George Martin | Artist

Sir George Martin aka Ray Cathode was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician, born 1926 in Islington, London. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" due to his extensive involvement in the Beatles' recordings. He was also an orchestra leader in his early years. Martin was one of a handful of producers to have number-one records in three or more consecutive decades: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Martin was born into a working class family who lived in London until WWII broke out. When he was six, the family acquired a piano that sparked George's interest in music. At eight he took piano lessons and created his first composition, "The Spider's Dance". He continued to learn piano and build a knowledge of music theory through his natural perfect pitch. Joining the Royal Navy at 17, Martin consciously adopted the middle-class accent and gentlemanly social demeanour common for officers. He appeared on BBC Radio time during a Royal Navy variety show, playing a self-composed piano piece. Martin joined EMI in November 1950 as an assistant to Oscar Preuss, head of EMI's Parlophone label. The label was then not taken seriously and used only for EMI's insignificant acts. Among Martin's early duties was managing Parlophone's classical records catalogue. Preuss retired in April 1955, leaving the then 29-year-old Martin to take over the label. He kept the struggling label afloat by produced comedy and novelty acts, such as Flanders & Swan. His first success was the "Mock Mozart" single, performed by Peter Ustinov with Antony Hopkins. In 1953, Martin produced Peter Sellers' debut in music, then the radio comedy stars the Goons. But he wanted to add rock and roll to Parlophone's repertoire, and visited Liverpool in December 1962, to meet band manager Brian Epstein, who showed him successful local acts like The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers. Gerry and the Pacemakers scored their first #1 with "How Do You Do It?", with Martin producing. Between the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Martin/Epstein acts were responsible for 37 weeks of #1 singles in 1963, transforming Parlophone into the leading EMI label. His work with Liverpudilian artists contributed to the development of beat music. Martin's formal musical expertise and interest in novel recording practices facilitated the Beatles' rudimentary musical education and desire for new 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 collaboration resulted in highly acclaimed records with innovative sounds, such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, regarded as one of the best produced albums of all time. Outside producing other artists, standout albums include the early recordings of the George Martin Orchestra; London by George (1968), Yellow Submarine (1969), Beatles to Bond and Bach (1972), and Live and Let Die (1973). Also recommended is the magnificent 6-CD compilation Produced by George Martin: 50 Years in Recording from 2001. In his career, Martin produced 30 #1 hit singles in the UK and 23 #1 hits in the USA, winning six Grammy Awards. In recognition of services to the music industry and popular culture, he was made a Knight Bachelor in 1996. Martin died on 8 March 2016, aged 90 at his home in Colehill, Oxfordshire. A memorial service was attended by, among others, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, Elton John, Bernard Cribbins, and former colleagues.

Artist Website: georgemartinmusic.com

Featured Albums: George Martin

Related Artists: Ray Cathode, The Beatles, Paul McCartney