George Martin

Sir George Martin, CBE
Sir George Martin, 2007
Sir George Martin, 2007
Background information
Birth name George Henry Martin
Born 3 January 1926 (1926-01-03) (age 83)
Origin Highbury, London, England
Genre(s) Rock, classical
Occupation(s) Record producer, arranger, composer
Instrument(s) Oboe , piano, keyboards
Years active 1950–present
Label(s) EMI, Parlophone
Associated acts The Beatles, Wings, America

Sir George Henry Martin CBE (3 January 1926) is a British record producer, arranger and composer. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"—a title that he owes to his work as producer or co-producer of all of The Beatles' original records as well as playing piano on some of The Beatles tracks—and is considered one of the greatest record producers of all time.

In 1969 he established the Associated Independent Recording (AIR) Studios. Although officially retired, he is still the chairman of the AIR board.[1]

In recognition of his services to the music industry and popular culture, he was made a Knight Bachelor in 1996. He is the father of producer Giles Martin, and actor Gregory Paul Martin.

Contents

Early years

When he was six, Martin's family acquired a piano that sparked his interest in music.[2] At eight-years-old, Martin persuaded his parents that he should take piano lessons, but those ended after only eight lessons because of a disagreement between his mother and the teacher. After that, Martin explained that he had just picked it up by himself.[3]

As a child he attended several schools, including a "convent school in Holloway", St. Joseph's elementary school in Highgate, and St. Ignatius College in Stamford Hill, to which he won a scholarship.[4] When war broke out and St. Ignatius College students were evacuated to Welwyn Garden City, his family left London and he was enrolled at Bromley Grammar School.[4]

“ I remember well the very first time I heard a symphony orchestra. I was just in my teens when Sir Adrian Boult brought the BBC Symphony Orchestra to my school for a public concert. It was absolutely magical. Hearing such glorious sounds I found it difficult to connect them with ninety men and women blowing into brass and wooden instruments or scraping away at strings with horsehair bows.[5] ”

Despite Martin's continued interest in music, and "fantasies about being the next Rachmaninov", he did not initially choose music as a career.[6] He worked briefly as a quantity surveyor and then for the War Office as a Temporary Clerk (Grade Three) which meant filing paperwork and making tea.[7] In 1943, when he was seventeen, he joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and became a pilot and a commissioned officer. The war ended before Martin was involved in any combat, and he left the service in 1947.[8] Encouraged by Sidney Harrison (a member of the Committee for the Promotion of New Music) Martin used his veteran's grant to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1947-50, where he studied piano and oboe, and was interested in the music of Rachmaninov and Ravel, as well as Cole Porter and Johnny Dankworth. Martin's oboe teacher was Margaret Asher (the mother of Jane Asher, who would later have a relationship with Paul McCartney).[9][10][11] On 3 January 1948—whilst still at the Academy—Martin married Sheena Chisholm, with whom he had two children: Alexis, and Gregory. He later married Judy Lockhart-Smith, 24 June 1966, and they also had two children: Lucy and Giles.[12]

Parlophone

The Beatles’ first Parlophone LP – produced by Martin.

Following his graduation, he worked for the BBC's classical music department, then joined EMI in 1950, as an assistant to Oscar Preuss, the head of EMI's Parlophone Records from 1950-55. Although having been regarded by EMI as a vital German imprint in the past, it was then seen as a joke and only used for EMI's insignificant acts.[9][13] After taking over Parlophone when Preuss retired in 1955, Martin spent his first years with the record label recording classical and Baroque music, original cast recordings of hit plays, and regional music from around the British Isles.[14][15] Martin also produced numerous comedy and novelty records—working with Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Rolf Harris, Flanders and Swann and Shirley Abicair.[16] Martin worked with the Vipers Skiffle Group, with whom he had a number of hits. In early 1962, under the pseudonym "Ray Cathode", Martin released an early electronic dance single, "Time Beat"—recorded at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop—in much the same style as the Doctor Who theme tune. As Martin wanted to add rock and roll to Parlophone's repertoire, he struggled to find a "fireproof", hit-making pop artist or group.[17]

As a producer Martin recorded the two-man show featuring Michael Flanders and Donald Swann called At the Drop of a Hat, which sold steadily for twenty-five years, although Martin's breakthrough as a producer came with the Beyond the Fringe show, which starred Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller. Martin's work transformed the profile of Parlophone from a "sad little company" to a very profitable business.[18]

