Big George

Record producer George Martin died four years ago today.  If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Martin.  There's been some debate as to just how much he added to the band, but The Beatles truly lucked out when they landed him.

Leaving aside the fact no one else wanted them, any other producer at the time would have reshaped The Boys.  Any other producer would have picked their songs, decided on the arrangements, brought in studio musicians, do all the things that producers did then.  Martin was smart enough, and liked the band enough, to let them do it their way, helping them fulfill their vision, thus creating the most successful act ever.

He produced many other pop and rock acts during and after his work with The Beatles, but I'm intrigued by his early work.  He was known in the 50s and early 60s as one of the most imaginative producers around.  He didn't just record pop hits, he created soundscapes, building stuff from the ground up.  He was also noted for his comedy and novelty work (which was frustrating, because a pop artist can follow up a hit with another much like it, while a novelty record tends to be a one-off).

Here's a sampling of his pre-Beatles work, heavy on the novelty: