"When I listen to The Beatles today, I try to pick out where the The Fab Four's contributions "end" and Sir George's magical touch begins. I know Lennon & McCartney wrote (most of)the tunes and lyrics, but Sir George must have done the orchestral arrangements. From sources I've read, if one of The Beatles heard a new or unfamiliar instrument they liked, they'd ask Sir George what it was. He would then work it into the final mix if possible. Compare that with Brian Wilson; it's easy to hear his influence--he wrote the music, arranged, produced, directed, and mixed all the instrumental work. (Pretty amazing for a guy who's deaf in one ear and had no musical training.)...If I could meet Sirs George Martin or Paul, I'd love to ask them what the thought process was for not overdubbing errors and cleaning up the songs a little better. But hey, if it could be done again I wouldn't want them to change a thing." ~ Mike C, North Carolina, USA

"I've known George Martin is a Genius for years - His scores both as backgrounds to Beatles music and independently have an un-mistakeable fingerprint. His style of recording production can't even be close to be matched. And then there is the series of videos 'The Rhythm of Life.' George has shown his passion for music and shows he has an incredible talent for teaching. After a one hour lesson on Harmony - it opened my eyes to a whole new world. It also reinforced that George Martin is the true 5th Beatles - hands down." ~ Crazy Al, USA

"Sir George Martin is with out a doubt The greatest music producer in history and the most successful, Sir George Martin is a musical genius who's talents stand high on the mountain of musical earth. I am only 19 but The Beatles are my favorite group of all time. George Martin along with The Beatles brought the world music that will not be forgotten and live on. His ear for music and his eye for talent are amazing. Todays young people don't know what real music is, they live in the world of 50 Cent, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and think that these people have more talent than The Beatles, it is quite sad that this era has no idea of real music. Sir George Martin what else can I say We owe him a world of thanks." ~ Charles

"Being a huge fan of the Beatles music automatically makes you a fan of Sir George Martin and his incredible talent of producing the Fab 4 and many other great musicians. I have been fortunate enough to meet Sir George Martin on 2 occasions and found him to be the most humble of people." ~ Ed, 979fm, Australia

"I think he is a great composer. My favorite is PEPPERLAND, so much so that I have written the following:

Imagined Lyrics for George Martin's PEPPERLAND

I called her Pepper 'cause my name is Salt,
But now we live in PEPPERLAND.
Can't overstep her, and it's all my fault,
Because when I bought her wedding band

She said, "I know how you love me,
"But are you the kind of man who'll stand me?
"I let no one lord above me;
"I will always keep the upper hand."

I should have listened, I'd have called a halt!
For Salt's my surname--
And now it's her name--
But still we live in PEPPERLAND.

Copyright 1987 Rodney Rawlings"

~ Rodney Rawlings, Canada

"I grew up hearing the amazing sounds of the Beatles. Born in 1950, I was 13 when the Beatles appeared on Australian radio, and such was the effect that I have been a professional guitarist for over 30 years now. It was only later as I became musically educated that I became aware of the genius of George Martin (not to mention the genius of the Beatles). Thank you George for all you taught me." ~ Gary Vickery, Australia

"I was ten years old in January 1964 and my Mom just bought me my first Beatles album. I was absolutely fascinated. The harmonies, hooks and polish for that day in age was extraordinary! I had no idea until many years later what actually went into the recording of all those magical Beatles songs. I just wanted to say Thank You - for your tireless efforts and unbelievable gifts! The Beatles have shaped my musical life and thus You have shaped my musical life. Mere words could never express my gratitude. God's speed Sir." ~ Joe Spellman, Oklahoma, USA

"The Beatles were just music on the radio. But the incredible instrumental George Martin albums are some of the greatest performances of music in the history of the planet." ~ Ronn Wood, USA

"George Martin: the true fifth Beatle! So much has been written here so I won't be redundant, but would just add that GM's attention to quality in recording stands out so clearly amongst the many shoddily recorded albums of the sixties. Though I love Let It Be and The Beatles' White Album, his relative absence on those productions is so apparent. Thank goodness he got a chance to take the reins again on Abbey Road! George Martin, you rock!" ~ Naren, USA

"Wishing Mr. Martin a very happy 79th birthday!" ~ Ronn Wood

"happy birthday sir george with love." ~ Dave Martin, Jacksonville Fl USA

"Dear Sir George Martin, It is with humble indebtedness that I thank you for all the beauty you helped bring into the world. I just got my studio built in my home it's a roland 2400 cd-burning studio I have been busy recording my solo-stuff as well as my band's new album, and every time I cue up the studio I think of you! I know that sounds,,,well maybe silly,,or odd but since I was a boy of say 10-12 years old I have viewed you as the master! I have been a songwriter-musician-singer-prefomer since i was 16 years old and have been in awe of your prodution arranging and intrumental work. The world is such a better place with you and your gift's in it. Almost everyone on the planet, be they a listener or a artist has been touched by you! God bless you Sir!!!!" ~ Jeffrey B. Stepek, USA

