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Sir George Martin "The 5th Beatle" dies . . . .

LordSutch

George Martin, who produced much of the Beatles' classic catalog, has died. The cause of death has not yet been released. He was 90.

Ringo Starr reported the news on Twitter. "God bless George Martin," he wrote late Tuesday night. "Peace and love to Judy and his family, love Ringo and Barbara. George will be missed." In another post, accompanied by a photo of Martin with the Beatles, Starr wrote, "Thank you for all your love and kindness."

Over the decades, many people have claimed to be the "fifth Beatle." But the only person who can credibly hold that title was Martin. The producer not only signed the Beatles to their first record contract in 1962 but went on to work extensively with them on the vast majority of music they recorded over the next eight years, from "Love Me Do" to the majestic suite that wrapped up Abbey Road.

"George Martin made us what we were in the studio," John Lennon said in 1971. "He helped us develop a language to talk to other musicians."

Martin was born January 3rd, 1926 in Highbury, London. He began playing piano at a young age, and in 1943 he joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. After World War II, he worked in the BBC's Classical Music Department and then moved on to EMI. Much of his time was spent producing records for British comedians like Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore and Bernard Cribbins.

Martin met the Beatles in early 1962. At the time, they had a cult following in parts of England, but little success in landing a recording deal. The group's manager, Brian Epstein, approached the producer, who worked for EMI records, and got him to agree to give their demo tape a listen.

RIP George, you were truly great.

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Arghus

I feel at times like I've listened to The Beatles plenty; I was borderline obsessed with them for years.

And then something happens - in this case a sad event - that sends me back to them...

Jesus Christ. Too good for words.

I remember as a kid/young teenager I thought I knew The Beatles: Those guys my parents liked, who sang these catchy little love songs. Yeah, they were good, but you know, they were old and kind of boring.

I can still remember the moment when the scales fell from my eyes. I was listening to the radio around Christmas time. Pretending to study for Christmas tests? Probably. I think the "Fanning Fab 50" was on and he played A Day in The Life. I can still feel my WTF reaction to the moment when the orchestral backing starts to slide, slide and the song turns inside out. Holy Sh!t, I thought: I've never heard anything remotely like that before.

This is on in the background at the moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvypQtn4bVc

What. A.Tune. I forgot how thoroughly tasty that bluesy guitar solo in the middle is. And that outro: That riff that goes on and on until you feel like it's in your bones, the swirling sound that builds and builds: Can you feel it!

It's ominous. And I love it.

colossus-x

Birneybau wrote: »

And this, 1966, plays the piano and produces. Still sounds like the future.

I've never been into bands, and I never got the Beetles. That video is very good though for it's time. I've not known them for trancy futuristic type stuff though as in that vid. Perhaps I was going to the wrong lsd clubs.

Eugene Norman

Wibbs wrote: »

Aye, sometimes these days we can forget what the Future(™) might look and sound like. Thirty odd years ahead of the Chemical Brothers. For a bunch of guys in 1966 to mix up the Tibetan book of the dead and Eastern music and Phillip Glass and Stockhausen type stuff and play the studio itself and lay it down as a "pop" track was beyond mad and innovative. More, when one thinks that only a year separates that song - the first one laid down for the album Revolver - and their song Help(which itself was a move on from "she loves you" type stuff).

To put it in a more contemporary context, if this and all the Beatles other groundbreaking non pop song stuff really started to come out today in 2016, their first number one Please Please Me only came out in 2014. And you have some pundits claiming that Lady Gaga is a genius? GTFO.

The progression of the Beatles was remarkable for sure. Love me do and please please me are standard pop songs (first one - their first record - is one of their weakest songs). A few years later starting with revolver some of the most intricate pop music ever.

George Martin seemed like a lovely man. Old school charm.

colossus-x

I though Yoko Ono was the fifth Beatle.

andekwarhola

Listened to the Beatles a lot today after hearing the news. Always amusing to hear people pretending to hate them while championing more obscure indie fare when nearly every cliché of that genre from clothes, drugs, hair, songs, studio effects and the - now tired and old - notions of transgression and 'rebellion' beat a beeline right back to the likes of the Beatles and the Velvet Underground.

Ol' Donie

Wibbs wrote: »

Aye, sometimes these days we can forget what the Future(™) might look and sound like. Thirty odd years ahead of the Chemical Brothers. For a bunch of guys in 1966 to mix up the Tibetan book of the dead and Eastern music and Phillip Glass and Stockhausen type stuff and play the studio itself and lay it down as a "pop" track was beyond mad and innovative. More, when one thinks that only a year separates that song - the first one laid down for the album Revolver - and their song Help(which itself was a move on from "she loves you" type stuff).

To put it in a more contemporary context, if this and all the Beatles other groundbreaking non pop song stuff really started to come out today in 2016, their first number one Please Please Me only came out in 2014. And you have some pundits claiming that Lady Gaga is a genius? GTFO.

I love The Beatles. Have for years. It's easy to forget how remarkable what they & George Martin did.

I mean, they went from Help through the madness of psychedelia and then to the white album in what, 3 years?

Roughly 2 number 1 albums a year for 7 years? No band, even the very very best bands, have come close to that.

