All You Need is Ears

by George Martin

"George," he said, "I don't know if you'd be interested, but there's a chap who's come in with a tape of a group he runs. They haven't got a recording contract, and I wonder if you'd like to see him and listen to what he's got?""Certainly," I said, "I'm willing to listen to anything. Ask him to come and see me." "O.K., I will. His name's Brian Epstein...."All You Need Is Ears is the story of George Martin, the man who spotted the Beatles' talent, who recorded and produced them from the start, and who brought their musical ideas to life. In this witty and charming autobiography, he describes exactly what it was like to work in the studio with the Beatles--from the first audition (and his decision to scrap Pete Best on drums) to the wild experimentation of Sgt. Pepper (complete with sound effects, animal noises and full orchestras in evening dress at the direct request of Paul McCartney).This is a singular look at the most important musical group of all time, and how they made the music that changed the No other book can provide George Martin's inside look at their creative process, at the play of genius and practical improvisation that gave them their sound; it is an indispensable read for Beatle lovers and anyone interested in the music world.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Autobiography, Music Biography

285 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1979

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting but not what I expected. As most probably, I expected the book to be all about Mr. Martin's experiences with the Beatles. Yes, he did write about them and their shared recording experiences. And yes, he did tell about his early personal life. The majority of the book however, dealt with the technical aspects of recording. How to place microphones in the studio, how they work, how sound is manipulated to paint sound pictures. How to write music for films and orchestras. He shared his experience and frustrations in dealing with EMI bosses and other producers.

If you are looking for just more about the Beatles, you will be disappointed with this book. But, if you are interested in how to be a record producer and the techniques needed for success in a studio, you will, as I did, enjoy this book.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and somewhat overlooked book on the Sixties and Beatles era, by the well-regarded record producer of all the Beatles records, George Martin. Rather than focus directly on the fab-4 phenomenon, Martin takes the long view, building the story solidly on what happens on the way to sitting in the control booth one day saying, 'right then lads, more lively on the yeah-yeah-yeahs this time'... It is certainly reasonable to say that Martin was the fifth beatle, his contributions to the sound and content of that body of work incalculably influential. But the old-school British restraint runs deep here, so (although supported by most other accounts) he's not about to confirm that, or tell tales from behind that curtain, which draws some of the life out of this story. But we know, nonetheless. (the closest he comes to this is in stating that Lennon and McCartney were the guiding lights of the musical output, and that Harrison, Starr and Martin were the support team. Well said, humble, truthful, but still adds up to five, doesn't it....)

In the mid fifties the Producer was less involved with constructing sound montages than with the everyday business aspects of his label & studio, connecting artists with repertoire to suit, and making sure the charts for the string section integrated with the vocalist's lines. It would be a long way from there to the experimental musique concrete, eight-hands-on-one-piano & circus-calliope of 'Sergeant Pepper', but Martin affably & creatively went along for the ride, and ended up shaping a lot of it to make musical sense. And to fit into the grooves of the Lp records the world would line up to purchase.

At the Emi-Parlophone studios, suits and labcoats were the order of the day for the producers and engineers. This was the era of non-automated vacuum-tube mixingboards, enormous tape transports, and huge lathes for mastering-- which required a full staff of knowledgeable technicians, to prep a recording session hours ahead of time. Martin's book does a nice job in the middle chapters with describing musical sound, sound itself in fact, and how it came to be translated to an analog 'record' of the original event by these means. As the actual Lp record was the end product in the Beatle era, a clear explanation of how they work & how they were cut fits in here as well. Most of these are now lost arts, or at least specialty pursuits that never really gain any public notice, so it's a valuable little tour, conducted by the master of ceremonies circa 1965 or so. For anyone with a slightly technical ear, invaluable to read.

Also interesting is Martin's take on the transition of Recording from simply a documentary, where a faithful record would mirror the events unfolding in the studio--- to a completely abstract art. A medium where sonic events and background washes could be built up like paint on a canvas, where sound effects & music recorded all over the world at different times could morph into the middle of an instrumental solo, in a sonic environment created in the imagination, rather than in soundproof booths.

