Philblane...actually if you're looking at Revolution 9 as an experimental contemporary classical piece, like John Cage or Karlheinz Stockhausen, it is amazingly accomplished! The production and weaving together of found aural odds and ends works well beyond what anyone could have expected from a pop group. It is actually more accessible than lot of the more historically important pieces of the time. Some experimental music critics actually credit it as one of the better such pieces of the time. Beatlemaniacs aren't exactly the most open-minded people, but with a little musical thinking outside the box(which John certainly understood) its easy to see why George Martin later changed his tune on the piece!
@@f.w.2054 I totally agree. John will ALWAYS be the musically gifted one. Paul was a hack. All these Macheads refuse to acknowledge John ALSO played several instruments and his songs were ALWAYS innovative with NEW chord progressions and quirky tempo changes. Paul woke up with pennylane (unless that's the fake Paul they keep talking about)
There’s a difference between saying “disliked”, “disagreed with” - and “hated”... This is the sick influence of the language of social media kicking in on people trying to make serious stuff...
"Hated" in all caps, no less. Before I even looked at the video, I knew "hated" wasn't something Martin felt about any Beatles songs. However, I knew he was bummed out that McCartney didn't have him arrange the strings on "She's Leaving Home", because he was temporarily busy with some other projects.
And not just improving them--but improving them dramatically, in many cases---and, crucially, making them /distinctive/--different from all other music in the market. The Beatles, to their credit, wanted many of their songs to be distinctive--and Martin help them achieve that via novel arrangements or adding orchestration or the many unusual sounds/effects that we hear on Beatles songs. Martin was brilliant, and he played a huge role in the success of the Beatles.
I agree, but context is important. It was great on Let It Be as a self-aware throw-back, but it would've hit different in 1962 as a serious effort from a fledgling band. Martin was right to reject it the first time. It's fun to be a little corny when you've built up the kind of credibility Beatles had by 1969, but if they launched their career with that kind of thing they'd've been dismissed as a joke band.
This is one of the very first songs John ever wrote. Not too shabby for a teenaged kid. A favorite track of this aficionado, it rocks. Let’s face it, the discography of JWL singing lead is finite and each song is precious. Yes, even “Mr. Moonlight. Lennon’s vocal is terrific but the harmonies were arranged poorly. It’s the producer’s job to correct that in the studio.
ya, whether he liked them or not - that was completely irrelevant. There are some songs - 'if I never hear them again...' Mother Should Know, 8 Days.. short list - well not so short - having to perform them when they hurt just to sing, physically and lyrically. Too bad the Beatles and the Beach Boys didn't have a song-sharing pact. lol
anyone who has heard Beatles' outakes will realize that Mr Martin was crucial in transforming the songs into timeless gems . I doubt any other producer could have done what he did .
Yes, it's so easy to forget these days what a great producer can do. Lots of great music played by one person in the guitar pedal demos I watch. Would have taken a room full of people decades ago, but we do still sing to the Beatles for 60 years now because of that SYNERGY. That exact mix of people at that exact time, never to happen again. We are SO, SO lucky to listen at any time we wish. ❤❤❤
ya, imagine standing at the pearly gates while the big guy looks down at you and asks: 'OK, what's your name and what did you do during your life time OF SIGNIFICANCE?' "Yes, SIR, I'm George Martin and I produced all but one of the Beatles 250 (-odd) songs. Oh, and I was Knighted for the Queen's royalty. The big guy says: 'Yes, I remember you were busy with Cilla else you could've boasted they were ALL your production. You HAVE done well for the planet. REAL WELL. And I even like "One after 909! (wink") B =]
I saw one of the last documentaries George Martin did before he died it was with the BBC. He said the song' She loves you' didn't start with the chorus he told them to start with the chorus as it took to long to get to with the original version. Even small changes he made to songs and arrangements made a big difference.
He was the perfect producer for that band. Doesn't mean he was the best producer in the world. Just like Ringo was the perfect drummer for them even if he wasn't the worlds best drummer.. The chemistry just worked like magic with all involved.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 I didn't say he was the best producer in the world. How do you define who is the best producer anyway? What he could do that a lot of other producers couldn't was conduct an orchestra and do orchestral arrangements as he was classically trained and could read music. McCartney mentioned to Rick Rubin that most producers would call in a an orchestral arranger to deal with the orchestra while Martin could do this himself.
He also got the boys to soup up 'It Won't Be Long' It started as a ho- hum country & western style, and Martin got them to give it a r&r beat and make it lively. I think he did the same with 'She Loves You' ....but only Paul or Ringo would know for sure.
If not for Martin I doubt Please Please Me would have been their first no. 1 hit. John wanted to do it a slower Roy Orbison style but Martin asked them to speed it up.
5:58 “It didn't appeal to me too much. In the same way that I think it's okay to find an old record of Nat King Cole's and bring it back to life and issue it but to have him singing with his daughter is another thing.” I’m glad I’m not the only one. I never liked that “duet” between Natalie Cole and her deceased father-it struck me as, well, kind of creepy. Natalie could respond to her dad’s singing but her dad…?
I think it's a beautiful rendition of Unforgettable and want to believe Nat would have liked and appreciated the sound and the technology it took to create it.
I agree with George Martin’s comments on Revolution 9. But I don’t dislike the other songs that were mentioned. I actually find “Within you Without you” to be one of the most interesting tracks on the album. The blending of Indian music and western music always sounded very original and unique to me.
Revolution 9 was modestly interesting. I remember listening to it as a kid when it came out. It would have been a struggle but the White Album could have been edited down to one LP, and 9 would have been the first to go.
If Rev 9 had been left off, it would have been a huge loss, unless a separate album were released featuring it, for hardcore fans only, perhaps with You Know My Name, Look Up My Number.
Whatever reservations George Martin had about any of The Beatles' music, he always struck me as a consummate professional that poured everything he had into each of their projects and did his best to bring out their best - irrespective of his personal feelings about the project in question. RIP.
Like any other art form, music is subjective. Even if a great producer has to deal with a few songs that don't suit his taste. Heck, Decca passed on the Beatles because "guitar music is dead". Talk about a Homer Simpson "doh!" moment lol.
I’ve always thought the only reason the 3 liked the Spector produced tracks is due to Paul not liking them. It fits with the times and tensions that existed.
spectors version of let it be is my favorite version, with georges guitar solo keeping the rock and roll in the song. The other versions were lacking that "punch" the song needed. John didnt like the song but spectors version kept true to what the beatles were, a rock and roll band. It reminds of the styx song lady, it starts off like a slow love song but halfway they switch gears and its back to heavy guitars and drums like a real rock and roll song.
I liked some of Spector's work. The Long and Winding Road for example. It is a great song on it's own but I really thing Spector made it far more dramatic.
The Beatles idolized Spector, so they were probably jazzed when Phil agreed to help on some cuts. Some might say Spector had lost his magic touch by then, ....the jury is out.
The one negative thing that I thought about the Spector produced stuff was the addition of 'choirs' meaning vocal performances by people far outside the group's immediate personnel. I may be wrong (and have been many times) but I think the LIB tracks with these vocal performances are the first time ever in their catalog - and yes, I'm aware that Yoko and others had contributed in the past. Again, I'm talking folks that would be considered outside of family and close friends.
@@jonyjoe8464 It reminds me that Liberty added orchestration to the final release of Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody", but I thought they should have released the band version instead (Let's Get Together). It had that rock & roll "punch" that the orchestrated version did not have. They did release it in Germany a few years later, and that's where I first heard it.
C'mon you lot - all of this (likes and dislikes) is subjective. As someone who bought all their records on the release date, I thought, and still feel, that they were the greatest band ever. If I'm feeling frivolous I will sing along to Maxwell's Silver Hammer, though it is a weak song and I can easily see why the 'Fab 3' were driven to distraction by Paul trying to perfect it for such a long time. I never got #9, largely, I think, because I never tried to acquaint myself with avant-garde. All of us fans love the Beatles for a huge variety of reasons. For me, one of the best things was how they ended so many songs. They were in a class of their own. That's partly why one of my favourites is the B-side song, 'You Can't Do That'. The fading tail-off is exceptional. I've always understood that George had a major input with their song endings and I hold him in the highest esteem for that, among other things. Geoff Boots
0:50 Royalty distribution - two points (1) Royalties are for the writers of the songs, not the performers (2) George Harrison was signed to Northern Songs but the deal was Lennon and McCartney both got a bigger share than Harrison - his beef was that Lennon McCartney got more money for a Harrison composition than Harrison
I think everyone disliked it because it was critical of the Beatles' formula. Inside the bullpen stuff. Same with "Not Guilty" which was shelved. George's musical contributions after 1967 were psychedelic and unconventional (until Abbey Road) which fit well within the Beatles' catalog. I'm guessing that George Martin disliked "Only a Northern Song" because he felt that fans didn't want to hear that kind of stuff...or would connect with it. He was old school and the Beatles kept pushing him (intentionally and unintentionally) out of that mindset. They all grew and learned from one another. Martin was no exception.
@hakonberg8003 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
'Imagine' if George Martin passed up on the Beatles, like every other producer did. You can't say it couldn't have happened. Him talking about 'Dead John' almost got me! 💀
So you sneer at Within You Without You....... It was one your more incredible orchestral arrangements with Indian instruments and Indian music that made it through, Mr. Martin. It is brilliant!
@jawoody9745 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
Sometimes people shouldn’t be allowed opinions, pretentious? Lmao. Probably the most spiritual and psychedelic song The Beatles ever recorded and an integral part to sgt peppers that diversifies the texture and pacing of the album in the most perfectly required way. The album would suffer for not having its inclusion.
