Books |
Here, There and Everywhere
Geoff Emerick & Howard Massey
By
Published: Jan 01, 2006
Category:
Non Fiction
Here’s a way of getting the ‘real’ story that I tend to favor: Ask the help. "No man is a hero to his valet," Boswell said of Samuel Johnson, and he’s got a point — the staff sees us when we take the mask off and are most ourselves.
So it is with ‘Here, There and Everywhere,’ a history of The Beatles as recording artists, as told by the engineer who helped them figure out how to get the sound they wanted from the beginning of their careers to the very bitter end. Such a figure goes unheralded in most accounts, but in fact, he’s absolutely crucial to the process — and the achievements. And, in this case, he’s even younger than the rock stars; when he starts working with an unknown group called The Beatles at London’s EMI Studios, Geoff Emerick is just 19.
Just 19 and working with antique equipment, as it turns out. And being forced to wear the equally archaic EMI uniform, which includes a crisply knotted tie. And not exactly experienced — Geoff has been working as an engineer for just six months.
For those who know their Beatles’ hagiography, the elegant George Martin was the band’s producer, and as for Geoff Emerick — Geoff who? But by this account, Martin was more politician than hands-on producer. It was Emerick and his crew who rigged the studio’s equipment to produce sounds that its inventors never intended.
This book gives a rich account of crossing wires and tweaking microphones, but it’s even better as a story of cheeky kids transforming themselves into consummate artists. It’s a warts-and-all story, and Emerick couldn’t be more blunt about the strengths and failings of his clients.
John Lennon was "one of the greatest rock ‘n roll singers of all time," but "he hated the sound of his own voice and was constantly imploring us to make him sound different." Until late in the group’s career, George Harrison was a lousy guitar player, and "there were many instances of eye-rolling when poor George was wrestling unsuccessfully with a solo." Moreover, "George always seemed to be making snide remarks." Ringo? "In all the years we worked together, I don’t remember having one memorable conversation with Ringo."
No, for Emerick, The Beatles were John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Especially Paul. John had the flashier intelligence, but Paul was the most competent and creative musician: inventive, patient, hard-working. And even, on occasion, personable. That last is fascinating, for although The Beatles spent years locked in a studio with a tiny crew, they made little effort to get to know their staff. Despite the fact that Emerick and his mates invented a recording technique a day, The Beatles never acknowledged that their help was exceptional, or even artistic. As for sharing a meal, The Beatles ate in the studio, alone, never bothering to order for their technical staff.
There are wonderful set pieces here. The first fight with George Martin, who wants the band to record some pop treacle. The group refuses. "When you can write a good song, we’ll record it," Martin says. And Lennon pulls out "Love Me Do." The sheer speed of the early days: "In the space of just nine hours, we had recorded seven complete songs and done edit pieces for another, including two that were destined to become chart-topping hit singles." Recording ‘Revolver’ in ten weeks. Ringo having so little to do on ‘Sgt. Pepper’ that he learned to play chess.
And there’s quite a lot of dish in this book — the Yoko stories alone are worth the price of admission. But what kept me avidly turning pages was the ongoing diary of creativity. Over and over again, Lennon and McCartney chafe against tradition; over and over, Emerick and his colleagues help them create new sounds with untried techniques. You come out of this book much like Emerick did after six years in an airless studio: blinking at the light, unable to believe much of what happened. But it did happen, and it was glorious, and Geoff Emerick captures it all — the triumphs, the fights, the late nights, the personal changes. [To buy ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ from Amazon, click here.]
Who’s this book for? Any Beatles fan who thinks he knows it all — there’s a fresh revelation on almost every page. Any wonk who’s fascinated with the artistic possibilities of technology. And, mostly, any kid who likes to tinker and putter with electronics — this book celebrates the career achievement of one of the luckiest geeks who ever lived. Geoff Emerick didn’t just meet The Beatles; to a great degree, he made them. Like the band, he really was here, there and everywhere.
