Happy Music Monday! 2016 has killed again. But don't worry, this time it was a ninety-year old man who had a full and magical life. We'll miss George Martin, but he certainly wasn't taken from us too early.
Peter Sellers - The Trumpet Volunteer
Some of George Martin's first work was in comedy, in fact. For the Parliphone label he took a hip and current comic and recorded some of his bits onto a 10" EP. Today it might seem a bit tame, but once upon a time, this was serious comedy. And the sales helped make George Martin into someone the company could take seriously.
More to come as we delve into the great George Martin's life and music. No Game Of Thrones jokes please. IT'S BEEN DONE. Editor's Note: after writing this I learned about Keith Emerson, so watch for him next week. It's gonna be a long year.
The Temperance Seven - You're Driving Me Crazy
This Martin-produced pop single went to Number One in the England of 1961. Two things to notice here. First, this is what all those Sixties legends were rebelling against when they bought American rock music. Kinda understandable, right? And two, this is what the Beatles would be drawing from a few years down the road when stuff like Honey Pie was being recorded. Feels like a missing link just slapped into place, doesn't it? But remember, this was early in George Martin's career, and it was not the end. For a hint of what's to come, jump to 3:24. Because that wonderful little weirdness with the horns was opening a door to what was coming.
In 1962, the boys from Liverpool were still doing Little Richard covers. George Martin was doing this, as part of a project with Maddalena Fagandini from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Knowing he was into the avant-garde early, it's no wonder Martin was daring enough to follow the lads from this to this. It's also my second favorite George Martin "side project," as it were. My favorite? Glad you asked!
Designed to be a theme for the BBC, this jaunty neo-classical piece has all the psychedlic modernity of 1967 pop music, but also keeps one eye on the traditional music of England. I hear it as a sort of call to prayer, an opening processional for the television era, but maybe that's just the Catholic in me. Regardless, it's a well-arranged orchestral piece that stands alongside some other great George Martin works.
The Beatles - A Day In The Life
Ultimately George Martin would only be known for his work with The Beatles, but he never really seemed sad about that. He kept working for almost all of his career, including stints with America and Ultravox and Elton John and the occasional trip back to join some former Beatles on their solo projects. He worked with James Bond and the Mahahavishnu Orchestra. And he's one of the few producers people still know by name! So don't feel bad that George is no longer with us. Be happy that somewhere in the great beyond, John Lennon and David Bowie are clearly working on a new record together, and they just needed the best producer they could find.
Let us just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia page and are here under fair use. See you next week.