Magic Alex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Magic Alex
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Mardas in the Apple Electronics laboratory with some of the equipment he used
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| Born |
Yannis Alexis Mardas
2 May 1942 Athens, Greece
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| Died | 13 January 2017 (aged 74) Athens, Greece
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| Other names | John Alexis Mardas |
| Occupation | Electronics engineer, security consultant |
| Board member of | Apple Electronics |
| Spouse(s) | Eufrosyne Doxiades |
Yannis Alexis Mardas (born May 2, 1942 – died January 13, 2017) was a Greek electronics engineer. He was very close to the famous band the Beatles. John Lennon gave him the nickname Magic Alex between 1965 and 1969. During this time, he became the head of Apple Electronics, a company started by The Beatles.
Mardas came to England in 1965. He showed his "Kinetic Light Sculptures" at a gallery. He impressed John Lennon with a "Nothing Box." This was a small plastic box with lights that blinked randomly. He also claimed he could build a super-advanced tape machine. Mardas traveled to India with The Beatles. Later, he was asked to design their new Apple Studio. However, his projects ended up costing Apple a lot of money.
In the 1970s, Mardas started companies that sold security products. These included bullet-proof cars and listening devices for important people.
Contents
Magic Alex and The Beatles
Yannis Alexis Mardas arrived in England in 1965. He was 23 years old and came on a student visa. He became friends with John Dunbar, who ran the Indica Gallery in London. Mardas worked as a TV repairman at this time. Dunbar introduced Mardas to John Lennon.
Meeting John Lennon
Mardas showed Lennon his "Nothing Box." It was a small plastic box with blinking lights. Lennon loved it and would stare at it for hours. Lennon then introduced Mardas as his "new guru." He called him "Magic Alex."
Mardas told Lennon about many futuristic ideas. He talked about a phone that would answer to your voice. He also mentioned a force field to protect The Beatles' homes. Other ideas included an X-ray camera and paint that could make things invisible. He even spoke of car paint that changed color. Mardas also suggested wallpaper that could act as speakers. He later denied promising these things.
Working for Apple Corps
The Beatles set up a company for Mardas in 1967. It was called Fiftyshapes Ltd. Later, he became one of the first employees of Apple Corps. This was The Beatles' new company. He earned £40 a week and got 10% of any profits from his inventions.
The Beatles often called Mardas the "Greek wizard." Paul McCartney was interested in his ideas. He would say, "If you could do that, we’d like one." Mardas even tried to help write a song. It was called "What's the New Mary Jane." It was almost on The Beatles' "White Album." But Lennon later removed Mardas's name from the song.
Mardas got his own lab called Apple Electronics. It was in London. He was helped to get a British work visa. His pay increased to £6,000 per year. He even appeared in a TV promo for Apple Corps. In the video, he wore a lab coat and said hello to "all my brothers around the world."
The Greek Island Idea
In 1967, The Beatles thought about buying an island in Greece. They wanted to live there together. Mardas's father was in the Greek secret police. Mardas said his father could help them buy an island quickly.
So, some of The Beatles flew to Athens. They stayed at Mardas's parents' house. Then, more of the group arrived. They chartered a yacht to find an island. They found an island they called Leslo. It had a fishing village and beaches. Four smaller islands were nearby, one for each Beatle.
The Beatles sent someone to London to buy the island. They got permission from the Greek government. They even bought special money for the deal. But The Beatles changed their minds. They sold the special money later and made a profit. This was one of their few successful business deals!
Apple Boutique and Marriage
Mardas was asked to create an "artificial sun" for the Apple Boutique. This was one of The Beatles' first businesses. The sun was supposed to light up the night sky for the opening. But when it was time to show it, Mardas said there wasn't enough power. The Beatles accepted his explanation.
Mardas also appeared in The Beatles' TV movie, Magical Mystery Tour. On July 11, 1968, Mardas got married. He married Eufrosyne Doxiades. George Harrison and his wife attended. John Lennon was a joint best man with Donovan.
The Apple Studio Disaster
Mardas often said that the famous Abbey Road Studios were "no good." He boasted he could build a much better studio. He claimed he could make a 72-track tape machine. Abbey Road only had 4 tracks at the time. So, he was given the job to design the new Apple Studio. It was in the basement of Apple headquarters.
One of Mardas's wild ideas was an "invisible sonic force field." This would go around Ringo Starr's drums instead of sound barriers. Starr remembered Mardas buying huge old computers. They were stored in his barn but never used. They were later sold as scrap metal.
Mardas gave The Beatles updates on his progress. But in January 1969, they needed their new studio. They found it unusable. There was no 72-track tape deck. There was no soundproofing. The wiring was a mess. The only new equipment was a mixing console Mardas built. It looked like "bits of wood." It was scrapped after just one use.
Harrison called it "chaos" and "the biggest disaster of all time." He said they had to "rip it all out and start again." The Beatles asked producer George Martin for help. He borrowed equipment, and a new studio was built.
Mardas also gave The Beatles a strange guitar. It was a mix of a rhythm guitar and a bass. It had a neck that could swivel. In a film, Lennon wondered how he could play it. He said it was impossible to tune.
After Allen Klein became The Beatles' manager, Apple Electronics closed. Mardas left the company. It was estimated that his ideas and projects cost The Beatles at least £300,000.
Security Work and Later Life
In the 1970s, Mardas started new companies. They offered security products to important people. These included bullet-proof cars and special communication systems. He worked with former King Constantine II of Greece to find customers.
The Sultan of Oman ordered six special cars in 1977. But tests showed they were not safe. A bullet hit a part of one car, and it exploded. The other cars were sent back. King Hussein of Jordan also had cars customized by Mardas. But tests showed bullets could easily go through the armor. The king ordered his cars to be changed back to normal.
Mardas later returned to Greece. He put some items from his collection of Lennon's things up for sale in 2004. These included Lennon's leather collar and drawings. Mardas said he planned to give the money to charity in Greece. He lived in Athens until he passed away on January 13, 2017, at age 74.
Images for kids
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Apple Corps offices, at 3 Savile Row, where Mardas was asked to build a studio in the basement
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North American–spec Mercedes-Benz 1978 450SEL 6.9
