How George Martin made The Beatles possible
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How George Martin made The Beatles possible
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Reading about their wild "diastrous" (the article calls it) residency in Hamburg, I suddenly recalled John saying all tha wildnesst was the most fun time to him, much more fun than when they got "cleaned up and tamed" so to speak to perform in so much more of a decorous restrained manner compared to their German stints. I wonder if that statement was just John being contrary and a bit outrageous like he liked to talk at times. Taking the mickey. A bit savagely impish, mischievous. I think he partially really meant it.
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Was George Martin the mastermind behind the classical touches on the Beatles' songs? I'd like to think the Fabs had something to do with it...but as far as I know, they weren't into classical music growing up and at the start of their career?
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SusyLuvsPaul wrote:
Was George Martin the mastermind behind the classical touches on the Beatles' songs? I'd like to think the Fabs had something to do with it...but as far as I know, they weren't into classical music growing up and at the start of their career?
I don't know how much classical music any of them were exposed to growing up, but George Martin was invaluable to them in adding the classical touches - the orchestrations - to so many of their songs. To me, he IS the 5th Beatle.
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The marvellous book Revolution in the head, by the late Ian McDonald, is different from all the other thousands of Beatles books because it is purely about the songs and who played what. It brought home to me just how much Sir George Martin contributed as a musician and arranger, as well as a producer. Sir George's colleague Norrie Paramor was similarly essential in the career of Cliff Richard and the Shadows, and Quincy Jones in the same way brought the best out of Michael Jackson.
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Sometimes ... John and Paul would write a song and play it over and over as they wrote it... then they would introduce it to George and Ringo... Ringo might add a boom boom bop boom that would make the song what it is. George might have added a few lead parts and maybe made the chord a 6th or 7th chord that made the song what it is today. These difference makers didn't give them the songwriting credits but did create its character as it came to be.
I said that in the way that George Martin suggested speeding up Please Please Me, suggested changes added his piano and additional music direction, did tape loops, made Strawberry Fields thread together from different speeds and keys...
He had a good ear for how it should sound ... he may have added or removed something subtle or more direct and noticeable... had valuable input but knew how to let it happen too. A definate difference maker and usually for the better. A definite 5th Beatle with his musical knowledge and abilities as well as talent to push some boundries and give us the final product.
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The_Fool wrote:
Sometimes ... John and Paul would write a song and play it over and over as they wrote it... then they would introduce it to George and Ringo... Ringo might add a boom boom bop boom that would make the song what it is. George might have added a few lead parts and maybe made the chord a 6th or 7th chord that made the song what it is today. These difference makers didn't give them the songwriting credits but did create its character as it came to be.
I said that in the way that George Martin suggested speeding up Please Please Me, suggested changes added his piano and additional music direction, did tape loops, made Strawberry Fields thread together from different speeds and keys...
He had a good ear for how it should sound ... he may have added or removed something subtle or more direct and noticeable... had valuable input but knew how to let it happen too. A definate difference maker and usually for the better. A definite 5th Beatle with his musical knowledge and abilities as well as talent to push some boundries and give us the final product.
Well said!
