Paul McCartney, Elton John, Ringo Starr, George Lucas Sing Praises of Abbey Road Studios in Doc Trailer
Written by djfrosty on November 15, 2022
It’s hard to imagine a more apt title for a film about one of the most beloved recording studios of all time: If These Walls Could Sing. The first trailer for director Mary McCartney’s upcoming documentary about Abbey Road Studios dropped on Monday (Nov. 14) and it is packed with fond remembrances from rock all-stars, including her dad, Sir Paul McCartney, as his former bandmate, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Noel Gallagher, Nile Rodgers and Star Wars creator George Lucas, among others.
“When you enter a place with so much history around it, it’s kind of sacred in a way,” John says at the top of the two-minute trailer. “People want to come here. They want the sound of Abbey Road.” The Disney+ doc will drop on Dec. 16, in time to commemorate the studio’s 90th anniversary. In the preview, Mary McCartney says Abbey Road has been part of her life “for as long as I can remember,” as attested to by snaps of a baby Mary — now 53 — laying on the studio floor on a blanket.
There is, of course, ample footage of Sir Paul attesting to the special alchemy of those rooms in St. John’s Wood, including him popping up to play a beloved piano just over his shoulder as Mary ticks off the many genres of music that have been laid down in those four walls, from classical to pop, Afrobeat, blues and more.
Former Oasis guitarist/co-vocalist Noel Gallagher notes that “a huge part” of his record collection was recorded at Abbey Road before Lucas and composer John Williams speak of the studio as a “gift to music,” which explains why they recorded some of the most iconic Star Wars music at the London landmark during a time when it was struggling to attract patrons.
Mary McCartney spoke to Rolling Stone about the film, telling the mag, “Hearing it was the anniversary of Abbey Road Studios brought back so many memories to me. I have grown up visiting Abbey Road, it feels like family to me. In directing this feature-length documentary, it felt natural to explore the wealth of stories, and unearth so many unheard gems that I had not known about.” The film will also feature interviews with Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, Williams, Celeste and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, among others.
Watch the If These Walls Could Sing trailer below.