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George Martin Biography
In 1969 he established the Associated Independent Recording (AIR) Studios. Although officially retired, he is still the chairman of the AIR board. In recognition of his services to the music industry and popular culture, George Martin was made a Knight Bachelor in 1996. He is the father of producer Giles Martin. George Martin was contacted by Sid Coleman who told him about Brian Epstein, the manager of a pop group he had met. He thought Martin might be interested in the group, even though they had been turned down by Decca Records among other major British labels. Until that time Martin had had only minor success with pop music, such as "Who Could Be Bluer" by Jerry Lordan, and singles with Shane Fenton. After the telephone call by Coleman, Martin arranged a meeting on 13 February 1962 with Brian Epstein. Martin listened to a tape recorded at Decca, and thought that Epstein's group was "rather unpromising", but liked the sound of Lennon and McCartney's vocals. After another meeting with Epstein on 9 May at the Abbey Road studios, Martin was impressed with Epstein's enthusiasm and agreed to sign the unknown Beatles to a recording contract without having met them or seen them play live. The contract was not what it seemed, however, as George Martin would not sign it himself until he had heard an audition, and later said that EMI had "nothing to lose," as it offered one penny for each record sold, which was split amongst the four members, meaning one farthing per group member. Martin suggested to EMI (after the release of "From Me to You") that the royalty rate should be doubled without asking for anything in return, which led to Martin being thought of as a "traitor in EMI". The Beatles auditioned for George Martin on June 6, 1962, in studio three at the Abbey Road studios. Ron Richards and his engineer Norman Smith recorded four songs, which Martin (who was not present during the recording) listened to at the end of the session. The verdict was not promising, however, as Richards complained about Pete Best's drumming, and Martin thought their original songs were simply not good enough. Martin asked the individual Beatles if there was anything they personally didn't like, to which Harrison replied, "Well, there's your tie, for a start." That was the turning point, according to Smith, as Lennon and McCartney joined in with jokes and comic wordplay that made Martin think that he should sign them to a contract for their wit alone.
Check out George Martin's book reviews here. The Bealtes Entourage:
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George Martin - Sir George Henry Martin CBE (b. January 3, 1926) is a British record producer, arranger and composer. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"—a title that he owes to his work as producer or co-producer of all of The Beatles' original records as well as playing piano on some of The Beatles tracks—and is considered one of the greatest record producers of all time.
The Beatles' first recording session with Martin was on September 4, when they recorded "How Do You Do It", which George Martin thought was a sure-fire hit even though Lennon and McCartney hated it. Richards complained about new-member Starr's drumming on the next song, "Love Me Do", and so on September 11, they re-recorded "Love Me Do" with Andy White. Starr was asked to play tambourine and maracas, and although he complied, he was definitely "not pleased". "Love Me Do" peaked at number 17 in the British charts, so on November 26, 1962 Martin recorded "Please Please Me", which he only did after Lennon and McCartney had almost begged him to record another of their original songs. After the recording Martin looked over the mixing desk and said, "Gentlemen, you have just made your first number one record". Martin directed Epstein to find a good publisher—as Ardmore & Beechwood had done nothing to promote "Love Me Do"—telling Epstein about three publishers who, in Martin's opinion, would be fair and honest, which led them to Dick James. 
An Academy Award-nominated composer and founder of AIR Studios, Sir George Martin has produced a record-breaking 30 Number One singles and 16 Number One albums in the UK , and an equally astonishing 22 Number One singles and 19 Number One albums in North America . Among the multitude of awards and commendations he earned throughout his illustrious career, Sir George counts two Ivor Novello Awards and five Grammys. In 1988, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to the music industry and in 1996 he was made a Knight Bachelor. The crowning jewel of rock accolades arrived in 1999, when Sir George was inducted into the American Rock & Roll Hall of Fame following completion of his last studio recording for the album In My Life. 
