Born on December 20: Alan Parsons, sound engineer for the Beatles, Pink Floyd and followed by his own Project

It was in the Willesden district of London that he was born in 1948, before spending most of his time at Abbey Road Studios.

At eighteen, after hearing "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", he decided to knock on the door of the studios where this marvel was born: those of Abbey Road in London. Obviously, he started at the bottom of the ladder by bringing coffees, managing magnetic tapes (if you remember what that is) and quickly becoming an assistant sound engineer. This is how in 1969, his name discreetly appeared on the cover of a monument of English music: "Abbey Road" by the Beatles. Not bad for a kid of barely 20 years old!

In the years that followed, still in the studios of the same name, he participated in "Let It Be" (1970) again for the Beatles and, among others for a good year for "The Dark Side Of The Moon" by Pink Floyd (1973) with which he was nominated for the first time at the American Grammy Awards. He now had a solid CV! He was also the one who convinced Al Stewart to add a saxophone (in counterpoint to a guitar solo) to his "The Year Of The Cat" in 1976, thus propelling the song to the rank of timeless classics.

When he decided to plough his own furrow, he had little difficulty in getting a listening ear from the Charisma label (which was also Genesis' label at the time). With the ambitious "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination - Edgar Allan Poe", Alan Parsons opted for a subject that was a priori very unpopular. In what were then called "concept albums", this wizard even managed to release a 45 that climbed to a very enviable height in the American hit parade with "(The System Of) Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether". It's hard to imagine today that an artist would be crazy enough to give the title of an Edgar Allan Poe short story (which certainly had a hint of black comedy) to a single. Times have changed! 

Subsequently, Alan Parsons continued to juggle with the same sonic requirement often applied to content that undeniably combined substance and sophisticated arpeggios. Thus, in 1978, "Pyramid" invites you to visit the monuments of Giza near Cairo in a different way and, why not, to take an interest in the Tutenkamon dynasty. The cover of "Eye In The Sky", in 1982, also diffuses a slight Egyptian scent even if musically it's rather a soft rock album very American in its conception. It will be the most resounding success of his career.

With less success, both artistic and commercial, "Gaudi" (1987) and "Freudiana" (1990) didn't hide their sources of inspiration even in their title.

With a professional history inextricably linked to the Beatles as well as to the Abbey Road studios, Alan Parsons obviously couldn't resist paying tribute as much to the Liverpool Four as to this place which saw the birth of some of their most beautiful songs. In 2001, he gathered Todd Rundgren, John Entwistle (The Who), Jack Bruce (Cream) and Ann Wison (Heart) for a great tribute to the most famous group in the world!

(Stéphane Soupart - Tr.: MH - Photo: © EtienneTordoir)
Photo: Alan Parsons during an interview at the Sheraton Hotel in Brussels in March 1985