The lapses in this account are the track-to-track details, the instrumentation and improvisation involved, and for that there is a better book, written by Martin's Engineer Geoff Emerick. Beyond that, Martin sort of glosses the golden age-- he goes rather quickly from the fast, rock-and-roll early era right into the psychedelic era and then promptly wraps that with a tip of the hat to the awards, golden records and the rest. As much as the coverage of the early years is fascinating, the post-beatle era is contrarily tedious. For the remainder of the book he goes on about his distinctly non-golden era, and the account suffers in his effort to cover the periods in like fashion. No one cares in the least any more whether Martin recorded the group 'America' or had a hand in the filmscore for the Beegees version of Sgt. Pepper, and Martin of all people might have seen that in advance.

You can't fault a book for what it's not, though, and having the man who added string quartets to Yesterday, the man who ran all the recording sessions for the Beatle era music-- set down some thoughtful commentary, even briefly, is well worth the read. What comes across between the lines of the narrative here, as in the recordings themselves, are the qualities of reserve and taste that George Martin brought into what might otherwise have been a brief, one-hit-wonder scenario.

Geoff Emerick's book is called "Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles" and is the preferable account for the non-completist.

[Vincent Flipanowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was an interesting read after reading Geoff Emerick's book. I was wondering why Emerick was so bitter. Now it makes a little more sense. George Martin barely mentions Emerick's contributions. Interesting read either way.

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, I'm a Beatles freak. I'll pretty much read anything Beatles-related.

And, having said that, I have no idea how a book from Sir George Martin escaped my notice for so many years. Once I found out this was out there, I had to read it.

I've noticed others expressing disappointment in how much technical detail Martin goes into, and how much less Beatles info there is than they expected. Personally, I was delighted with this book.

The sense I get about the person George Martin was, was that he was exceptionally capable, very good at what he did, yet was also incredibly humble about it for the most part. He worked in the field for a long time prior to capturing lightning in a bottle (lightning in the Beatles?) with the band that made his name, and he continued to work his magic long afterward. He got the recognition and the accolades he deserved, and he accepted them graciously.

So, the tone and feel of this book reflects that. Yes, he talks about the Beatles, but he also talks about all the other stuff around those crazy eight years, as he should. Personally, his philosophies on what a producer does, how he problem solved, his outlook on what sound is, how various instruments come into it, and how he helped paint sonic pictures...? All of if was enlightening to me.

This is a fascinating and informative glimpse into the mind of the one guy who said yes to the Beatles, but who also gave us a lifetime of incredible sounds.

[Dave Harbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more than an autobiography of famed record producer George Martin. It is a history of the recording industry from the 1950's - 1970's. It's a textbook containing how the electronics of recording equipment work. It's a how-to of recording engineering techniques used throughout that era (many of which are still used today). It's a finance book including salaries, royalties and contracts and building/equipment costs in that industry. It is a wonderful storybook of various tales from Martin's long career. Lastly, it's a book about the Beatles. I say lastly because even though this is what first attracted me to read it, the Beatles stories make up only 25 - 30% of the entire book. This was not a problem for me because his other stories are compelling as well but often with artists we Americans may not be familiar with.

Martin writes like a classic & proper Brit speaks. There are quaint words and phrases that make you laugh and others you have to derive their meaning through context. Still I love that about it.

Having spent some time as a recording engineer and recording artist, I understood and identified with so many of the technical concepts because I had to use the same techniques and struggle with the same hurdles that he did. It amazes me that while I used 8 and 24 track analog recorders, he recorded the Sgt. Pepper album using a 4 track recorder! (He says it still amazes him as well.) I have used Dolby for noise reduction but never tried to understand how it worked. He explains it in terms most musicians and engineers can easily understand.

I was most surprised by how little money he made during the Beatles era while all the others associated with them made so much. It wasn't until the mid-1970's that he finally began to be paid well for his contributions (but not retroactively).

There are several people on my waiting list asking to read this book. Because each has a different background, each will take away something different from the book but I don't think any will be disappointed.

