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Geoff Emerick, chief recording engineer withThe Beatlesand many other hitmakers, has died from a suspected heart attack. He was 72.
During his illustrious career, the four-time Grammy winner play a key role in the Fab Four’s most iconic recordings, including game-changing albumsRevolverandSgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
He later went on to work withPaul McCartney& Wings,Elvis Costello, Judy Garland, Jeff Beck, and Kate Bush, among others.
“Today, at around two o’clock, I was making my way back from Arizona to Los Angeles to pick up Geoff so we could transport some gold records and platinum plaques to our show in Tucson,” Emerick’s manager William Zabaleta said in a video statement.
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McCartney, who worked with Emerick long after the Beatles split, shared some memories and photos on Twitter Wednesday morning.
Ringo Starr also shared a tribute to Emerick and his family. “He was a great engineer very helpful to all of us in the studio and with him and George Martin helped us to step up onRevolver,” he wrote before sending “peace and love” to his family.
Denny Laine, longtime member of Paul McCartney & Wings, posted a tribute on Facebook. “We received very sad news today, old friend, Geoff Emerick, passed away. Our condolences to his family during this time. Geoff was a brilliant engineer and a fine man. He was enjoying his work and masterclasses around the country, connecting with the fans. Denny and Geoff had a long history and shared memories, Geoff spoke with Denny about getting back into the studio to record together again. Rest In Peace Geoff. You will be missed.”
Taking to Twitter, Julian Lennon – son of BeatleJohn Lennon, added, simply: “R.I.P. Geoff… One of a kind…”
Ultravox vocalist Midge Ure commented: “Geoff was Sir George Martin’s ‘right hand man’ and worked on Ultravoxs Quartet with us. A lovely, quiet, unassuming man who helped change the way music was produced. RIP…..”
Emerick was just 16 when he secured a job with EMI at London’s Abbey Road Studios. Amazingly, on just his second day at work, John Lennon, Paul McCartney,George HarrisonandRingo Starrwalked in to record “Love Me Do,” the Beatles’ debut label. Working as an assistant engineer alongside producer George Martin, he would help create the revolutionary sound behind some of their most iconic classics.
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Talking to toldVarietyin July 2017, Emerick considered “A Day in the Life” as his finest moment with the Beatles. “The night we put the orchestra on it, the whole world went from black and white to color,” he said.
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“Working with The Beatles was unlike working with any other artists,” Emerick wrote in his 2006 memoirHere, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles. “With them, anything and everything was possible; they had zero tolerance for the words ‘no’ or ‘can’t.’ On the other hand, if something wasn’t right, they knew it, right away, and they had no problem changing direction and moving on. There was no prevaricating; no ifs, ands, or buts; no maybes. It was either good or it wasn’t.”
source: people.com
