Posted November 11 2015 — 5:04 PM EST
The Beatles released 1+ last week, a new collection that, most notably, includes dozens of rare music videos the band recorded over the years. But tucked away behind the two Blu-ray discs is a revamped version of 1, the 2000 compilation that features all 27 of the Fab Four’s No. 1 hits. Don’t ignore that disc. When the team behind 1+decided to polish up the video clips, it decided to also remix the songs on 1 — and tapped Giles Martin, the son of esteemed Beatles producer George Martin, to head up the job.
“They still sound like the songs you love,” Martin tells EW. “It’s just that if you go back to the original, you should prefer what we’ve done. When you hear them you feel closer to the band than you ever did before.”
The motivation behind the project is mostly technological. As Martin began to assist with fixing up the audio tracks for the 1+ video clips, he realized that his goal of making them “more immersive” should also apply to 1. While modern remastering efforts — most recently the 2009 reissuing of the band’s entire catalog — cleaned up the audio, none truly optimized the recording for modern, high-definition sound systems.
“You have to understand, the original Beatles mixes were designed for mono playback,” Martin explains. “The stereos that we all know and love were done very, very quickly. The band was never present when the stereos were made.”
Martin’s mission was to pretend the Beatles were in the room with him and tailor 1’s iconic hits for cutting-edge stereos — no easy task when you know the audience for your work will likely examine it with a fine-toothed comb. “My approach was to be respectful of everything,” the producer says. “I had sessions and sessions where I flipped between previously remastered stereos, the mono remasters, and the remixes we’ve done. I flip between everything and make sure I prefer what we’ve done.”
But honoring the past didn’t mean Martin refused to make necessary changes. Consider “Paperback Writer.” The band only recorded one and a half takes of the classic song — “I couldn’t believe it when I looked at the tapes,” Martin says — and the session’s spontaneity comes through on the recording. But Martin also heard a “layer of stuff” that’s not on the raw tapes. The problem mainly stemmed from an ill-conceived stereo mix he says was created just “for the sake of being stereo.” It isolated the band on one side, the bass on the other side, and the vocals in the center, even when the song “sounds better in our world coming out of two speakers.” By returning some of its elements to mono, Martin restored the “visceral feeling” that he thinks the band intended.
The fresh edition of 1 also improves the band’s famed recordings in ways the 2009 reissue project didn’t. “It’s vastly different,” Martin says. “The remasters went back to these final mix tapes and remastered them. They cleaned them up and then they EQ-ed them and released them. What we’re doing is remixing. We’re going not to the final mix, we’re creating our own mixes.”
That explains why Martin performed the same procedure on audio tracks from the Blu-ray discs that don’t appear on 1. He’s most proud of his work on “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which had much of its studio wizardry wiped away on previous stereo mixes. “It has this mellotron pulse that in the mono version goes under the vocal and sounds really cool,” Martin says. “It sounds much more intense to me, it sounds claustrophobic in a strange way. That’s what John would’ve wanted.” The original stereo mix isolated the mellotron pulse to the right-hand side, and couldn’t be repaired by the surface-level edits made in previous remastering projects.
“It has the feel of the mono, but it’s in stereo,” Martin says of the new version. “It sounds stronger, like it has a spine to it. Fans of the Beatles say you have to listen to the monos, but nobody’s going to do that. Only the fans are going to do that. I’m trying to create that attention to detail in a stereo format.”
But despite his studio efforts — which have created noticeable improvements on the originals — Martin understands that to a certain extent the endeavor is just icing on the cake. “The Beatles’ music makes people happy, and therefore it’s great to make sure it exists in the world. I don’t think these mixes change that in a big way, but you want to make sure you do the best job you can.”
Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/11/giles-martin-beatles-remasters
March 25, 2016
March 23, 2016
"Beatles 1" To Be Re-Released with enhanced sound & music videos
The Beatles are to release a remixed edition of their bestselling "Beatles 1" singles collection and restored versions of their promotional films.
The Beatles - 1 CD/DVD edition artwork (2015)There will be a 27-track audio CD with new stereo mixes, as well as CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray editions containing new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes, released on 6 November 2015. A two-disc, 180-gram vinyl edition will also follow.
