Fifth Beatle Gone.
Influence lives on.
George Martin known as the fifth Beatle due to his work with the band at Abbey Road Studios has died.
The studio is near a crossing on a road which the Beatles used to cross and there is a famous picture of the band doing this which is imitated by fans of the band visiting today.
It was Martin who first signed the band and witnessed them at the 'Cavern' club and at the time it was reckoned the band were the best performing live act which was some achievement given there must have been a good 400 or 500 hundred bands around at this time.
At first the Beatles collectively and Martin as producer and arranger did not always see eye to eye on music and perhaps other things too. The Beatles were working class lads from Liverpool where as George Martin was a sort of upper crust public schooled man and yet the unlikely pairing of man and band must have paid dividends as both the Beatles and Martin are now legendary worldwide.
Lennon and McCartney wrote most of the songs for the band but Martin from his background in Jazz and Classical music brought his influence to the band that probably honed the rather rougher sound of the Beatles. He turned a live band into a studio album band with concept albums which became a concept (forgive the pun) for other bands like Pink Floyd who followed them in their recorded work.
John Lennon in an old interview shown by BBC News admitted the differences between the Beatles and Martin and said Martin had never worked with a rock band before the Beatles. Subsequently Martin went on to work with other bands and artists and even did a Bond sound track.
Speaking of Bond, Roger Moore has given his condolences as has Paul McCartney, Lenny Kravitz, Boy George, Ringo Star, Mark Ronson, Sean Ono Lennon and Josh Groban and no doubt many more will add their condolences too.
George Martin recalled that when he and the band first met they could not play the piano and he the same with the guitar. Consequently as the relationship progressed between Martin and the band the band became more competent on the keys and he with the guitar.
Martin's arrangements used on the Beatles material using strings and brass are well known and have doubtless influenced bands and artists that came after the Beatles. It was probably unknown for a rock band back then to use strings and brass and after Martin applied it to the Beatles and other works he did it became standard for other bands to follow in his example.
Whether you loved or loathed the work of Martin whether it was working with the Beatles or other projects he was involved in many regard him as a genius in the field of popular music.
