The Myth behind the famous Beatles Crosswalk

[@hoskinb1]

The shot was taken from the top of a step ladder and a policeman was on site to hold the traffic back in order to safeguardthe photographer. Many people do not realise that Paul Mccartney's London house is less than half a mile away around the corner in Cavendish Avenue.

[@gdholmfirth]

After being with the crowd at Abbey Road, I walked down to Cavindish Ave. and was the only one there. Cool. The gate across the driveway was different from everyone else's.

[@petejones879]

I've never heard a zebra crossing referred to as a crosswalk before

[@oldskool731]

na

[@xaverlustig3581]

"Crosswalk" is the American term. Judging from some of his other videos, he spent time in the US.

[@malcolm4672]

Called a Pedestrian crossing here in New Zealand.

[@mfc1212us]

should be Zeb-Brah

[@darthvirago]

I did read somewhere that the photo was taken from the top of a stepladder.

[@derradune6722]

It was.

[@elementrypenguin3116]

That’s correct

[@susanandtimrice5265]

The Beatles technically did not record at "Abbey Road" Studio. They recorded at the "EMI Studio" on Abbey Rd. The name was changed later because of the Beatles album "Abbey Road." - Tim

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

The Zig Zags were introduced in U.K. about 1972.

[@AlbieSol560]

There are some great photos of the Beatles sitting on the steps of Abbey Road studios waiting for the photo shoot to be set up.

[@trevorjameson3213]

Great video and history, thank you for sharing. I've never been to England or London or anywhere over there, but that old picture of the Beatles walking across the street I do connect with because I remember when that album came out and really liked the album cover artwork of them crossing the street. So cool!

[@richbailey8174]

I went to London in 1993. The first morning my wife and I immediately went to Abbey Road. I took my set of pictures. I was allowed into the foyer of the building. Also it's important to note the house Paul bought in the 60's is only a 10 minute walk from there....and I have pics from there as well

[@liuzhou]

It's interesting that they are walking away from the studios as if having finished recording together forever.

[@terrythekittieful]

And heading towards Paul's home on Cavendish Avenue for a joint or four.

[@braudabo]

That's the point. The work is done, history was made, what comes next (however, a few more recording sessions took place after this August 8, 1969).

[@petergledhill8994]

It's known as a Zebra crossing in the UK.

[@BenjaminNavillus]

"Belica Beashons"? I quite like that.

[@chrisst8922]

Belisha Beacons. After Leslie Hore-Belisha, Minister of Transport.

[@BenjaminNavillus]

@@chrisst8922Yeah, but he wasn’t called Hore-Belica(!)

[@xavierkreiss8394]

I live not far away , I know most of the story, and I can only say : bravo! You covered all the essential things, giving a good, complete account. If people want to know more they should go there themselves!

[@mazzab1970]

It's called a Zebra Crossing in the UK.

[@dhulbert855]

To be complete, you should have covered the road sign on the back of the album, another great photo, whether or not the sign is still there in some shape or form. I got a photo of the replacement sign when I was there in 1983...

[@kingfrediivideoclips8840]

You said "bus station" but that's called a bus stop.

[@mickc7388]

Or bus shelter in this case.

[@petejones879]

Paul tells a story about late one evening on his way back from a fancy dress party with one of his kids he was approaching the famous crossing and he pulled over in his car.. Got out and in full costume he recreated his walk across the crossing with not much traffic about and no one would have known it was him

[@WooBino.]

Just admit you took your Abbey Road picture vertically.

[@AndrewLumsden]

In the UK, these pedestrian crossings are NEVER referred to as crosswalks. 🙄😖🤬

[@Coolcarting]

So fucking what. You can call it whatever you want. You walk across it, sounds good to me.

[@ralfandreakkd4368]

It looked so much better on the cover of the album.

[@mfc1212us]

Some unused photos show Paul wearing sandals - and in step with the others . as well as walking right to left

[@joegordon2915]

You seem to be confused about the “it’s in a different location” idea. It’s in the same location, but it has moved a few feet from where it originally was.

[@sg-yq8pm]

Nope, that is a myth it was never moved, not even a few feet, the crossing is in EXACTLY the same place, the fire hydrant and the manhole cover location prove it, the current stripes appear to be slightly shorter though.

[@3replybiz]

@@sg-yq8pm It has actually moved since then, not much but it has.

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

It definitely hasn't moved a few feet. Take this from someone who actually lived there. 😂😂

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

​@@sg-yq8pmExactly. If it had moved a few feet like these wallies believe it would be in Grove End Road. And that's an all together different album entirely.

[@braudabo]

@@scottandrewbrass1931 It's the same place, but the width of the stripes varies from time to time. Also, road construction has been carried out there from time to time, which has led to small changes I think? I'm curious, if you can confirm this.

[@christoph404]

Probably the most iconic photo of The Beatles ever taken, and arguably the most iconic album cover photo ever taken, but in all the discussion and in all the facts stated about the image, the photographer who took the image rarely gets a mention and indeed most people would be at a loss to name him if they were asked. The photographer was a Scottish guy from Dundee in Scotland, his name was Iain Macmillan. He became friends with Yoko after she asked him to photograph one of her art exhibitions, he got introduced to John and they became friends too and so he was asked to come along and take the photos for the album cover. Can we please mention the photographer and at least give him credit for his work? Iain Macmillan. He took the photo using a Hasselblad 6x6 cameras with a 50mm lens which equates to a wide angle on the 6x6 cm film format, and he was standing on a step ladder to get that downward looking perspective.