A special deluxe edition, titled 1+, will contain a second bonus disc of 23 videos, containing alternative versions, rare videos and TV appearances. Four of the videos feature exclusive audio commentary or filmed introductions by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The deluxe edition also includes a 124-page hardback book.
The deluxe edition gives a total of over 200 minutes of video content in 50 individual films (20 of which did not appear in The Beatles' Anthology.
The Beatles - 1+ CD/Blu-ray deluxe edition artwork (2015)
The promotional films were digitally restored from the original 35mm negatives scanned in 4K, with audio produced from the original analogue tapes by Giles Martin and Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. Jeff Lynne and engineer Steve Jay have reportedly remixed Free As A Bird and Real Love.
Here's the full press release:
THE BEATLES' VIDEOS AND TOP HITS COME TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME
All-New Editions of The Beatles 1 Pair Beautifully Restored Promotional Films and Videos with Brand New Stereo and Surround Audio Mixes
Beatles 1+ Deluxe Edition Celebrates the Sight & Sound of The Beatles in 50 Films & Videos
London – September 15, 2015
After The Beatles stopped touring, and because travelling around the globe to promote new releases was impossible, the band increasingly made what could be described as “mini movies”. These pioneering promotional films and videos helped to define the way we have come to watch music, not least because The Beatles approached filming with the same ease and innovative spirit they brought to the recording studio, exploring new creative possibilities with infectious delight. Showcasing the band's filmed work to accompany their 27 No.1, U.K. and U.S. singles, The Beatles 1 is newly restored and expanded in multiple configurations for global release on November 6 by Apple Corps Ltd/UMG.
The 27-track CD/DVD and CD/Blu-ray pairs beautifully restored videos for each song, with new stereo and 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS HD surround audio mixes. The brand new Beatles 1+ celebrates their career in over 200 minutes through 50 promotional films and videos. This includes the 27 No.1s, with the restored videos, along with a second disc of 23 videos, including alternate versions, as well as rarely seen and newly restored films and videos; all include new audio mixes in deluxe CD/2-DVD and CD/2-Blu-ray packages. The 27-track audio CD is also being made available with new stereo mixes. A 2 LP, 180-gram vinyl package will follow.
The new editions of The Beatles 1 have been made possible following extensive research, and restoration of the original promo films, classic television appearances and other carefully selected videos spanning the band's history. Apple Corps dug deep into The Beatles' vaults to select a broad range of films and videos for their rarity, historical significance and quality of performance. An 18-person team of film and video technicians and restoration artists was assembled by Apple Corps to undertake painstaking frame-by-frame cleaning, colour-grading, digital enhancement and new edits that took months of dedicated, ‘round-the-clock work to accomplish.
The result is a visual run down of The Beatles' number one records, as well as the additional tracks on the bonus disc of Beatles 1+ that show the band in previously unseen standards of clarity and quality; many of the films and videos have never before been commercially released, in whole or in part.
Beatles 1 and Beatles 1+ offers the restored films, including 35mm negatives scanned in 4K and digitally restored with new stereo and 5.1 surround audio remixes, produced from the original analogue tapes by the GRAMMY® winning team of Giles Martin with Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. For four of the videos, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have provided exclusive audio commentary and filmed introductions, respectively. The 1+ Deluxe Edition, presented in an expanded 124-page illustrated hardcover book includes ‘an appreciation' of The Beatles' ground-breaking films and videos by music journalist and author Mark Ellen and extensive, detailed track/video annotation by music historian and author Richard Havers.
“These videos and films are spectacular reminders of the era we lived in. They also rock!”
Paul McCartney
“I think it's really interesting to see the videos we made, some of them incredible and some of them really incredible. How else would we have got to sit on a horse?”
Ringo Starr
Between 1962 and 1970, The Beatles released 27 No.1 hit singles in the U.S. and the U.K. In 2000, these timeless songs were collected for The Beatles 1, which topped the charts in 35 countries and became that decade's bestselling album worldwide. 15 years later, 1 is revisited for this entirely new, visually-inspired presentation.
It's The Beatles, as you've never seen them before.