[Cheryl Gatling]

This book is George Martin’s story. The subtitle may be “The story of the recording genius who created the Beatles,” and many of the people, perhaps most of the people, who read this book will do so because they are fans of the Beatles, but the Beatles don’t even show up until halfway through. This is a book that the Beatles are in, but it isn’t a book about the Beatles.

George Martin liked music. He played piano by ear, coming relatively late to lessons. He served as an airman in WWII, and after the war went to music college on the British equivalent of the GI Bill. He was making a living of sorts playing oboe. He claims he was playing oboe badly, but I have my doubts about that, as there is, in general, a self-deprecating tone to the book. The subtitle may call him a “recording genius,” but he presents himself as more of a competent workman.

He got a job at the Parlophone record label, and moved up to head of the label. Parlophone was part of the larger EMI company, so he may have been head of his own label, but also had corporate overlords he had to answer to. He began by making classical recordings, and records of singers whose names are now obscure. He was making comedy records when Brian Epstein asked if he would listen to these four boys from Liverpool.

He did listen to them, and he thought they had potential, although they had already been turned down by every other record label. He didn’t like their choice of songs. They did a mix of old standards, which he thought were dusty, and their own songs, which he thought were primitive. He said that as the years went by, they got better and better at songwriting. He also thought the drummer (Pete Best) had to go, and he did go. At their next meeting, Martin had hired a session drummer, and the Beatles brought Ringo Starr.

The Beatles knew how to win over a crowd at the club. George Martin knew how to make them sound good on a record, which was what they needed for their music to reach a wider audience, including in America. There is a lot of technical detail in here about how music works, and how recording works, with its multiple tracks, and noise reduction, and loss of quality with repeated dubbing. Some of it is a challenge, but he does a good job of making it understandable.

Martin did whatever job was needed to make the record sound good. One of his favorite records to work on was Sargeant Pepper, because it included some experimental sounds, including calliope organ in “For the Benefit of Mr Kite,” a piccolo trumpet fanfare in “Penny Lane,” an orchestra that plays not together, and the world’s longest held piano chord in “A Day in the Life.”

As the Beatles became a success, George Martin became a success. Other pop acts wanted him as their record producer, and he became very busy. In addition, the role of record producer became glamorous, and he said now everyone wants to be a record producer. The success of the Beatles did not, at least at first, however, make Martin a rich man, because he was a salaried employee. It wasn’t until later that he renegotiated his contract to include royalties, and eventually he left EMI.

What would have happened if the Beatles had not recorded with George Martin? Would they have gone back to being a local flash in the pan? Would they have eventually recorded with someone else? Probably, but we’ll never know. George Martin did not “create the Beatles” but he did strongly influence them. Even if they had ended up the international phenomenon that they were, their sound would have been different without George Martin.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin spends much of the book explaining what a producer does (or did, back in his day), and the technical aspects of recording sound. I expected there to be more coverage of his time with the Beatles, but what was there did not disappoint.

Not too tough a read. Made me wish it came with audio clips to follow along. Recommended for audiophiles and Beatles fans alike.

[Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the chapter on Sgt. Pepper's and I think I imagined that the rest of the book would be similar. I was less interested in Martin's various negotiations with record labels, although some of the engineering and producing sections of the book were good. It is to be expected that there is a certain fussiness about Martin and that came through in his writing. I'm almost certain Martin did not write the subtitle to his book.

[Nathan Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Reread.) Before Martin was fully subsumed in the Apple fold he wrote this ’79 memoir, which starts out as a conventional recounting of his career but eventually becomes mostly about the industry, recording techniques at the like. The Beatles chapters are the weak link because he’s already forgotten so many key facts, by his own admission; I’m sure I skipped straight to them when I read this as a kid, but now I find myself preferring the engaging window into the life of the working A&R man in Britain before he stumbled upon lifelong fame. It’s also quite interesting to note how openly bitter he is toward EMI, and his frank recollection of how arrogant the Beatles could be. He also slams punk rock out of nowhere four or five times, but all the same this is one of the most readable of the indispensable Beatles-related “primary source” books, though with Martin’s recent death in mind it’s kind of sad to read all of his great plans for AIR and his excitement about new inroads in recording technology and such; it’s strange to imagine how young he still was by this point, before the Montserrat earthquake, before John’s death, before the record business became something so different than what he knew.

