Why Jeff Beck owes his career to The Beatles' producer George Martin
Содержание
Most people know George Martin for the time when he was a producer. The Beatles in the 1960s. He also helped them sign with EMI Records after the other labels initially rejected the band (I wonder how much they regretted it later?). After his death in 2016. Paul McCartney called Martin "the fifth Beatle.". However, his influence spread much further than the Beatles. Other music producers praised Martin's work. They, and musicians fortunate enough to work with him, unanimously dubbed Martin "a master genius, able like no other to bring out the best in his artists..."
Few people know, but Martin also had a hand in the career of the legendary guitarist Jeff Beck. Before Beck won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009 as a solo artist and in 1992 with the Yardbirds, Beck managed to get into the recording studio with Martin. And there he saw with his own eyes what made Martin such an outstanding producer...
For which Beck was grateful to Martin all his life
In 1974. Jeff Beck took a new direction in his career after his previous band broke up. He took a leap of faith and tried to present his work George Martin. Martin was intrigued. He and the new members of Beck's band mixed rock and jazz to create an album "Blow By Blow"which reached the top ten of the charts. They also worked together on Beck's next album "Wired.". And it was the best experience of the iconic guitarist's life...
"Working with someone of that caliber was just amazing. I think it was the most valuable experience of my life. He literally made my career," Beck explained in his interview.
The success of the two Beck albums that Martin produced is ironic because his colleague advised Martin not to work with Beck, calling him "loser.". Martin, however, was already a fan of Beck. Working with him unintentionally revealed more talent in Martin himself as a producer. He dealt with the fickle nature of the guitarist and left only the "best moments" of Jeff's guitar playing. This only reinforced the theory that George Martin could bring out the best in those he worked with.
"Unfortunately, that's the end of it..."
Jeff Beck and George Martin never worked together again, but remained friends. Martin even brought some classic records with him that he thought would help his career. Beck would have wanted them to work together on more than just the two albums. But unfortunately, after "Wired." their paths diverged...
"Those were such exciting times. I couldn't wait to get to the studio - I ran to it every day!" reflected Beck.
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Martin in 1996, and in 1999 he was inducted into the Rock Music Hall of Fame for his musical abilities. He has been called "one of the most innovative producers of all time. Martin himself modestly emphasized that he always valued "creative freedom" and wanted to be able to put any sound on a record, for example, to "paint a picture with sound".
In 2012, a documentary about him was made about Martin's career and personal life, and in 2016, unfortunately, the "fifth Beatle" was gone...
Lastly: the moment when Paul McCartney realized that Martin was an irreplaceable part of the Beatles
After Martin's death, the ex-Beatle Paul McCartney told reporters the moment he realized Martin was an irreplaceable part of the Beatles. So Sir McCartney has the floor:
"I brought the song 'Yesterday' to the record, and the other guys suggested I sing it solo and accompany myself on guitar. After I did that, George Martin said to me, 'Paul, I had an idea to put a string quartet on the record. I said: "Oh, no, George! We're a rock and roll band, and I don't think that's a good idea." With the gentle manner of a great producer, he said to me, "Let's try it, and if it doesn't work, we won't use it and we'll take your solo version." I agreed to that and went to his house the next day to work on the arrangement. He took the chords I showed him and laid out the notes all over the piano, putting the cello on the low octave and the first violin on the high octave. And he gave me my first lesson in voicing strings for a quartet..."
Paul continues:
"When we recorded the string quartet on Abbey Road, it was so exciting to know that his idea was so right that I told people about it for weeks! His idea obviously worked, because the song later became one of the most recorded songs, with versions by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye and thousands of others."
Sir Paul concluded his story with the words:
"If anyone deserved to be called the 'fifth Beatle,' it was George. He was the most generous, intelligent and musical man I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Thank him for that."