"Surely a genius in the field of musical production, George Martin forever changed the world of popular music with his input into the music of The Beatles. There is no doubt in my mind that as talented as they were, the group would likely not have achieved their level of success and the recognition for turning rock and roll into serious art had it not been for George Martin. I grew up with The Beatles. Every Christmas we American fans waited to hear the broadcast of their Christmas greeting. We were always excited around holiday time because we knew a new Beatle album would be released before Christmas. The music was everywhere and seemed designed to fit the time period. They were a product of their time. It wasn't until much later in my life that I learned of Sir George's huge contribution to the music, especially in the making of the Sargent Pepper album (which forever changed the face of rock). Again, truly a genius and yes, the fifth Beatle." ~ Kevin (another old rock musician), USA

"genius is a funny word - brian wilson used to say he wasn't a genius he was a hard working guy - which irregardless, was true, and by that criterea I suppose George also has a genius, because he put a lot of work into every trk & moreso for that to happen you have to notice things and refine them and care for them and in a way love them for what they are and what they are not and such may be humanities best response to a not always overtly lovable world. we do artificial things to reach a natural sound and the more we share the more unique we are and so Mr Martin is not a mere genius, but a unique genius." ~ The ALF, UK/USA

"If my memory serves me right (which it may not though sometimes it does) I met you at a radio station in south Florida in the mid 70's and you were quite the gentleman then as I am sure you still are now. The brief rundown on me: I am 55 years young, a guitar player, songwriter, not a very good typist, and alot of other things. I saw the fab four on Miami Beach being chased through the hallway while performing with my own four piece band "The Pawns" (humble) & backed up poor Pete Best in concert not too long after that (he was not too swift) - jammed with Beck & Page in the Yardbirds - and have done a few thing since then but our Lord is not finished with me yet. Am now i the process of writing and recording some very powerful and emotional gospel\rock music I hope you hear one day at least. At any rate I do wish you happy birthday and many more to come! You are one buggar of a genius you know!?!" ~ Tim Tremblay, USA

"Although I fully believed the Beatles did everything when recording, My mind was changed over several months of research. I now, know, that, truly, with all the contributions by Sirs Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, &Starr, Without the work of, and with The Beatles, their sound was the direct input of Sir George Martin. He is THE Fifth Beatle!!! Happy 75, and many more from a humble 57 year old, former lead guitarist from a 60's cover band." ~ Phil

"I've allways said, the Beatles were five persons. I admired George Martin for his talent and contribution to a lot of Beatlessongs. In october 2003 I met sir George in the Air studios in London. I had ordered a yesterday's score (a signed and numbered litho of the song yesterday) and I was very lucky to get it personally from sir George. After that visit I have now more sympathy for that man. He is very kind and gives you the feeling when you speak with him that he is a father to you. This was absoluty THE DAY IN A LIFE." ~ Ad Damen, Holland

"Sir George? Why, he's an angel sent to Earth
to let us know what music truly is -
for who would dare to estimate the worth
of one whose soul refines those next to his,

whose heart enfolds an artist's work and gives
a multitude of pleasures far beyond
what once they might have been? His passion lives
in every note - he yields a magic wand.

Yes, that is our Sir George - in concert halls,
or on the new ‘nude’ tracks of Let It Be,
or where we live, for me, Niagara Falls -
the thing is, he’s the one who set us free

to hear how angels truly sing above.
Our thanks, Sir George, for giving us such love."

~ Rich Roach, Canada

"The sophisticated compositional style and subtle melodies that always sounded so 'right' disappeared with the Beatles' breakup in 1969-70. Likewise did the the perfect intonation, tempi, and ensemble also come to an end, sadly. Subsequently, nothing any of the then solo artists composed could compare to what they, as a group, accomplished. George Harrison had the best melodies of them in his solo work, but they paled when compared to the Beatles' works. I submit that Sir George Martin be given complete credit for the songs written by 'Lennon-McCartney'. Sir George recognized the pure musicality of the four young musicians, took them under his wing and taught them classical technique, classical phrasing, and classically high musical standards. The Beatles then became the instrument through which Sir George was able to give his beautiful, sublime, and soul-satisfying fine art to the world, which from November of 1963 on was desperately needed, especially for us here in the USA. Sir George, I wish to thank you personally for all of the great music which you gave to all of us and especially to an extremely musically sensitive 10 year old violinist who was instantly electrified by the sound he heard those 40 years ago." ~ Chris Hirtler, USA