[Lissa00 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read most that has been written about the Beatles, so it is surprising that I did not know about this autobiography written by Sir George Martin himself. My reading experience of this book was definitely uneven. The chapters concerning his work with the Beatles were fascinating, and an perspective of the Beatles that I have not read. Those chapters alternate, though, with extremely technical writing about the creation of records in the 1960's, his negotiation of contracts and his work with other artists. I have a feeling that there is an audience that would find this information interesting, but alas, I probably am not that audience. I definitely don't regret reading it, if only for the new Beatles insight, but this may not be for everyone. I received a digital ARC of this reprint from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were interesting parts to this memoir, but I had a hard time getting through the chapters discussing in great detail the minutia of contracts, records, recording, etc.
I wish I had more to say about this work, but I struggled to finish it.

Those with an interest in the recording industry and its history, and fans of the Beatles will find something to love about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the dARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

[Frank Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book concerning the basics of music production and orchestration. Little known facts concerning the recording sessions and techniques used in the recording of many Beatles albums and songs. The description of the recordings on Sergeant Pepper were especially interesting

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of George Martin’s professional life. He sets the stage with a view of his childhood poverty and goes from there, recalling the different jobs he did until he was hired into the record industry in 1950. This is not a story about the Beatles; it is a story about George and the recording industry.

The author moves fairly quickly through his early life; when his story moves to his hiring into the recording industry in 1950, he explains areas like musical theory, ranges of instruments, harmonics, and frequencies of musical notes to illustrate what he actually did and had to know. Later he spends a lot of time devoted to how he recorded music onto various sizes of tape, numbers of tracks, and the problems associated with it.

He definitely is the record producer who gave the Beatles their big break even though Capitol Records stepped into the limelight at their big New York appearance and claimed them (after initially refusing to issue their songs on that label). George is also the man who insisted that Paul McCartney be the singer for Paul’s own “Live and Let Die” song on the Bond film soundtrack when producers wanted a female singer. George wrote the rest of the music for that movie and for others. He struck out into the recording industry with colleagues and built his own recording business and has worked with many well-known names. This book is for you if you are interested in music and the recording industry, mainly in the 60’s and 70’s. I really enjoyed the subject matter and the articulate, sometimes funny, writing.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, Jeremy Hornsby (and Sir George Martin, RIP), and NetGalley, for allowing me to have a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

[David Lum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely example of the 20th Century rock music autobiography, and I should know because I’ve read a zillion of them at this point. George Martin seems to have an excellent head on his shoulders, and he also seems like the kind of person who pays attention to the good advice he’s given: in the case of this book I imagine someone said “George, why don’t you let a professional writer help you out?” And he did use a co-writer, which I think allowed this book to be a cut above most such autobiographies.

The most jarring thing about this book is the absolutely shameless subtitle, which I judge to be the most egotistical subtitle in all of literature: “The inside personal story of the *genius* who *created the Beatles*”. Aside from that, Martin didn’t have too many crazy things to say except for his rather hilarious hatred of punk rock music. Twice in the space of two pages he slagged punk rock for no discernible reason, the second time explicitly saying that his criticism is much the same as his parents’ generation criticizing the Beatles, only this time it’s totally justified! Good fun, that.

This book gave me just what I wanted, though I imagine some other readers will find it disagreeably light on Beatles material. Me, I was quite interested to hear details about literally “cutting” a master record in the 1950s with a gravity-powered cutting device and obsessively-warmed 100-degree Fahrenheit wax blanks. Ditto was I interested about all the other technical stuff, including Martin’s pretty impressively on-the-money predictions about the way all-digital recording studios of the future would operate (this from a vantage point of the still-nearly-all-analog 1978).

[Gabriel Monticello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in music.

There are a few things to note before reading.

1: This book was published in 1979. The information in it doesn't go past that.

