Just Do It
A Conversation With Beatles' Engineer Geoff Emerick
Mon., Nov. 6, 6-10 p.m., $50 (includes dessert reception), Arts Bank, 601 S. Broad St., 215-985-5411
In 1966, when Geoff Emerick was 20, he became the head engineer at Abbey Road Studios. That means Emerick's first big job was the Beatles' Revolver, followed by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road and The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle.
Emerick started at the top, and never worked his way to any bottom. He just stayed laterally afloat—producing and engineering literate pop (Elvis Costello), drafty folk (Steeleye Span, Tim Hardin), flighty fusion jazz (Mahavishnu Orchestra) and epic guitar rock (Robin Trower, Jeff Beck).
If I was scribe Howard Massey (Emerick's co-author for Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles), I'd ask him about producing madwoman Nellie McKay, Midge Ure's moustache, how he managed to not laugh at Linda McCartney's voice and what would've happened if Gerry & the Pacemakers had just been a little bit cuter.
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