LONDON (AP) 鈥 In Abbey Roadsa国际传媒 Studio One, even a lick of paint could ruin everything.
Famous for hosting Adele, Harry Styles and U2, itsa国际传媒 where the scores of 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥 鈥淗arry Potter鈥 and 鈥淲icked鈥 were recorded, as well as the soundtracks of blockbuster games like 鈥淐all of Duty,鈥 鈥淗alo鈥 and 鈥淔inal Fantasy.鈥 Itsa国际传媒 also where Ryan Gosling delivered his memorable 鈥淚鈥檓 Just Ken鈥
Nearly a century after its opening, Studio One underwent a six-month, multimillion-pound refurbishment, with the main priority being the preservation of one very important thing: the sound.
鈥淲hat we don鈥檛 want to do is change the acoustics, so every minute detail in the room has been conserved and preserved, so the sound doesn't shift,鈥 said Sally Davies, managing director of Abbey Road Studios.
The reverb of the 4,844-square-foot (450-square-meter) room has been maintained at 2.3 seconds, the same as it was in the 1970s. Theresa国际传媒 been no redecorating or style makeover, leaving the original untouched.
鈥淲e have simply washed down the walls to preserve that sound,鈥 said Davies, adding that the floor was re-sanded and oiled, but not varnished. Most of the upgrades, she explained, are technological upgrades in the control room. 鈥淭his room is just about preserving that magic.鈥
A pilgrimage for music fans
Opened in 1931, this hallowed hall 鈥 once a nine-bedroom house on a grand suburban street in Londonsa国际传媒 St. Johnsa国际传媒 Wood neighborhood 鈥 became the worldsa国际传媒 first recording studio. Itsa国际传媒 where stereo was invented and itsa国际传媒 visited every day by music fans from around the world, who are happy just to stand on the street outside.
Davies says that more than a million people a year make a pilgrimage to the crossing outside, many to recreate the cover of 鈥 and that number could increase after starring Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson and Joseph Quinn as the Fab Four.
And while John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are famously known for using Studio Two, they also made history in the larger Studio One, which they used for the worldsa国际传媒 first global live performance, a rendition of 鈥淎ll You Need Is Love鈥 beamed to television sets around the world in 1967.
Before The Beatles, Studio One had already cemented its place in music history, when it was opened by British composer Sir Edward Elgar, who recorded his 鈥淟and of Hope and Glory鈥 with the London Symphony Orchestra. Itsa国际传媒 also hosted other music greats like Maria Callas, Igor Stravinsky, Daniel Barenboim, Fats Waller and Glenn Miller.
Due to its huge size, more than double Studio Two, it can fit a 100-piece orchestra and 100-member choir at the same time 鈥 which is perfect for recording film soundtracks, and explains why six to seven out of every 10 Hollywood films are scored at Abbey Road, according to the studio.
History being made
Standing on the balcony, overlooking the 40-foot-high (12-meter-high) room, Davies points out the original screen that was used to show 鈥淩aiders of the Lost Ark鈥 (1981) while musicians played along to record the soundtrack.
Since then, everything from 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings鈥 trilogy to Marvelsa国际传媒 鈥淏lack Panther鈥 and 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy鈥 to 鈥淏arbie鈥 were scored in Studio One. For the last, all the musicians came in with something pink, whether a pink instrument or piece of clothing.
Oscar-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton has been recording in Studio One since 2009 and calls his 鈥渃reative home鈥 a 鈥渟pectacular space.鈥
鈥淥utside, it just looks like a normal house. And then you come in and you find this space in it thatsa国际传媒 like almost the size of a football pitch. In fact, I have played football in there once,鈥 he laughs.
Pemberton is known for scoring 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider Verse,鈥 鈥淔errari,鈥 鈥淭he Trial of the Chicago 7鈥 and creating the 鈥淪low Horses鈥 theme song and 鈥淪trange Game,鈥 with .
鈥淲hatsa国际传媒 so exciting about a room like Studio One is what happens on the day is what happens for the rest of time,鈥 he says. 鈥淚tsa国际传媒 like history is being made, whether itsa国际传媒 good history or bad history or whatever, you鈥檙e making a moment then.鈥
Pemberton notes the stories, whether personal or musical, that have unfolded within the walls of Studio One.
鈥淭he ghosts are insane in there,鈥 he said.
Davies agrees that the history adds to the enchantment.
鈥淵ou walk into this room and you can feel it. 鈥 There is a magic in the sound. It sounds phenomenal. There is a spirituality in who has been here, who has performed here,鈥 she says. 鈥淪o when we see artists come through, you know that immediate reaction of, 鈥極h my gosh. I鈥檓 in Studio One.鈥欌
To celebrate the reopening this week, Abbey Road Studios showcased an unusual art form for the space: dance, which incorporated Pembertonsa国际传媒 scores, remixed by resident artist Jordan Rakei and choreographed by Joseph Toonga.
鈥淚t kind of like threw me back a bit like, wow, it really is big,鈥 said Toonga of the first time he saw the studio. He then incorporated that feeling into a dance which spanned hip-hop, krumping and ballet.
Up next, the first client to record in Studio One since the refurbishment is a hush-hush Hollywood franchise.
But there are lots of secrets at Abbey Road. One of them is Pembertonsa国际传媒 plan to record the unique rattling sound of the new railings for a movie soundtrack.
There was concern that the hollow, Art Deco-style bars would upset the acoustics of the room, and a backup plan was made to fill them with sand if they messed with the reverb.
Luckily, the empty bars were allowed to stay because Pemberton is delighted by the noise they make when you run past them with keys 鈥 itsa国际传媒 another dramatic sound that can only be created in Studio One and will make its way into theaters around the world, via a film score.
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This story has been corrected to show that Studio One can fit a 100-piece orchestra and 100-member choir at the same time, not 110 each, and that the managing director is named Sally Davies, not Sally Davis.
