Geoff Emerick, Beatles chief engineer, dies at 72



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Geoff Emerick, the imaginative recording engineer who was one of the architects of the Beatles"Legendary recordings" and worked with them on their early successes and their albums later, died of a massive heart attack. He was 72 years old. Emerick's death was confirmed by its director, William Zabaleta, in a statement posted online.

"Today, at around 8 pm, I was returning from Arizona to Los Angeles to fetch Geoff so that we could carry gold records and platinum plates to our show in Tucson." Zabaleta said. "On the phone with Geoff Emerick, he had complications and dropped the phone. I then called 911, but when they arrived, it was too late. Geoff has long suffered from heart problems. He had a pacemaker and when it is your time, it is your time. We lost a legend and a best friend for me and a mentor. That's all I can say on the subject. Emerick was scheduled to perform at a show in Tucson on Oct. 6, titled London Revival of Emerick, to talk about his work with the Fab Four.

His agent, David Maida, also posted a statement on his website. "Thank you GEOFF EMERICK for being YOU. Although my heart is broken, you will remain in the heart of many infinite. I am so lucky to have got to know you and hear your wonderful stories with the many laughs. YOU were a great man besides being such an innovator. I am also happy to have called you SIR Geoff Emerick because you will always be a true knight in my book. Rest in peace, my dear friend. "

Behind his desk, Emerick was 15 when he began working at Abbey Road Studios. He was an assistant engineer on songs like "Love Me Do", "I want to hold your hand", "She loves you" and "A Hard Day's Night". Just before turning 19, he became the Beatles' chief engineer. and barred Revolver, Sgt. Pepper 's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Abbey Roadand a lot of Magic Mystery Tour and The Beatles (The white album), which celebrates this year its 50th anniversary with a complete box.

Later, he worked on recordings with Elvis Costello, Michael Jackson, The Zombies, Cheap Trick, Stevie Wonder and many others.

During his career, Emerick has won four Grammy Awards – three for the best-designed album, for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road and the Paul McCartney and the wings album Strip on the run and a 2003 Grammy for "pushing the limits of creative and imaginative studio recording techniques". He was the author of the 2006 autobiography Here, there and everywhere: my life records the music of the Beatles.

Beatles author Kenneth Womack of the University of Monmouth, the site of an international symposium on the Beatles & # 39; White album November 8-11 where Emerick was to be invited, said Display panel"Geoff Emerick was one of the most innovative sound engineers of our time, always ready to push the limits of sound to meet the expectations of his artists, as deep as they are difficult. Just look at his first session as a Beatles engineer in 1966, when he worked on "Tomorrow Never Knows" and dared to capture the sound of John Lennon singing like the Dalai Lama on a distant mountain. "Womack is the author of a two-volume biography of the Beatles producer, Sir George Martin, Maximum volume and Sound images.

Denny Laine, a member of Paul McCartney and Wings, tweeted tonight: "We have received very sad news today, the old friend Geoff Emerick has passed away. Our condolences to his family. Geoff was a brilliant engineer and a talented man. He appreciated his work and his master classes.

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