Monday 2 May 2011

**Producer George Martin: Known as 'The Fifth Beatle'



**'Arena: Produced by George Martin'  BBC 2 Monday25th - Awesome. A Legend.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/arena
I highly recommend watching this program on BBC iPlayer.
Martin had  36 no 1's with the Beatles in the 60s..

(In my other life I am a record producer!)  He says that The Beatles didn't sound so great at first either... :
A very well made docmentary and such an interesting character!  I especially liked his comment that when the Beatles first arrived in the studio! 'Their music was rubbish - but importantly they made you feel good and they had charisma.' 

Also his reference to Degas' quote about his art  "It's not what you see, it's about what we make others see", in comparing this with what he hoped to achieve in sound. He hoped to 'paint' in the studio rather than to simply make a copy.
The program was followed by The Beatles  'A Hard Days Night', so many memories......!  P Keightley

George Martin is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"—a title that he owes to his work as producer of all but one of 'The Beatles' original albums. He is considered one of the greatest record producers of all time, with 23 number one hits, an unmatched achievement.  George Martin, recognised as one of music's most versatile and imaginative talents, entered the music industry in 1950 after studying at the Guildhall School of Music and playing the oboe professionally in London. He began recording classical music specialising in the Baroque period. His later experience with jazz and pop led to his appointment as Head of the Parlophone in the EMI Group in 1955.
As a producer he has been responsible for bringing a host of artists into recording studios particularly in the humorous field with brilliant performers such as Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Flanders and Swann and the 'Beyond the Fringe' team - Jonathan Miller, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Alan Bennett. He has also worked with jazz artists Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton and Stan Getz. 



It was in 1962 that he signed The Beatles to EMI - a decision which launched them on their remarkable career, producing every record they made until they disbanded in 1970. As well as The Beatles, Martin has produced recordings for many other well known artists, including Cilla Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers, America, Jeff Beck, Ultravox, and The Police.  In 1965 George formed a production company with three other producers and four years later began the design and construction of Air Studios, a recording complex in the centre of London, which to this day is one of the most successful studio operations in the world.