Sir George Martin, legendary producer, arranger, composer and author, has
had an impact on popular culture and music that is immeasurable. In
recognition of his services to the music industry and popular culture, he was
made a Knight Bachelor of the British Empire in 1996.
Often referred to as "the fifth Beatle", Martin signed the Beatles and
subsequently produced, arranged and often performed on many of the most
memorable Lennon and McCartney songs.
Together, Sir George and the Beatles' ground-breaking work included Rubber
Soul, Revolver and Sgt. Pepper, all produced in an amazing 18-month period.
They invented contemporary multi-track recording, a process which hasn't
changed much since that time. In all, records Sir George produced registered a
staggering 30 #1 singles and 16 #1 albums in the U.K - and an equally
astonishing 22 #1 singles and 19 #1 albums in the U.S.
At the lecture podium, Sir George speaks in depth about his work as the
Beatles arranger, producer and mentor. He illustrates the power that teamwork
and integration have and focuses on the dynamic of creativity and risk taking
to achieve excellence, originality and innovation. His presentation includes
brief video dialogs with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr and
describes the management and blending of unique and individual talents to
create a greater and more influential whole.
Aside from his work with the Beatles, (both group and solo projects), Martin
has also produced recordings for many other artists, including the band America
and country singer Kenny Rogers. He is also a renowned composer; he scored the
Beatles' film "Yellow Submarine" and the James Bond film "Live and
Let Die", for which Paul McCartney wrote and sang the title song.
In 1979, he published a memoir, "All You Need is Ears" (co-written
by Jeremy Hornsby), that both detailed his work with the Bealtes and other
artists (including Peter Sellers, Sophia Loren, Shirley Bassey, Flanders and
Swann, Matt Monro and Dudley Moore), and gave an informal introduction to the
art and science of sound recording. In 1993, Martin published "With A
Little Help From My Friends: The Making of Sgt. Pepper". Sir George also
edited a 1983 book called "Making Music: The Guide to Writing, Performing
and Recording".
