London`s world-famous Abbey Road Studios reopened on Thursday after closing its doors during the coronavirus lockdown for the first time in its 90-year history.

Celebrated for recording the likes of Edward Elgar, The Beatles and Lady Gaga, the studio`s mixing desks powered up for a socially-distanced session with acclaimed U.S. jazz singer Melody Gardot.

"We didn`t even stop for a World War so it feels like a real moment to come back," Isabel Garvey, Abbey Road Studios` managing director, told Reuters.

Music industry workers have been among those hardest hit by the coronavirus lockdown, enacted in Britain on March 23. Many have been shut out of state lockdown support programmes because of the irregular nature of work in music.

Garvey said about half of Abbey Road`s staff had been unable to work away from the studio building during the lockdown.

"I think music carried people through the last 10, 11 weeks of lockdown," Garvey said.

"So to have artists back recording, making music again, possibly even relating to the experience they`ve had, just feels really good. We need it as humans I think."&nbsp;

Gardot`s recording session offered a potential glimpse into the future of music production in a post-COVID world.&nbsp;

The singer joined remotely from Paris with her producer Larry Klein from Los Angeles. Both appeared on big screens at Abbey Road to communicate with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which performed there for the first time since lockdown.

"We`re using the best of technology and musicians in the space to make the whole thing work," said Garvey. 
 
Gardot said it was an honour to become the first artist to record at Abbey Road since its reopening and told Reuters "the music must go on", even if a little magic was missing because of her distance from the musicians.

"It`s a little bit frustrating sometimes because of course, like so many other things, you miss the tactility," said Gardot, who had previously recorded at Abbey Road in 2009.

Opened by Elgar in 1931, the studio reports a healthy list of future bookings but social distancing measures mean there will be some limitations - particularly for large orchestras often present for the recording of major film soundtracks.

Abbey Road boss Garvey said the orchestra capacity of its biggest studios had been roughly halved following a review.

"Recording here is still really viable - it`s just going to be with smaller numbers," she said.

"There`s big pent-up demand ... so it`s looking good but it will take time to ramp up back to normal levels."

Gardot said she wanted to seize the moment rather than wait until 2021 before making music again, when life might return to normal.

"I`m chomping at the bit to do something, to create something, to make music," she said.

London`s world-famous Abbey Road Studios reopened on Thursday after closing its doors during the coronavirus lockdown for the first time in its 90-year history. Celebrated for recording the likes of Edward Elgar, The Beatles and Lady Gaga, the studio`s mixing desks powered up for a socially-distanced session with acclaimed U.

London`s world-famous Abbey Road Studios reopened on Thursday after closing its doors during the coronavirus lockdown for the first time in its 90-year history. Celebrated for recording the likes of Edward Elgar, The Beatles and Lady Gaga, the studio`s mixing desks powered up for a socially-distanced session with acclaimed U.S. jazz singer Melody Gardot. "We didn`t even stop for a World War so it feels like a real moment to come back," Isabel Garvey, Abbey Road Studios` managing director, told Reuters. Music industry workers have been among those hardest hit by the coronavirus lockdown, enacted in Britain on March 23. Many have been shut out of state lockdown support programmes because of the irregular nature of work in music. Garvey said about half of Abbey Road`s staff had been unable to work away from the studio building during the lockdown. "I think music carried people through the last 10, 11 weeks of lockdown," Garvey said. "So to have artists back recording, making music again, possibly even relating to the experience they`ve had, just feels really good. We need it as humans I think." Gardot`s recording session offered a potential glimpse into the future of music production in a post-COVID world. The singer joined remotely from Paris with her producer Larry Klein from Los Angeles. Both appeared on big screens at Abbey Road to communicate with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which performed there for the first time since lockdown. "We`re using the best of technology and musicians in the space to make the whole thing work," said Garvey. Gardot said it was an honour to become the first artist to record at Abbey Road since its reopening and told Reuters "the music must go on", even if a little magic was missing because of her distance from the musicians. "It`s a little bit frustrating sometimes because of course, like so many other things, you miss the tactility," said Gardot, who had previously recorded at Abbey Road in 2009. Opened by Elgar in 1931, the studio reports a healthy list of future bookings but social distancing measures mean there will be some limitations - particularly for large orchestras often present for the recording of major film soundtracks. Abbey Road boss Garvey said the orchestra capacity of its biggest studios had been roughly halved following a review. "Recording here is still really viable - it`s just going to be with smaller numbers," she said. "There`s big pent-up demand ... so it`s looking good but it will take time to ramp up back to normal levels." Gardot said she wanted to seize the moment rather than wait until 2021 before making music again, when life might return to normal. "I`m chomping at the bit to do something, to create something, to make music," she said.