@@aryastark1816 What are you asking of me? Yes we have different opinions and I believe yours to be particularly poor on this topic based on a misinterpretation of the purpose and vibe of the song.
I agree the Beatles would’ve never been as big as they were musically without George Martin…! it was him that opened their minds to experiment and try new things and depart from the previous song, writing styles.
I completely disagree. The 4 Beatles had great success as solo artists in the decade after they broke up. The same cannot be said for George Martin, who was up to the job of being the Beatles producer. But MANY MANY others would have done great. McCartney and Geoff Emerick were de facto producers for some of their later albums.
@@HEADLINEZOO Geoff was a Telemann engineer, and someone very good for McCourt. Need to bounce ideas off George Martin also bounce ideas off him.. but the Beatles, after they broke up, would have never ever been even played if it wasn’t for their past as Beatles. it was the combined effort that made the magic and the combined effort had George Martin as the fifth important entity…!
@@HEADLINEZOO The Beatles as solo artists came nowhere near the artistic and commercial success they had with Martin. One listen to the listless Mike Smith-produced Decca audition further illustrates the crucial link between their vision and a producer who could coax that inimitable Beatle sound out of them. Compare Glynn Johns and Phil Spector's uninspired work on Let It Be with Martin's glorious return on Abbey Road and you'll see just how indispensable he really was. He performed on their albums, he guided their studio experimentation, he was the Fifth Beatle.
Without George Martin they would have just been another rock band. They would have been very very famous and noteworthy in their beginning years as they were, but after that they really wouldn't have held onto it as long as they did. As bands around them pushed boundaries in the mid 60s they would have fallen down hard
@@nonrepublicrat I totally agree with that. He made the Beatles sound like coming out of a cardboard box. Listen to the rooftop concert, where he wasn't involved. That's how the Beatles could have sounded if he hadn't been there.
What theme?? There is no running theme to "Sgt. Pepper's" other than the whole Billy Shears thing. Not a concept album but a random assemblage of songs. Lennon always said "Sgt. Pepper's" was not a concept album and he was correct.
@@goplad1 You're right. After 'With A Little Help....' the idea of a band-within-a-band dissolves. No such unit would've been singing stuff like 'She's Leaving Home,' that's for sure.
@@DerpRulesAll Never was intended to be a concept album but fans tried to make it one. Lennon never understood why anyone would consider Sgt Pepper's a concept album. It's more of a theme album if anything at all.
I've always been mostly a late-period Beatles fan. Probably because I came of age at the time of the White Album. As I look back now, I've come to the opinion Revolver, Rubber Soul and Peppers made up the best work. They are simply - but beautifully - arranged and produced - especially the original British versions of Revolver and Rubber. When I listen to those 2 albums, complete as the Beatles intended, they stand up as incredibly inventive and fresh songs today. Martin was instrumental in creating the magic of the middle (and imo the best) period. I don't think anyone else would have caught the lightning and put it in a bottle in the same way.
The songs are Only A Northern Song Revolution 9 Within You Without You One After 909 The German Versions of I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You Free As A Bird Let It Be (album)
Let It Be was perfect. The Beatles ended with that and Abbey Road. Their best studio work and Let it Be a best live performance leaving fans wanting more.
The Let it Be album was pure trash with McCartney running the show. They should have quit after Pepper. Oh yes, Lady Madonna and Maxwell's Silver Hammer.
Agree about "Only A Northern Song." I never liked this noisy, disjointed throwaway that sounds stuck in a bad '67 acid trip. Totally disagree about "Revolution #9." I know a lot of folks, even Beatles fans, hate this one, but I have always loved it. Listening to it alone in the dark is spine-tingling. However, I can see why someone would argue it isn't really a Beatles song, rather more like a Plastic Ono Band track intruding onto a Beatles album. "Within You Without You" is fantastic, and I always thought so. Amazing blend of Eastern and Western styles that hadn't existed before This single track had an indelible impact on western pop music for several years after. "One After 909" is admittedly a bit unambitious in its composition, but the exuberance rescues it. I like the 1963 recording of it more than the reboot on the "Let It Be" album even though the original is kinda roughshod and marred by one of George Harrison's worst guitar leads ever recorded. Yeah, screw those German novelty cuts. Maybe it went over well in Deutschland, but it's an eye-roller everywhere else. "Free As A Bird/Real Love" are dreary, terrible sounding bits of grave robbery. I REALLY wish they hadn't done these. "Let It Be" was alright for what it was: a salvage job from mountains of outtakes. Spector made the album sound good, but his insistence on overdubbing copious amounts of muzak dressing was a bit much.
Agree with you about Rev#9. First heard it as an 11 yo in the dark in 1968. It scared the living crap out of me. Everytime I hear it, it takes me back to my first listen. It still scares me to this day. Its kinda gothic and creepy. I love it. Whenever I play the White Album I never skip it.
@vandenro For the full effect, I love starting at "Cry Baby Cry" and letting the album run out from there. The transitions between tracks are incredible, especially the contrast when "Goodnight" follows "#9" is downright eerie. Hail to thee, fellow 9er! 🙌
I listen to Real Love in rotation as much as any regular Beatles release and thought it was fabulously done, but hearing him talk about what he'd have done instead makes me wonder what it might have sounded like with the George Martin treatment. I'd never heard that clip/interview before--thank you!!!
I discovered the Beatles when I was in high school--face it, they broke up when I was seven--and when this one guy found out that I was a Beatles fan, he'd start saying "Number nine, number nine, number nine..." every time he saw me. I can see why George Martin didn't think too much of that piece.
@@ebberman7672 It’s certainly not his best. I always got the feeling he was trying to make it sound like “When I’m 64.” But, it’s nowhere near as good.
No way is that song a masterpiece. At least not in the truest definition of the word. It is a garden variety raga, not original in any way. That being said I happen to like it but it really isn't anything special.
Not much The Beatles ever released was not a masterpiece. Granted musical taste is subjective, the unfathomable success of The Beatles is solidly objective to the masses consensus.
I only realized recently what a wonderful ambiguity is in the very title "Within you, without you." It all turns on the two meanings of 'without.' It can mean that a wonderful world is outside oneself (as well as within oneself) or it can be a contemplation of the future world minus oneself and what that would mean.
In George Martin's autobiographie, he claims that the peak of his career was producing the Apocalypse album for the Jazz/Rock-Fusion band "The Mahavishnu Orchestra". This makes complete sense to me being a Beatles and Mahavishnu fan.
@@neilgordon8145 Wow. I didn't even realize that he produced two of his biggies! I saw McLaughlin and Beck on the same ticket on Wired tour in Los Angeles. Beck came out during McLaughlin's set. Man, what a fiery exchange it was!!
@@MikeDial Good observation. I was 12 when the Beatles first came to the USA. Most of the girls in my Maryland school went to see them play live in Washington DC. I wish I had gone, because I was already a Beatlemaniac by then, but alas, I had to settle for hearing the girls tell me how great it was, the day after. I've been a musician ever since, and play dozens of Beatles songs. And yea, some of their material was 2nd rate. Like sometimes Babe Ruth struck out.
Seems like a bad idea to me, but I’ve signed into my email account using this hand me down IPhone, just to leave TH-cam comments. I like your layered pun alot… made me laugh.
Martin was brilliant. When they were all in gear, Martin was more like the 2nd Beatle than the 5th. He was wrong about "Within You Without You" though. And it was a perfect, mystical addition to Sgt Pepper.
@stringtheoryx People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
@@bluemoon-20 Who gives a shit if the sitar was unique? This was an English band not some guys recording background music for an Indian restaurant. Terrible dirge of a song.
@@CB-xr1eg The whole point of the Beatles was pressing musical boundaries and breaking through preconceptions. Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, Mr Kite, Tomorrow Never Knows, Norwegian Wood, etc. etc. NOT a single rock-n-roll song among 'em. There were other conventional less innovative guitar bands that had that turf covered.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 oh, absolutely! Compare the score for "Eleanor Rigby", etched, concise, biting, not one superfluous note, with the score for "Good night", which is pure schmaltz. This song would have been perfect just as it was conceived, a lullaby with just voice and acoustic guitar. Even George Martin was not exempt from faux passes....
@giorgiocurcetti4001 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
not so groundbreaking. it's an attempt to make music concrète, and not a particularly successful one. it's only groundbreaking to listeners who aren't aware of that style of music, which had been around for many years before the Beatles attempted their own version.
@@geenadasilva9287 I’m not going to disagree with you there per se but I will add: yeah but had any mainstream act ever done something like that? Particularly one that was the biggest band on the planet? You go from basic love songs to extreme abstract with the span of only 4 years. That’s why I say it’s groundbreaking. Sort of similar to saying synth wasn’t first seen on music charts with Gary Numan’s Cars but that it was still instrumental. The ‘not a particularly successful one’ I can’t argue with too much though because although to me it’s very fascinating, one could argue it’s the music equivalent of a cheap knock off artist producing Jackson Pollock drip paintings. But this track is integral to the white album. On this crazy double album of everything, an abstract art song fits the bill perfectly. It also shows that the Beatles could be anything.
IMO Sgt Pepper would have been a lesser album without the variety and sophistication of Within Without You - I even dug it when the album was first released during my Palaeozoic Era childhood. I loved the timing shifts. Later I became a prog fan.
I Love “Within You Without You”. George Martin was brilliant, but his background was in classical music. He didn’t understand Harrison’s music, which was heavily influenced by non-European sources. Martin just didn’t get it, but I sure did do.
@robertkerr4201 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
Dear Prudence was written during the India experience. It is ,in my opinion ,the best song on the White album. The lyrical and musical production on it is just beautiful.
