Paul McCartney took to his official website to pen a tribute to his dear friend, collaborator and father figure.
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Industry associations express how the “fifth Beatle” “set the tone for record production ” , and that “his expertise encouraged us to produce our finest efforts”.
Martin worked with The Beatles from their earliest days and was the man who gave them their first record deal in 1962.
Best known for the integral part he played in the success of The Beatles – a partnership that revolutionised studio recording and the creative process – Martin had a career spanning seven decades, with 30 Number One hits to his name and over one billion records sold.
“It’s hard to choose favourite memories of my time with George, there are so many but one that comes to mind was the time I brought the song “Yesterday” to a recording session and the guys in the band suggested that I sang it solo and accompany myself on guitar”.
Although it seems more irreverent to watch just after Sir George Martin has passed away, the British comedy sketch show Big Train had a brilliant bit called ” George Martin Kidnapped ” which poked fun at the legendary producer’s constant recounting of Beatles recording sessions.
“The world has lost a truly great man who left an indelible mark on my soul and the history of British music”, McCartney concluded. George Martin, the producer who guided the Beatles to astounding heights, has died, his manager said on March 9, 2016. “Thank you for the all times we had together”. Even when he was Knighted by the Queen there was never the slightest trace of snobbery about him.
“God bless George Martin peace and love to Judy and his family love Ringo and Barbara George will be missed” – Beatles drummer Ringo Starr on Twitter. They not only composed dozens of classics, from She Loves You to Hey Jude, but turned the studio into a wonderland of tape loops, multi-tracking, unpredictable tempos, unfathomable segues and kaleidoscopic montages.
“Music was pretty well my whole life”, Martin wrote in his memoir, All You Need is Ears, published in 1980.
“His idea obviously worked because the song subsequently became one of the most recorded songs ever with versions by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and thousands more”, he added.
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Before the Beatles, producers such as Phil Spector and Berry Gordy controlled the recording process, choosing the arrangements and musicians; picking, and sometimes writing, the songs or claiming credit for them. He also produced two James Bond themes – Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger and Live And Let Die by Paul McCartney and Wings.
