Post by yerblues1968 on Apr 27, 2008 22:41:34 GMT -5
George Martin
Induction Year: 1999
Induction Category: Non-Performer
"Inductee: George Martin (producer; born 1/3/26)
Although disk jockey Murray the K dubbed himself the “Fifth Beatle,” that title properly belongs to producer George Martin. With the exception of Phil Spector’s post-production on "Let It Be," every Beatles recording-from the first single ("Love Me Do") to the last album (Abbey Road)-was produced by Martin. He also gave them their first recording contract, signing the fledgling foursome (with Pete Best still on drums) after an audition at Abbey Road studio on June 6th, 1962, at manager Brian Epstein’s request. Martin’s expertise as a producer and arranger, coupled with the personal rapport he developed (despite being 14 years older than the eldest Beatle) made him indispensable in the studio. The Beatles’ recorded output, by the group members’ own admission, owes much to Martin’s input as producer, arranger and musician.
Prior to his association with the Beatles, Martin produced classical, jazz, pop and humor recordings for the EMI label group. He worked with Peter Sellers, Spike Mulligan, Dudley Moore, Stan Getz, Judy Garland, Tommy Steele, Cleo Laine and others. As head of A&R for EMI’s Parlophone label, Martin signed the Beatles, who had previously been turned down by Decca, Pye, Phillips and EMI itself. In addition to overseeing the Beatles’ recordings, Martin produced other Merseybeat acts, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, and Cilla Black. He contributed soundtrack music to A Hard Day’s Night and Help, and recorded instrumental albums of Beatles tunes-including Off the Beatle Track (which reached #111 in the U.S.) and The Beatle Girls-with the George Martin Orchestra.
In 1965, he left EMI to set up his own production company, Associated Independent Recording (AIR), though he continued to work with the Beatles. In the late Sixties, he oversaw the design and construction of AIR Studios in London, one of the most successful studios in the world. In the Seventies and Eighties, Martin worked prolifically as a producer of albums by Mahavishnu Orchestra, America (seven albums), Jeff Beck (two albums), Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum), Neil Sedaka, Jimmy Webb, UFO, Cheap Trick, Ultravox, Kenny Rogers, and Paul McCartney (Tug of War and Pipes of Peace). In 1979, Martin opened AIR Studios Montserrat, a state-of-the-art facility on a Caribbean island. Although it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1989, Martin and his partners broke ground on a new AIR studio complex in England in the early Nineties. Martin has also written an autobiography (All You Need Is Ears) and edited a how-to book (Making Music). In his introduction to the latter, he wrote, “Of all the arts, music is the most sublime, and touches the heart of every human being....I believe it is a powerful force.”
In the mid-Nineties, Martin returned to the vaults and to his familiar role as Beatles producer, unearthing and preparing previously unreleased Beatles tracks for the three-volume Anthology series. He was knighted “Sir George Martin” in 1996. A year later, Martin produced his 30th #1 hit in the U.K., Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997,” a charity single recorded shortly after Princess Diana’s untimely death. It became the best-selling single of all time and, in Martin’s words, “probably my last single. It’s not a bad one to go out on.” After five decades in the music industry, Martin formally bowed out of record production with a final project, "In My Life," a collection of Beatles songs recorded by actors and musicians.
TIMELINE
January 3, 1926: George Martin is born in London.
1955: George Martin is made the head of the Parlophone label, an EMI subsidiary.
April 1, 1962: Beatles manager Brian Epstein meets George Martin to play him a demo tape by the Liverpool group. George Martin signs the Beatles to EMI.
June 1, 1962: The Beatles audition for George Martin at Parlophone/EMI Records. He agrees to sign the group, but insists that Pete Best be replaced. Within months, Richard “Ringo” Starkey joins the group.
September 4-11, 1962: The Beatles record their first sessions at EMI Studios in London, with George Martin as producer.
September 12, 1962: George Martin produces the single “Love Me Do” b/w “P.S. I Love You” at his first recording session with the Beatles. The song climbed to #17 on the British single chart and provided the first inkling of stardom.
1965: George Martin forms a production company, AIR Studios, with three colleagues. AIR becomes one of the world’s most popular and successful studios.
February 1, 1967: After breaking new ground with the single “Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane,” the Beatles and George Martin begin working in earnest on ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. Completed four months later-an unheard-of length of time for a rock album-it is a creative and production masterpiece.
April 17, 1974: George Martin enters the studio to begin work on ‘Holiday’, the first of seven albums he produces for America.
April 12, 1975: ‘Blow by Blow’, the first of two instrumental albums George Martin produces for Jeff Beck, is released. Beck’s best and best-selling album, it reaches #4.
1979: George Martin and partner/manager John Burgess build AIR Studios Montserrat in the Caribbean. Ten years later it is destroyed by Hurricane Hugo.
December 9, 1995: The first volume of the Beatles’ ‘Anthology’ series, produced by George Martin, enters the U.S. album chart at #1.
June 15, 1996: George Martin is knighted in his British homeland by Queen Elizabeth II.
1997: George Martin produces and scores Elton John’s best-selling single “Candle in the Wind ‘97,” a tribute to the recently deceased Princess Diana.
October 20, 1998: George Martin’s final studio project-a various-artists album of Beatles covers called ‘In My Life’ - is released, formally ending a 48-year career in record production.
March 15, 1999: Sir George Martin is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the fourteenth annual induction dinner.
