the actual photos originally used always look like copies of a pre-existing printed cover / or pre existing 'block'…Would love to see the gate-fold photo in pristine condition from original negative…

  13. db says:

    Peter Blake's wife Jann said the Sgt Pepper cover photo was "so retouched, so messed about, it ended up looking like artwork, rather than a set that was built".

  14. Unknown says:

    Mark Lewisohn Please, Please me and publish All These Years part 2 .Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book? It took me (too many) years to write, will you take a look?

  15. Unknown says:

    I have a set of 5 outtakes purchased directly from Ian in the mid 80’s framed (museum quality) and one of them signed by him. Printed direct from the original negatives. Stupid me. I should have purchased the album size from him instead of the approximate 7 x 7 inches copies back then. I also didn’t purchase the back cover from him as well! What was I thinking?

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