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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 10 November 2018
Son of Beatles' producer dives into the messy 'White Album'

By MARK KENNEDY summer of 1968 with a dif-
NEW YORK (AP) — Hard- ferent goal in mind.
core fans of the Beatles like "They didn't want an archi-
to pore over every detail tect. They wanted to build
of the band and endlessly an album from the bricks
dissect their songs. Then up and without any real
there's Giles Martin, who idea about what it was
manages to time travel to going to be," said Martin.
meet the Fab Four. "They indulged themselves
Martin is the son of leg- because they knew that
endary Beatles producer each member of the band
George Martin, and he's would make the song bet-
lately been returning to the ter."
treasure trove of original William Moylan, a professor
recording sessions to remix of music and sound record-
key albums by John, Paul, ing technology at the Uni-
George and Ringo. versity of Massachusetts at
"It's really nerve-wracking Lowell, said the recording
because it's a legacy of of the "White Album" found
music which is really impor- the members of the Beatles
tant," the soft-spoken Mar- at a crossroads.
tin said. "What I do is make "It's really where the Beatles
sure I provide the fans are exploring their own in-
— and people who don't dividuality and they're still
even know the Beatles — In this Feb. 10, 2008 file photo, Beatles producer George Martin, left, and his son Giles Martin ap- working off the collective.
pear in the press room with their awards for best compilation soundtrack and best surround sound
with music that's worth lis- album for "Love" at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. They're coming out of 'Sgt.
tening to and is interesting." Associated Press Pepper's' and they're com-
Martin last year remixed ing out of 'Magical Mystery
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Madonna" and "Across the a Beatles reference to ex- all-night sessions. Martin Tour' and they're com-
Club Band" and this year Universe," which would ap- plain what his goals are: says the multiple takes for ing out of the psychede-
resurfaces with a fascinat- pear on other albums. "I'm sort of trying to peel many songs may be be- lia," Moylan said. "They're
ing and exhaustive look at Martin was tapped by the back the layers — the glass cause the band had large- branching out, into popular
"The Beatles," better known surviving Beatles and the onion, if you like. I peel ly stopped performing live. music, into musical theater,
as the "White Album," wives of Harrison and Len- back the layers so you get "I think the most reveal- back to rock, even Tin Pan
which contains such clas- non to rummage around to hear what I can hear at ing thing for me working Alley-type pieces."
sics as "Back in the U.S.S.R.," in Abbey Road Studios in Abbey Road." on the 'White Album' is just The accepted wisdom
''Blackbird" and "Ob-La-Di, London and re-listen to ev- Among the gems in the how creative they were, when it comes to the "White
Ob-La-Da." It coincides erything, including aban- box set is an unrecorded all of the time," said Martin. Album" is that it was a rocky
with celebrations for the al- doned songs and rehears- Lennon song called "Child "It's almost like the studio time for the band, which
bum's 50th birthday. als. of Nature" that will later couldn't handle the level of was disintegrating. Starr
Besides punchier, remixed That meant going through morph into his solo hit "Jeal- demand that they wanted quit and walked out for an
versions of the 30 songs on 107 takes of "Sexy Sadie," ous Guy" and also a very to do and the amount of 11-day period. Critics have
the original double album, dozens of versions of both cool "Good Night" stripped songs they wanted to re- called the record a mess —
the anniversary package "I'm So Tired" and "Long, of the orchestrations it got cord." a brilliant mess, of course —
includes 27 acoustic dem- Long, Long" and a 13-min- on the "White Album." You Martin's father was heav- with each member often
os of material the Beatles ute "Helter Skelter." It meant can hear "Happiness Is a ily involved in the Beatles' delivering solo songs.
made at Harrison's house hearing the Beatles discuss Warm Gun" start out life as prior album, "Sgt. Pepper's But, like a polite Moses
before going into the stu- songs, joke and even order quite gentle before ending Lonely Hearts Club Band," coming down from the
dio and 50 studio outtakes, lunch. (You can hear Har- up on the "White Album" and was even lauded as mountain with the original
including the unreleased rison at one point from the like a template for Frank the architect of their sound. tablets, Martin disagrees.
"Not Guilty," a studio jam studio order a "cheese, let- Zappa. The Beatles worked But the Fab Four came to- He believes some of those
of "Blue Moon" and early tuce, Marmite sandwich.") through the summer of gether for the recording of interpretations to be
versions of "Let It Be," ''Lady Martin couldn't help using 1968, often in exhausting the "White Album" in the exaggerated.q

'Sea of Greed' will have readers turning the pages

By JEFF AYERS of Mexico with Joe Zavala, The president wants NUMA Can NUMA uncover the
Associated Press his partner and best friend, to uncover the mysterious truth and once again save
"Sea of Greed" (G.P. Put- when they hear a loud ex- depletion of the world's the world?
nam's Sons), by Clive plosion from over 12 miles oil. Sites that weeks ago The villain is diabolical, our
Cussler and Graham Brown away. appeared to have the liq- heroes seem to have no
"Sea of Greed," the latest They hurry to the site to uid gold in abundance for way to win, and the ac-
entry in the NUMA Files se- discover burning oil rigs. decades suddenly run dry, tion is relentless. In other
ries, pits Kurt Austin and his The two men rescue sev- and it's been happening all words, the story is classic
colleagues against a seem- eral workers, but when they over the world. When the Cussler. The thought of the
ingly unstoppable enemy. leave the area, they both news leaks about the sud- world running out of oil is
Austin runs the Special As- notice the fire doesn't burn den lack of oil, prices will terrifying, and that along This cover image released
signments team for the like a standard oil fire. skyrocket and potentially with the wonderful cast of by G. P. Putnam’s Sons shows
National Underwater and They want answers but are bankrupt major nations characters makes this one "Sea of Greed," by Clive
Marine Agency (NUMA). called back to Washington that rely on the substance of the better entries in the Cussler and Graham Brown.
Associated Press
He's working near the Gulf for another assignment. to fuel their economies. NUMA Files series.q