"George Martin was yin, the Beatles were yang....together perfection. Thanx! George!" ~ Vinnie Rosa (drummer)

"I love you, Mr. George Martin. Thanks for you TO EXIST." ~ Talma Xavier "Lennon", Brazil

"As i was watching the Beatles Anthology and i knew a little of Sir George Martin. I realized that without this man in that little bands life there would probably not be The Beatles. The things that this man did or didn't do helped shape music history! I come to realize that the finished product is all due to him.(and the band) of course! So when i listen to the music i hear every instrument being played. I hear every word being sung. He is truely the 5th Beatle in his own right! And it would be an honor to meet this man or to hear him speak of those days! THANK YOU....SIR GEORGE MARTIN!" ~ David D Barajas, USA

"He's a textbook for the rest of them!" ~ George Carnell

"Sir George Martin is not only a great musician or a composer, he is one of my favourite music educators. Wish I could find the whole series of tapes ('The rhythm of life' and others) to show to my students! I have only the first documentary (about rhythm). Nevertheless this man is the greatest!" ~ Jan Coeck, Belgium

"I had the pleasure of seeing George Martin lecture on the making of Sgt. Pepper at the Count Basie Theater in Red Hook NJ in February 2000. Afterward my brother Pete and I had the chance to meet him. It has been argued for years, 'who was the fifth Beatle'? No contest! The Fab Four never would have made it without the skilled artistry of George Martin. The sad fact is, in the early sixties record producers didn't take rock 'n' roll seriously at all. Just throw 'em into the studio, set up a mike and press play/record! If you don't believe me, listen to the Rolling Sones' first efforts on wax - they're unlistenable today. The skill and effort George Martin put into recording this unknown pop northern pop group is evedent all these years later. I would recommend that you pick up the six CD box set, George Martin, Producer for a well-rounded view of his career. It's well worth the price!" ~ Tom Degan, Goshen, New York, USA

"All I can say is George Martin was the Beatles' Guardian, he made the Beatles' sound, every detail...Thank you George." ~ José Antonio de Souza Campagnolo, Brasil

"I believe that all the Quicksilver Mind's visitors had read my memories about the show in Rio, on 1993. What I would like to share with you is that George is the most human person I ever met in my life. So kind, so simple, so honest and so talent. Only a man like him could shaped the Beatles songs as he did. We were lucky to have him in this planet right now, because he polished the soundtrack of our life. All the best to you, George." ~ Ricardo Pugialli, Brazil

"I am impressed with Sir George Martin's mannerly ways and very pleasant speaking voice. His voice has a certain soothingness quality that is rarely matched. If I could ever have someone's else voice it would be his. Also, his wit and diplomacy are second to none." ~ Mark, USA

"ever since seeing his concert in brisbane and the release of in my life i listen to beatles tracks more often and more intensley and have a deeper love for the band and his efforts that gave the modern world the greates band and music ever and we will never experience this every again. a life experience, even though i was born in 1967, the production of beatles music will be with me till my dying days." ~ Anthony Richard Swaine, Australia

"Sir George played an important roll in the Beatles story. I feel that Sir George allowed the fab 4 to explore all sorts of musical genres and this is noticeable from 'rubber soul' onwards. You have George Harrison's sitar on 'Norwegian wood' and lyrically it was a landmark album for the Beatles. Martin always suggested little trick things like double tracking, fazing and backwards tapes. I think George knew that the Beatles wanted to get away from the 'yeah yeah yeah' in songs like 'she loves you' and songs wich had only 3 or 4 chords in it and as we know from 'rubber soul' onwards the lyrics became more intricate. Another thing I would praise Sir George on is the way Paul Mccartney asked Martin to produce 'Abbey Road' and Sir George did it under the condition that all 4 Beatles were fully commited to the project. I could go on forever talking about Sir george but I'll leave it there for now." ~ Alan Young, UK

"Several years ago on the PBS channel I watched a program that involved Sir George talked about working with the 'Fab Four' and explained how each and every song was recorded; how the specific sounds were made, where some of the lyrics came from, etc., and I was mezmerized. His grasp of the whole thing was amazing! I wish the program would be on PBS again or that I could find the program to purchase. It was really an eye-opener into how talented all '5' of them were." ~ Lee Ann Finch, USA

"because i think he was the greteast producung ever there was the magic with all the members of the beatles and above all he will be loved forever in his live" ~ rob aartsen, the netherlands

