The 50th birthday of an LP sleeve showing a street
Even people who have nothing to do with pop music or the Beatles in particular are familiar with this record sleeve. There are probably only a few album covers that have become more famous.
And yet their genesis was apparently quite short: the idea of taking a picture on the crosswalk on the street where the studio was located probably came from Paul McCartney. The photographer's name was Iain Macmillan and six shots taken shortly before midday on August 8, 1969 were all he needed to take the right photo for the new Beatles album. Paul McCartney chose one of the six snapshots. Done.
The fact that there was a VW Beetle in it and an Austin A40 a little further back was certainly a coincidence, as were the van and the other cars and the passer-by on the right. Whether it was also a coincidence that Paul did not walk across the pedestrian crossing with his three colleagues and without shoes is still a matter of debate among fans and specialists.
The street and the pedestrian crossing in particular have since become a true place of pilgrimage for Beatles fans and a popular tourist meeting point. The ordinary Beetle became a very special collector's item and is said to be owned by Volkswagen in Germany today. That's how it can go ...
P.S. On September 27, 2019, a special edition of the famous record will be released, again on vinyl, but also on CD, as a special 50th anniversary edition. Instead of one record, however, you will receive three, as different versions of the famous tracks are included.
