Saying Goodbye to the Fifth Beatle

Without George Martin, there is little chance that the Beatles become as popular as they did.

When Brian Epstein wandered from his record store into the Cavern Club in Liverpool back in the early 60's, he knew that if he could put the energy and talent that the Beatles brought into a bottle, he could make millions.

He underestimated just how great the Fab Four would be. But they might not have turned into very much had they not crossed the path of George Martin.

Martin was the mastermind that made the musical machinations of the mop-topped minstrels palatable to a public that so badly wanted something new, but wasn't sure what it was.

He later helped them innovate and release revolutionary recordings like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which many think is the finest record of their career, and the finest up to that time in pop music.

The first thing he did was to make them fire Pete Best. He was the drummer for the band for quite awhile, but Martin wouldn't work with him, because he just wasn't good enough. John, Paul and George seemed to sense that it would be a big deal to record and make music with Martin, so they dropped Best like a bad habit, and let Richard Starkey (Ringo) takes to the skins.

Great move.

Then, Martin started doing things with their music that no one could have imagined.

The creativity of the Beatles primary songwriters (John and Paul) wasn't at all in question. How to make it fit into pop music listeners' sensibilities was. Their harmonies were incredible. Their song structure and chord choice were complicated. They had honed their abilities as musicians and performers doing two shows a day in Germany for years and years. When the time came to record their own stuff, they needed someone who could reign in their crazy ideas, compliment the ones that really had legs, and get the most out of four guys who, after all was said and done, would become a worldwide phenomenon.

That someone was George Martin.

The things he did with tape—and I'm talking about actual physical recording tape—cutting, splicing, timing, and layering, would leave most of today's editors with digital tools throwing their hands up in the air.

Butch Vig, Rick Rubin, Timbaland...the list of superstar producers is long. However, until that time, there were very few people turning dials that left such an indelible mark on music.

Martin matured with the Beatles, as they moved from lovey-dovey popsters to innovators, and, as a team, they made the entire world of musicians up their game. They invented the idea of the concept record (Sgt. Peppers), and took psychedelia further than adding flange and echo effects and warbles and wah's to the guitar. The Beatles weren't the only ones that were trippy, but they were certainly the trippiest.

The funny part of this is that the kids who were turning on, tuning in and dropping out with the Beatles as a soundtrack have one of the seemingly straightest laced British gents to thank for the sounds that blew their socks off, and twisted their minds.

Thank you so much Sir George Martin. In our lives, we loved you well.