The Beatles 1
[CD: DVD: CD+DVD: Blu-Ray: CD+Blu-Ray]
DISC 1 AUDIO (CD) + DISC 1 VIDEO
(DVD or Blu-ray)
Love Me Do
From Me To You
She Loves You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Can't Buy Me Love
A Hard Day's Night
I Feel Fine
Eight Days A Week
Ticket To Ride
Help!
Yesterday
Day Tripper
We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Yellow Submarine
Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane
All You Need Is Love
Hello, Goodbye
Lady Madonna
Hey Jude
Get Back
The Ballad Of John And Yoko
Something
Come Together
Let It Be
The Long And Winding Road
DISC 1 VIDEO EXTRAS
Paul McCartney audio commentary
Penny Lane
Hello, Goodbye
Hey Jude
Ringo Starr filmed introductions
Penny Lane
Hello, Goodbye
Hey Jude
Get Back
The Beatles 1+
CD/2-DVD: CD/2-Blu-ray]
DISC 1 AUDIO (CD) + DISC 2 VIDEO (DVD or Blu-Ray)
(same as above)
DISC 2 VIDEO (DVD or Blu-Ray)
Twist And Shout
Baby It's You
Words Of Love
Please Please Me
I Feel Fine
Day Tripper *
Day Tripper *
We Can Work It Out *
Paperback Writer *
Rain *
Rain *
Strawberry Fields Forever
Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows
A Day In The Life
Hello, Goodbye *
Hello, Goodbye *
Hey Bulldog
Hey Jude *
Revolution
Get Back *
Don't Let Me Down
Free As A Bird
Real Love
DISC 2 VIDEO EXTRA
Paul McCartney audio commentary
Strawberry Fields Forever
* alternate version
NOTES ON THE VIDEOS
BEATLES 1 DVD
DISC ONE
1. LOVE ME DO
Newly edited clip, featuring material from BBC TV's The Mersey Sound, with performance footage filmed on 27 August 1963 at the Little Theatre, Southport.
2. FROM ME TO YOU
A live performance at the 1963 Royal Variety Show, filmed at The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London, on 4 November 1963.
3. SHE LOVES YOU
A live performance from the Swedish Television show Drop In, recorded on 30 October 1963 during a short Scandinavian tour.
4. I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
From the Granada TV programme Late Scene Extra filmed on 25 November 1963.
5. CAN'T BUY ME LOVE
First broadcast in the TV show Around The Beatles, filmed on 28 April 1964 and broadcast the following month. It features a different audio track to that of hit single, recorded by The Beatles on 19 April 1964.
6. A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
Live performance at the Palais des Sports, Paris on 20 June 1965, while on a short European tour.
7. I FEEL FINE
Filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965. One of ten films shot that day to satisfy global TV demand for broadcast material to accompany The Beatles' hit records.
8. EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
A brand new clip edited from material filmed at the Shea Stadium concert in New York City on 15 August 1965, during which the band performed twelve songs, but ‘Eight Days A Week' was not among them. The clip says so much about the band's frenetic lifestyle in 1965, at the height of Beatlemania.
9. TICKET TO RIDE
Filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965.
10. HELP!
The less frequently seen clip of those filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965.
11. YESTERDAY
Paul performing on The Ed Sullivan Show, videotaped in New York City on 14 August 1965 and broadcast the following month, the day before the single was released in America.
12. DAY TRIPPER
Three versions of this clip were filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965. This is version 2, in which all of the group are wearing polo neck sweaters, except for Paul, who wears a black shirt.
13. WE CAN WORK IT OUT
There were three versions of the ‘We Can Work It Out' video filmed atat Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965. This is version 2 in which all four Beatles are wearing black polo neck sweaters.
14. PAPERBACK WRITER
Filmed in 35mm, and in colour, in Chiswick Park, West London, by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg.
15. YELLOW SUBMARINE
This clip is newly created from original Yellow Submarine footage.
16. ELEANOR RIGBY
This clip is taken directly from the Yellow Submarine movie.
17. PENNY LANE
A ground-breaking clip by Swedish director Peter Goldmann that captures The Beatles in Stratford, London, and at Knole Park in Kent, with additional material shot in Liverpool.
18. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
Filmed in Studio One at Abbey Road, on 25 June 1967, and beamed around the globe as a part of the TV programme Our World. This colourised version was created for The Beatles Anthology TV programme in 1995.
19. HELLO, GOODBYE
London's Saville Theatre was the location for this promo film, shot on 10 November 1967; The Beatles wear their Sgt. Pepper outfits.
20. LADY MADONNA
Just prior to leaving for India, The Beatles met up in Studio Three at Abbey Road, on 11 February 1968. They were filmed while recording ‘Hey Bulldog'.
21. HEY JUDE
Filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 4 September, for broadcast on David Frost's TV show, Frost On Sunday. The introduction by David Frost is different from that on disc 2.
22. GET BACK
The promo clip made available at the time of the original release of the single featured performances from the Apple rooftop synched to the record. This new clip has been rebuilt to replicate the original but with improved picture quality.
23. THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO
This original promo clip features outtakes from the Let It Be movie, with other private footage shot in Amsterdam, London, Paris and Vienna.
24. SOMETHING
The video features George and Pattie, John and Yoko, Paul and Linda, and Ringo and Maureen. and was filmed at locations in Berkshire, Surrey, and the Mull of Kintyre.
25. COME TOGETHER
The clip was created in 2000 by Melon Dezign for the launch of thebeatles.com and the original Beatles 1 album.
26. LET IT BE
A 1970 promo clip was made available to support the release of the single and it was different to the one featured in the Let It Be movie; this clip has been rebuilt from the original footage.
27. THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
This clip is taken straight from the Let It Be movie.
DISC TWO
1. TWIST AND SHOUT
From the Granada Television programme Scene At 6.30, which was videotaped on 14 August 1963.
2. BABY IT'S YOU
One of two clips used to promote the single taken from the 1995 Live At The BBC album. The clip is enhanced by the inclusion of unique colour footage of The Beatles filmed outside the BBC's Paris Studio on Lower Regent Street, London.
3. WORDS OF LOVE
When On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2 was released in 2013, it included ‘Words Of Love', a Buddy Holly composition that the band recorded for radio. This new clip is a mix of existing footage and innovative animation.
4. PLEASE PLEASE ME
A live performance videotaped on 9 February for The Ed Sullivan Show, which was screened on 23 February 1964.
5. I FEEL FINE
Filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965, this clip shows The Beatles eating fish and chips during their lunch break.
6. DAY TRIPPER
From the TV special The Music Of Lennon & McCartney that first broadcast in mid-December 1965.
7. DAY TRIPPER
Filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965, with the group wearing their Shea Stadium Jackets with the ‘Nehru' collars.
8. WE CAN WORK IT OUT
Filmed at Twickenham Film Studios on 23 November 1965 – showing The Beatles wearing the Shea Stadium jackets.
9. PAPERBACK WRITER
Shot on videotape at Abbey Road, on 19 May 1966, this studio version is prefaced by a short introduction by Ringo. It was broadcast on The Ed Sullivan Show in America.
10. RAIN
‘Rain', the B-side of ‘Paperback Writer', was filmed in colour at Chiswick House, West London, on 20 May 1966.
11. RAIN
This black and white clip is a new edit from several takes of ‘Rain' videotaped at Abbey Road on 19 May 1966.
12. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
Directed by Peter Goldmann and with newly restored footage, this was filmed at Knole Park, Kent on 30 and 31 January 1967.
13. WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU/TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS
The merging of these two tracks, one from Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the other from Revolver, was created for The Beatles Love show by Cirque du Soleil, which opened in June 2006 in Las Vegas. This video was created to promote the Love album released later that year.
14. A DAY IN THE LIFE
Filmed in Studio One at Abbey Road on 10 February 1967, this includes classical musicians, who were asked to wear evening dress, fake noses and funny hats for the recording session.
15. HELLO, GOODBYE
This clip is another shot at London's Saville Theatre on 10 November 1967; The Beatles wear their ‘street clothes'.
16. HELLO, GOODBYE
This third version was also shot at London's Saville Theatre on 10 November 1967; it includes elements from the first two films but with additional footage unique to this edit.
