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6.54am
21 April 2010
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I'm new to this forum so I'm sorry if this question is old. I did a search and didn't find the answer;
What exactly is the back cover showing? It's not a street sign. Obviously it is a wall but why would a wall say "Beatles Abbey Road N?"
Several sites that mention the back photo say that Beatles is written on the wall but it clearly isn't written. The letters are on tiles that have apparently been on the wall long enough for the tile with S to crack when the wall cracked.
What letter or letters are hidden by the girl? It looks to me like "Beatles Abbey Road NJ"
I'm not looking for speculation. Obviously I know that the photographer could have set the whole thing up and put the letters there but it looks more like it was already there and he just snapped it.
I know all about the "Death Clues". Fun, but that is not my question here.
Also, are those letters stil there? I imagine not.
Thanks
9.24am
13 November 2009
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It is a street sign, it says "Abbey Road NW8", NW8 being the area code. I'm not sure when the "Beatles" sign was put up, Joe will probably know the answer.
12.14pm
31 March 2008
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Good question (and welcome to the forum, prestopresto). I didn't do anything on the back cover in my Abbey Road article, though probably should do.
Here's the original shot by Iain Macmillan: 
The picture was taken on the corner of Abbey Road and Alexandra Road. The latter was later replaced by a housing estate, and the sign no longer exists.
I presume the 'BEATLES' sign was painted in after, though I don't have any info. I'd quite like to know myself. The girl in the blue dress just happened to be passing at the time. Again, I'd like to know who she was.
3.30pm
13 November 2009
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I'd like to know what that small dark thing at the edge of the album front cover is, on the white stripe Ringo is stepping on.
5.52pm
31 March 2008
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The zebra crossing is no longer there (it was later moved a few yards up the road – not a lot of people know that), but I'd guess it was an electrical outlet/manhole point. It can be seen in one of the out-takes too:
Even though it's not in the same place, every time I use the crossing I still get a thrill, thinking that I'm walking in The Beatles' footsteps. I don't think it would ever get old.
9.29am
21 April 2010
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Thanks Guys,
It always looked like ABBEY ROAD NJ to me but I guess I was seeing the top of the beginning stroke of the W and some stray mark near the bottom and interpreting them as a J.
Some one must have those original tiles in a private collection somewhere. Unless the wall was demolished before the album came out.
I wonder how they put the BEATLES tiles in back then. They didn't have photoshop. I suppose they printed the photo large and an artist painted them and then the rephotographed it. Just curious. I know it's trivia.
4.53pm
5 February 2010
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I love the back cover. I use it as the front-screen wallpaper for my phone. The funny, out-of-place "N" in the photo became part of the charm, and to this day I still refer to this album as "Abbey Roaden."
Thanks for filling in some of the trivia bits, guys, this was fun to read!
7.30am
21 April 2010
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Ok, you guys pretty much nailed this question so could you look for my post in songs and take a stab at my question about The Sheik of Araby?
7.53am
10 May 2011
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PeterWeatherby said:
I love the back cover. I use it as the front-screen wallpaper for my phone. The funny, out-of-place "N" in the photo became part of the charm, and to this day I still refer to this album as "Abbey Roaden."
Thanks for filling in some of the trivia bits, guys, this was fun to read!
Hohoho!!!
5.27am
22 April 2011
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To clear things up, the mark at the bottom is a storm/water drain and was only on early pressings of the album. They cropped it on pressings starting around 1970-71 and just extended the top of the photo (At least on US ones). I don't know about UK albums.
7.22am
21 November 2011
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Hi
just thought you would be interested to know I have ABEY of the abbey road sign on back cover of Beatles album!
I used to live on Abbey Road and near the wall which had the road sign before it was demolished to make way for new estate i only managed to rescue 4 tiles the rest were destroyed they are at auction on 26th Nov 2011 google live auctioneers for link
The end of the sign was NW8 in those days the postal district it was on the junction with Alexandra Road most of which was also demolished…
11.55am
14 April 2010
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I've read (wish I could remember where) that the girl is Jane Asher. Can anyone confirm this?
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.
2295 6972
1.45pm
1 May 2011
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Ive read that woman in front of the abbey road sign was Linda, but not sure how try that is. No reason to be Jane as she had split with Paul who had married Linda.
5.18pm
14 April 2010
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I found that odd too, mmrm. Thanks.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.
2295 6972
7.13pm
24 October 2011
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It wasn't Linda. Actually it was a fan chosen at random who can be seen in a candid photo taken by Linda before the famous crossing session and also in a recently discovered official alternate pose released online a few months back.
7.18pm
14 April 2010
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Cool – thanks, ed.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.
2295 6972
7.39pm
19 September 2010
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So, they did have their own Hazel Frederick. Cool, cool.
Now, I wonder why he took a picture of her, um, derrierre?
(An apple to the man/woman who knows who Hazel Frederick is.)
8.19pm
1 May 2011
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I remember reading that she, the woman on the cover, walked thru the shot just as it was being taken and that was the photo that was selected for the back cover. One of those chance occurances like with the Rubber Soul cover pic just happening to fall back during the presentation to the beatles.
Not sure how accurate that is tho.
8.52pm
14 April 2010
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mr. Sun king coming together said:
So, they did have their own Hazel Frederick. Cool, cool.
Now, I wonder why he took a picture of her, um, derrierre?(An apple to the man/woman who knows who Hazel Frederick is.)
I couldn't resist – had to Google it. You crack me up.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, Let it roll for all its worth.
2295 6972
9.58pm
19 September 2010
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Zig said:
You crack me up.
You make it sound like a bad thing!
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