The Beatles

Martin was contacted by Sid Coleman who told him about Brian Epstein, the manager of a pop group he had met. He thought Martin might be interested in the group, even though they had been turned down by Decca Records among other major British labels. Until that time Martin had had only minor success with pop music, such as "Who Could Be Bluer" by Jerry Lordan, and singles with Shane Fenton. After the telephone call by Coleman, Martin arranged a meeting on 13 February 1962 with Brian Epstein.[19] Martin listened to a tape recorded at Decca, and thought that Epstein's group was "rather unpromising", but liked the sound of Lennon and McCartney's vocals.[20]

After another meeting with Epstein on 9 May at the Abbey Road studios, Martin was impressed with Epstein's enthusiasm and agreed to sign the unknown Beatles to a recording contract without having met them or seen them play live.[21] The contract was not what it seemed, however, as Martin would not sign it himself until he had heard an audition, and later said that EMI had "nothing to lose," as it offered one penny for each record sold, which was split amongst the four members, meaning one farthing per group member.[22] Martin suggested to EMI (after the release of "From Me to You") that the royalty rate should be doubled without asking for anything in return, which led to Martin being thought of as a "traitor in EMI".[23]

The Beatles auditioned for Martin on 6 June 1962, in studio three at the Abbey Road studios.[24] Ron Richards and his engineer Norman Smith recorded four songs, which Martin (who was not present during the recording) listened to at the end of the session. The verdict was not promising, however, as Richards complained about Pete Best's drumming, and Martin thought their original songs were simply not good enough.[21] Martin asked the individual Beatles if there was anything they personally didn't like, to which Harrison replied, "Well, there's your tie, for a start." That was the turning point, according to Smith, as Lennon and McCartney joined in with jokes and comic wordplay that made Martin think that he should sign them to a contract for their wit alone.[25]

The Beatles' first recording session with Martin was on 4 September, when they recorded "How Do You Do It", which Martin thought was a sure-fire hit even though Lennon and McCartney hated it.[26] Richards complained about new-member Starr's drumming on the next song, "Love Me Do", and so on 11 September, they re-recorded "Love Me Do" with Andy White. Starr was asked to play tambourine and maracas, and although he complied, he was definitely "not pleased".[27] "Love Me Do" peaked at number 17 in the British charts, so on 26 November 1962 Martin recorded "Please Please Me", which he only did after Lennon and McCartney had almost begged him to record another of their original songs. After the recording Martin looked over the mixing desk and said, "Gentlemen, you have just made your first number one record".[28][29] Martin directed Epstein to find a good publisher—as Ardmore & Beechwood had done nothing to promote "Love Me Do"—telling Epstein about three publishers who, in Martin's opinion, would be fair and honest, which led them to Dick James.[30]

As arranger

Abbey Road Studios, where Martin recorded Parlophone's artists.

Martin's musical expertise helped fill the gaps between The Beatles' raw talent and the sound they wanted to achieve. Most of The Beatles' orchestral arrangements and instrumentation (as well as frequent keyboard parts on the early records) were written or performed by Martin in collaboration with the band.[31] It was Martin's idea to put a string quartet on Yesterday, against McCartney's initial reluctance.[31][32] Martin played the song in the style of Bach to show McCartney the voicings that were available.[33] Another example is the song "Penny Lane", which featured a piccolo trumpet solo. McCartney hummed the melody he wanted, and Martin wrote it down in music notation for David Mason, the classically trained trumpeter.[34]

Martin's distinctive arranging work appears on multiple Beatles' recordings. For "Eleanor Rigby" he scored and conducted a strings-only accompaniment inspired by Bernard Herrmann. On a Canadian speaking tour in 2007, Martin said his "Eleanor Rigby" score was influenced by Herrmann's score for the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, Psycho.[35]

For "Strawberry Fields Forever", he and Geoff Emerick turned two very different takes into a single master through careful use of vari-speed and editing.[36] For "I Am the Walrus", he provided a quirky and original arrangement for brass, violins, cellos, and the Mike Sammes Singers vocal ensemble.[37][34][38] On "In My Life", he played a sped-up Baroque piano solo.[39] He worked with McCartney to implement the orchestral 'windup' in "A Day in the Life" and he and McCartney shared conducting duties the day it was recorded.[40]

He contributed less-noted but integral parts to other songs, including the piano in "Lovely Rita",[41] the circus instrumentation in "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite", and the orchestration in "Good Night".[42][43][44]

The first song that Martin did not arrange was "She's Leaving Home", as he had a prior engagement to produce a Cilla Black session, so McCartney contacted arranger Mike Leander to do it. Martin was reportedly hurt by this, but still produced the recording and conducted the orchestra himself.[45] Martin was in demand as an independent arranger and producer by the time of The White Album, so The Beatles were left to produce various tracks by themselves.[46]