1. Only a Northern Song 2. Revolution 9 3. Within You Without You 4. One After 909 5. I Wanna Hold Your Hand / She Loves You (German versions) 6. Free as a Bird / Real Love 7. Let It Be (album)
Exactly. The Beatles were reliant on a producer since they were uneducated musically. George Martin was perfect for them. He wasn't always keen on their music but he had a job to do and he took it seriously. He always knew his imprint was on each and every Beatles song.
It took awhile to warm up to Within You Without You. It creates a very somber mood and you can argue it affected the pace of the album, most likely the reason they placed it as the last song on side one. A better substitute might have been something like The Inner Light, a somewhat lighter song in mood but also with Indian leanings.
I'm glad to have Revolution #9 as part of the Beatles' legacy: they experimented with so many musical genres, and it seems only right that they should have this example of musique concrete in the lineup.
Absolutely, on other TH-cam Beatles videos many fans hate Revolution No 9 with a passion. It frightened me as a 13 year old when it came out in 1968. Over the years I came to realise that it was like an acid trip and when Ringo sings "Goodnight everybody, " the bad trip is over and we are safe and left warm in our beds. Whether the Beatles meant this interpretation - probably not. But Revolution no 9 has become one of my favourite of the Beatles recordings.
When George passed away, I wrote this: AT the Times of the Fab Four He picked us in a Magical Tour Singing " all you need IS love" With a shiny rainbow above Mister's Kite circus posters wheelin' A lonely guitar gently sweepin' Meeting Maharishi Mahesh In India,where's no flash To be eaten,only Spirit and Hope And caught with a silky rope Like a butterfly on Krisna's smile Waiting to you for a while So Just light and burn insence cônes To remind our heavenly Bones And Let his ashes flow away into the Sacred Waters Carrying People's sadness and coloured flowers UP to the open arms of Goddess Shiva And thé revealed veiled face of Maya Between Nothingness and Eternity.
Within You Without You? People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. A groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages. Btw, George Martin TRULY was the 5th Beatle...
His personal opinion on specific song's could never take away his contribution to The Beatles incredible and timeless success, Once they had Epstein, Martin and Ringo in place it was strap in and hold on. Still viral to this day with no end in sight.
@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 As you indicated, those vital pieces of the Beatles creation were so important, removing one or two changed the band's amazing chemistry. When Brian died, his valuable overseeing of the band was gone. To help fill the vacuum, Paul stepped forward, leading to strained relationships. The incredible talents of John, Paul, George, Ringo and George Martin would have succeeded nonetheless, but that original setup and chemistry led to musical perfection.
Yes, it was perfectly positioned as the first track on the second side, so you could drop the needle onto the second track. Everyone I know did the same. Such a boring dirge that didn't fit on the album at all.
@@williamstroker6805 Although I've only listened to that track, maybe, once in my life, all the way through, I remember thinking how 'ballsy' it was for them to include this on the album, kind of, out of the blue. The young me was impressed by that in a weird way. I was such a Beatles fan that, pretty much, anything they did, even if I didn't like it, had a silver lining.
I agree with him with regards to Free as a bird. Had the John's original demo been used as a guide to a new song it would be much more interesting and creatively fulfilling for the remaining three.
Every one has an opinion I guess. I particularly hate Revolution 9, it is horrendous. But I liked Within You and Without You so much from the first time I heard it
George Martin bridged the gap between being just an A&R man ( as JWL introduced him to Billy Preston as) for EMI and being the Beatles de facto producer, and indeed basically the first pioneering rock producer ever.
I am shocked that George Martin dissed "Within You". Ever since I was a child, listening to it a couple of years after the album release - I always felt that this song was one of the highlights of the album. I loved especially how it kicked off the beginning of side two and set a mood of voyage and discovery. This masterpiece embodied everything that was exciting and new about the 1960s.
Difference is Lynne put on his "version" as if it were ELO doing it, a George Martin would have put a real orchestra, soft strings on it and no "Metal"guitar solo, but perhaps a Spanish nylon string guitar, flute solo, [indicating the idea of a bird flying free] French horns or similar stuff. Which I would have preferred instead of the psychopathic heavy sound. It was not typical of the Beatle sound. It was faux ELO. No thanks. Let's Get Giles started on that!!!
@@thomastimlin1724 I agree. Lynne did make it sound ELO-ish, especially on the drums but what I do like is how minimal he kept the arrangement. Free As Bird sounds like it would fit on The White Album whereas Martin’s arrangement would’ve overdone it.
"It was officially released until January, 1969". What, every day? Or did they remove it from the shelves forever? I mean, I have a ton of copies of it...
That's what happens when: (1) The scriptwriter doesn't understand what he's writing about; and (2) the narrator doesn't know what he's talking about. Nearly all of these TH-cam "Beatles" endeavours are sad affairs. The only one out here who KNOWS what he's talking about is the UK fella from Parlogram.
@@pacz8114 Yeah, Parlogram is great. He doesn't just know his stuff, but he goes the distance as a collector as well. I don't know if you watched his trip to Abbey Road Studios? He'd bought this rare reel to reel tape of Sgt Pepper, and the only place to have it transferred to digital was the place where it'd originally been used. Fascinating stuff.
@@SpaceCattttt Hey, SpaceCattttt -- Yes, I saw that one. It's a keeper. I've studied the group's music, solid, since about 1978 and I can say he's always spot-on with accuracy. I also like how he's open to suggestion (I've discovered that we're from the same age group -- though he's a bit younger...so we share an affinity in space and time for getting into the Beatles in the '70s/'80s. I was also fortunate in that I had an older brother playing the 45s back in the 1960s, so I had it in my ears from an infant onward!)
@@pacz8114 I'm slightly younger than both of you, then, but I still discovered the Beatles in the 80s, which I'm grateful for because I don't think young people today appreciate the magic of the album (or the single, really) as an artform. They listen to a few tracks with the most streams on Spotify and then leave it at that. There's no band loyalty or love for the music. People don't visit their friends to listen to the latest record by so and so in their headphones and then discuss what they've just heard. But I digress. I suspect that the narrator of this video had a slip of the tongue, or something. I just couldn't help joking a bit about it! 😂
@@SpaceCattttt Agree on all fronts: the Beatles (along with Zappa and Brian Wilson's one and only solid LP) truly transformed the LP into a viable, musical art form starting in 1966 -- about a year ahead of the pack. I had a radio show in college where I played whole LPs. I could only do it on an overnight shift where the format was "free form" and so the show was on 3-6AM. (Though I didn't play '60 pop/rock music, that show was exclusively 1960s' jazz LPs.) My friends and I still have listening parties: we all meet at my house and bring our fave LPs and CDs (we're all in our 50s now). My wife cooks a nice meal for us and then we head up to the stereo room with our beers. Been doing this for 40 years on! Everything's on-the-table -- from the Stooges to the Baja Marimba Band. It's all "in-the-pocket".
One after 909 from Let it be is 10x better than the original recording in 1963, faster paced and so much grit. Pure Rock ‘n’ Roll. Billy Preston’s contribution is amazing, wish we saw more of him with the 4 dudes but I guess it is what it is
@@bluemoon-20 I'm curious now as to whether GM ever expressed his opinion about the song. As far as I know, Paul's never played it in concert, either. I didn't mind it -- we used to sing it in music class when I was in school -- but I certainly get why the others were repelled.
@QuarrellaDeVil lol, you're exactly right- it wasn't the song itself the guys hated, it was the tedious recording process. They're all on record with their various stories of torture about making it. Since GM was an integral part of that, I would guess even his patience may have been tried (though he and Paul usually got along very well).
As a producer GM was entitled to his opinion. He may've been right, however as fans, everything was new and chalked up to the creativity & diversity of their music. What about "You Know My Name-Look Up My Number" ???
When I was 8 or 9, my parents got the Anthology CDs, they couldn't afford the DVDs. So the first version of "Within You, Without You" was the instrumental from one of those CDs. I loved it. I had no idea what the song was about until very much later, but this instrumental version is lovely. I feel so great when I hear it. Kind of reminds me of "Bolero" in a certain way, yet feels so special
Yes. It was a collaboration. It just so happened a perfect collaboration leading to unfathomable success still going on well over half a century and counting.
'One After 909' was written solely by Lennon. John in his 1970 Rolling Stone cited it as an example of a song he would write separately from Paul even in the early days.
Martin was very wrong about Within You Without You. It’s a masterpiece, in part because of his west-meets-east production elements. To this day, it sounds like sonic perfection. He was very wrong about Free As a Bird and Real Love as well.
I imagine at some point George Harrison got tired of being known as just a guitar player for the Beatles but even if that had only been what he was and not also had developed into a writer of equal status, it still is not exactly looking bad on a resume and had to be a dream position.
Back in the exciting era of the Beatles most of us consumers and listeners were just teens. The early songs were catchy and fresh and easy to grasp and a real thrill. As the 60's moved on in the decade most of the generation were more than eager to hear whatever came next even if the music became perplexing and mysterious and even strange at times. No one at the time had any understanding of what went into the creation of the songs and albums. The introduction of third parties into the lives of the Beatles felt like an intrusion for many of us but of course we were too young to realize that the "Beatles" were just young men who were not even sure of their own destinies and that it would not last forever. For the most part George Martin keep the "boys" in line and I don't think they would have been what they eventually became had he not been that real fifth Beatle being them.
I like it too! To my ears, it sounds as though it would have been right at home on _Magical Mystery Tour_ (had it originally been released as a full-length LP by Parlophone). I feel the same about “It’s All Too Much”…which I’m sure some people consider too long & rambling, but I’ve always _enjoyed_ it!
George Martin was critical in getting the Beatles to the unfathomable position to which they achieved but that does not mean by default his personal opinion regarding specific songs is objective. As well the term "hated" might be a bit extreme as opposed to "disliked".
