Geoff Emerick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geoff Emerick
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Emerick in 2003
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Geoffrey Ernest Emerick |
| Born | 5 December 1945 Crouch End, North London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 2 October 2018 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Audio engineer, record producer |
| Years active | 1960–2018 |
Geoff Emerick (born December 5, 1945 – died October 2, 2018) was a famous English sound engineer and record producer. He helped create the sound of many classic albums. He is best known for his work with the Beatles. He worked on their albums Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Abbey Road.
George Martin, the Beatles' producer, said Geoff brought fresh ideas to their recordings. He was always suggesting cool new sounds and ways to use voices. Emerick also worked on albums for the Zombies, Paul McCartney and Wings, and Elvis Costello. He won four Grammy Awards for his amazing work in music.
In 2006, he wrote a book about his time with the Beatles. It was called Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles. Some people disagreed with parts of the book. Geoff Emerick passed away in 2018 from a heart attack at age 72.
Contents
Starting Out at EMI Studios
Geoff Emerick grew up in Crouch End in north London. A teacher at his school heard about a job opening at EMI. This was a big record company. At just 16 years old, Geoff got hired as an assistant engineer.
On September 4, 1962, his second day at work, the Beatles came to EMI Studios. This studio is now famous as Abbey Road Studios. Geoff was placed with another assistant engineer, Richard Langham. He helped recording engineer Norman Smith.
Geoff was lucky to see the Beatles record for the first time with their new drummer, Ringo Starr. They were recording their first hit song, "Love Me Do".
Working with the Beatles
Emerick first worked as an assistant engineer for the Beatles. He helped with early songs like "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Later, he trained in different roles at EMI. He learned to cut records and become a mastering engineer. He also worked with other artists like Judy Garland.
In April 1966, when he was 20, Geoff became the Beatles' main recording engineer. Producer George Martin asked him to take on this important role. Geoff's first album as the main engineer was Revolver.
Creative Recording Techniques
For the song "Tomorrow Never Knows", Geoff had a great idea. He suggested recording John Lennon's voice through a Leslie speaker. This made Lennon's voice sound dreamy and unique. He also used close microphones on Ringo Starr's drums. This was new for EMI Studios.
In 1967, Emerick engineered "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This song was very complex. John Lennon wanted it to sound like a carnival. Geoff cut up tape recordings of fairground organs. He then threw the pieces in the air and put them back together randomly. This created a chaotic, fun sound.
Emerick later worked on Abbey Road. He won Grammy Awards for his engineering work on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road. Even after some disagreements, Geoff remained friends with the Beatles. Paul McCartney even invited him to work for their company, Apple Corps.
After the Beatles
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, Emerick kept working with Paul McCartney. He was the recording engineer for many of McCartney's albums. These included Band on the Run (1973), which won Geoff another Grammy. He also worked on London Town (1978) and Flaming Pie (1997).
Geoff also worked on albums for many other famous artists. He engineered Robin Trower's album Bridge of Sighs. He also worked with Elvis Costello, Badfinger, Art Garfunkel, America, and Jeff Beck.
Other Notable Projects
His other projects included Kate Bush's demo tape. This tape helped her get a record deal. He also worked on Nellie McKay's album Get Away from Me. In 2003, he received his fourth Grammy, a special award for his technical skills.
In 2007, Geoff Emerick produced a new version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This was to celebrate the album's 40th anniversary. He used much of the original recording equipment. This project included performances by modern bands like Oasis and the Killers.
From 1984, Emerick lived in Los Angeles, California.
His Memoir: Here, There and Everywhere
In 2006, Geoff Emerick released his book, Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles. He wrote it with music journalist Howard Massey. The book caused some discussion because of its details.
Some people felt the book had small errors. Others disagreed with how it described certain events or people. For example, some felt it didn't fully appreciate George Harrison's guitar skills. Another former Beatles engineer, Ken Scott, said Geoff had trouble remembering details. Scott later wrote his own book to share his memories.
Death
Geoff Emerick passed away on October 2, 2018, at the age of 72. He died from a heart attack. His manager, William Zabaleta, said Geoff had heart problems for a long time.
Paul McCartney shared his sadness online. He said Geoff was "smart, fun-loving, and the genius behind many of the great sounds on our records." He called Geoff "a special friend."
Images for kids
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Emerick in 2010
