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Google's gift to rock fans: Take a virtual tour of Abbey Road Studios

If you've loved the Beatles or Pink Floyd or are a fan of the Star Wars saga, this is Christmas come early

Screen grab of the virtual Abbey Road Studios' tour by Google

Abhishek Jha
As I woke up today and scrolled through my twitter timeline, an article by Rolling Stones caught my eye. It promised an interactive, virtual tour of Abbey Road Studios (Click here for the tour). I spent the next two hours transfixed and possibly will again be so tonight.

The uninitiated might feel, and rightly so, what is the big deal about this. It’s a studio after all and this is not the first time Google has offered a 360 degree view. So let me throw some names and tell you that all the following musicians have one thing in common: Abbey Roads Studios.
 
First up the Beatles. Arguably the most popular band ever, made this London based recording studio their home once they quit touring. But then that world is divided in two parts. If the mass was engulfed with Beatles mania a certain band, albeit slightly after Fab Four broke up, took the 70s by storm. Pink Floyd’s arguably best album ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ was recorded at this iconic venue. Other eminent names like Ella Fitzgerald, Red Hot Chilli Peppers,  Michael Jackson, Rolling Stones, U2, Robbie Williams etc have graced these three studios.

The tour guide is Giles Martin, son of George Martin, the eminent music producer who collaborated with the Beatles on these grounds many a times.  The tour takes you through Studio One, Two and Three and each stop has music and youtube videos of recordings that took place there.

I can go on about the magnificent tour that I took but then that would take away from the experience you should have. Go, get immersed.

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First Published: Apr 16 2015 | 3:31 PM IST

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