George Martin's assessment when first meeting the Beatles is quite insightful. "When I first met them in 1962, their material was terrible." In a separate interview he also stated, "I thought their music and their songs were rubbish." John and Paul had told Martin that they had written more than 100 songs together since 1956. However, only Love Me Do and Please, Please Me were any good...and those had to be completely re-worked. So, we are suppose to believe that in just two and three short years these two "terrible" songwriters whose music was "rubbish" suddenly became "genius" songwriters who released beautiful songs like, If I Fell, I'll Follow The Sun, Ticket To Ride, Yesterday, etc.? Pretty miraculous for two lads in their early 20's who repeatedly stated that they could not read or write music. Lastly, here is a very telling quote that explains a lot. It was published in a Mersey Beat magazine article shortly after Ringo replaced Pete Best and George Martin had met with these "terrible" songwriters: "The Beatles will fly to London to make recordings at E.M.I. Studios. They will be recording numbers that have been specifically written for the group, which they have received from their recording manager, George Martin." If they were such genius songwriters then why did they need songs specifically written for them? The answer is pretty obvious.
Well, your theory is based on old industry press releases which are basic throw away copy. I like your imagination. But it is possible to not only grow in 2 years but create something beyond what the original producer assessed.
This is like the Beatles version of the Oxfordian stuff about Shakespeare. Martin by all accounts did have a huge influence on refining the early Beatles with significant musical input, but if he could just write all that by himself he'd have done as much for other bands too and taken all the songwriting credits.
Whether he liked, disliked or hated "Within You, Without You" it surely is one of the more fine sounding, beautifully recorded with microphone placement and mic choice and wonderful experiments on Pepper. It's up there with many of their masterpieces in its own unique world and also keeps the album fresh with variety. I love it and interestingly - years later I discovered it's one of the best Beatle songs in infinite repeat to walk long walks to - it's challenging! lol
There are two completely different royalties. Royalties as an artist and performer, which the Beatles split equally, and royalties as a songwriter which are separate and paid to the songwriter, the rate being established by law not by record companies. George (Harrison) was talking about writer's royalties and how John and Paul wouldn't let him contribute as many songs and thus made less money. Ringo was not a writer so it's not an issue with him.
And vice versa, although George was already recognized in Britain for producing successful comedy albums. The Beatles saw George Martin's approval and offer of a record deal as their last chance.
The narrator's first sentence says it all: "The Beatles would never have been the same without George Martin". He made them different with his productions. Their songs were very good, and George Martin kept saying that all his life, but his production separated them from all others. And I agree with all of George's feelings about the songs he didn't like, especially Free As A Bird. It drags.
It's laughable when people talk about "the 5th Beatle" and it's not George Martin. Totally clueless. The one song I disagree with here is Within You Without You; I always liked it on Sgt Pepper.
I've been with the Beatles from 1964. I was the first kid at my elementary school to tell the other kids about them. I'm a musician, and can play at least half their songs, including lyrics. However, there are some Beatles songs that are 2nd or 3rd rate.
Poor George Harrison. Imagine being in the presence of Lennon and McCartney and trying to be relevant and creative. His skills diminished year by year.
Martin, considered the fifth Beatle, was a comedy album producer with a classical background. His contribution to the Beatles legacy was more important than most people realize.
It's strange but when you think about it, the Indian sounds George H. brought to The Beatles actually is a real part of The Beatles identifiable sound just as much as "A Hard Day's Night" is. When you hear sitar and tabular percussion, you think Beatles. Great foresight on George's part. ** Also, "Revolution 9" has great value in terms of "thinking outside the box." Editing out of context bits as a composition has great potential for use in abstract as well as more conventional art. You see the influence of "Revolution 9" in film montages.
Regardless of what songs Martin disliked, Harrison did not like his tie.
Good one!!
For starters 😂
Harrison owned his ass.
@@michaeldennis6077 Not at first, but I'm sure George may have told him to pound sand a time or two.
He didn't like Brian Epstein's tie, not George Martin's.
I don't think George Martin would've used the word 'hated'
Yes, I was thinking the same. Although stated in the context of Revolution 9, it may be appropriate.
I wonder if "Dead John" is an accurate quote, Seems ungentlemanly.
Philblane...actually if you're looking at Revolution 9 as an experimental contemporary classical piece, like John Cage or Karlheinz Stockhausen, it is amazingly accomplished! The production and weaving together of found aural odds and ends works well beyond what anyone could have expected from a pop group. It is actually more accessible than lot of the more historically important pieces of the time. Some experimental music critics actually credit it as one of the better such pieces of the time. Beatlemaniacs aren't exactly the most open-minded people, but with a little musical thinking outside the box(which John certainly understood) its easy to see why George Martin later changed his tune on the piece!
@@f.w.2054 I totally agree. John will ALWAYS be the musically gifted one. Paul was a hack. All these Macheads refuse to acknowledge John ALSO played several instruments and his songs were ALWAYS innovative with NEW chord progressions and quirky tempo changes. Paul woke up with pennylane (unless that's the fake Paul they keep talking about)
I forgot to mention all those exciting John intros and outros
There’s a difference between saying “disliked”, “disagreed with” - and “hated”...
This is the sick influence of the language of social media kicking in on people trying to make serious stuff...
Clickbait
It’s the nature of this particular beast. Perpetuate hate instead of promoting oneness.
Facts brotha
"Hated" in all caps, no less. Before I even looked at the video, I knew "hated" wasn't something Martin felt about any Beatles songs. However, I knew he was bummed out that McCartney didn't have him arrange the strings on "She's Leaving Home", because he was temporarily busy with some other projects.
America lost the grasp of the meaning words have a very, very long time ago
Although it wasn’t George Martin’s role to bring original songs to the table he was a master at improving them-that’s a fact.
there would be no Beatles if not for Gorge Martin.
And not just improving them--but improving them dramatically, in many cases---and, crucially, making them /distinctive/--different from all other music in the market. The Beatles, to their credit, wanted many of their songs to be distinctive--and Martin help them achieve that via novel arrangements or adding orchestration or the many unusual sounds/effects that we hear on Beatles songs. Martin was brilliant, and he played a huge role in the success of the Beatles.
And played a surprising number of piano parts on them
Early on for sure. But after Pepper he didn’t have much impact. Heck, you could argue that Emerick was most important or impactful from Revolver on.
I think One After 909 is a fun song. It's not trying to be work of art. Still fun to me.
the anthology ver is gr8
I agree, but context is important. It was great on Let It Be as a self-aware throw-back, but it would've hit different in 1962 as a serious effort from a fledgling band. Martin was right to reject it the first time. It's fun to be a little corny when you've built up the kind of credibility Beatles had by 1969, but if they launched their career with that kind of thing they'd've been dismissed as a joke band.
@@Md2802 they had way worse songs on other albums
One of my all time favorite.
This is one of the very first songs John ever wrote. Not too shabby for a teenaged kid. A favorite track of this aficionado, it rocks. Let’s face it, the discography of JWL singing lead is finite and each song is precious. Yes, even “Mr. Moonlight. Lennon’s vocal is terrific but the harmonies were arranged poorly. It’s the producer’s job to correct that in the studio.
To George Martin's credit, he made the best of any song he was charged with producing, whether or not he personally liked it.
ya, whether he liked them or not - that was completely irrelevant. There are some songs - 'if I never hear them again...' Mother Should Know, 8 Days.. short list - well not so short - having to perform them when they hurt just to sing, physically and lyrically. Too bad the Beatles and the Beach Boys didn't have a song-sharing pact. lol
anyone who has heard Beatles' outakes will realize that Mr Martin was crucial in transforming the songs into timeless gems . I doubt any other producer could have done what he did .
Yes, it's so easy to forget these days what a great producer can do. Lots of great music played by one person in the guitar pedal demos I watch. Would have taken a room full of people decades ago, but we do still sing to the Beatles for 60 years now because of that SYNERGY. That exact mix of people at that exact time, never to happen again. We are SO, SO lucky to listen at any time we wish. ❤❤❤
That's *Sir* George Martin. He really earned his knighthood, so we should respect that.
ya, imagine standing at the pearly gates while the big guy looks down at you and asks: 'OK, what's your name and what did you do during your life time OF SIGNIFICANCE?' "Yes, SIR, I'm George Martin and I produced all but one of the Beatles 250 (-odd) songs. Oh, and I was Knighted for the Queen's royalty. The big guy says: 'Yes, I remember you were busy with Cilla else you could've boasted they were ALL your production. You HAVE done well for the planet. REAL WELL. And I even like "One after 909! (wink") B =]
I saw one of the last documentaries George Martin did before he died it was with the BBC. He said the song' She loves you' didn't start with the chorus he told them to start with the chorus as it took to long to get to with the original version. Even small changes he made to songs and arrangements made a big difference.
He was the perfect producer for that band. Doesn't mean he was the best producer in the world. Just like Ringo was the perfect drummer for them even if he wasn't the worlds best drummer.. The chemistry just worked like magic with all involved.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 I didn't say he was the best producer in the world. How do you define who is the best producer anyway? What he could do that a lot of other producers couldn't was conduct an orchestra and do orchestral arrangements as he was classically trained and could read music. McCartney mentioned to Rick Rubin that most producers would call in a an orchestral arranger to deal with the orchestra while Martin could do this himself.
He also got the boys to soup up 'It Won't Be Long' It started as a ho- hum country & western style, and Martin got them to give it a r&r beat and make it lively. I think he did the same with 'She Loves You' ....but only Paul or Ringo would know for sure.
Took too long to get to the chorus? That's nonsense.
If not for Martin I doubt Please Please Me would have been their first no. 1 hit. John wanted to do it a slower Roy Orbison style but Martin asked them to speed it up.
