The fashion photographer captured the Beatles at Abbey Road in September 1963, as they recorded their second LP With the Beatles. From Norman Parkinson who was invited to photograph the Beatles by Jeremy Banks, an associate editor at Queen magazine to Lennon and McCartney’s Little Child, originally written with a view to Starr making a cameo appearance as lead vocalist, these photos will give you thrills.

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Norman Parkinson was invited to photograph the Beatles by Jeremy Banks, an associate editor at Queen magazine, the principal outlet for Parkinson’s fashion photography after he had jumped ship from Vogue in 1959.

The Beatles: London, 1963 by Norman Parkinson is published by ACC Art Books

Parkinson’s carte blanche to photograph the Beatles at work over several hours in the studio was unprecedented, and only a select few photographers would ever again enjoy such extraordinary access to the band in Abbey Road.

In September 1963, the Beatles were days away from scoring their second No 1 with She Loves You, with advance orders topping 500,000 copies.

The week was a typically busy one for the Beatles – at the weekend, they had recorded an appearance for Saturday Club at the Playhouse Theatre in central London, performed a show that evening at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, then traveled to Blackpool the following day for another concert.

Parkinson captured images of overflowing ashtrays and the band’s instruments – Lennon was playing the Rickenbacker 325 Capri he’d had repainted black from a natural finish earlier that year; McCartney his lefthanded 500/1 Hofner bass; and Harrison a Gretsch Country Gentleman.

Parkinson and assistant David Searle had arrived at the studio carrying only black-and-white film, since the shops had shut for the day and they hadn’t been able to purchase any color.

At 6.30pm work stopped for a statutory 30-minute tea break.

The band in discussion with their svengali George Martin.

The focus moved on to Lennon and McCartney’s Little Child, originally written with a view to Starr making a cameo appearance as lead vocalist, following a pattern established by Boys on Please Please Me. But instead, Lennon and McCartney elected to sing a version together.