[@trevorbrown6654]

I went there a few years ago and you can see how annoyed the car drivers get when they see people posing for photo's at the site and holding the traffic up. Having said that it's an accidental tourist attraction that is world famous and free to visit and seems to attract Americans and Germans in particular. As for Abbey Road recording studios, they have to repaint the walls every few months such is the amount of graffiti that fans write on the walls. Also I believe Paul's cigarette has been airbrushed out of album reissues for many decades now. But one question I do have is if anyone (apart from conspiracy theorists that is) knows why Paul wasn't wearing any shoes in the photo?

[@billlauretti7963]

If I recall, he was asked that once and said that it was a hot day (the photo was taken in August) and his feet were too hot in his boots. I think he was still wearing shoes in one of the other 5 photos that were not used.

[@trevorbrown6654]

@@billlauretti7963 Thankyou for filling in that gap in my knowledge

[@Dreyno]

Best time to go is late on a summer evening. Less traffic and less people trying to get photos.

[@mickjones5381]

It's not a crosswalk it's a zebra crossing

[@DadgeCity]

A zebra crossing is a crosswalk.

[@mickjones5381]

@ no it’s not and we have pavements not sidewalks

[@DadgeCity]

lol

[@Dreyno]

@@mickjones5381You have different names. Not different things.

[@Lily_The_Pink972]

I visited Abbey Road a few weeks ago and of course, crossed the road on the famous zebra crossing (without holding up traffic). Drivers must get very cheesed off with the people who stop in the middle for photos!

[@gdholmfirth]

Lots of talk, but what is the myth behind the crosswalk? I missed that detail.

[@DadgeCity]

Maybe he means the mythos?

[@malcolm4672]

There is more than one pedestrian crossing in Abbey road, a lot of people go to the wrong one. I have sent someone to the right one, when last in London. Also some people think that Abbey road is in Liverpool.

[@chrisst8922]

There's several Abbey Road's too and an Abbey Road railway station that's the other side of London. Some people go to that.

[@xaverlustig3581]

There's another Abbey Road in London, in Barking. Apparently some tourists end up there.

[@oldskool731]

i dont even stop at that crossing

[@johnsain]

I was 9 years old in 1969,...I read about the Paul is Dead thing at the time in a high school newsletter I found....Listening to 'Come Together' gave me chills at the time,...but I continually tried to interpret the lyrics. During the next few years, I learned more and more clues from acquaintances. Placing a mirror on the Sgt Pepper Bass Drum really knocked me out. But getting together with friends, smoking weed, and listening to the White Album, really added a mystique to the Beatles that doesn't translate in today's world of over exposed celebrities. Even during the final years of the Beatles, we didn't receive endless news, photos, videos, etc as fans....we received nearly nothing compared to what a fan would have access to today for their favorite performers. Anyway, at 19 year old, I finally visied London and went to Abbey Road....no tourists there whatsoever in early 1980...crosswalk wasn't even painted in 'zebra'...Very little graffiti. No businesses or tours for the Beatles....but all 4 were alive....I'm glad I went then....

[@trevorbrown6654]

Where the Paul is dead thing falls down is that if it were true, then the chances of them finding someone who looks, talks, sings, is left handed and is exactly the same height and build as Paul are pretty slim to non-existent. And then of course there is the fact that his own family would notice any difference and then to still keep it a secret after nearly 59 years makes such a theory absurd. I can see how people might have bought into it for a short while but it doesn't withstand scrutiny for it to fall apart. It's such a ludicrous theory even Paul himself has talked about it.

[@timhubbard8895]

You are wrong! the bus stop is still there. Look at your video at 7:24

[@tyronerodgers]

0:00 First shot in. What have they done to the London skyline? It looks horrible.

[@NcboreasVapes]

The pavement looks the same too.

[@buzzsmith8146]

Thanks!

[@roger-h2g5c]

It would have been a lot better if a liverpudlian had done the naration and not some guy who kept saying loads of thigs wrong.

[@DadgeCity]

I like his thigs.

[@fonkbadonk5370]

Wait. Didn't I watch this video like a year ago or more? Says it was only uploaded only a few hours ago. What's up with this?

[@film.safari]

Yes, I have restructured my main KZbin channel and have therefore re-uploaded some videos here. More about it here: www.patreon.com/posts/108992298?

[@petejones879]

4 Beatles? I see 5

[@jamescoghlan8401]

Zebra crossing

[@celt67]

Sorry, but the modern crossing is NOT where the Beatles walked across ...its about 2 meters closer to Abbey Road than it was in the 60s. You can tell because manhole covers DO NOT MOVE...and you can see the manhole cover on the album but today its about 2 meters further forward.

[@benjaminvlz]

They put new markings on the road. That's why it's looks different. The markings on the zebra crossing were much wider in 1969, so the manhole cover appeared over the markings . The current markings are narrower, hence why the manhole cover appears "further forward" of the markings. Look at the wall in front of Abbey Road Studios on the left hand side of the road in the 2023 photo. It's roughly the same distance away from the crossing than it was in the Beatles "Abbey Road" photo shoot. The crossing HAS NOT moved.

[@scottandrewbrass1931]

Sorry but you're utterly wrong. It's in exactly the same place.

[@labajadaman]

There was (maybe still is) a good video on You Tube that discussed the alleged relocation of the crosswalk. It was proven by comparing several markings(drain covers, etc) that are still there against photos that Linda McCartney took during the photo shoot that the crosswalk has NOT been relocated

[@DadgeCity]

It looks slightly different when you compare the position of the long white wall on the left.

[@adamkincaid1234]

The tour guide said (correctly) that the yellow lights were Belisha beacons, and then he called them Belika Bishons, which I rather liked, even if it was a spoonerism

[@AlanKenny-y8e]

Fake news