(Don't) Let It Be

Find a way to make things happen

(Pictured: Owen plays The Beatles ‘Day In The Life’ piano for the podcast theme while Cory “Cheeky Chappy” Marsh films)

My Dad would put the speakers face down on the floor and crank the volume.

He wanted it to sound bassier.
He wanted to feel the music.

It didn’t sound better.

It sounded like you were next door to someone who had a great stereo.
But I understood.
Because music to him, like it does to me, meant something special.
There is something very tactile about those sound-waves hitting your chest, or in my Dad’s case rumbling up from the floor.

Abbey Road was a favourite choice of album at our house.
My Dad loved The Beatles.
He saw them live in Glasgow.

*And yes, I know that Let It Be was not recorded at Abbey Road Studios… that’s part of the wink and nod of the very clever title. I’m a scamp.*

It is not hyperbole to say that my Dad would have lost his goddamn mind (if he hadn’t already) if he were alive to know that I spent March and April of this year recording at Abbey Road Studios.

I did a local newspaper interview about my experience there and referred to it repeatedly as a bricks and mortar temple to the intangible magic of recorded sound.

So, you may wonder what it’s like…
It’s a wondrous building where a bulk of notable things and people have… happened;

• Alan Blumlein invented stereo there in 1931

• The Beatles created countless hits there

• John Williams brought Star Wars and Indiana Jones to our ears there through massive orchestral arrangements

• Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Frank Ocean, and practically everybody else who has made a sizeable impact on pop culture has recorded there.

The building is massive.
It contains multiple studios.

Studio 1 is the orchestral studio.
It is an overwhelming space. Even more overwhelming when set-up and waiting for the orchestra to arrive. Rows of chairs and sheet music at the ready.

Studio 2 is The Beatles studio.
A sizeable room. Like a public school gymnasium.
It remains as it was in the 60s.
Yes, you feel the energy and history when you walk on the parquet floor and touch “the” piano.

Studio 3 is a sanctuary.
Dark Side of The Moon was recorded here.
Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine.
Our camera operator, Cory, described it best when he said “this feels like entering a church”.

There are two other smaller and newer studios; the Front Room and the Gatehouse.
Though less storied than the other studios, they don’t slouch when it comes to bragging rights and famous clientele.

We were in the Gatehouse.
Where Ryan Gosling belted out “I’m Just Ken” and where Harry Styles and Stevie Nicks created a brand new Landslide.

Then there’s a private restaurant.
Where you can eat and drink in, and drink-in, the company of musicians, producers, and engineers who are all just as happy to be there as you are.
The pictures on the wall show famous diners in the very space you are as well… McCartney, Cher, Eartha Kitt, etc., etc..

Why the hell was I there, you may demand… angrily?

I was there to direct the recording and filming of a new podcast series called ‘Places She Shapes’.

Hosted by Zoe Smeeth, Places She Shapes was created for the purpose of providing some mentorship for women looking to succeed in careers that have been, and still are in many respects, non-traditional for women.

There are 7 episodes. Six with guests —and the guests’ stories are… shocking.

I would be most grateful if you checked it out and subscribed for free (or mentioned it to someone who could benefit from it) at PlacesSheShapes.co.uk

The whole series is produced by my eldest son, Owen Reynolds.
Let’s not talk about how proud I am of him.
Let’s definitely not talk about how proud my Dad would have been of both of us.

It’s been a goal of mine to work on a project at Abbey Road Studios since I was a toddler singing into an umbrella stand as my pretend microphone.

I learned when I hit my thirties that every day you get in life is a chance to do what you want to do.
You just need to find a way to make things happen.

Did I imagine myself at Abbey Road Studios directing a podcast?
No… but I loved every minute of it.
And I did it.

If there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, find a way to do it.

Don’t… Let It Be.

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(Pictured: Author - “Ringo” Brittlestar adds some thumping to the podcast theme at Abbey Road Studios)