Plan for 'Abbey Road of the North' recording studio in Liverpool
But Jon Withnall of New Retro Records is also keen to point out: “We're so much more than the Beatles.”
Liverpool City Council has mapped out an ambitious programme of ground-breaking, interlinked projects which would revolutionise the music industry in the city.
The proposals are expected to be funded by private sector sources with government support, with media giant Universal expressing its commitment to the concept.
The council's plans include a recording and rehearsal space, which the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a leading national facility for emerging and established artists would use. This would be the only UK studio of its kind and capacity outside London - "the Abbey Road of the North".
New Retro Records' is a recently launched Jazz and Soul label based in Merseyside. Founded in 2024 by friends Jon Withnall, Martin Tibbetts and Mario Anastasiadis.
Jon Withnall said of the plans: “We are the country's music city, aren't we? We just are. There are so many reasons why that is absolutely bang on, and so it should be; we should trade on that definitely.
“Sometimes you can get a little bit annoyed about The Beatles thinking, 'We've done a lot of stuff since'. I don't get annoyed about The Beatles thing; I embrace that heritage, but you do hear people say, 'We're so so much more than the Beatles'. "
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram revealed the radical plans to "remix the music sector" at a Creative UK event as part of the Labour Party conference in the city.
The draft business cases, funded by monies received from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, are to be presented to the Government in the coming weeks, with detailed plans expected to be announced in 2025 – 10 years after Liverpool was appointed a UNESCO City of Music.
Liverpool has been a UNESCO City of Music since 2015. Famous for its Mersey Beat and for those four lads that changed music forever - but that is not all. There are music events in Liverpool every day. Our musical reputation is built around the city's innate ability to continue to generate talent like nowhere else.