5:58 “It didn't appeal to me too much. In the same way that I think it's okay to find an old record of Nat King Cole's and bring it back to life and issue it but to have him singing with his daughter is another thing.”
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I never liked that “duet” between Natalie Cole and her deceased father-it struck me as, well, kind of creepy. Natalie could respond to her dad’s singing but her dad…?
I think it's a beautiful rendition of Unforgettable and want to believe Nat would have liked and appreciated the sound and the technology it took to create it.
I agree with George Martin’s comments on Revolution 9. But I don’t dislike the other songs that were mentioned. I actually find “Within you Without you” to be one of the most interesting tracks on the album. The blending of Indian music and western music always sounded very original and unique to me.
Revolution 9 was modestly interesting. I remember listening to it as a kid when it came out. It would have been a struggle but the White Album could have been edited down to one LP, and 9 would have been the first to go.
If Rev 9 had been left off, it would have been a huge loss, unless a separate album were released featuring it, for hardcore fans only, perhaps with You Know My Name, Look Up My Number.
Whatever reservations George Martin had about any of The Beatles' music, he always struck me as a consummate professional that poured everything he had into each of their projects and did his best to bring out their best - irrespective of his personal feelings about the project in question. RIP.
Since he was such a perfectionist, these few negative comments really don't amount to much. A man's entitled to his opinions.
Perfectionist though he was, Martin picked out these 8 songs -- no others. How 'Old Brown Shoe' beats out anything is beyond me
@@babeeblues I like "Old Brown Shoe" a lot. Including it has wonderful driving melodic bass and guitar.
Like any other art form, music is subjective. Even if a great producer has to deal with a few songs that don't suit his taste. Heck, Decca passed on the Beatles because "guitar music is dead". Talk about a Homer Simpson "doh!" moment lol.
I’ve always thought the only reason the 3 liked the Spector produced tracks is due to Paul not liking them. It fits with the times and tensions that existed.
spectors version of let it be is my favorite version, with georges guitar solo keeping the rock and roll in the song. The other versions were lacking that "punch" the song needed. John didnt like the song but spectors version kept true to what the beatles were, a rock and roll band.
It reminds of the styx song lady, it starts off like a slow love song but halfway they switch gears and its back to heavy guitars and drums like a real rock and roll song.
I liked some of Spector's work. The Long and Winding Road for example. It is a great song on it's own but I really thing Spector made it far more dramatic.
The Beatles idolized Spector, so they were probably jazzed when Phil agreed to help on some cuts. Some might say Spector had lost his magic touch by then, ....the jury is out.
The one negative thing that I thought about the Spector produced stuff was the addition of 'choirs' meaning vocal performances by people far outside the group's immediate personnel. I may be wrong (and have been many times) but I think the LIB tracks with these vocal performances are the first time ever in their catalog - and yes, I'm aware that Yoko and others had contributed in the past. Again, I'm talking folks that would be considered outside of family and close friends.
@@jonyjoe8464 It reminds me that Liberty added orchestration to the final release of Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody", but I thought they should have released the band version instead (Let's Get Together). It had that rock & roll "punch" that the orchestrated version did not have. They did release it in Germany a few years later, and that's where I first heard it.
'Only a Northern Song' would easily make it to top 10 of my favorite Beatles songs.
LOL
"Within in, Without You" is just beautiful. I've always loved it.
Moi aussi.
Agree one of my favorites
True, that was the one song on this list that surprised me. I always liked it, especially for Sgt. Pepper.
It's crap. My opinion, of course.
I hate it! Different strokes...
C'mon you lot - all of this (likes and dislikes) is subjective. As someone who bought all their records on the release date, I thought, and still feel, that they were the greatest band ever. If I'm feeling frivolous I will sing along to Maxwell's Silver Hammer, though it is a weak song and I can easily see why the 'Fab 3' were driven to distraction by Paul trying to perfect it for such a long time.
I never got #9, largely, I think, because I never tried to acquaint myself with avant-garde. All of us fans love the Beatles for a huge variety of reasons. For me, one of the best things was how they ended so many songs. They were in a class of their own. That's partly why one of my favourites is the B-side song, 'You Can't Do That'. The fading tail-off is exceptional.
I've always understood that George had a major input with their song endings and I hold him in the highest esteem for that, among other things.
Geoff Boots
Ooo I can't stand Silver Hammer. Or Revolution...you like what you like.
Dear, it's not avant-garde; it's crap.
0:50 Royalty distribution - two points (1) Royalties are for the writers of the songs, not the performers (2) George Harrison was signed to Northern Songs but the deal was Lennon and McCartney both got a bigger share than Harrison - his beef was that Lennon McCartney got more money for a Harrison composition than Harrison
And compounded by not having as many of his own songs selected for album inclusion
I like "Only a Northern Song" a lot.
It's a great song.
Me too
And me.
I think everyone disliked it because it was critical of the Beatles' formula. Inside the bullpen stuff. Same with "Not Guilty" which was shelved. George's musical contributions after 1967 were psychedelic and unconventional (until Abbey Road) which fit well within the Beatles' catalog. I'm guessing that George Martin disliked "Only a Northern Song" because he felt that fans didn't want to hear that kind of stuff...or would connect with it. He was old school and the Beatles kept pushing him (intentionally and unintentionally) out of that mindset. They all grew and learned from one another. Martin was no exception.
Me too.... I am a northerner a Lancastrian by birth...
Set Pepper would not have been the same cultur changing milestone without Within You Without You. It defines the era
@hakonberg8003 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
'Imagine' if George Martin passed up on the Beatles, like every other producer did. You can't say it couldn't have happened.
Him talking about 'Dead John' almost got me! 💀
You'd prefer "Decomposed John"?
@@babeeblues Cremated John
If so, I don't think any of this hype would exist, as he said they weren't very good!!!!
@@cliveburgess4128 It wouldn't exist at all. And there have always been people who've said their very early stuff was spirited, but quite mediocre.
@@babeeblues Ex John....
So you sneer at Within You Without You.......
It was one your more incredible orchestral arrangements with Indian instruments and Indian music that made it through, Mr. Martin. It is brilliant!
@jawoody9745 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
George Martin later changed his mind about "Within You Without You", calling it a good track indeed.
@@aryastark1816wrong, the same John said that it was the best George's song and it s much better than Fixing a Hole or When Im 64
@@franagustin3094 Always take anything John said with 3000 lbs. of salt.
Sometimes people shouldn’t be allowed opinions, pretentious? Lmao. Probably the most spiritual and psychedelic song The Beatles ever recorded and an integral part to sgt peppers that diversifies the texture and pacing of the album in the most perfectly required way. The album would suffer for not having its inclusion.
@@aryastark1816 What are you asking of me? Yes we have different opinions and I believe yours to be particularly poor on this topic based on a misinterpretation of the purpose and vibe of the song.
I agree the Beatles would’ve never been as big as they were musically without George Martin…! it was him that opened their minds to experiment and try new things and depart from the previous song, writing styles.
I completely disagree. The 4 Beatles had great success as solo artists in the decade after they broke up. The same cannot be said for George Martin, who was up to the job of being the Beatles producer. But MANY MANY others would have done great. McCartney and Geoff Emerick were de facto producers for some of their later albums.
@@HEADLINEZOO Geoff was a Telemann engineer, and someone very good for McCourt. Need to bounce ideas off George Martin also bounce ideas off him.. but the Beatles, after they broke up, would have never ever been even played if it wasn’t for their past as Beatles. it was the combined effort that made the magic and the combined effort had George Martin as the fifth important entity…!
@@HEADLINEZOO The Beatles as solo artists came nowhere near the artistic and commercial success they had with Martin. One listen to the listless Mike Smith-produced Decca audition further illustrates the crucial link between their vision and a producer who could coax that inimitable Beatle sound out of them. Compare Glynn Johns and Phil Spector's uninspired work on Let It Be with Martin's glorious return on Abbey Road and you'll see just how indispensable he really was. He performed on their albums, he guided their studio experimentation, he was the Fifth Beatle.
Without George Martin they would have just been another rock band. They would have been very very famous and noteworthy in their beginning years as they were, but after that they really wouldn't have held onto it as long as they did. As bands around them pushed boundaries in the mid 60s they would have fallen down hard
Can you give me an example George Martin had of similar success with any act outside of The Beatles?
George Martin is and will always be the Beatles producer he was great at working with them probably played a bigger part than we will ever know
Martin was very overrated.
I wish George Martin could have produced the Let It Be album, it lacked something with Phil Spector….imho💁♂️
@@nonrepublicrat 100% agree!
@@nonrepublicrat I totally agree with that. He made the Beatles sound like coming out of a cardboard box. Listen to the rooftop concert, where he wasn't involved. That's how the Beatles could have sounded if he hadn't been there.
@@nonrepublicrat Oh, for chrissake.
I've always thought that "Within You, Without You" stated directly the theme of all the other songs on the Sergeant Pepper album.
@@mjhzen8313 Sure, like 'Lovely Rita,' and 'Lucy In The Skies;' no, Harrison's song only states its own theme.
Great song! Wonderful drone-ing, superb lyrics!
What theme?? There is no running theme to "Sgt. Pepper's" other than the whole Billy Shears thing. Not a concept album but a random assemblage of songs. Lennon always said "Sgt. Pepper's" was not a concept album and he was correct.
@@goplad1 You're right. After 'With A Little Help....' the idea of a band-within-a-band dissolves. No such unit would've been singing stuff like 'She's Leaving Home,' that's for sure.
@@DerpRulesAll Never was intended to be a concept album but fans tried to make it one. Lennon never understood why anyone would consider Sgt Pepper's a concept album. It's more of a theme album if anything at all.
