Why We Love The Beatles: 24 of 100

We all need at least one really good encourager of our talents in our Lives. Someone who sees the best in us and is always there when we need him/her. The Beatles found George Martin.
When The Beatles were auditioned by Martin at Parlaphone in 1962 he wasn’t amazed by what he heard, nor saw, but unlike others (the lads had by then been turned down by every major record label), he saw raw talent and four sparky young men. Maybe it was his previous work on material such as The Goons which gave him such good rapport with the – then - immature Liverpudlians and their crazy sense of humour, but the classically trained Martin and the beat-group created a bond which would effectively last for ever: Martin produced every Beatles album except Let it Be.
Sir George’s talent as a musician and his ability to play enabled him to fill the gap between what The Beatles themselves were practically able to perform and what they wanted to do and do it with empathy as he was involved in their most intimate discussions of what they were trying to achieve. This became critically important when the band retired to the studio to produce some of their most exciting and demanding work. Sir George wrote many orchestral/instrumental arrangements, as well as playing keyboard on early tracks. Thus on Sgt. Pepper, he contributed the lovely orchestral finale for A Day In The Life and the circus sounds for The Benefit Of Mr. Kite of which John had a particularly clear vision of what he wanted.
Sir George has been blessed and cursed with that band; he truly was the so-called Fifth Beatle. Blessed because he was a primary force in believing in them and allowing them to release who they really were: not just singers, not just singer-songwriters, certainly not just another wacky beat group. But four young men who were in a hurry to make an impact on the world and would truly change pop music more than anyone could imagine if they had been at that first official recording. Cursed because any conversation he ever has with anyone – even now in his 80s - will he knows sooner or later and usually sooner turn to ‘what was it really like?'.
What the heck: there are probably worse curses.
That's another reason we love The Beatles.