Abbey Road Studios reopen after COVID-19 hiatus

Fifty years ago today, The Beatles were photographed crossing a leafy street in north London, creating one of the most famous album covers in music history and an image imitated by countless fans ever since.&nbsp; 
 
The picture of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr striding over a zebra crossing on Abbey Road was taken outside the EMI Recording Studios where they made the 1969 album of the same name. 
 
Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan took just six shots of the group on the crossing, with the fifth used as the cover of the band`s eleventh studio album, released on Sept. 26 1969.&nbsp; 
 
The picture shows Lennon in a white suit leading the group across the road. Starr wears a black suit while McCartney is barefoot, out of step and holding a cigarette. Harrison is in blue denim. A Volkswagen Beetle is parked in the background.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/beatles-fans-come-together-for-50th-anniversary-of-abbey-road-photo-241534">See in pictures:&nbsp;Beatles fans come together for 50th anniversary of Abbey Road photo</a> 
 
`Abbey Road`, which was voted the best Beatles album by readers of Rolling Stone in 2009, was the only one of the group`s original British albums to show neither the band`s name nor a title on the cover. 
 
The album was the last to be recorded by all four members of the band together, and it had tracks written by each of them, including `Come Together` by Lennon, `Here Comes the Sun` by Harrison, `Maxwell`s Silver Hammer` by McCartney, and Starr`s `Octopus`s Garden`. 
 
Less than a year after `Abbey Road` was released, rock music`s best-selling band had split up, ending a decade-long musical revolution that transformed the 1960s and laid the foundations of modern popular culture. 
 
The studios, which were later renamed Abbey Road, and the zebra crossing were granted protected status by the government in 2010. 
 
Hundreds of fans gathered at Abbey Road on Thursday, recreating the scene by crossing. A Volkswagen Beetle was parked in the background.&nbsp;

Fifty years ago today, The Beatles were photographed crossing a leafy street in north London, creating one of the most famous album covers in music history and an image imitated by countless fans ever since.

Fifty years ago today, The Beatles were photographed crossing a leafy street in north London, creating one of the most famous album covers in music history and an image imitated by countless fans ever since. The picture of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr striding over a zebra crossing on Abbey Road was taken outside the EMI Recording Studios where they made the 1969 album of the same name. Scottish photographer Iain Macmillan took just six shots of the group on the crossing, with the fifth used as the cover of the band`s eleventh studio album, released on Sept. 26 1969. The picture shows Lennon in a white suit leading the group across the road. Starr wears a black suit while McCartney is barefoot, out of step and holding a cigarette. Harrison is in blue denim. A Volkswagen Beetle is parked in the background. See in pictures: Beatles fans come together for 50th anniversary of Abbey Road photo `Abbey Road`, which was voted the best Beatles album by readers of Rolling Stone in 2009, was the only one of the group`s original British albums to show neither the band`s name nor a title on the cover. The album was the last to be recorded by all four members of the band together, and it had tracks written by each of them, including `Come Together` by Lennon, `Here Comes the Sun` by Harrison, `Maxwell`s Silver Hammer` by McCartney, and Starr`s `Octopus`s Garden`. Less than a year after `Abbey Road` was released, rock music`s best-selling band had split up, ending a decade-long musical revolution that transformed the 1960s and laid the foundations of modern popular culture. The studios, which were later renamed Abbey Road, and the zebra crossing were granted protected status by the government in 2010. Hundreds of fans gathered at Abbey Road on Thursday, recreating the scene by crossing. A Volkswagen Beetle was parked in the background.

The Beatles' iconic Abbey Road cover shot is 50 years old now

Beatles fans come together for 50th anniversary of Abbey Road photo