"Within You without You " will always be in my top 10 of Beatles songs.
Abso-freakin-lutely!! It's a fantastic composition and an excellent performance on everyone's part.
Droning pretentious drivel.
@@djtrendsetta5766buzzwords!
It brings down a perfect album.
I love it, too. I also believe The Inner Light was stronger than many tracks on the White Album and Let It Be.
I've always been mostly a late-period Beatles fan. Probably because I came of age at the time of the White Album. As I look back now, I've come to the opinion Revolver, Rubber Soul and Peppers made up the best work. They are simply - but beautifully - arranged and produced - especially the original British versions of Revolver and Rubber. When I listen to those 2 albums, complete as the Beatles intended, they stand up as incredibly inventive and fresh songs today. Martin was instrumental in creating the magic of the middle (and imo the best) period. I don't think anyone else would have caught the lightning and put it in a bottle in the same way.
Even after all these years you still can't give Mr. Martin enough credit.
The songs are
Only A Northern Song
Revolution 9
Within You Without You
One After 909
The German Versions of I Want To Hold Your Hand and She Loves You
Free As A Bird
Let It Be (album)
Let It Be was perfect. The Beatles ended with that and Abbey Road. Their best studio work and Let it Be a best live performance leaving fans wanting more.
We know, we watched the video and listened. 🙄
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 Spector's version wasn't perfect. Let It Be - Naked was.
@@CB-xr1eg I never meant to imply Spector had anything to do with any perfection.
The Let it Be album was pure trash with McCartney running the show. They should have quit after Pepper.
Oh yes, Lady Madonna and Maxwell's Silver Hammer.
Agree about "Only A Northern Song." I never liked this noisy, disjointed throwaway that sounds stuck in a bad '67 acid trip.
Totally disagree about "Revolution #9." I know a lot of folks, even Beatles fans, hate this one, but I have always loved it. Listening to it alone in the dark is spine-tingling. However, I can see why someone would argue it isn't really a Beatles song, rather more like a Plastic Ono Band track intruding onto a Beatles album.
"Within You Without You" is fantastic, and I always thought so. Amazing blend of Eastern and Western styles that hadn't existed before This single track had an indelible impact on western pop music for several years after.
"One After 909" is admittedly a bit unambitious in its composition, but the exuberance rescues it. I like the 1963 recording of it more than the reboot on the "Let It Be" album even though the original is kinda roughshod and marred by one of George Harrison's worst guitar leads ever recorded.
Yeah, screw those German novelty cuts. Maybe it went over well in Deutschland, but it's an eye-roller everywhere else.
"Free As A Bird/Real Love" are dreary, terrible sounding bits of grave robbery. I REALLY wish they hadn't done these.
"Let It Be" was alright for what it was: a salvage job from mountains of outtakes. Spector made the album sound good, but his insistence on overdubbing copious amounts of muzak dressing was a bit much.
Agree with you about Rev#9. First heard it as an 11 yo in the dark in 1968. It scared the living crap out of me. Everytime I hear it, it takes me back to my first listen. It still scares me to this day. Its kinda gothic and creepy. I love it. Whenever I play the White Album I never skip it.
@vandenro For the full effect, I love starting at "Cry Baby Cry" and letting the album run out from there. The transitions between tracks are incredible, especially the contrast when "Goodnight" follows "#9" is downright eerie.
Hail to thee, fellow 9er! 🙌
@BigBri550 Agree 100%. 👍 The fade out of CBC by Paul transitioning into that spooky piano intro of Rev#9 is genius.
@@vandenro And the barely audible dialogue in between - fascinating stuff!
It's All Too Much is even worse
I listen to Real Love in rotation as much as any regular Beatles release and thought it was fabulously done, but hearing him talk about what he'd have done instead makes me wonder what it might have sounded like with the George Martin treatment. I'd never heard that clip/interview before--thank you!!!
I discovered the Beatles when I was in high school--face it, they broke up when I was seven--and when this one guy found out that I was a Beatles fan, he'd start saying "Number nine, number nine, number nine..." every time he saw me. I can see why George Martin didn't think too much of that piece.
Well, it was just an art piece. Kind of a rebellion. Yoko thought she was a genius and her voice has value for clearing a building of cats.
You might have replied, "Turn me on dead man" just to see what he would say.
I tend to think of George Martin as the unofficial 5th Beatle and I’m sure all the Beatles had songs they disliked.
John definitely disliked some of McCartney's later songs, labelling them "granny music".
The McCartney song Maxwell's Silver Hammer was not liked by the other three, or me.
@@ebberman7672 It’s certainly not his best. I always got the feeling he was trying to make it sound like “When I’m 64.” But, it’s nowhere near as good.
@@dalehas2 John disliked some of his own songs too. He could be quite harsh, especially on himself.
All successful bands have a producer that becomes the “extra” member. Miller/Stones, A Cooper/Ezrin, Aerosmith/Douglas, etc….
For me 'Within You Without You' is a masterpiece ........to each his own.
After "A Day in the Life", it's probably the best song on *Sgt. Pepper.*
Right
No way is that song a masterpiece. At least not in the truest definition of the word. It is a garden variety raga, not original in any way. That being said I happen to like it but it really isn't anything special.
Not much The Beatles ever released was not a masterpiece. Granted musical taste is subjective, the unfathomable success of The Beatles is solidly objective to the masses consensus.
@@goplad1 its has the best lyrics on the album
It's funny how I hated "Only Nothern Song" and "Within You Without You" when first heard them and how much I love them now!
I only realized recently what a wonderful ambiguity is in the very title "Within you, without you." It all turns on the two meanings of 'without.' It can mean that a wonderful world is outside oneself (as well as within oneself) or it can be a contemplation of the future world minus oneself and what that would mean.
In George Martin's autobiographie, he claims that the peak of his career was producing the Apocalypse album for the Jazz/Rock-Fusion band "The Mahavishnu Orchestra". This makes complete sense to me being a Beatles and Mahavishnu fan.
Apocalypse is a masterpiece!
Makes perfect sense, not a dodgy moment on that one. Brilliant from start to finish, and symphonic throughout, which was Mr. Martin's comfort zone.
He also wished he could have produced more albums by Jeff Beck!
@@neilgordon8145 Wow. I didn't even realize that he produced two of his biggies! I saw McLaughlin and Beck on the same ticket on Wired tour in Los Angeles. Beck came out during McLaughlin's set. Man, what a fiery exchange it was!!
Wow, I didn't know this! I had listened to that album for years but the George Martin influence never dawned on me.
I agree with George Martin's observations. None of those songs were ones that I liked.
I was never much of a Beatles fan.
BUT DID YOU HATE 'EM ?
@@MrDaiseymay No, I can't hate anything the Beatles did. They tried a little of everything, so it only makes sense that they failed once in a while.
@@MikeDial Good observation. I was 12 when the Beatles first came to the USA. Most of the girls in my Maryland school went to see them play live in Washington DC. I wish I had gone, because I was already a Beatlemaniac by then, but alas, I had to settle for hearing the girls tell me how great it was, the day after. I've been a musician ever since, and play dozens of Beatles songs. And yea, some of their material was 2nd rate. Like sometimes Babe Ruth struck out.
@@akrogirl32 Ah! That one are YOU!!!
I'll bet he REALLY hated "Revolution 909." And the one after that too.
Seems like a bad idea to me, but I’ve signed into my email account using this hand me down IPhone, just to leave TH-cam comments. I like your layered pun alot… made me laugh.
Lennon, born on Oct NINE, 1940, loved the Number NINE number nine etc
The one after 909 would be the 910.
Martin was brilliant. When they were all in gear, Martin was more like the 2nd Beatle than the 5th.
He was wrong about "Within You Without You" though. And it was a perfect, mystical addition to Sgt Pepper.
@stringtheoryx People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
@@bluemoon-20 Who gives a shit if the sitar was unique? This was an English band not some guys recording background music for an Indian restaurant. Terrible dirge of a song.
Wrong about what?
@@CB-xr1eg The whole point of the Beatles was pressing musical boundaries and breaking through preconceptions. Yesterday, Eleanor Rigby, Mr Kite, Tomorrow Never Knows, Norwegian Wood, etc. etc. NOT a single rock-n-roll song among 'em. There were other conventional less innovative guitar bands that had that turf covered.
@@stringtheoryxI don't give a fuck about boundaries ot preconceptions. WYWY is just an awful boring dirge.End of.
I have to disagree with the grand old producer. "Within you without you" is the highlight of an album packed with highlights...
Even perfect producers can have imperfect moments.
@@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 oh, absolutely! Compare the score for "Eleanor Rigby", etched, concise, biting, not one superfluous note, with the score for "Good night", which is pure schmaltz. This song would have been perfect just as it was conceived, a lullaby with just voice and acoustic guitar. Even George Martin was not exempt from faux passes....
@giorgiocurcetti4001 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
Maybe more a high-light?
I tuned out at revolution 9. It’s one of the tracks that got me into the beatles and made me realise how groundbreaking they were.
not so groundbreaking. it's an attempt to make music concrète, and not a particularly successful one. it's only groundbreaking to listeners who aren't aware of that style of music, which had been around for many years before the Beatles attempted their own version.
@@geenadasilva9287 I’m not going to disagree with you there per se but I will add: yeah but had any mainstream act ever done something like that? Particularly one that was the biggest band on the planet? You go from basic love songs to extreme abstract with the span of only 4 years. That’s why I say it’s groundbreaking. Sort of similar to saying synth wasn’t first seen on music charts with Gary Numan’s Cars but that it was still instrumental.
The ‘not a particularly successful one’ I can’t argue with too much though because although to me it’s very fascinating, one could argue it’s the music equivalent of a cheap knock off artist producing Jackson Pollock drip paintings.
