He was "the Quiet One, "The Dark Horse", the "serious" one, the "spiritual one, but he was also a funny motherfucker, which may have led to the Beatles becoming the Beatles:
When the Beatles' audition was over, George Martin invited them up for a chat in the control room. "We gave them a long lecture about their equipment and what would have to be done about it if they were to become recording artists," says engineer Norman Smith. "They didn't say a word back, not a word, they didn't even nod their heads in agreement. When he finished, George Martin said, 'Look, I've laid into you for quite a time, you haven't responded. Is there anything you don't like?' I remember they all looked at each other for a long while, shuffling their feet, then George Harrison took a long look at George and said, 'Yeah, I don't like your tie.' That cracked the ice for us and for the next 15-20 minutes they were pure entertainment. When they left to go home George Martin and I just sat there saying 'Phew! What to you think of that lot then?' I had tears running down my face. " Martin was later to comment that it was their wit more than their music that sold him.
Wow, 20 years. Always the youngest Beatle, that's how old he was when The Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan.
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