Induction Year: 1999
Induction Category: Non-Performer
"Inductee: George Martin (producer; born 1/3/26)
Although disk jockey Murray the K dubbed himself the “Fifth Beatle,” that title properly belongs to producer George Martin. With the exception of Phil Spector’s post-production on "Let It Be," every Beatles recording-from the first single ("Love Me Do") to the last album (Abbey Road)-was produced by Martin. He also gave them their first recording contract, signing the fledgling foursome (with Pete Best still on drums) after an audition at Abbey Road studio on June 6th, 1962, at manager Brian Epstein’s request. Martin’s expertise as a producer and arranger, coupled with the personal rapport he developed (despite being 14 years older than the eldest Beatle) made him indispensable in the studio. The Beatles’ recorded output, by the group members’ own admission, owes much to Martin’s input as producer, arranger and musician.
Prior to his association with the Beatles, Martin produced classical, jazz, pop and humor recordings for the EMI label group. He worked with Peter Sellers, Spike Mulligan, Dudley Moore, Stan Getz, Judy Garland, Tommy Steele, Cleo Laine and others. As head of A&R for EMI’s Parlophone label, Martin signed the Beatles, who had previously been turned down by Decca, Pye, Phillips and EMI itself. In addition to overseeing the Beatles’ recordings, Martin produced other Merseybeat acts, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, and Cilla Black. He contributed soundtrack music to A Hard Day’s Night and Help, and recorded instrumental albums of Beatles tunes-including Off the Beatle Track (which reached #111 in the U.S.) and The Beatle Girls-with the George Martin Orchestra.
In 1965, he left EMI to set up his own production company, Associated Independent Recording (AIR), though he continued to work with the Beatles. In the late Sixties, he oversaw the design and construction of AIR Studios in London, one of the most successful studios in the world. In the Seventies and Eighties, Martin worked prolifically as a producer of albums by Mahavishnu Orchestra, America (seven albums), Jeff Beck (two albums), Gary Brooker (of Procol Harum), Neil Sedaka, Jimmy Webb, UFO, Cheap Trick, Ultravox, Kenny Rogers, and Paul McCartney (Tug of War and Pipes of Peace). In 1979, Martin opened AIR Studios Montserrat, a state-of-the-art facility on a Caribbean island. Although it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1989, Martin and his partners broke ground on a new AIR studio complex in England in the early Nineties. Martin has also written an autobiography (All You Need Is Ears) and edited a how-to book (Making Music). In his introduction to the latter, he wrote, “Of all the arts, music is the most sublime, and touches the heart of every human being....I believe it is a powerful force.”
In the mid-Nineties, Martin returned to the vaults and to his familiar role as Beatles producer, unearthing and preparing previously unreleased Beatles tracks for the three-volume Anthology series. He was knighted “Sir George Martin” in 1996. A year later, Martin produced his 30th #1 hit in the U.K., Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind 1997,” a charity single recorded shortly after Princess Diana’s untimely death. It became the best-selling single of all time and, in Martin’s words, “probably my last single. It’s not a bad one to go out on.” After five decades in the music industry, Martin formally bowed out of record production with a final project, "In My Life," a collection of Beatles songs recorded by actors and musicians.
TIMELINE
January 3, 1926: George Martin is born in London.
1955: George Martin is made the head of the Parlophone label, an EMI subsidiary.
April 1, 1962: Beatles manager Brian Epstein meets George Martin to play him a demo tape by the Liverpool group. George Martin signs the Beatles to EMI.
June 1, 1962: The Beatles audition for George Martin at Parlophone/EMI Records. He agrees to sign the group, but insists that Pete Best be replaced. Within months, Richard “Ringo” Starkey joins the group.
September 4-11, 1962: The Beatles record their first sessions at EMI Studios in London, with George Martin as producer.
September 12, 1962: George Martin produces the single “Love Me Do” b/w “P.S. I Love You” at his first recording session with the Beatles. The song climbed to #17 on the British single chart and provided the first inkling of stardom.
1965: George Martin forms a production company, AIR Studios, with three colleagues. AIR becomes one of the world’s most popular and successful studios.
February 1, 1967: After breaking new ground with the single “Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane,” the Beatles and George Martin begin working in earnest on ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. Completed four months later-an unheard-of length of time for a rock album-it is a creative and production masterpiece.
April 17, 1974: George Martin enters the studio to begin work on ‘Holiday’, the first of seven albums he produces for America.
April 12, 1975: ‘Blow by Blow’, the first of two instrumental albums George Martin produces for Jeff Beck, is released. Beck’s best and best-selling album, it reaches #4.
1979: George Martin and partner/manager John Burgess build AIR Studios Montserrat in the Caribbean. Ten years later it is destroyed by Hurricane Hugo.
December 9, 1995: The first volume of the Beatles’ ‘Anthology’ series, produced by George Martin, enters the U.S. album chart at #1.
June 15, 1996: George Martin is knighted in his British homeland by Queen Elizabeth II.
1997: George Martin produces and scores Elton John’s best-selling single “Candle in the Wind ‘97,” a tribute to the recently deceased Princess Diana.
October 20, 1998: George Martin’s final studio project-a various-artists album of Beatles covers called ‘In My Life’ - is released, formally ending a 48-year career in record production.
March 15, 1999: Sir George Martin is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the fourteenth annual induction dinner.