Mick Jagger Wreaks Havoc During Beatles Abbey Road Photoshoot.
Everyone knows the Abbey Road cover photo, but very few remember what happened on that fateful day. Did you know that on August 8, 1969, the eternal prankster Mick Jagger, drove his car through The Beatles photo shoot for Abbey Road?
Mick Jagger vs Abbey Road
The Beatles gathered at EMI Studios on this hot Friday morning of August for the famous photo shoot. Photographer Iain Macmillan took the iconic image of the Fab Four that would grace the cover of The Beatles last recorded album.
Let it Bleed
On this day, Mick Jagger was recording “Let it Bleed” with The Stones at Olympic Studios in London. Mick heard about The Beatles photo shoot from Andrew Loog Oldham. Jagger decided to take the 30 minute drive to Abbey Road and disrupt his friends. He hopped in Charlie Watts shiny new VW Beetle and was on his way.
A policeman held up traffic as Macmillan, from a stepladder positioned in the middle of the road, took six shots as the group walked across the zebra crossing just outside the studio. Mick hijacked a car and showed up just as the shoot was wrapping up. Jagger drove wildly through the photo shoot hitting Paul McCartney. Mick then backed up over the other 3 Beatles, MacMillan and George Martin.
“I was initially just planning on scaring the lads. But when I got there I figured I would run them over. I was really hoping to get Yoko” said Mick, “but she threw Paul in front of the car and ran up a tree.”
It was a scary scene, but no one was seriously injured. Just a few scrapes and broken bones. Jagger and The Beatles later went down to the local pub and had a pint and a good laugh. Paul and Mick still laugh about the event to this day whenever their paths cross.
Related Stories: Yoko Ono: The Stones Are Better Than The Beatles