2: Contrary to the title, cover and general marketing, this is NOT a book about the Beatles. This is a book about George Martin. The Beatles were just one feather in his cap, albeit a very large and colorful one. Most of the information given about the Beatles is well known. Perhaps at the time of writing this book, they were less so. By now, most of the Beatles material is well covered elsewhere. You do learn some fun facts, like the original contract gave the Beatles AND their manager one penny per album sold to split 5 ways. :)


Why am I so enamored with this book. Simply put, this is one of the best accounts of the history of recording. Martin covers a lot of ground in the development of the modern recording studio as well as the music industry. There is a lot of great information. I found that I was far more interested in the non-Beatle material, in particular the early Parlophone days. George covers recording techniques as well as contracts and the business behind music. In the final chapter, he gives predictions as to where the industry will go with digital recording. He wasn't too far off the mark. His career started in the classical world before he became rock and roll royalty. This book covers just about everything in the spectrum of music recording.

Martin is one of the great music producers and this autobiography is an essential read for any musician.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed every pages of this autobiography I had wanted to read for years! George Martin is one of the few people I admire and respect profoundly in the music industry, if not the contemporary history. Published in 1979, Sir George looked back at the years where records had been made in analogue, the challenges and innovations to overcome them; it is a very interesting read when we're in this digital era, to question if we're making better music and recordings with the technology at our disposal now.

One of the chapters is dedicated to the making of Sgt. Pepper's. It's a real eye(ear)-opener and I literally went back to listen to the songs discussed while reading and discovered many new things to appreciate.

Highly recommended for anybody intrigued by the art of music and record production or any fans of the Beatles like me.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surprisingly unsurprising biography. Although it was to learn more about the man who became what is probably the best well-known record producer in the history of popular music, it was rather dry - both in writing style and in what the author chose to emphasize throughout the book. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of interesting stories/anecdotes, but there is surprisingly little about his time with The Beatles which, given the impact it had on his life and work, I would have thought warranted a much larger role in the story. (And I do not agree that he was the genius who CREATED The Beatles.)

I guess part of the issue is that over the course of his life until about 1978 he worked with a large number of recording artists, starting with classical music and comedy, and eventually rock and roll. So it certainly isn't practicable to cover it all in depth. But, come on, The Beatles?

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Martin produced nearly all of The Beatles records and was a critical part of their recorded sound. While most people may only remember him for his work with John, Paul, George and Ringo he had a very busy career both before and after his work with the Beatles.

In Martins book I was fascinated to learn about the development of the recording industry as seen through the eyes and ears of one of its finest producers. Martin was an artist in his own right, painting pictures with sound from the 1950’s to the early 2000’s. He shared his thoughts about the art of producing music and explained many of the technical terms commonly used in the industry.

While it is dated, and may not be a book for everyone, I enjoyed learning Martins perspective on the art of recording and how he produced some of the most famous music ever recorded.

[Ralphz · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Martin is the real Fifth Beatle, the man who made it possible by signing and then recording the band. This is his story, which involves more than just the Beatles.

This autobiography spans his career from his first interest in music to his wok for EMI to taking charge of a small label called Parlophone. He makes a name for himself recording comedy and novelty acts but longs for an artist that will hit big. Of course he finds the Beatles, and here we go.

We hear about them and how they partnered to grow the scope of the music. We also hear about other acts and the growth of the recording business itself.

He goes off into the minutia of recording technology, which is interesting and certainly useful coming from Martin.

But the best part is the stories, of the Beatles and other groups, executives and coworkers and the secretary who became his wife.

It's not for everyone, but if you're a Beatles fan, it's a must.

