ABBEY ROAD WINS PRESERVATION ORDER
THE BEATLES’ favourite recording studio ABBEY ROAD has been awarded histo= ric status by the British government to stop any radical development on t= he site.
The U.K.’s Culture Minister Margaret Hodge declared the iconic venue in= north-west London a Grade II listed building on Tuesday (23Feb10), on th= e advice of national preservation body English Heritage.
In a statement, the company’s Chief Executive Simon Thurley said the Ge= orgian building housing the studios "acts as a modern day monument to the= history of recorded sound and music." He adds, "Some of the most defining sounds of the 20th century were cre= ated within the walls of the Abbey Road Studios. It contains, quite simpl= y, the most famous recording studios in the world." The new status means that although changes to its interior can be made,= any proposed alterations must respect the character and preservation of = the site.
Sir Paul McCartney, part of the Fab Four who named their 1969 album aft= er the building, called for the studios to be saved after bosses at recor= d label giant EMI announced plans to sell the studio earlier this month.
The company’s chiefs have since abandoned their plan and admitted they = would welcome an official listing from English Heritage. (CL/WNWCGG&WNWR/=
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