I recently finished the large tome Recording the Beatles. This is a very detailed book about the recording process the group went through with information on all of the equipment (from mixing boards to microphones to studio spaces to echo chambers to instruments and so on) and the recording studio staff and infrastructure the group had throughout their career.

There are a number of sociological connections to make based on this work. Here is the one that sticks out the most to me: the “art world” of The Beatles, which includes what this book describes as the equipment and the people at Abbey Road (with a few other studios thrown in at different times), both constrained and empowered The Beatles. The story of their music and the group would be incomplete without reckoning with this. Let me explain further what I mean.

In some ways, the structure of EMI and Abbey Road constrained the Beatles. EMI was already a successful company ahead of signing the Beatles in 1962 and had particular ways of going about things. The space and personnel had a particular structure. EMI made a lot of their own audio equipment and equipment from other manufacturers was often modified in house. There was a clear division of labor between the producer, engineer, and sound technicians (symbolized by the white coats worn in the studio).

Rock music was something new for EMI and the Abbey Road studios and it took some time to catch up to new music trends as well as to what the Beatles wanted to do. At the beginning, recording was more of a live affair where groups came in and recorded songs in a few takes. An album would take just a few days. For much of their career, the Beatles recorded on four-track boards and machines, limiting recording opportunities or making certain tasks more difficult. Getting access to new equipment required formal requests and testing. The Beatles producer, George Martin, was not trained as much in rock music. Much of the Beatles catalog was originally only made available in mono, rather than stereo, sound.

Despite these constraints, or, more accurately, partly because of these constraints, the Beatles became successful. The band had to work hard in the early days to hone their sound for the studio. They had to act professional in front of George Martin and the experienced staff. The equipment pushed them to be extra creative in getting new sounds and techniques to tape.

Indeed, the infrastructure was also empowering. With a team of professionals, the Beatles were guided in the early days and gradually took on more responsibility for producing their own music. George Martin’s training proved very useful in arranging music, adding orchestral or horn parts, and encouraging new ways of doing things. Even if the equipment was outdated or lacking, the professionalism of the staff was not in question and all labored to translate the increasing creativity of the group to records. Abbey Road had almost everything that was needed including cavernous studios to record large groups and multiple spaces where the group and staff could work. The weight of EMI with all of its resources could help support the most popular band on earth.

While a common story of the Beatles is that they grew to chafe at the restrictions of conventional recording, this infrastructure – this technical art world – helped make their music what it became. If Decca had signed the group when they had a chance and put the Beatles into their infrastructure, the outcome could have been different. And the Beatles story within EMI is one echoed by countless other groups who then took rock music more broadly into studios, produced songs and albums, and influenced cultural life and societies. This infrastructure still exists, as does a more individualized and mobile setup where artists can record themselves in home studios or on the road with impressive quality.

Ultimately, this is a reminder that the creation of cultural objects is often a collective affair. Music groups can have great ideas or amazing musical talent or a particular charisma but this is channeled through and operates within a broader artistic context. The Beatles are what they are because of John, Paul, George, and Ringo but also because of EMI and Abbey Road.