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little disappointed in this book. Since The Beatles was in print on the cover of the book I assumed the book was about George's time with the Beatles. There was some of that but not enough. I didn't feel it was the focus of the book. Some discussion about music theory, how recordings are actually made and the relationship of music and mathematics. Interesting stuff all but not why I read the book. In George's defense there was an excellent chapter on the creation of the Sgt. Pepper album which I plan to re-read then sit down with the album and maybe have a better understanding of where all those marvelous noises came from. Rather than recommending this book do your self a favor and listen to any Beatles album instead.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and well written autobiography. It's about George Martin's life and work as a producer. He obviously did more than produce only the Beatles, so don't expect this book to be very Beatle-centric. They really become important about halfway through the book. Most of it is about developments of various studios and recording techniques, and how and with whom Martin worked throughout the years. There are some good explanations of what sound is, how it is produced, how we hear and record sound, why microphones are different, and how playback from records works. I liked the bit about the development of stereo recording. And the chapter on Sgt Pepper.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Both tedious and glazing over important details, this book is not what I expected. It's also filled with inaccuracies. Two glaring examples: a photo that is captioned as the premiere of "A Hard Day's Night" that is obviously much later based on the length of George Harrison's hair. Then, he is talking about recording "Live and Let Die," which was released in 1973, followed by the sentence, "Then came Sergeant Pepper..." Any basic Beatles fan would know that the Beatles were broken up by that point. I'm still a fan of George Martin's work, but this book (published in 1979) is seriously lacking.

[Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of detail on the reality and evolution of the role of the record producer, often muddy, but worth the slog. George starts way back in 30s and 40s, and their are some interesting glimpses of England's art and entertainment scene.
The biggest disappointment is that he ends his Beatles association after Sgt. Pepper which was quite the achievement in and of itself, but I would have wanted to hear more about the White Album sessions and Abbey Road. Martin is tactfully British in his observations about other musicians and producers, but he does let go every now and then. Truly a book for the techno-nerd and the true blue Beatles fan.

[Joe Earles · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Martin is most famous as the producer of The Beatles. This book published in 1979 is George Martin's autobiography told with self-deprecating British wit and humour throughout.
Martin takes us through his early life as an RCAF Airman through to his career at EMI and ultimately to the creation of AIR studios.
Martin bears witness to many advances in recording technology through his experiences in diverse music projects. He explains recording technology and music theory in an accessible way.
Many of his anecdotes are based on now iconic sounds and how they were created by both the human creative process as well as the innovation of recording engineers.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard George Martins name since I was a little kid and a Beatles fan. Never knew much about him otherwise. This was an interesting story of HIS life, It covers his whole life and his work in the music business. There is info of his involvement with the Beatles, but it is NOT about the Beatles exclusively. And Why should it have been? Sir George Martin has led an extraordinary life.

I received a Kindle arc fron Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a Little Help from My Friends for the Beatles. It's George Martin. If it was not for Martin. The Beatles' legendary would never exist Anthoer producer made their record. It would never been successful. Most important of all. Martin had turned down The Beatles. Abby Road Studios would never become a legendary landmark. Most important of all. Future legendary British bands The Who, Pink Floyd, Lead Zepplen, Quenn, and Elton Jhon would never exist.

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

A major disappointment. I read the first part of Kenneth Womack's biography of George Martin ("Maximum volume") and decided to supplement this with Martin's own account. A mistake. While Womack's work looks and feels meticulous, deep, and unbiased, Martin's autobiography is skimpy, superficial, and self-serving. Skip it and read Womack's two-tome biography instead. You will learn twenty times more.

[Brett Bydairk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice memoir by the man who should be called the Fifth Beatle. He gives a brief biography up until he enters the music biz, then it gets more detailed about not only the Beatles, but other groups and people he worked with. He has chapters on the details of what it takes to be a record producer, and the start of his own studio, AIR (Associated Independent Recording).

[Julia Simpson-Urrutia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot imagine any one of us who has not heard music touched by George Martin. I was impressed at how readable All You Need is Ears is. The writer feels approachable and interesting. Normally my husband prefers autobiographies of his favorite rock stars, but I feel he would like this book as much as I do.

[Chuck Zak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming, with a lot of fascinating details on the mid-Century record business in London. Not so much a Beatles book, this is George's story of his climb up the ladder and of his evolving vision of what a record producer could be. Once the story breaks off from the Beatle years into George's subsequent career, my interest waned somewhat, but overall a breezy, informative read.