17. HEY BULLDOG
The original footage from a 1968 shoot for the ‘Lady Madonna' promo film was unearthed in the mid-1990s. It was revealed that The Beatles were recording ‘Hey Bulldog' and is an edit done to promote the reissue of the Yellow Submarine movie in 1999.
18. HEY JUDE
This is an edit of the two other takes filmed on 4 September 1968 for the Frost On Sunday TV show. This has a different David Frost intro to the clip on disc 1.
19. REVOLUTION
One of two versions, this was shot the same day as ‘Hey Jude'. John's lead vocal is completely live, as are most of Paul and George's backing vocals. The instrumentation, including Nicky Hopkins' electric piano, is from the master tape.
20. GET BACK
This clip was assembled in 2003 to support the release of the album Let It Be…Naked and utilises studio footage from the famous Get Back/Let It Be sessions.
21. DON'T LET ME DOWN
This was the B-side of ‘Get Back' and this clip is a composite of two live performances from the Apple rooftop in 1969. It was made available to support the release of Let It Be…Naked in 2003.
22. FREE AS A BIRD
The 1995 video is a work of art by director Joe Pytka, who used the concept of a bird's-eye view to pay homage to many Beatles songs and images.
23. REAL LOVE
This video directed by Geoff Wonfor and ex-10cc and leading pop promo-maker Kevin Godley, this video was made in 1996 to support the release of the single.
Source: http://www.beatlesbible.com/2015/09/15/beatles-1-promotional-videos-films-remixed-stereo-surround-sound/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBeatlesBible+%28The+Beatles+Bible%29
March 19, 2016
McCartney trying to get back Beatle song copyrights to reclaim his 'babies'
Now that Sony has taken over the half of Sony/ATV that Michael Jackson owned, can the Beatles get any of their copyrights back? The answer to that question is a qualified yes. It was reported Friday night that Paul McCartney has been working since last December to regain at least some of the music copyrights of Beatles songs that were purchased by Michael Jackson, according to a story from Billboard. “Paul calls the songs 'his babies,'” Beatles researcher Peter Hodgson, who is credited by author Mark Lewisohn in “Tune In: All These Years, Volume 1,” and helped Philip Norman with his Lennon and upcoming McCartney biographies, told Beatles Examiner.
You'll recall that back in the mid-1980s, Michael Jackson did an end run around Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono, who had discussed buying the songs, and bought them himself. “He should have just gone ahead and purchased them for £20 million in the early 80's when he was offered them by Sir Lew Grade,” who phoned him personally, Hodgson said.
The U.S. Copyright Act allows songwriters to apply to get their song copyrights back. In the case of songs written before 1978, it's after 56 years. In this case, the first Lennon-McCartney songs hit that mark in 2018, a scant two years away. But any actions taken by McCartney and Yoko Ono will only apply in America as Sony/ATV will still hold them in the rest of the world.
But none of this might not have been necessary if it hadn't been for a critical conversation Yoko Ono reportedly had with Jackson's lawyer, John Branca, who phoned her to ask if she would be purchasing the Beatles songs which were up for sale at the time. According to an excerpt of the book “Michael Jackson Inc.: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Billion Dollar Empire” that is on the Forbes magazine website, Ono, a friend of Jackson's as was McCartney, told Branca they weren't bidding on it.
“No?,” the book quotes Branca. “No, no, if we had bought it, then we’d have to deal with Paul,” Ono reportedly said, and then asked why he wanted to know. “Because Michael’s interested,” Branca said. “Oh, that would be wonderful in the hands of Michael rather than some big corporation,” she reportedly told him. The author said he asked Ono about the conversation some 30 years later and she said she didn't have a “complex dialogue” with Jackson's people.
But even if McCartney gets some of the copyrights back, Hodgson says his efforts will only be partly successful. “Paul will only own half of any songs in the U.S., as Yoko cut a deal for Sony to keep John's half.“
Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/mccartney-trying-to-get-back-beatle-song-copyrights-to-reclaim-his-babies
You'll recall that back in the mid-1980s, Michael Jackson did an end run around Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono, who had discussed buying the songs, and bought them himself. “He should have just gone ahead and purchased them for £20 million in the early 80's when he was offered them by Sir Lew Grade,” who phoned him personally, Hodgson said.