Ol' Donie

I never liked his tie.

What a great man. Sad, sad day.

UsedToWait

Legend - his son Giles shared the decks on the fantastic mash-up Beatles album which was the soundtrack to the Cirque du Soleil show 'Love' - well worth investigating if you haven't heard it..

____________________________________

What a trooper to survive that horrible kidnapping also

:pac:

Wibbs

Birneybau wrote: »

And this, 1966, plays the piano and produces. Still sounds like the future.

Aye, sometimes these days we can forget what the Future(™) might look and sound like. Thirty odd years ahead of the Chemical Brothers. For a bunch of guys in 1966 to mix up the Tibetan book of the dead and Eastern music and Phillip Glass and Stockhausen type stuff and play the studio itself and lay it down as a "pop" track was beyond mad and innovative. More, when one thinks that only a year separates that song - the first one laid down for the album Revolver - and their song Help(which itself was a move on from "she loves you" type stuff).

To put it in a more contemporary context, if this and all the Beatles other groundbreaking non pop song stuff really started to come out today in 2016, their first number one Please Please Me only came out in 2014. And you have some pundits claiming that Lady Gaga is a genius? GTFO.

cml387

George Martin was also a producer of comedy records for Peter Sellers and the Goons.
In our family we have a copy of this very record on the red Parlophone label.

Peter Sellers does all the voices in this story of a recording of ceilidh music that goes terribly wrong.

While I have no proof that Martin was the producer on this, I rather like to think he was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di6yX3yVAtM

Birneybau

cml387 wrote: »

I use it as a kind of bible whenever I listen to a Beatles song.

George Martin's work on Strawberry Fields Forever alone would earn him awesome producer status.

And this, 1966, plays the piano and produces. Still sounds like the future.

dd972

4th Beatle, then comes Ringo...:pac:

cml387

Arghus wrote: »

Perhaps the best book on music I've ever read! Definitely the best Beatles book, by a distance.

I use it as a kind of bible whenever I listen to a Beatles song.

George Martin's work on Strawberry Fields Forever alone would earn him awesome producer status.

Ally Dick

cml387 wrote: »

Very bad year for musical icons.

Who's next ? Big Tom ?

diomed

He was a nice guy.

Arghus

Birneybau wrote: »

Revolution In The Head.

Perhaps the best book on music I've ever read! Definitely the best Beatles book, by a distance.

Wibbs

Good innings for the man, but still sad to hear. IMH his influence is most felt with opening up McCartney to the possibilities of where he could go with his music. Less so with Lennon or George. I'd reckon that without George Martin, Paul would have ended up writing musicals or film music and John and George would have been basic blues types(though the latter was open to the weird). Overall I'd put it this way; they were a fantastic orchestra with brilliant instruments and talent and he was the conductor who helped them gel.

Birneybau

topper75 wrote: »

Did the harpsichord solo bit in In My Life.

Anyone else care to add specific contributions they know of?

There was a good book out years ago, explaining who wrote and played what, track by track. Can't recall title of it now.

I do remember that when I read through it, I was amazed at how heavy his influence on the end product was.

I reckon he must be all over Sgt. PLHCB.

Revolution In The Head.

topper75

Did the harpsichord solo bit in In My Life.

Anyone else care to add specific contributions they know of?

There was a good book out years ago, explaining who wrote and played what, track by track. Can't recall title of it now.

I do remember that when I read through it, I was amazed at how heavy his influence on the end product was.

I reckon he must be all over Sgt. PLHCB.

Arghus

The Beatles wouldn't have been The Beatles without him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UQK-UcRezE

Stephen Squaking

The cause of death has not yet been released. He was 90

Being 90 is as good as cause of death as any in my books.

cml387

Laois_Man wrote: »

Yet Cliff Richard still lives!! :mad:

Sutcliffe left The Beatles a year before he died. And he was useless.

He was a useless bassist.
Apparently a talented artist though.

recylingbin

I thought George best was the fifth Beatle?

Laois_Man

cml387 wrote: »

Very bad year for musical icons.

Yet Cliff Richard still lives!! :mad:

Tigger wrote: »

Stuart Sutcliffe was the fifth Beatle
There were five in the Beatles then He died and they carried on with four

Sutcliffe left The Beatles a year before he died. And he was useless.

Tigger

Stuart Sutcliffe was the fifth Beatle
There were five in the Beatles then He died and they carried on with four

Rip George

LordSutch

I thing we can safely say that the Beatles & George Martin met in the right place at the right time, for without George's wizardry in the control room the Beatles may never have been as FAB as they became!

Junkyard Tom

Bon voyage in your yellow submarine over rainbow bridge sweet prince of the valley of the snowdrops down yonder in the glens of the the mists of time. May the light of heaven shine on your grave and the spirits of those gone before serenade you into the afterlife with the voices of angels and the timpani of distant thunder signalling your journey to the be at the side of the saints of sound who who walked up the cloudy steps to the great orchestra in the sky before you.

(RIP)

cml387

Very bad year for musical icons.

Ally Dick

What a great man he was. Rest in peace George

FTA69

What a fright. I thought your man who writes Game of Throws was after dying and we'd be left without a finale.

(RIP George Martin.)