"Sir George was patron of the Popular Music department at University College Salford (UK), when I attended from 1991-94. He visited us in 1993 & spent the day at the college, attending various performances, seminars & presentations. I was one of 4 composition students asked to present work to Sir George & discuss it, with the iron rule laid down by the tutors: NO BEATLE QUESTIONS!! This was hard going because I was & still am a Beatles nut...but we got thru it :) Highlight of his visit was the Q&A session, where 15-20 of us got to ask him the usual Beatle questions he must have heard 10,000 times by then. Most of the answers I'd heard/read in interviews (I could have probably done the Q&A for him!), so I decided to ask one I'd never heard him answer before: 'George, we've heard rumours over the years of subliminal messages on Beatles records...' (laughter).. 'I was wondering if you could shed any light on this?' I was sat on a table about 3 feet away from him. He leaned over, conspiratorially, held his hand in front of his mouth as if about to whisper & said 'Well, between you and me...' (much laughter)...what a great guy! He then went on to tell us about 'cranberry sauce' and the Sgt Pepper run-out track, and how they were all accidents. Like many people with nothing to prove, he was completely down to earth, very warm & friendly. Like many people connected with The Beatles he restores your faith in human nature!" ~ Steve, England

"i have always regarded sir george as a brilliant producer with the beatles, but it doesn't end there. i have been collecting every thing i can of matt monro, sir george can also take credit for the help that he gave him at the beginning...enjoy your retirement sir." ~ brian downes, Australia

"Saw a presentation he did at Harvard University last year, which only solidified my belief that the man is a true, well-rounded genius. Here's to you, George!" ~ Brian Nolen, USA

"George Martin...A genius!! Watching the making of Sgt. Pepper album, I realized the man is a genius. every little note of perfection. Sounds cut up then spliced back together to make a very memorable moment. I love the guy. I will remember him and honor him always." ~ Peter A Petrone, USA

"I wished I could have checked all the answers for question 2 since they are all so true. However, I most appreciate George Martin's great, great orchestral arrangements: Strawberry Fields Forever, I am the Walrus, Penny Lane and Eleanor Rigby are among my favorites. George's magical mystery strings make a song a 'splendid time guaranteed for all.'" ~ Rex Coughenour, USA

"some say he was just an ear - but, what an ear." ~ carl vincent, England

"Sir George Martin never ever worried on personal recognition, just excelence in The Beatles' music. Songs are here for us to enjoy in the way he and the band envisioned. It's not easy to explain his work with words, so better get a Beatles album, sit back and simply enjoy!" ~ Ernesto Groppo, Peru

"Musical Gems, that's what The Beatles were, or should I say The Beatles 'ARE'. Past,Present,and/or Future--Since they 'ARE' in any time frame, Let me play with the words, maybe like John would--George Martin 'ARE' The Beatles...I remember saying, ' A Day In The Life' is Unfair to the rest of the musicians past or present or future'. This song, seriously, to this day had given me dreams singing it in the Albert Hall with The Beatles and Sir George Martin grading me. I say to you, King Martin I will always love you and The Beatles. Thank you is not enough, I wish John could whisper in my ears some new words just for your contribution in the music world. Oh well, until someone from Webster's could come up with something better than 'just' thank you--THANK YOU MR. FIFTH FAB." ~ Mike-Santos T Holliday, USA

"George Martin is the 5th Beatle, without doubt, who loves The Beatles, loves Sir Geoge Martin. I love Beatles, so, I love him, he is one great reponsible for BEATLES success... The Beatles are wonderfull, but without Sir George Martin, the things could not be so easy." ~ Talma Iv Sena Xavier, Brazil

"George Martin is much more than all the above. In my religious relations with the Beatles music I always knew he was there : The 1st Beatle." ~ Yannis Kiourktsoglou, Greece

"Sir George did something that I think, no one else on this planet could have. At the time he was making the Beatles sound so clean, and flawless, other producers and musicans were just making a buck it seems. Not that money was the issue, it just sounded like it. He really cared. Music, the bottom line. Perfection in sound with the technology at hand. He is the man." ~ T. Sherman, USA

"Sir George is the best example of a good producer who has ears for the music of a band and is a truly co-operative force with them. His orchestral arrangements for the Beatles, for instance, have always been discreetly used so that it helps the music for the band stand out, instead of just his own music standing out as what happened with Phil Spector's Let It Be. Martin's obvious willingness to experiment gave the Beatles (and us) fascinating, totally new sounds, as in 'I'm the Walrus', where his orchestra and vocal arrangements support Lennon and McCartney's wild ideas perfectly. And one mustn't forget his contribution to the film Yellow Submarine. Such a nice score. All in all, his respect for the artist and his love for music shows in his work." ~ Kimmo Räisänen, Finland