Lookalike album cover Abbey Road
Abbey road album cover inspires Abbey Road E.P. cover
Abbey Road E.P. by The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1988) makes a nod to Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969)
The Abbey Road album by The Beatles released in May 1969 is one of the most parodied album cover.
Based on a drawing of Paul McCartney, the photograph shot by Iain Macmillan in August 8th 1969 features the band walking across the zebra crossing outside Abbey road studios.
When the album was released in the US, it gave way to the weirdest rumor that Paul McCartney had died in a car accident in 1966 and that it was his lookalike William Campbell who was on the picture. Tenuous clues were to be found in the picture: Paul was out of steps with his bandmates, his eyes were closed, he was not wearing shoes like the others, he was holding a cigarette in his right hand whereas Paul is left-handed and that the VW parked behind had on its plate 28IF like if he had lived on, he would be 28… The Beatles had to firmly deny this delusional rumor.
True nod to The Beatles album, the Abbey Road E.P. by The Red Hot Chili Peppers features the band naked except for a sock worn on their genitals and hats. It was released in 1988 by EMI America prior to their touring the UK that year. One could think that the broken white lines refer to the parodic dimension of the vinyl cover and the musical offset of the two bands, but they simply reflect the evolution of road signs.
Paul is alive
In 1993, in reference to the rumor of his death, Paul McCartney releases a new CD album Paul is live where he is back on the zebra crossing of Abbey Road.
Make your own Abbey Road Lookalike
If you happen to be in London and you want to make a nod to the last Beatles' album, take the Jubilee Line of the Underground and get off at St. John's Wood (top left on our map). You may not be the only one, you may have to stand in line, but it's worth it.
Lookalike fairwell
Photograph from the great comedy movie Pop Redemption by Martin Legall released in 2013.