It's a sobering thought to consider what popular music would be like without George Martin. He signed the Fab Four to his little Parlophone and helped to enrich and expand their sound. He gave them a chance and became the architect for the magic that was to come.Though they knew what they wanted to say, it was George Martin who helped bring out on record what John, Paul, George and Ringo had in their heads. We have lost George but not really. He is there always. Though he only lived to age 90, he will forever remain in our hearts and on our minds because he produced one of the greatest rock bands ever.
When searching for the measure of a man, I suppose one need look no further than the individuals he touched. Martin's legacy is best summed up in the words of Paul McCartney. From his website comes this, " If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George. From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I've ever had the pleasure to know."
Though he was far from enamored with their ability,right away, the group and he would find common ground and Martin's classical music background would come to aid the group immensely. From the New Yorker's write up, "But Martin's real genius came to play only in the second half of the Beatles' absurdly brief career, when McCartney's growing gift for more expansive musical forms met Martin's expertise as a professional arranger and connoisseur of baroque sounds. That Martin was there to arrange the larger ensembles has always been noted-what is not noted frequently enough is how brilliant, austere, and original his arrangements were."
George Martin wasn't a one-trick pony, however. In his time, he produced records for such hit acts as Matt Monro, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and America.
