1950s
During the 1950s a steady stream of technical advances were being introduced into all three studios. Four track facilities were developed by the EMI research and development section. Another improvement was the development of a limiter, which meant that artists could record without restriction on the dynamic peaks, resulting in apparently louder records. The continuing technical advances also meant that a new school of technicians and young engineers moved rapidly into developing the area of pop balancing.
George Martin arrived at the Studios in 1950 when he joined the Parlophone department. He began by recording ‘anything out of the ordinary’, working with comic actors Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Peter Ustinov, recording plays and musical numbers that required many sound effects, sessions that were often a hair-raising experience.
In 1952 the first official NME chart was published. Max Bygraves’ first record was called Cowpuncher’s Cantata and it was a big success, reaching No.11 of the then official British pop chart in November 1952. In fact this record could be the first chart record ever to come out of Abbey Road.
Christmas broadcasts by reigning monarchs were for many years recorded at Abbey Road and released as records by EMI. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was also recorded in June 1953 via landlines from Westminster Abbey, through the BBC and on to Abbey Road.
The distinction of being the first British artist to record a No.1 hit single in Abbey Road fell to Eddie Calvert. In 1954 his recording of Oh Mein Papa topped the charts for nine weeks. Alma Cogan recorded 19 hit singles, including a No.1 with Dreamboat in 1955. More and more hit records were coming out of the studios.
Producer Norrie Paramor discovered a young Irish girl named Ruby Murray who, with songs like Softly Softly, Heartbeat and Let Me Go Lover took the country by storm and established a whole host of records which have stood the test of time. In 1955 she had seven separate chart entries, including one No.1 single and five records in the chart at one time
Dick James was an up and coming singer. When George Martin heard him singing a little song called Robin Hood he decided to record him and the track went on to become the theme tune to the iconic Robin Hood TV series and earned James a place in the top 20 in 1956.
In its early years Abbey Road Studios had adopted an EMI-only policy, exceptions were made for major American stars that were signed to the American labels CBS and RCA Victor. In 1956 Abbey Road studio producer Wally Ridley received a package from America. The package contained tapes of a new artist Elvis Presley, the track Heartbreak Hotel.
Five young men walked into studio two in 1957 for an audition with producer Norrie Paramor that heralded the birth of a totally new concept in British pop... home grown rock’n’roll. Paramor introduced Cliff Richard to an audience attending a live recording in Abbey Road. Cliff later returned with The Drifters (later to become The Shadows) to record some rock’n’roll songs, among which were tracks called Schoolboy Crush and Move It, which became his first single released in 1958. His first number one arrived one year later when Living Doll took the top spot in 1959, heralding the start of a long and successful career.
Michael Holliday notched up a no. 1 in 1958 with The Story Of My Life and Adam Faith brought EMI and Abbey Road its final No.1 of the decade in 1959 when in November he topped the charts with What Do You Want.
