EMI has denied all those reports that the Abbey Road Studios are up for sale. I wish they'd denied it sooner, it would have saved us writing all that stuff about the rumoured sale and all the "save the studio" bidders who came forward last week. Though, post-Terra Firma, any vaguely corporate statement at EMI needs to be approved by about 96 people, including, possibly, the music firm's owners' Tax-Dodger-In-Chief Guy Hands over there in Guernsey, so I suppose the delay is understandable.

As previously reported, it was the FT who first reported that the iconic studio complex was up for sale as EMI try to keep the Citigroup bailiffs away from their Kensington doors. This led to fears that the studio, which is arguably not commercially viable any more, its main studio being about fourteen times bigger than most bands require these days, would be sold to a property developer who would turn it into flats. Hence various Abbey Road fans stepping forward to mount a bid to buy the building and keep it as a working studio, or turn it into some sort of record industry museum. Andrew Lloyd Webber was the latest potential bidder to come forward on Friday.

But EMI said this weekend that it wasn't in talks with third parties about selling the studios, but rather it was talking to money people about them investing into the complex to enable a big overhaul to overcome the "this place isn't economically viable any more" thing. They added that they had already rejected one offer for an all out purchase of the studio complex. So, that's all groovy then.

EMI's statement reads as follows: "In response to recent press speculation, EMI confirms that it is holding preliminary discussions for the revitalisation of Abbey Road with interested and appropriate third parties. When Terra Firma acquired EMI in 2007, it made the preservation of Abbey Road a priority. Abbey Road studios had, for a number of years, been losing money and we have developed plans to revitalise the studios. These plans would involve a substantial injection of new capital".

It continues: "Since November 2009, EMI has held discussions with a number of parties with a view to them financing these plans and maintaining this unique venue. At all times, these plans have focussed on providing access to artists and, where possible members of the public. In mid-2009, we did receive an offer to buy Abbey Road for in excess of £30 million but this was rejected since we believe that Abbey Road should remain in EMI's ownership".

Noting that English Heritage has again called for Abbey Road to be given protection by government, so that any future owners couldn't radically change the function of the building, the major's statement concluded: "EMI welcomes the reported acceleration of English Heritage's plans to list Abbey Road and supports such a listing as an appropriate way of protecting our world famous music heritage site".

Of course, until recently people would probably have been automatically cynical of any rumours that even a Guy Hands-headed EMI would shut down Abbey Road, but then again once the much loved and, arguably, much more commercially viable Olympic Studios - EMI's other London studio complex - was shut down this time last year, anything became possible.