The U.S. Copyright Act allows songwriters to apply to get their song copyrights back. In the case of songs written before 1978, it's after 56 years. In this case, the first Lennon-McCartney songs hit that mark in 2018, a scant two years away. But any actions taken by McCartney and Yoko Ono will only apply in America as Sony/ATV will still hold them in the rest of the world.
But none of this might not have been necessary if it hadn't been for a critical conversation Yoko Ono reportedly had with Jackson's lawyer, John Branca, who phoned her to ask if she would be purchasing the Beatles songs which were up for sale at the time. According to an excerpt of the book “Michael Jackson Inc.: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Billion Dollar Empire” that is on the Forbes magazine website, Ono, a friend of Jackson's as was McCartney, told Branca they weren't bidding on it.
“No?,” the book quotes Branca. “No, no, if we had bought it, then we’d have to deal with Paul,” Ono reportedly said, and then asked why he wanted to know. “Because Michael’s interested,” Branca said. “Oh, that would be wonderful in the hands of Michael rather than some big corporation,” she reportedly told him. The author said he asked Ono about the conversation some 30 years later and she said she didn't have a “complex dialogue” with Jackson's people.
But even if McCartney gets some of the copyrights back, Hodgson says his efforts will only be partly successful. “Paul will only own half of any songs in the U.S., as Yoko cut a deal for Sony to keep John's half.“
Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/mccartney-trying-to-get-back-beatle-song-copyrights-to-reclaim-his-babies
March 11, 2016
'Fifth Beatle' George Martin Dies Aged 90
LOS ANGELES/LONDON — George Martin, known as "the fifth Beatle" for his work in shaping the band that became one of the world's most influential music forces, has died at the age of 90.
He was considered the most successful music producer ever, cited in the Guinness Book of Records for having more than 50 No. 1 hit records over five decades in the United States and Britain alone.
He helped score, arrange, and produce many of the band's biggest hits, including "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "A Day in the Life", “Yesterday”, "Eleanor Rigby" and "Love Me Do".
"I’m so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin," Beatle Paul McCartney said in a statement on Wednesday.
"If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George."
A statement from Martin's family confirmed he had died peacefully at his home on Tuesday evening.
Earlier, Ringo Starr, the Beatles' drummer, had announced his death on Twitter: "God bless George Martin peace and love to Judy and his family... George will be missed."
Starr followed the message by posting a black and white photo of the Fab Four with Martin, saying "Thank you for all your love and kindness George."
Martin served as producer, collaborator and mentor to Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison, McCartney and Starr.
Lennon was shot dead in New York in 1980. Harrison died of cancer in 2001.
Tributes from the music world poured in on Twitter. "RIP to my musical brother George Martin. We were friends since 1964, & I am so thankful 4 that gift," said American music producer Quincy Jones.
Lenny Kravitz said: "The legends are really going home!" Boy George said: "George Martin. Gentleman and legend", while Mark Ronson said Martin was "the greatest British record producer of all time."
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter: "George Martin was a giant of music - working with the Fab Four to create the world's most enduring pop music."
"YESTERDAY"
During his seven-decade career in the music industry, Martin produced almost all of the Beatles' recordings and also worked with Gerry & the Pacemakers, Shirley Bassey, Cilla Black, Jeff Beck, America, Cheap Trick and other acts.
Martin started work at Abbey Road Studios in 1950 producing records for EMI's Parlophone label.
He was noted for his comedy recordings with the likes of Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Beyond the Fringe and got his first Number 1 with The Temperance Seven in 1961. He signed The Beatles in 1962
The young band members were rough around the edges, but Martin saw their commercial promise and with them helped revolutionize the art of popular music recording.
His 1979 autobiography, "All You Need Is Ears", chronicles his discovery of the Beatles and their creative process.
Martin was knighted in 1996. In 2006, working with his son, Giles Martin, he helped develop the Beatles-inspired Cirque du Soleil show "Love" in Las Vegas, which went on to reap his two most recent Grammys.