But this track is integral to the white album. On this crazy double album of everything, an abstract art song fits the bill perfectly. It also shows that the Beatles could be anything.
Isn’t it referred to as cage music? I can’t remember the exact style, like Da Da art….
IMO Sgt Pepper would have been a lesser album without the variety and sophistication of Within Without You - I even dug it when the album was first released during my Palaeozoic Era childhood. I loved the timing shifts. Later I became a prog fan.
It would be a better album without When I’m 64.
I Love “Within You Without You”. George Martin was brilliant, but his background was in classical music. He didn’t understand Harrison’s music, which was heavily influenced by non-European sources. Martin just didn’t get it, but I sure did do.
@robertkerr4201 People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. Truly a groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
Within you and without you along with the inner light are two of my favourite Beatles songs
Joo, ne maapiuhat on hyvät olemassa, pieni vaiva, pienempi pörinä! Hyvä siitä tulee!
I’ve loved 909 since it first came out on the Let It Be album.
Dear Prudence was written during the India experience. It is ,in my opinion ,the best song on the White album. The lyrical and musical production on it is just beautiful.
Well, I have to agree with Revolution 9. The others I like.
Loved Sgt Peppers, but I always skipped Within You Without You, which was a drone for me.
Whaaaaaaaat
Sgt. Pepper would not be the same without George's "Within You Without You". A great place to start Side Two. I love it.
0:46 when read the lyrics, i see nothing about royalties he and Ringo don't earn. What am i missing?
1. Only a Northern Song
2. Revolution 9
3. Within You Without You
4. One After 909
5. I Wanna Hold Your Hand / She Loves You (German versions)
6. Free as a Bird / Real Love
7. Let It Be (album)
1. Blue Jay Way
@@MrBlondinch
Absolutely not dude 🙂
'Blue Jay Way' is the undiscovered gem, on MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR.
@@richardconnold5207 No it´s not said little Nic...
Without George Martin, the Beatles would never have reached the heights they did.
Hahahaha
Exactly. The Beatles were reliant on a producer since they were uneducated musically. George Martin was perfect for them. He wasn't always keen on their music but he had a job to do and he took it seriously. He always knew his imprint was on each and every Beatles song.
They probably would've...
Without the Beatles, George Martin would hardly be known. Maybe among all five of the Goon Show fans still alive.
SUCH a nice man!
One after 909 is outstanding. !
Eh, just one of their ''jam songs'' there is nothing to them really. Filler.
😂😂😂😂
It's a decent rock and roll song. Not outstanding.
Outstanding is high praise indeed. I'd say it was marginally better than Dr. Robert.
I LOVE ONE AFTER 909!
It took awhile to warm up to Within You Without You. It creates a very somber mood and you can argue it affected the pace of the album, most likely the reason they placed it as the last song on side one. A better substitute might have been something like The Inner Light, a somewhat lighter song in mood but also with Indian leanings.
I'm glad to have Revolution #9 as part of the Beatles' legacy: they experimented with so many musical genres, and it seems only right that they should have this example of musique concrete in the lineup.
Absolutely, on other TH-cam Beatles videos many fans hate Revolution No 9 with a passion. It frightened me as a 13 year old when it came out in 1968. Over the years I came to realise that it was like an acid trip and when Ringo sings "Goodnight everybody, " the bad trip is over and we are safe and left warm in our beds. Whether the Beatles meant this interpretation - probably not. But Revolution no 9 has become one of my favourite of the Beatles recordings.
Experimental is a synonym for unlistenable.
1:17 You said "it WAS officially released until January 1969" Vocal typo? and mistakenly credited the song to the wrong album in text (The Beatles)
Blue Jay way first appeared on Magical Mystery Tour.
That was kind of a dull song that turned me off, a total LSD trip....
MMT was another masterpiece.
When George passed away, I wrote this:
AT the Times of the Fab Four
He picked us in a Magical Tour
Singing " all you need IS love"
With a shiny rainbow above
Mister's Kite circus posters wheelin'
A lonely guitar gently sweepin'
Meeting Maharishi Mahesh
In India,where's no flash
To be eaten,only Spirit and Hope
And caught with a silky rope
Like a butterfly on Krisna's smile
Waiting to you for a while
So
Just light and burn insence cônes
To remind our heavenly Bones
And
Let his ashes flow away into the Sacred Waters
Carrying People's sadness and coloured flowers
UP to the open arms of Goddess Shiva
And thé revealed veiled face of Maya
Between Nothingness and Eternity.
Within You Without You? People forget how unique the sound of the sitar was back then. Young people like George Harrison were discovering India's lifestyle and music, meditation and self awareness. A groundbreaking song on an iconic album for the ages.
Btw, George Martin TRULY was the 5th Beatle...
His personal opinion on specific song's could never take away his contribution to The Beatles incredible and timeless success, Once they had Epstein, Martin and Ringo in place it was strap in and hold on. Still viral to this day with no end in sight.
@whichgodofthousandsmeansno5306 As you indicated, those vital pieces of the Beatles creation were so important, removing one or two changed the band's amazing chemistry.
When Brian died, his valuable overseeing of the band was gone. To help fill the vacuum, Paul stepped forward, leading to strained relationships.
The incredible talents of John, Paul, George, Ringo and George Martin would have succeeded nonetheless, but that original setup and chemistry led to musical perfection.
"I wouldn't have thought Sir George would have disliked "Within You". The rest make perfect sense.
"Within You, Without You" was always the one song I skipped while listening to SGT. Pepper. Still is.
Yes, it was perfectly positioned as the first track on the second side, so you could drop the needle onto the second track. Everyone I know did the same. Such a boring dirge that didn't fit on the album at all.
I skip about half the songs on "Sgt. Pepper's". One of my least favorite Beatles albums to be honest.
@@williamstroker6805 Although I've only listened to that track, maybe, once in my life, all the way through, I remember thinking how 'ballsy' it was for them to include this on the album, kind of, out of the blue. The young me was impressed by that in a weird way. I was such a Beatles fan that, pretty much, anything they did, even if I didn't like it, had a silver lining.
I agree with him with regards to Free as a bird. Had the John's original demo been used as a guide to a new song it would be much more interesting and creatively fulfilling for the remaining three.
Every one has an opinion I guess. I particularly hate Revolution 9, it is horrendous. But I liked Within You and Without You so much from the first time I heard it
George Martin bridged the gap between being just an A&R man ( as JWL introduced him to Billy Preston as) for EMI and being the Beatles de facto producer, and indeed basically the first pioneering rock producer ever.
It’s funny, quite a few George pointed out I had similar feelings about..
I am shocked that George Martin dissed "Within You". Ever since I was a child, listening to it a couple of years after the album release - I always felt that this song was one of the highlights of the album. I loved especially how it kicked off the beginning of side two and set a mood of voyage and discovery. This masterpiece embodied everything that was exciting and new about the 1960s.
I’m not a huge fan of Lynne’s production on Free As Bird but Martin’s approach sounds like it wouldn’t have been very good.
Difference is Lynne put on his "version" as if it were ELO doing it, a George Martin would have put a real orchestra, soft strings on it and no "Metal"guitar solo, but perhaps a Spanish nylon string guitar, flute solo, [indicating the idea of a bird flying free] French horns or similar stuff. Which I would have preferred instead of the psychopathic heavy sound. It was not typical of the Beatle sound. It was faux ELO. No thanks. Let's Get Giles started on that!!!
@@thomastimlin1724 I agree. Lynne did make it sound ELO-ish, especially on the drums but what I do like is how minimal he kept the arrangement. Free As Bird sounds like it would fit on The White Album whereas Martin’s arrangement would’ve overdone it.
Jeff Lynne is a very talented guy. ELO is great, but I absolutely HATE the snare sound on FaaB, Real Love, Cloud 9, Wilburys…
Behind the scenes stuff is awesome, especially when it delves so far back into modern music foundations.
"It was officially released until January, 1969".
What, every day? Or did they remove it from the shelves forever? I mean, I have a ton of copies of it...
That's what happens when: (1) The scriptwriter doesn't understand what he's writing about; and (2) the narrator doesn't know what he's talking about. Nearly all of these TH-cam "Beatles" endeavours are sad affairs. The only one out here who KNOWS what he's talking about is the UK fella from Parlogram.
@@pacz8114 Yeah, Parlogram is great. He doesn't just know his stuff, but he goes the distance as a collector as well.
I don't know if you watched his trip to Abbey Road Studios? He'd bought this rare reel to reel tape of Sgt Pepper, and the only place to have it transferred to digital was the place where it'd originally been used.
Fascinating stuff.
@@SpaceCattttt Hey, SpaceCattttt -- Yes, I saw that one. It's a keeper. I've studied the group's music, solid, since about 1978 and I can say he's always spot-on with accuracy. I also like how he's open to suggestion (I've discovered that we're from the same age group -- though he's a bit younger...so we share an affinity in space and time for getting into the Beatles in the '70s/'80s. I was also fortunate in that I had an older brother playing the 45s back in the 1960s, so I had it in my ears from an infant onward!)
@@pacz8114 I'm slightly younger than both of you, then, but I still discovered the Beatles in the 80s, which I'm grateful for because I don't think young people today appreciate the magic of the album (or the single, really) as an artform. They listen to a few tracks with the most streams on Spotify and then leave it at that. There's no band loyalty or love for the music. People don't visit their friends to listen to the latest record by so and so in their headphones and then discuss what they've just heard.
But I digress. I suspect that the narrator of this video had a slip of the tongue, or something. I just couldn't help joking a bit about it! 😂
@@SpaceCattttt Agree on all fronts: the Beatles (along with Zappa and Brian Wilson's one and only solid LP) truly transformed the LP into a viable, musical art form starting in 1966 -- about a year ahead of the pack.