Martin arranged the score for The Beatles' film Yellow Submarine[47] and the James Bond film Live and Let Die, for which Paul McCartney wrote and sang the title song.[48]

The Beatles Anthology

Martin oversaw post-production on The Beatles Anthology in 1994, and 1995 (which was originally entitled "The Long and Winding Road") working again with recording engineer Geoff Emerick.[49] Martin decided to use an old 8-track analogue desk to mix the songs for the project—which EMI found out an engineer still had—instead of a modern digital desk. He explained this by saying that the old desk created a completely different sound, which a new desk could not recreate.[50] He also said the whole project was a strange experience for him (with which McCartney agreed) as they had to listen to themselves chatting in the studio, 25-30 years ago.[51]

Martin stepped down when it came to producing the two new singles reuniting McCartney, Harrison and Starr, who wanted to overdub two old Lennon demos. Martin had suffered a hearing loss, and left the work to writer/producer Jeff Lynne of ELO fame.[52][53]

Cirque du Soleil and Love

In 2006, Martin and his son, Giles Martin, remixed 80 minutes of Beatle music for the Las Vegas stage performance Love, a joint venture between Cirque du Soleil and The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd.[54] A soundtrack album from the show was released in 2006.[55]

Other artists

Martin has produced recordings for many other artists, including contemporaries of The Beatles, such as Matt Monro, Cilla Black, and Gerry and the Pacemakers, as well as the band America,[56] guitarist Jeff Beck, sixties duo Edwards Hand, Ultravox, country-singer Kenny Rogers, and Yoshiki Hayashi of X Japan.[57][58]

Martin also worked with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Gary Glitter. He worked with Glitter before he was famous, and recorded several songs with him in the 1960s under the name of "Paul Raven". He also produced the 1974 album The Man In The Bowler Hat for the eccentric British folk-rock group Stackridge.[59]

Martin worked with Paul Winter on his (1972) Icarus album, which was recorded in a rented house by the sea in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Winter said that Martin taught him "how to use the studio as a tool", and allowed him to record the album in a relaxed atmosphere, which was different from the pressurised control in a professional studio.[60]

Associated Independent Recording (AIR)

Within the recording industry, Martin is noted for going independent at a time when many producers were still salaried staff—which he was until The Beatles' success gave him the leverage to start, in 1969, Associated Independent Recording, and hire out his own services to artists who requested him. This arrangement not only demonstrated how important Martin's talents were considered to be by his artists, but it allowed him a share in record royalties on his hits.[61] Today, Martin's Associated Independent Recording (AIR)—established in 1965—remains one of the world's pre-eminent recording studios.[62] Martin later opened a studio in Montserrat, in 1979. [12]This studio was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo ten years later. [63]

Music from James Bond series

Martin has also directly and indirectly contributed to the main themes of three films in the James Bond series. Although Martin did not produce the theme for the second Bond film, From Russia With Love, he was responsible for the signing of Matt Monro to EMI just months prior to his recording of the song of the same title.[64]

Martin also produced two of the most well-known James Bond themes. The first was "Goldfinger" by Shirley Bassey in 1964. Despite producing the film's theme that became a hit single, Martin did not take part in the movie's score or the 'James Bond Theme' by Monty Norman or John Barry.[65]

In 1972, Martin finally had a crack at composing, arranging and producing the music for the entire film of Live And Let Die. Apart from scoring a successful chart entry for the title song itself (by McCartney), Martin also composed one of the most colourful and funky Bond scores that served as a precursor to the music of 1970s blaxploitation films.[66]

Books and audio retrospective

In 1979, he published a memoir, All You Need is Ears (co-written with Jeremy Hornsby), that described his work with The Beatles and other artists (including Peter Sellers, Sophia Loren, Shirley Bassey, Flanders and Swann, Matt Monro, and Dudley Moore), and gave an informal introduction to the art and science of sound recording. In 1993 Martin published With a Little Help from My Friends: The Making of Sgt Pepper (published in UK as Summer of Love: The Making of Sgt Pepper, co-authored with William Pearson),[67][68] which also included interview quotations from a 1992 South Bank Show episode discussing the album. Martin also edited a 1983 book called Making Music: The Guide to Writing, Performing and Recording.

