Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Liverpool Webcam Live for Beatles Week 2010

Organised by Cavern City Tours, this annual celebration of the music of The Beatles features more than 50 bands from all over the world performing at various venues in Liverpool.

This live streaming webcam feed is from the iconic Abbey Road crossing in Liverpool:

Abbey Road webcam

The highlight of the event is a full day convention at the Adelphi Hotel on Sunday which includes a memorabilia market, live music all day plus guest speakers, video shows and exhibitions.

Abbey Road is regarded as one of The Beatles' most tightly constructed albums, although the band was barely operating as a functioning unit at the time. Rolling Stone magazine named it the 14th greatest album of all time. At some point, the album was going to be titled Everest after the brand of cigarettes I used to smoke," recalls Geoff Emerick. The idea included a cover photo in the Himalayas but by the time the group was to take the photo they decided to call it Abbey Road and take the photo outside the studio on 8 August 1969. The cover designer was Apple Records creative director Kosh. The cover photograph was taken by photographer Iain Macmillan. Macmillan was given only ten minutes around 11:30 that morning to take the photo on a zebra crossing on Abbey Road. That cover photograph has since become one of the most famous and most imitated album covers in recording history. In the photograph, the Beatles walk across the street single file from left to right, with Lennon leading, followed by Starr, McCartney, and Harrison. McCartney is bare-footed and out of step with the other three. The photograph also played a prominent part in the "Paul is dead" urban legend in late 1969. With the exception of Harrison the group are wearing suits designed by Tommy Nutter. The man standing on the pavement in the background is Paul Cole (c. 1911 – 13 February 2008), an American tourist unaware he had been photographed until he saw the album cover months later. The zebra crossing today remains a popular destination for Beatles fans. There is even a webcam featuring it.