Geoff Emerick
Geoffrey Ernest Emerick (5 December 1945 – 2 October 2018) was an English sound engineer and record producer who worked with the Beatles on their albums Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) and Abbey Road (1969).[1] Beatles producer George Martin credited him with bringing "a new kind of mind to the recordings, always suggesting sonic ideas, different kinds of reverb, what we could do with the voices".[2]
Geoff Emerick
Geoffrey Ernest Emerick
5 December 1945
Crouch End, North London, UK
2 October 2018 (aged 72)
Los Angeles, California, US
Audio engineer, record producer
1960–2018
Emerick also engineered the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle (1968), Paul McCartney and Wings' Band on the Run (1973) and produced Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom (1982), among many others.[2] He won four Grammy Awards for his work in the music recording field. His 2006 memoir Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles caused controversy for its factual errors. In 2018, Emerick died from a heart attack at the age of 72 in Los Angeles, California.
Early career at EMI[edit]
Geoff Emerick was brought up in Crouch End in north London and educated at Crouch End secondary modern school. One of his teachers there heard about a job at EMI and suggested he apply. At age 16, he was employed as an assistant engineer. On 4 September 1962, his second day at work, the Beatles came to EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) to carry out their second recording session for the company. To familiarise Emerick with his work, he was placed under the supervision of another assistant engineer, Richard Langham, assistant to recording engineer Norman Smith, who would be working on the session. As a new recruit, Emerick was not entitled to receive overtime pay, but he was fortunate enough to witness the Beatles recording for the first time with their new drummer, Ringo Starr, on what became the band's debut hit single, "Love Me Do".[3]
Here, There and Everywhere[edit]
In 2006, Emerick released his memoir, Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles, co-authored by music journalist Howard Massey.[13] The book caused controversy for its factual errors,[20] its allegedly unfavourable portrayal of Harrison,[21] bias towards McCartney,[22] and belittling and dismissal of Harrison and Starr's contributions.[7] According to Beatles biographer Robert Rodriguez, Emerick's recurring theme that Harrison lacked prowess as a guitar player until the late 1960s is more reflective of Emerick's personality, and is countered by several other sources, and some of his descriptions of the Beatles' recordings are negated by the availability of bootleg compilations of the band's multitrack masters.[23]
Historian Erin Torkelson Weber said that, apart from Lennon's account in Lennon Remembers, the book also presents arguably the most negative depiction of Martin as a record producer.[24] The publication led to an Internet flame war, as former Beatles engineer Ken Scott challenged the accuracy of Emerick's recollections and stated that, before writing the book, Emerick had contacted him and other EMI technical staff saying he had limited memory of the events.[25] Scott's 2012 autobiography, From Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust, sought to correct Emerick's statements in Here, There and Everywhere, especially with regard to Harrison's musicianship and character.[21]
Death[edit]
Emerick died from a heart attack on 2 October 2018, aged 72. He had been hospitalised two weeks beforehand after experiencing trouble walking, but was ruled to have been dehydrated.[26] His manager, William Zabaleta, recalled talking to Emerick for the last time: "While on the phone, he had complications and dropped the phone. I called 911, but by the time they got there, it was too late. Geoff suffered from heart problems for a long time and had a pacemaker. When it's your time, it's your time. We lost a legend and a best friend to me and a mentor."[27]
Paul McCartney commented on social media: "He was smart, fun-loving, and the genius behind many of the great sounds on our records. I'm shocked and saddened to have lost such a special friend."[28]