In 2001, Martin released Produced by George Martin: 50 Years In Recording, a 6-CD retrospective of his entire studio career, and in 2002, Martin launched Playback, his limited-edition illustrated autobiography, published by Genesis Publications.[69]

Awards and recognition

Selected Hit records produced or co-produced by George Martin

Records produced by Martin have achieved 30 #1 singles and 16 #1 albums in the UK - plus 23 #1 singles and 19 #1 albums in North America.[77]

Main article: The Beatles discography
Main article: Paul McCartney discography

Discography

Selected discography (as producer)

Main article: The Beatles discography
Main article: Paul McCartney discography

Notes

  1. ↑ Sir George Martin's AIR Studios sold by Chrysalis Group and pioneer to Strongroom Recording Studios owner Richard Boote airstudios.com - Retrieved: 3 May 2008
  2. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. p13
  3. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. p14
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. p15
  5. ↑ A lifelong love affair with the orchestra bbc.co.uk - Retrieved: 21 September 2007
  6. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. p17
  7. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. p18
  8. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp25-28
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Spitz 2005. p296
  10. ↑ Spitz 2005. p438
  11. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp18-25
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 George Martin’s Biography musicianguide.com - Retrieved: 23 September 2007
  13. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp28-29
  14. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. p63
  15. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp84-85
  16. ↑ George Martin (1994). All You Need Is Ears. pp. 85-96, 97-103. 
  17. ↑ Miles 1997 p330-331
  18. ↑ Spitz 2005. p297
  19. ↑ Spitz 2005. pp297-298
  20. ↑ Spitz 2005. p301
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Miles 1997 p90
  22. ↑ Spitz 2005. p312
  23. ↑ Spitz 2005. p414
  24. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp120-123
  25. ↑ Spitz 2005. pp318-319
  26. ↑ Lewisohn 1990. p7
  27. ↑ Spitz 2005. p353
  28. ↑ Spitz 2005. p360
  29. ↑ "Congratulations, gentlemen, you've just made your first number one." bbc.co.uk - Retrieved: 21 September 2007.
  30. ↑ Spitz 2005. p364
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Miles 1997 p205
  32. ↑ “What about a classical string quartet?” bbc.co.uk - Retrieved: 21 September 2007
  33. ↑ Miles 1997 p206
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Lewisohn 1990. p93
  35. ↑ MacDonald 1994. p163
  36. ↑ Lewisohn 1990. pp90-91
  37. ↑ Miles 1997 p357
  38. ↑ MacDonald 1994. p216
  39. ↑ Lewisohn 1990. p65
  40. ↑ Miles 1997 p326-328
  41. ↑ MacDonald 1994. pp189-190
  42. ↑ Lewisohn 1990. p99
  43. ↑ Miles 1997 p318
  44. ↑ Lewisohn 1990. p144
  45. ↑ Miles 1997 p317
  46. ↑ Miles 1997 p491
  47. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp226-230
  48. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp231-232
  49. ↑ ”The Beatles Anthology” DVD 2003 (Special Features—Compiling The Anthology Albums— 0:00:10) George Martin talking about The Anthology project.
  50. ↑ ”The Beatles Anthology” DVD 2003 (Special Features: Compiling The Anthology Albums - 0:03:14) George Martin talking about using an old 8-track desk for The Anthology project.
  51. ↑ ”The Beatles Anthology” DVD 2003 (Special Features—Compiling The Anthology Albums— 0:10:24) George Martin talking about how strange it was to listen to himself and the group chatting 30 years ago.
  52. ↑ Martin's hearing loss 4hearingloss.com - Retrieved: 23 September 2007
  53. ↑ “handed over further duties to ELO supremo Jeff Lynne” icons.org.uk - Retrieved: 23 September 2007
  54. ↑ Love unveils new angle on Beatles bbc.co.uk - Retrieved: 21 September 2007
  55. ↑ Legendary producer returns to Abbey Road bbc.co.uk - Retrieved: 21 September 2007
  56. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp246-247
  57. ↑ "Eternal Melody release information". cdjapan.co.jp. - Retrieved: 21 September 2007
  58. ↑ "Article on Hideto Matsumoto's death". nytimes.com. - Retrieved: 21 September 2007
  59. ↑ Stackridge web page stackridge.net - Retrieved on 19 September 2007
  60. ↑ Paul Winter comments about Martin and recording northwestern.edu - Retrieved 8 November 2007
  61. ↑ Martin (All You Need Is Ears) 1994. pp179-185
  62. ↑ Air studios web page airstudios.com - Retrieved on 19 September 2007
  63. ↑ Rock and roll hall of fame:George Martin rockhall.com
  64. ↑ Andrews Sisters, Ann Shelton, Matt Monro - bottom of page www.eastlondonhistory.com - last accessed 29 December 2007
  65. ↑ Tracklisting for George Martin compilation on his official site www.georgemartin.co.uk - last accessed 29 December 2007
  66. ↑ MFiles.co.uk Official Site www.mfiles.co.uk - last accessed 29 December 2007
  67. ↑ George Martin (1994). With a Little Help from My Friends. 
  68. ↑ Summer Of Love genesis-publications.com - Retrieved: 23 September 2007
  69. ↑ Playback - An Illustrated Memoir genesis-publications.com - Retrieved: 23 September 2007
  70. ↑ 70.0 70.1 70.2 70.3 "GRAMMY.com". Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
  71. ↑ Brit Awards bbc.co.uk - Retrieved: 21 September 2007
  72. ↑ "The BRIT Awards 1984". Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
  73. ↑ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum". Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
  74. ↑ "Leeds Metropolitan University Winter Graduation 2006". Retrieved on 2007-02-18.
  75. ↑ "College of Arms". Retrieved on 2007-03-16.
  76. ↑ "Irish Independent".
  77. ↑ George Martin’s success wma.com/sir - Retrieved: 19 September 2007

