George Martin RIP


Passed away in London last night at age 90.
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I am very grateful for his contributions to popular music.  The Beatles’ music would not have been as wonderful as it is without his guidance and many contributions to their work. Saddened to hear of his death.

NY Times obit at link here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/arts/music/george-martin-producer-of-the-beatles-dies-at-90.html?_r=0 

Worth reading the comments that follow it.
The 5th Beatle. maybe third or fourth even in some polls, just behind the scenes.
ghosthouse, he's not 5th he's 3rd. 4th and 5th are still alive.
RIP papa Beatles.
I cannot think of any non-songwriter/performer involved in the music industry who has changed the world as much as George Martin. His is an amazing story and I feel we are all fortunate to have been able to benefit from his life's work. I know that my world is substantially richer for his having been in it.
Czarivey - very interesting your ranking of John and George vs Paul; but I will not argue your elevation of Sir George in any case.  


Jerroot - Hear! Hear!
The Beatles, fans of The Beatles and fans of popular music are lucky to have known George through the iconic recordings which he produced.
I was fortunate many years ago (before the multipart TV broadcast of The Beatles special) to see George in a production at the Beacon Theater in NYC called "The Making of Sgt. Pepper's" which was part live lecture--part film presentation-- in which George took the audience through the recording process of each song. By now that has been well documented--but back then it was truly a revelation and a thrill to hear it from George himself.
A total class act. RIP George Martin.
I have always had enormous respect for his contribution to Beatles music. If you listen to early, unprocessed Beatles songs they were always catchy. But what we hear today is the result of George Martin's ability to refine their music into the masterpieces we have loved for decades. Thanks, George, for the many hours we have enjoyed listening to their songs.    
Hey what i meant is John was first and George H. was second.
George Martin is 3rd Beatle if you do math.
Ringo and Paul still remain... so who's 4th or 5th we don't know yet.
Huge impact on music....made the Beatles interesting.

(Oh no he dint!)

Let the hysteria begin.

(Seriously though...had the Beatles not gotten his care and feeding...not sure they’d be anything even remotely near what they are today)

GM- a true gentleman whom gave us music lovers, The Beatles.


Are there any books on Sir Martin?

Jafant, he wrote a book called All You Need is Ears which I found to be a good read. It’s got a lot of his personal history and a lot of his explanations/opinions about music/acoustics/engineering. I think the NYT article mentioned a later autobiography.
What a loss. He was indeed brilliant. And among so much of what he gave us is the Beatles' "Love" album, the soundtrack for the unforgettably spectacular Cirque Du Soleil stage show I was lucky enough to have caught in Vegas a few years back. That soundtrack CD (on which George's son, Giles, also contributed) is a wonderfully brilliant re-imagining of what a touchstone the fab four have always been in my life and for so many others, without a doubt.

The first rock album I ever owned was Sgt Peppers at age 7 and it was not that long after that every lyric on it was permanently burned into my psyche. That kicked off for me a life-long love affair with their music.

RIP, Sir George.