The legendary British record producer, sound engineer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, composer and musician Sir George Martin CBE has died aged 90. Sir George started working with Parlophone, a division of EMI not then considered a serious label, in 1950. He recorded many classical pieces, including original cast recordings. There were also quite a few comedic released produced by him, and he worked with some of the top British comedians of the time including Peter Sellers (Goodness Gracious Me), The Goons, Bernard Cribbins (Right Said Fred), Bruce Forsyth, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Many of these pieces were conducted by Ron Goodwin, who went on to be one of the country's top film composers. When his association with The Beatles started, they were unknown and he had produced very few pop records. He was equally unimpressed with the Decca recordings, but liked Paul and John's voices and loved Brian Epstein's enthusiasm, so agreed to sign them without meeting them first - although he had to audition them before signing it himself. The audition was a disaster, but he saw promise and loved their sense of humour. The contract offered the band a penny for each record sold, which Martin suggested should be doubled, giving him a reputation as a traitor in EMI. His relationship with the band continued throughout their career, often helping with arrangements of songs as well as producing. He even played on some records, including the harpsichord solo on In My Life. Martin also wrote songs for other bands, becoming a publisher, and film scores, including the Bond film Live and Let Die. He had previously produced the title track for Goldfinger. His success with The Beatles made him a producer much in demand, and made Parlophone a top label. When he left EMI in 1969, Martin set up Air Studios, which became one of the most successful and highly regarded recording studios in the World, opening several other branches around the World eventually. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/09/george-martin-producer-of-the-beatles-dies-aged-90 RIP Sir George - thanks for a lifetime of amazing music.
There will never be anybody like him. MAYBE Rick Rubin. But how many producers can say they helped change the landscape of modern music?
