The Beatles Owe Everything to This Forgotten Fifth Member of the Legendary Band

George Martin had a natural flair for music. He was fascinated by orchestras from a young age and studied oboe at Guildhall before working in the BBC’s classical music department. After not long doing that job, Martin found his true calling at EMI in Abbey Road as a record producer. He was head of Parlophone at 29 and, in 1962, he met a band from Liverpool that had been rejected by pretty much every label in the country, one he remembered as "Not very in tune. They weren't very good." But they were special, they were the Beatles. Over the next eight years, Martin became the architect who made the ideas of the Beatles become a reality. He experimented endlessly and crafted a sound of depth for the band that would catapult them into global sensations.
George Martin Brought Class to the Beatles

Martin’s classical training was invaluable, but perhaps an initial shock to the pop system. Paul McCartney recalled the time he presented the classic “Yesterday,” and discussed the arrangements with Martin. In this talk, Martin calmly suggested putting a string quartet on the record, and McCartney responded, thinking it was a bad idea, as they were a rock and roll band. Ultimately, McCartney shared that “with the gentle bedside manner of a great producer [Martin] said to me, ‘Let us try it and if it doesn’t work we won’t use it and we’ll go with your solo version.’" This attitude from Martin shows his gentle approach as a producer, perfectly balancing his own ambitions with an artist-first mindset. A touch of class indeed.

Source: Fiona MacPherson-Amador/collider.com

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