Chris Stimson's ('69) 1982 Trip to Abbey Road Studios for Capitol Records on the 20th Anniversary of the First UK BEATLES Single Release.
 
From: Xtfr
To: ba_garner
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 6:55 AM
Subject: Re: Bobbie's suggestion.
 
Chris,
 
Great Stuff!, and a chance to add something from the eighties!
 
I'll add from them soon...Scott Hawley FAHS '85-'87ish who wrote that book "Hot Times During the Cold War" mentioned Bruce Dickinson f Iron Maiden in his poem "Creative Writing"...
 
Now a second Reference to Iron Maiden. LOL
 
So,  a "long story" ?
 
Cheers,
Bruce
 
Great! Glad you can use some of the pix.
 
Yeah...the Iron Maiden association...
 
Here's what happened:
 
In the early Eighties, Maiden's manager, Rod Smallwood, decided that, since the band weren't exactly "radio darlings," it would make sense to increase their visibility during their US tour via an "internal" Capitol Records contest.
 
In those days, Capitol had 13 branch offices spread around the US. Rod launched the contest among the 13 branches, with the winning branch receiving a trip to London for five (CSR, Salesperson, promotion person and branch manager...each "plus one") to See Iron Maiden live in concert at the famed Hammersmith Odeon.
 
The criteria to determine the winners was fairly simple: "The best single promotion in your territory for Iron Maiden during their US tour."
 
Ours was planned by me, encompassing the involvement of an "in-store" appearance of Iron Maiden, believe it or not, involving BOTH of the Adult Rock Chicago stations...something that had NEVER happened before!
 
We did it complete with a HUGE (at least 10ft. tall at the head) reconstructed "Eddie" (that's the character that graces each of the covers of Maiden's LPs, and appears in various sizes and forms onstage) lighted, on TOP of the main Crow's Nest location in suburban Chicago.
 
Now this is a HUGE store...what would now be considered a "megastore" among retail outlets.
 
I also tore down ALL of their displays and put up nothing but Maiden displays, including all six 8' x 8' lighted display windows out front. I hired a local film student that I knew to video tape the entire event, edited it down in a mix suite in Chicago, and submitted the video as our entry.
 
Some 2,000 kids turned up in the pouring rain and just ROCKED the joint! Maiden signed autographs for every single one of them.
 
Needless to say, we won.
 
ncluded in the trip were hotel accommodations at the Royal Garden Hotel (very "posh!!"), tours of EMI HQ, and a VIP Tour of Abbey Road Studios, which EMI owns, as they were preparing to open Abbey Road to the public for the first time ever, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of the very first Beatles single in the UK. Since we were "foreign guests/contest winners/EMI employees," we got the VIP treatment and a wonderful "behind the scenes" tour of the facility. I mean...I actually got to hold the two inch stereo Master Tape of "Let it Be" in my own sweaty hands!! How cool was THAT for a rabid Beatles fan???
 
Additionally, it happened to coincide with David Bowie's "Serious Moonlight" Tour, so we got passes to the Wembley Arena show, also courtesy of his label EMI. Tagged on a week's worth of vacation to the trip and got to visit some friends in Brighton, where we caught a club date with Robert Palmer. He was "breaking in" his new band in preparation for an upcoming US tour.
 
It really was "All too much..."
 
Needless to say, I became rather good buds with Maiden via all of this. They sent me postcard from their gig in Warsaw...the very FIRST performance by a western rock band, ever, in Communist Poland! Still have it...along with the signed "Eddie" stand up.
 
All the best...
Chris Stimson '69
 
Me on the train from London to Brighton...ah, youth!!
 
Me...again...taking FULL advantage of the "hospitality" in the Warwick Suite @ The Royal Garden Hotel...nice digs!
 
Front entrance of said hotel.
 
Abbey Road Studios Entrance.
 
...with the "Americans"...yeah..that's me on the right
 
Remember the scene from "Help" where The Beatles were recording "You're Gonna Lose That Girl??"Well...THIS is the very room in which that scene was shot...and where a lot of their recordings took place.  Complete with the Control Room UPSTAIRS!!??!! Yikes...
 
Same room as above...shot from the "other" side.
 
"The BIG Room"...where The London Symphony recorded the soundtrack to the original "Star Wars" film, and Pink Floyd recorded "Dark Side of the Moon."
 
The ACTUAL 2-inch Master Tape of The Beatles "Let it Be."
 
Same Master...different shot.
 
Shot of SOME of the Mater Tape storage locker...fully temperature controlled. Thousands of original Masters stored here.
 
The "Mastering Suite"...where finished Master Tapes are cut to Master Discs.
 
Control Board in the control room of one of the recording studios.
 
Video Editing Suite.
 
"What's all this, then, guys??!!??"  ...back in my suite at The Royal Garden.
 
..."Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end…”
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