References

External links

Preceded by
John Barry
1962-1971		 James Bond film score composer
1973		 Succeeded by
John Barry
1974
The Beatles
John Lennon · Paul McCartney · George Harrison · Ringo Starr
Pete Best · Stuart Sutcliffe
U.K. Studio albums
U.S. Studio albums
Introducing... The Beatles · Meet The Beatles! · The Beatles' Second Album · A Hard Day's Night · Something New · Beatles '65 · The Early Beatles · Beatles VI · Help! · Rubber Soul · Revolver · Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band · Magical Mystery Tour · The Beatles · Yellow Submarine · Abbey Road · Let It Be
Post-breakup albums
Live at the BBC · Anthology 1 · Anthology 2 · Anthology 3 · Yellow Submarine Songtrack · Let It Be… Naked · Love
Compilations
1962-1966 · 1967-1970 · Past Masters · 1
EPs
Long Tall Sally  · Magical Mystery Tour
Filmography
A Hard Day's Night · Help! · Magical Mystery Tour · Yellow Submarine · Let It Be · The Beatles Anthology · All Together Now
Related articles
Discography (songs, bootlegs, outtakes, record sales) · Lennon/McCartney · History · Line-ups · Breakup · Influence · Beatlemania · Fifth Beatle · Paul is dead  · Apple Corps
James Bond music
Themes
Monty Norman "James Bond Theme" · John Barry "James Bond Is Back/From Russia with Love" · John Barry "007 Theme" · John Barry "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
Compilations
David Arnold Shaken and Stirred: The David Arnold James Bond Project · The Best of Bond...James Bond
"Official" film themes
John Barry Byron Lee & the Dragonaires "Kingston Calypso" · Matt Monro Lionel Bart "From Russia with Love" · Shirley Bassey Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse "Goldfinger" · Tom Jones "Thunderball" · Nancy Sinatra "You Only Live Twice" · Louis Armstrong "We Have All the Time in the World" · Shirley Bassey "Diamonds Are Forever" · Paul McCartney & Wings "Live and Let Die" · Lulu "The Man with the Golden Gun" · Carly Simon Carole Bayer Sager "Nobody Does It Better" · Shirley Bassey "Moonraker" · Sheena Easton & Derek Watkins "For Your Eyes Only" · Rita Coolidge "All Time High" · Duran Duran "A View to a Kill" · a-ha "The Living Daylights" · The Pretenders "Where Has Everybody Gone?" · Gladys Knight "Licence To Kill" · Patti LaBelle "If You Asked Me To" · Tina Turner "GoldenEye" · Sheryl Crow "Tomorrow Never Dies" · Garbage "The World Is Not Enough" · Madonna "Die Another Day" · Chris Cornell "You Know My Name" · Jack White & Alicia Keys "Another Way to Die"
Non-EON film themes
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass "Casino Royale" · Lani Hall "Never Say Never Again"
Soundtrack albums
JB = John Barry · DA = David Arnold
Monty Norman Dr. No · JB From Russia with Love · JB Goldfinger · Don Black/JB Thunderball · JB You Only Live Twice · JB On Her Majesty's Secret Service · JB Diamonds Are Forever · George Martin & Olympia Brass Band Live and Let Die · JB The Man with the Golden Gun · Marvin Hamlisch The Spy Who Loved Me · JB Moonraker · Bill Conti For Your Eyes Only · JB Tim Rice Octopussy · JB & Godley & Creme A View to a Kill · JB The Living Daylights · Michael Kamen Licence to Kill · Éric Serra GoldenEye · DA & K.D. Lang Tomorrow Never Dies · DA & Scott Walker The World Is Not Enough · DA Die Another Day · DA Casino Royale · DA Quantum of Solace