Los Angeles, CA - EMI had plans to sell the building in an effort to cut loses and reduce their debts.  This sparked frenzied fans to tweet and post FB status updates to persuade the saving of the historic building.  English Heritage stepped in and announce earlier this morning that the building that houses the famous studios is now declared an historic monument.  Their Chief Exec Simon Thurley mentioned that "the building is a historical monument to recorded music". 



English Heritage is the Government's statutory adviser on the historic environment. Officially known as the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, English Heritage is an Executive Non-departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Culture,Media and Sport (DCMS). Our powers and responsibilities are set out in the National Heritage Act (1983) and today we report to Parliament through the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.



Abbey Road Studios have recorded artists such as the Beatles, Cliff Richard and the Drifters, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, and U2.  Originally a nine-bedroom Georgian townhouse built in the 1830s on the footpath leading to Kilburn Abbey, the building was later converted to apartments.  The premises were acquired by the Gramophone Company in 1931 and converted into studios. Pathe filmed the opening of the studios, when Sir Edward Elgar conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in recording sessions of his music.The neighboring house is also owned by the studio and used to house musicians. During the mid-1900s the studio was extensively used by leading British conductor Sir Malcom Sargent, whose house was just around the corner from the studio building.  The Gramophone Company later amalgamated with Columbia Gramophone Company to form EMI, which took over the studios. The studios were then known as EMI Studios until EMI formally changed their name to Abbey Road Studios in 1970.

Thurley later went on to say "Some of the most defining sounds of the 20th century were created within the walls of the Abbey Road Studios.  It contains, quite simply, the most famous recording studios in the world."  From all the fans, musicians, and historians we thank you English Heritage and EMI for preserving a vital piece of musical inspiration and history.




by Erik Thureson
sources - http://www.english-heritage.org.uk, AP, and Wikipedia