“Clues are given in normal order, but there are five unclued thematic entries, one of which must have seven of its cells blacked out in the completed grid; the other four are all of a kind. Solvers must highlight 19 suitably placed cells in the completed grid, thus completing the COVER STORY. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”
The four ‘of a kind’ unclued entries are MEAN MR MUSTARD, BECAUSE, SOMETHING, and SUN KING – all songs from Abbey Road, the cover of which is recreated in the grid by having GEORGE, PAUL, RINGO, and JOHN (highlighted) on a ZEBRA CROSSING (with seven of its cells blacked out).
Very nice.
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Released following [performance of] ALBION* | ON BAIL |
| Expressing derision, YAHOO (lout) [describes] B (bishop) | YAH-BOO |
| F (Feminine) LAIR (retreat) for natural ability | FLAIR |
| L (Learner) needs OO (pair of spectacles) for card game | LOO |
| “DAHL” (Writer’s) [audible] pulse? | DAL |
| UN (A French) WEAL (scar) is an old affliction | UNWEAL |
| AUKS (Birds) [going west] to find another one | SKUA |
| C |
COGS |
| Go from |
TRINE |
| Soldiers AS (like) [entertaining] NT (books) | ANTS |
| FREER (Less constrained) [when accepting] SHEN (therapy), another drink in LA | FRESHENER |
| A NOA |
ANOA |
| JA (Ludwig’s agreement) [to fill] FINN (European) coffee cup | FINJAN |
| [Half of] KIR |
KIR |
| PA (Dad) IS (represents) A NO (negative vote) for friend | PAISANO |
| OAK | |
| PUNT (‘Kick) O (nothing!) Pass!’ | PUNTO |
| Elizabethan removes the covering of S (special) HEELS (spurs) | SHEELS |
| <{NO OX (animal)} [returns] [to protect] AN ancient statue | XOANON |
| Lazy individual, MOLL (Al’s girl) [joins] US (American) C (college) | MOLLUSC |
| [Leaderless] |
END-ON |
| They snatch N (new) ABBES (priests), [including] R (rector) | NABBERS |
| According to Trump, part of the world where ISE (fish) [is stored in] MAST (part of boat) | MIDEAST |
| Poorly manage MASTER (instructor) [capturing] LAD (boy) [with] MINI (car) | MALADMINISTER |
| Declare Spenserian SA |
SAIST |
| In Ayr, rush to beat out | THRESH |
| ROM (Traveller) and AUNTS (relatives’) loving relationships in the past | ROMAUNTS |
| Earthenware pot [displaying] GEORGE BROWN (names of old Labour politician) [transposed] | BROWN GEORGE |
| Stereotypical historical figure [imprisoning] D (daughter) [in] BAKING (very hot) JOHN (cubicle) | BAD KING JOHN |
| [Organise] {A GOLF}* camp | OFLAG |
| Poet [playing around with] {A NUDE}* | AUDEN |
| COR (Expression of surprise) [with] H (Henry) [being found in] NICE (pleasant) road | CORNICHE |
| RESI |
RESIN |
| IGNORES* [polluted] sea-hollies | ERINGOS |
| A (Article) {ONE SPA}* [ordered] for breathing problems | APNOEAS |
| Imitates F (loud) [sound of] “ACHES” (gripes) | FAKES |
| SAP (Energy) PER (for every) soldier | SAPPER |
| Girl’s P (quiet) AULA (hall) | PAULA |
| <NORA (Batty, perhaps), [to climb] [after] A biblical figure | AARON |
| M | E | A | N | M | R | M | U | S | T | A | R | D |
| O | N | B | A | I | L | A | Y | A | H | B | O | O |
| L | D | R | B | D | F | L | A | I | R | A | M | F |
| L | O | O | B | E | C | A | U | S | E | D | A | L |
| U | N | W | E | A | L | D | D | T | S | K | U | A |
| S | C | N | R | S | O | M | E | T | H | I | N | G |
| C | O | G | S | T | R | I | N | E | A | N | T | S |
| F | R | E | S | H | E | N | E | R | P | G | S | U |
| A | N | O | A | P | S | I | F | I | N | J | A | N |
| K | I | R | P | A | I | S | A | N | O | O | A | K |
| E | C | G | P | U | N | T | O | G | E | H | R | I |
| S | H | E | E | L | S | E | X | O | A | N | O | N |
| >Z | E | B | R | A | C | R | O | S | S | I | N | G |
Thank for explaining the couple I hadn’t managed to parse — and nice choice of colours for highlighting the names!
This is only the second time I have come across an unnumbered clue list in the natural order with no break between Across and Down. (My first was Ifor’s Band to Reset in August.) Most of the clues yielded steadily starting from the top of the list, and getting MOLLUSC told me where the Down clues started.
When ZEBRA CROSSING suggested itself along the bottom row, The Beatles and Abbey Road came to mind. Those two names together made 19 letters, and I looked for them before I found the names of the fab four (also 19 letters) – appropriately placed, of course.
And that was it. All I knew of the theme was the iconic photograph and the name of the road (which was also the name of the studios), not realising that Abbey Road was also an album. BECAUSE and SOMETHING didn’t ring any bells, and the top row, which seemed to end in …MYSTERY, was more or less indecipherable.
Until the very last part of the endgame, when my poor GK let me down, this was an enjoyable and satisfying puzzle. Thanks to Gaston and Mister Sting.
I’m indifferent (to put it mildly!) to the Beatles, so the thematic entries meant nothing to me until I had guessed enough of them to do an online search. Good clues and an elegant implementation which I enjoyed even if, for me, it was a case of “lovely puzzle, shame about the subject”!
I really liked the subject though the titles from it had escaped my mind. Thanks, Mr Sting
Another one who is lacking in Beatles knowledge so the unclued entries meant nothing to me. I think it was spotting George and John in 2 consecutive solves that was the PDM for me – and the album cover is one of the most famous of all time so ZEBRA CROSSING was immediately guessable. Thanks Gaston & Mr. Sting.
A nicely realised idea. Unlike some others above, I was fortunate that the theme was fairly familiar to me, though I still confused myself by being convinced the top line would end in “mystery“. The lack of entry lengths and uncertainty over positioning of entries provided a fun challenge and the blacking out in the bottom row was a neat denouement. Thanks Gaston and Mr Sting.
Lovely puzzle. Forgotten about the songs but getting “Mean” gave it to me. Also thought it must be “mystery” for a long time. Nice touch that Gaston used the right number of black and white stripes. Thanks Gaston and Mr Sting.