George Martin
Sir George Martin (born January 3, 1926) is sometimes referred to as "the fifth Beatle", a title that he owes to his work as producer of almost all the Beatles records. In recognition of his services to the music industry, he is now a knight.
Martin first worked for EMI in 1950, becoming manager of the Parlophone label in 1955. He first auditioned the Beatles in 1962, and this marked the beginning of a long relationship, in which Martin's musical expertise helped plug the gap between their raw talent and the sound they wanted to achieve. Most of the arrangements for orchestral instruments were done by Martin, in collaboration with members of the Beatles - a good example of this was on Penny Lane, where Martin worked with McCartney on a piccolo trumpet solo.
Not wanting to leave the last record he would ever produce to chance, Martin published the CD In My Life in 1998. There, he assembled all the performers he had always admired apart from the Beatles. The outcome of that project was a number of unusual and entertaining cover versions. The tracks:
- "Come Together" -- Robin Williams & Bobby McFerrin
- "A Hard Day's Night" -- Goldie Hawn
- "A Day in the Life" -- Jeff Beck
- "Here There & Everywhere" -- Céline Dion
- "Because" -- Vanessa Mae
- "I Am the Walrus" -- Jim Carrey
- "Here Comes the Sun" -- John Williams
- "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" -- Billy Connolly
- "The Pepperland Suite" -- George Martin
- "Golden Slumbers"/"Carry That Weight"/"The End" -- Phil Collins
- "Friends and Lovers" -- George Martin
- "In My Life" -- Sean Connery
Aside from his work with The Beatles (both group and solo projects), Martin has also produced albums for many artists, including the band America. He is also a renowned composer (he scored the Beatles' film Yellow Submarine and the James Bond film Live And Let Die).
