George Martin (d. 2016)

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Biography

Sir George Henry Martin was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" due to his extensive involvement in each of the Beatles' original albums. Martin's formal musical expertise and interest in novel recording practices facilitated the group's rudimentary musical education and desire for new musical sounds to record. Most of their orchestral and string arrangements were written by Martin, and he played piano or keyboards on a number of their records. Their collaborations resulted in popular, highly acclaimed records with innovative sounds, such as the 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Timeline

The story of George Martin, told in moments.

1962 Event

Signed the Beatles after every other label in London passed. He was producing comedy records for Parlophone at the time. He thought Ringo's drumming was weak and said so.

What did you hear in the Beatles that every other label missed? Was Ringo's drumming really pedestrian?

1966 Event

Produced Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's. He figured out how to record backwards guitar, double-tracked vocals, and string arrangements that no pop record had ever used. The Beatles called him "the fifth Beatle."

How do you invent backwards guitar and orchestral pop simultaneously? Did Sgt. Pepper feel like a breakthrough while making it?

1970 Event

Produced Let It Be and Abbey Road in reverse order. Abbey Road was the last album they recorded together. He knew it was the end.

Did you know Abbey Road was the end? What was the mood in the studio for those final sessions?

2016 Death

Died at home in Wiltshire at 90. He'd been losing his hearing for years. Paul McCartney said the world lost a truly magical person.

What is it like losing your hearing after a life in music? Which Beatles record sounds best in your memory?

Artifacts (15)

Saint George

Martin Schongauer

1469/82 · Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

aic View

Martin Luther

Master of the Linpaumer Medal

1537

vam View

Martin Luther

Master of the Lindpaumer Medal

1537

vam View

Martin Folkes

Dassier, Jacques Antoine

1740

vam View

Martin Vanden Bogaert Desjardins

Gérard Edelinck

n.d. · Engraving and etching on cream wove paper

aic View

A Son of Martin Geuder of Nuremberg

Gebel, Matthes

ca. 1530-1550

vam View

Joseph George Holman

Flaxman, William

late 18th century

vam View

George Speaight Punch & Judy Collection

Unknown

late 19th century

vam View

Verdi: His Music, Life, and Times

(Limelight). This book relates the life and experiences of composer Giuseppe Verdi, from his birth in 1813 to his death in 1901. Besides documenting Verdi's life and the music he created, it also goes...

1992

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Summer of Love: The Making of Sgt. Pepper

In this book the band's producer George Martin tells his story of the nine months it took to make the recording, featuring songs such as "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" to "A Day in the Life" and...

1994

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A Dance with Dragons

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • THE BOOK BEHIND THE FIFTH SEASON OF THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF THE DECADE Dubbed “the American Tolkien” by Time...

2011

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A Game of Thrones (HBO Tie-in Edition)

NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON Here is the first book in the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and become a modern...

2011

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Dreamsongs 2-Book Bundle: Dreamsongs Volumes I and II

Even before A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin had already established himself as a giant in the field of fantasy literature. Now in one exclusive eBook edition are both volumes of Dreamsongs,...

2012

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Dreamsongs: Volume II

Even before the enormous success of A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin had secured his reputation as one of the most exciting storytellers of our time. The second of two thrilling collections,...

2012

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A Clash of Kings (HBO Tie-in Edition): A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Two

THE BOOK BEHIND THE SECOND SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO. A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK TWO In this thrilling sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has created a...

2012

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