I had a radio show in college where I played whole LPs. I could only do it on an overnight shift where the format was "free form" and so the show was on 3-6AM. (Though I didn't play '60 pop/rock music, that show was exclusively 1960s' jazz LPs.)
My friends and I still have listening parties: we all meet at my house and bring our fave LPs and CDs (we're all in our 50s now). My wife cooks a nice meal for us and then we head up to the stereo room with our beers. Been doing this for 40 years on! Everything's on-the-table -- from the Stooges to the Baja Marimba Band. It's all "in-the-pocket".
One after 909 from Let it be is 10x better than the original recording in 1963, faster paced and so much grit. Pure Rock ‘n’ Roll. Billy Preston’s contribution is amazing, wish we saw more of him with the 4 dudes but I guess it is what it is
What did he think of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"?
True, it's pretty well documented that making Maxwell's Silver Hammer drove the other Beatles crazy due to Paul's perfectionism and endless takes.
@@bluemoon-20 I'm curious now as to whether GM ever expressed his opinion about the song. As far as I know, Paul's never played it in concert, either. I didn't mind it -- we used to sing it in music class when I was in school -- but I certainly get why the others were repelled.
@QuarrellaDeVil lol, you're exactly right- it wasn't the song itself the guys hated, it was the tedious recording process. They're all on record with their various stories of torture about making it.
Since GM was an integral part of that, I would guess even his patience may have been tried (though he and Paul usually got along very well).
Comedy song about a serial killer? Don't know how it was ever recorded or released. Easily the worst song on Abbey Road ... sorry Paul.
@@dalehas2 The song is gaga. But - you know - people without black humor... How should I say?
As a producer GM was entitled to his opinion. He may've been right, however as fans, everything was new and chalked up to the creativity & diversity of their music. What about
"You Know My Name-Look Up My Number" ???
I’m a huge avant-garde fan I especially love Revolution nine I am so glad that it was release because it shows the Beatles off beast as it were.
It's a John and Yoko "song' . The Beatles wanted nothing to do with it's release.
@@paulhopkins8148 With good reason
If you like avant-garde then check out We're Only In It For The Money by Frank Zappa. It's wonderful.
@@paulhopkins8148 Can you blame them
I like You Know My Name, Look Up the Number" better, it makes me laugh out loud every time.
When I was 8 or 9, my parents got the Anthology CDs, they couldn't afford the DVDs. So the first version of "Within You, Without You" was the instrumental from one of those CDs. I loved it. I had no idea what the song was about until very much later, but this instrumental version is lovely. I feel so great when I hear it. Kind of reminds me of "Bolero" in a certain way, yet feels so special
it goes to show how the Beatles work isn't so individual but made up of several layers from others bringing it together
Yes. It was a collaboration. It just so happened a perfect collaboration leading to unfathomable success still going on well over half a century and counting.
"She Loves You" -- I will forever be enamored of that one song. It was the epitome of the enthusiastic energy that embraced a youthful love of life.
I loved Northern Song!
It doesn't really matter what clothes I wear
Or how I fair, or if my hair Is brown
'Cause it's only a Northern song
'One After 909' was written solely by Lennon. John in his 1970 Rolling Stone cited it as an example of a song he would write separately from Paul even in the early days.
Wasn't 'Revolution 9' John, Yoko, and George Harrison.??
Martin was very wrong about Within You Without You. It’s a masterpiece, in part because of his west-meets-east production elements. To this day, it sounds like sonic perfection. He was very wrong about Free As a Bird and Real Love as well.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Best regards from Germany!
Paul and John made a lot more money than George and Ringo because a lot of the money came from the publishing rights.
You don't say, lol.
I imagine at some point George Harrison got tired of being known as just a guitar player for the Beatles but even if that had only been what he was and not also had developed into a writer of equal status, it still is not exactly looking bad on a resume and had to be a dream position.
Within You Withou You is great. It seems that Martin had a little bit of prejudice.
Just goes to show that personal taste is a large factor in what anyone thinks of particular songs.
I actually love "Only a Northern Song." It's a great, trippy, psychedelic, song.
Back in the exciting era of the Beatles most of us consumers and listeners were just teens. The early songs were catchy and fresh and easy to grasp and a real thrill. As the 60's moved on in the decade most of the generation were more than eager to hear whatever came next even if the music became perplexing and mysterious and even strange at times. No one at the time had any understanding of what went into the creation of the songs and albums. The introduction of third parties into the lives of the Beatles felt like an intrusion for many of us but of course we were too young to realize that the "Beatles" were just young men who were not even sure of their own destinies and that it would not last forever. For the most part George Martin keep the "boys" in line and I don't think they would have been what they eventually became had he not been that real fifth Beatle being them.
I absolutely love "It's Only A Northern Song" one of my favorites in the beatles catalogue..
I too like it very much. It's moody and caustic.
I like it too! To my ears, it sounds as though it would have been right at home on _Magical Mystery Tour_ (had it originally been released as a full-length LP by Parlophone). I feel the same about “It’s All Too Much”…which I’m sure some people consider too long & rambling, but I’ve always _enjoyed_ it!
I hate that song…🤢🤮
@user-rw9cb8qq6x you have no class or taste 😅
You need medication doctorvortex. Something is wrong. Was it really the beatles catalogue? ...or maybe the ruttles?
George Martin was critical in getting the Beatles to the unfathomable position to which they achieved but that does not mean by default his personal opinion regarding specific songs is objective. As well the term "hated" might be a bit extreme as opposed to "disliked".
George Martin's assessment when first meeting the Beatles is quite insightful. "When I first met them in 1962, their material was terrible." In a separate interview he also stated, "I thought their music and their songs were rubbish." John and Paul had told Martin that they had written more than 100 songs together since 1956. However, only Love Me Do and Please, Please Me were any good...and those had to be completely re-worked. So, we are suppose to believe that in just two and three short years these two "terrible" songwriters whose music was "rubbish" suddenly became "genius" songwriters who released beautiful songs like, If I Fell, I'll Follow The Sun, Ticket To Ride, Yesterday, etc.? Pretty miraculous for two lads in their early 20's who repeatedly stated that they could not read or write music. Lastly, here is a very telling quote that explains a lot. It was published in a Mersey Beat magazine article shortly after Ringo replaced Pete Best and George Martin had met with these "terrible" songwriters:
"The Beatles will fly to London to make recordings at E.M.I. Studios. They will be recording numbers that have been specifically written for the group, which they have received from their recording manager, George Martin."
If they were such genius songwriters then why did they need songs specifically written for them? The answer is pretty obvious.
Well, your theory is based on old industry press releases which are basic throw away copy. I like your imagination. But it is possible to not only grow in 2 years but create something beyond what the original producer assessed.
Read Mark Lewisohn's book, to know the history, otherwize your opinion isn't fully informed, and subsequently of little value.
This is like the Beatles version of the Oxfordian stuff about Shakespeare.
Martin by all accounts did have a huge influence on refining the early Beatles with significant musical input, but if he could just write all that by himself he'd have done as much for other bands too and taken all the songwriting credits.
@Cliff589 "Could not even write music" simply means they lacked the skill to write sheet music, it does not mean they were unable to create songs.
Whether he liked, disliked or hated "Within You, Without You" it surely is one of the more fine sounding, beautifully recorded with microphone placement and mic choice and wonderful experiments on Pepper. It's up there with many of their masterpieces in its own unique world and also keeps the album fresh with variety. I love it and interestingly - years later I discovered it's one of the best Beatle songs in infinite repeat to walk long walks to - it's challenging! lol
In summary; He LOVED all the Beatles songs, some more than others !
There are two completely different royalties. Royalties as an artist and performer, which the Beatles split equally, and royalties as a songwriter which are separate and paid to the songwriter, the rate being established by law not by record companies. George (Harrison) was talking about writer's royalties and how John and Paul wouldn't let him contribute as many songs and thus made less money. Ringo was not a writer so it's not an issue with him.
If it wasn't for the Beatles no one would have even heard of George Martin
And vice versa. Before Martin, they'd been rejected by every producer in England.
And vice versa, although George was already recognized in Britain for producing successful comedy albums. The Beatles saw George Martin's approval and offer of a record deal as their last chance.
Bullshit
Fact!
Indeed, My Boomerang Won't Come Back springs to mind
The narrator's first sentence says it all: "The Beatles would never have been the same without George Martin". He made them different with his productions. Their songs were very good, and George Martin kept saying that all his life, but his production separated them from all others. And I agree with all of George's feelings about the songs he didn't like, especially Free As A Bird. It drags.
It's laughable when people talk about "the 5th Beatle" and it's not George Martin. Totally clueless.
The one song I disagree with here is Within You Without You; I always liked it on Sgt Pepper.
I've been with the Beatles from 1964. I was the first kid at my elementary school to tell the other kids about them. I'm a musician, and can play at least half their songs, including lyrics. However, there are some Beatles songs that are 2nd or 3rd rate.
Poor George Harrison. Imagine being in the presence of Lennon and McCartney and trying to be relevant and creative. His skills diminished year by year.
He seemed like a dour man from 64 on.
Martin, considered the fifth Beatle, was a comedy album producer with a classical background. His contribution to the Beatles legacy was more important than most people realize.
It's strange but when you think about it, the Indian sounds George H. brought to The Beatles actually is a real part of The Beatles identifiable sound just as much as "A Hard Day's Night" is. When you hear sitar and tabular percussion, you think Beatles. Great foresight on George's part. ** Also, "Revolution 9" has great value in terms of "thinking outside the box." Editing out of context bits as a composition has great potential for use in abstract as well as more conventional art. You see the influence of "Revolution 9" in film montages.