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles and James Davey in London, Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/03/09/arts/09reuters-people-georgemartin.html?_r=0
He was considered the most successful music producer ever, cited in the Guinness Book of Records for having more than 50 No. 1 hit records over five decades in the United States and Britain alone.
He helped score, arrange, and produce many of the band's biggest hits, including "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "A Day in the Life", “Yesterday”, "Eleanor Rigby" and "Love Me Do".
"I’m so sad to hear the news of the passing of dear George Martin," Beatle Paul McCartney said in a statement on Wednesday.
"If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George."
A statement from Martin's family confirmed he had died peacefully at his home on Tuesday evening.
Earlier, Ringo Starr, the Beatles' drummer, had announced his death on Twitter: "God bless George Martin peace and love to Judy and his family... George will be missed."
Starr followed the message by posting a black and white photo of the Fab Four with Martin, saying "Thank you for all your love and kindness George."
Martin served as producer, collaborator and mentor to Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison, McCartney and Starr.
Lennon was shot dead in New York in 1980. Harrison died of cancer in 2001.
Tributes from the music world poured in on Twitter. "RIP to my musical brother George Martin. We were friends since 1964, & I am so thankful 4 that gift," said American music producer Quincy Jones.
Lenny Kravitz said: "The legends are really going home!" Boy George said: "George Martin. Gentleman and legend", while Mark Ronson said Martin was "the greatest British record producer of all time."
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter: "George Martin was a giant of music - working with the Fab Four to create the world's most enduring pop music."
"YESTERDAY"
During his seven-decade career in the music industry, Martin produced almost all of the Beatles' recordings and also worked with Gerry & the Pacemakers, Shirley Bassey, Cilla Black, Jeff Beck, America, Cheap Trick and other acts.
Martin started work at Abbey Road Studios in 1950 producing records for EMI's Parlophone label.
He was noted for his comedy recordings with the likes of Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Beyond the Fringe and got his first Number 1 with The Temperance Seven in 1961. He signed The Beatles in 1962
The young band members were rough around the edges, but Martin saw their commercial promise and with them helped revolutionize the art of popular music recording.
His 1979 autobiography, "All You Need Is Ears", chronicles his discovery of the Beatles and their creative process.
Martin was knighted in 1996. In 2006, working with his son, Giles Martin, he helped develop the Beatles-inspired Cirque du Soleil show "Love" in Las Vegas, which went on to reap his two most recent Grammys.
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles and James Davey in London, Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2016/03/09/arts/09reuters-people-georgemartin.html?_r=0
I read the news today, oh boy. Sir George Martin, The Beatles' record producer, passed away at age 90. I wondered, would the Beatles have accomplished so much without him? Sir Paul McCartney paid tribute to Martin, calling him a "true gentleman and like a second father to me." Martin gave them their big break in 1962 when he signed the Beatles to Parlophone/EMI, and he went on to produce the band's 13 albums between March, 1963 and May, 1970.
Martin was a classically trained musician, but was enthralled by the Beatles' creativity. He was much more than a mere overseer, Martin was an active participant with the Beatles. He wrote the string arrangements accompanying Paul McCartney on "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby." Martin composed and orchestrated parts of "A Hard Day's Night," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Yellow Submarine" albums. Martin and the Beatles together were creating new ways of recording music.
I saw Martin at a book signing event at Barnes & Noble five years ago. He was a soft spoken man. I remember the way he delighted the crowd with tales of Beatles sessions. But more than anything else I was taken by his little tidbit about what happened when the Beatles got the munchies in the middle of the night -- they would sometimes eat other studio employees' cookies and write them notes apologizing for the misdeed! Martin struck me as a man who lived exactly the life he wanted and was thankful for it.
Martin worked with Pete Townshend on the musical stage production of "The Who's Tommy," which opened on Broadway in 1993. He also worked with Elton John and produced hit records for Jeff Beck, Sting, Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick, America and Paul McCartney.
Martin produced two of the best James Bond themes. The first was "Goldfinger" by Shirley Bassey in 1964. The second in 1973 was "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings.
George Martin broke the mold. He set a high standard for rock record producers and there will never be another like him. Goodbye Sir George.
Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/remembering-the-beatles-record-producer-george-martin/
Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/remembering-the-beatles-record-producer-george-martin/