Impact of John Lennon and Beatles felt each day at Strawberry Fields, Central Park
New York City musician Jules Avalon reflects on the power of John Lennon and the Beatles at Strawberry Fields in Central Park, located across the street from where Lennon was murdered on Dec. 8, 1980.
Mary McCartney spent her childhood at Abbey Road Studios, one of the most legendary recording facilities in the world, where her parents made music together.
McCartney, daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney and photographer Linda McCartney, has fond memories of being raised in a "normal" household - one filled with love and music. Now, she’s looking back at the London locale’s history in a new documentary titled "If These Walls Could Sing."
"What inspired me to make this film was my love for Abbey Road," the 53-year-old told Fox News Digital. "I’ve grown up going to Abbey Road over the years, but I didn’t realize it was 90 years old until I was invited to direct the documentary. So that really inspired me. And I wanted to know more. And I learned so much through the process. But it started with my love for the building and the people that worked there over the years."
Sir Paul McCartney sat down with his daughter Mary McCartney for her new film, "If These Walls Could Sing." (Photo by Joe Maher/Getty Images)
According to the filmmaker, she was even more compelled to bring the story of Abbey Road Studios to life after she came across a 1977 photo of her parents – and their pony - strolling through a nearby crosswalk.
"We lived nearby, so they recorded there with [the band] Wings," McCartney explained. "When I was there researching… people would come up to me and say, ‘I remember your mom coming here.’ She would go in and chat with people. They were like, ‘She was so great. She made everyone feel so relaxed. We really enjoyed spending time with her.’ It was really nice to hear people talking about her because she’s not with us anymore. So anytime that anybody talks about her, I love it. [I love meeting] anybody who’s met her."
"Sometimes, people from Abbey Road would babysit us if mom and dad were going out," she shared. "It was quite a close relationship."
Paul McCartney with his wife Linda and their three daughters Mary McCartney, Heather McCartney and Stella McCartney in London, circa March 1971. (Photo by Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
The matriarch passed away in 1998 at age 56 from cancer. However, McCartney was able to get her father on board to share his memories for the film.
"It was really heartwarming sitting down with dad," she said about the 80-year-old. "I could see – and I think the viewer could see – that he cares about the place so much. And he was keen to discuss it, to talk to me about Abbey Road. He loves the people that have worked there. The thing about Abbey Road is people stay there for a long time. There’s longevity there. People who record there come back and record often. So there is this safe feeling there. You could tell from interviewing him that he felt safe here… [This is a space where people] could really be creative, and the people there were going to look after them and not distract them. It was all about the music."
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McCartney said Paul’s eyes lit up as he spoke about "A Day in the Life," a song by The Beatles that was released as the final track of their 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band." It is one of the best-selling albums of all time.
Pictured from left to right: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon at Abbey Road Studios. The group's 1967 album, "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band," is one of the best-selling albums of all time. (Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
"I love that story," said McCartney. "It was great to hear him say it in the studio about when they recorded ‘Day in the Life’ and there’s a big orchestral crescendo at the end of the song… They were so experimental. It was like, ‘No, let’s just start on your lowest note and work your way up – all of you at the same time – to the highest note.’ It’s such a classic moment in the song."
"It was interesting to see it and how the orchestra was confused like, ‘I don’t know what you want me to do,’" she continued. "But in the documentary, you see [record producer] Giles Martin with the master recordings. He’s there and shows you [how it’s done]… You can just hear the vocals and then you can just hear the orchestra. And at the end, it’s four pianos playing together in this loud sort of jungle. Hearing that story come alive and seeing how the song was broken down was a great story to hear."
Fans of The Beatles will also learn about the Fab Four's early years and how they became confident as individual artists.
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British rock group The Beatles pose outside Abbey Road Studios in London, after John Lennon passed his driving test, circa 1965. From left to right: George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
"I love all the early stories about how they came to Abbey Road," said McCartney. "Brian Epstein, their manager, was an amazing manager by the sounds of it. He was famous for bringing a lot of bands from Liverpool to London. He’s the one that said to [record producer] George Martin, ‘Can you record with The Beatles?’ There are those stories of them coming into Abbey Road and… being really nervous. They weren’t used to recording. They’d never been in a studio like this… The space must have seemed huge to them. And they’re like, ‘What are we going to do?’ And then thinking about how they naturally progressed. In the end, they ended up using every nook and cranny of Abbey Road – everywhere – and having more… power as they went along."
James McCartney, left, with sister Mary McCartney. Growing up, Mary said that she would hit the road with her parents as they performed. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Disney+)
Growing up, McCartney said she knew her parents were different.
"My mom and dad were in Wings together," she said. "So they would be touring, and they would often take us along to concerts when we were kids. We would see the crowds and watch our parents on stage performing and then go home and be normal."
British musician Paul McCartney and his wife Linda McCartney and their children at San Martino, a restaurant in Knightsbridge, London, UK, circa 1973. Linda, a famed photographer, passed away in 1998 at age 56. (Photo by Ronald Dumont/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
"If These Walls Could Sing" features new interviews with Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. George Harrison passed away in 2001 at age 58 following a battle with cancer. John Lennon was murdered in 1980 at age 40.
John Lennon, right, poses for a photo with his wife Yoko Ono, left, and son Sean Lennon in New York City, circa 1977. The artist was murdered in 1980 outside his apartment at age 40. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
"I do remember [meeting] John," said McCartney. "I was a kid, but I remember us all going over as a family to visit. It was John and Yoko [Ono] and [their son] Sean. We all just hung out in his apartment [as a family]."
The documentary also features candid sit-downs with artists like Elton John, Noel Gallagher and Roger Waters. McCartney noted that the experience of filming her father has only brought them even closer.
Ringo Starr, one of the surviving Beatles, spoke to Mary McCartney for her directorial debut. (Photo by David M. Benett/Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
"It opened up a point of discussion," she said. "We are close and we [already] spend a good amount of time together. But when we would see each other, it’d be like, ‘I was thinking about this other thing that might be good for the documentary.’ Or he would ask how I was doing and I would tell him who I was interviewing. So it was a nice point of conversation during the process, to use him as a soundboard."
McCartney noted she’s proud of her directorial debut, and she hopes her film will help keep the legacy of Abbey Road Studios alive.
From left: Stella McCartney, Sir Paul McCartney and Mary McCartney attend the London Premiere of ‘If These Walls Could Sing’ at Abbey Road Studios on Dec. 12, 2022, in London. (Photo by David M. Benett/Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
"The technicians… were innovative and contributed to the music," she explained. "The Beatles were like, ‘How do we do this?’ or ‘What if we could do this?’ And the people at Abbey Road would really work and collaborate with them. They wouldn’t be like, ‘They’re being weird. What are they talking about?’ They were like, ‘Oh yeah, and this is maybe how you could get the sound you want.’ I was surprised how [many times] that happened. I presumed that you go, record and you’re done. But Abbey Road contributed… and to this day, they’re there to help make the music the best it can be. I respect that."
"If These Walls Could Sing" will hit Disney+ on Dec. 16.
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