Giles Martin: The Man Behind The Beatles' "Now And Then" Album
Giles Martin, the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin, joins Chris Evans on the Virgin Radio Breakfast Show to talk about the creation of the new Beatles album, "Now And Then."
In this exclusive interview, Giles discusses the process of selecting and adapting songs from the Beatles' extensive catalog, his collaboration with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and the challenges and rewards of bringing the album to life.
He also shares his personal insights into his father's role as the "fifth Beatle," his contributions to the band's iconic sound, and the impact his work has had on music history.
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How special are the Beatles that we're still talking about them in 2023❤️
Have not talked to my daughter in years. Just one of those things that happens after divorce. I sent 'Now and Then' to her on her birthday this week. Actually heard back from her. Thanks Beatles.
Word of advice. Don't leave it at that. Make note on your calendar to periodically send more messages. Christmas, birthdays etc. Good luck 🍀
A true gentleman like his father.
He really favored his dad as well.
I mean favors.
Just like 50 years ago… another Beatles #1 single!!! That’s such a lovely feeling!!!!
And now it’s official!!!
There must be a God after all.😉
#1 ain't what it used to be....but it's still #1.
What a brilliant man, how fantastic is Giles Martin, excellent interview and all whilst The Beatles have a number one single. I might just spontaneously combust.
What?! You heard Mr Mean Mayo, often more than not he ruins Beatles songs not enhances them.
@ herbie ..Hahahahaha
His mixes have been horrible. He really is a hack.
@@MrJbuzz19Agreed. I think he is tone deaf. His remixing are straight lousy. He has a tin ear.
@@MrJbuzz19 I’ve seen a MMM video before. Him not liking Giles is all the more reason to LOVE Giles! 🎉
Giles Martin is really doing a wonderful job taking care of the Beatles recordings. I do always enjoy him being interviewed. Great man.
Yeah, I'm so glad that the person behind all this new Beatles stuff is someone who really cares and loves the project and not someone who just wants to make money
He has produced some really awful mixes. Loud, overcompressed, painful mixes. And in many cases he retained the bizzare panning of the original stereo mixes. People, stop enabling this mediocrity.
@@jacobgonzalez4419 All the Remixes were an improvment from the original for me, maybe the only exeption for me being The Single version of Get Back, and even If some songs still have a rather bizarre panning they fit, and it sounds like The Beatles because they are not totally uniform, like the older mixes the new ones also have some differences that make the songs more dynamic and fun to hear, and probably coudnt be done any better considering how some songs were recorded, Yeah they are pretty loud, but still lower than most music being released today, and none of the mixes ever felt too cramped up for me. I think he is doing a excelent job, and was the best choice for making all this stuff
No-one better than Giles to fill the role he's in. Intelligent, capable, talented man, as was his father. Respect and admiration.
Ian Leslie wrote this in a NYTimes essay on Nov 5: Carl Perkins, the rockabilly guitarist and singer, and a hero to the Beatles, collaborated with Mr. McCartney in the wake of Mr. Lennon’s death. One day, he played Mr. McCartney a song he had written for him with the line, “My old friend, won’t you think about me every now and then?” At this, Mr. McCartney teared up and left the room, leaving Linda to reassure a startled Mr. Perkins. “She said [those were] the last words that John Lennon said to Paul in the hallway of the Dakota building,” he told Goldmine magazine toward the end of his life. Mr. Lennon “patted him on the shoulder, and said, ‘Think about me every now and then, old friend.’”
The "Now Then" clock on the back of the single was owned by George. Olivia had just put it back up on the mantle when Paul called and asked her if she'd okay working on the song again.
Which shows what the song was about. Thank you.
Seems almost too good to be true, him saying those words. But nice terminal narcissist John gave Paul something if that's the case.
@@steveconn What a dumb comment. You must be a skateboarder.
@@steveconnI saw an interview with Carl Perkins a long time ago in which he relayed the story of that interaction with Paul. So it’s not just something that has suddenly came up. When Carl told it, he was quite emotional about it.
1:38 a man his house that had a tape from his bestmate and wanted to to work with his best mate again …and …that was Beautiful ❤
Giles is almost like family to the Beatles, he would definitely make his father proud.
giles has grown a antenna. thanks giles for everything
I'm fascinated by Giles Martin's hair standing on end independently of all the others 🙂
My brother met Giles father in his own home and said he was a gentleman and so kind. This song is great and the final cherry on the Beatles cake. ❤️.x
Giles is a legend. He’s a genius like his father. Great way to keep a legacy going. Cheers. Extra: really the missed opportunity in the video was George standing over Giles. I still think they should have done that.
Each time I listen to the song, it gets even more beautiful. You notice every little bit of the brilliance and care that has gone into making this perfect masterpiece. It could not have been made any better. Thank you Giles and Paul and Ringo and everyone that was involved with making this gift for mankind.
Just like every Beatles album...Initially you think: what the heck? And then every time you listen to it, you slowly start to get it.
This is fantastic Giles , your father was a genius and integral to the incredible Beatles songs. Well done Peter Jackson for the emotional video.
George would be proud of how his son has carried on the legacy
Many people may not realize the remarkable work that Giles Martin is doing. He has breathed new life into 'The Beatles' catalog, and it's nothing short of astounding! The new mixes he has crafted sound as fresh as ever while preserving the original essence of the recordings. This speaks volumes about his exceptional talent. As someone deeply entrenched in the music industry, I can attest to the immense challenge that this task poses. What sets Giles apart is the genuine love and care he has poured into this endeavor. He has meticulously attended to various facets, such as the welcome absence of excessive compression, which has sadly become the norm in the digital age. It's truly heartwarming to witness Giles openly sharing his insights in this video. Thank you, Giles! Your dedication and passion are immensely appreciated by all of us.
my ONLY complaint about the new abbey road mix is that I wish the drums in She Wants You were louder, they sound almost invisible at times on this mix vs the original, but that's my opinion.
Come on. The remixes are decisive amongst hardcore fans. And the bigger issue is that it’s making the original mixes unavailable. If you want to buy the White Album with the original mix, you can’t buy it new anymore. If you want to buy the original albums in mono which was what the band intended, you can’t. They’re out of print. You have to buy his frankensteined remixes. They should be an option, not the default.
@@SammyRenardThe Abbey Road remix was a mess. Those tracks needed a LOT of eq and he failed in that department. Example: The guitar intro of Octopus's Garden is just painful to listen to. He could have smoothed it out, but his ears are broken, I think.
@@jacobgonzalez4419 @thefonzkiss the silver lining is that with the technology they now have where they can isolate tracks better means that maybe someday they'll go back to abbey road and remix it again with a better result.
Giles, Im 71 and a lifelong Beatles fan. I love your remixes. Being in America, I am mostly familar with the stereo mixes, but to be honest, those weren't done very well back in the day. Your remixes are brilliant by balancing out the soundscape and bringing out things that are buried in the mix. Love Me Do on the flip side of Now And Then has never sounded so good. I hope before I die, I get to hear all the Beatles music redone by you. Thank you for making this old man happy.
His mixes are overcompressed, he makes bizarre choices, the eq, or lack of, is awful (i.e. Abbey Road)... He never should have been allowed to remix any Beatles tracks.
Isn't LOVE ME DO the flip side of Now and Then?
Love Me Do is the flip side, not Please Please Me.
@tintinesk5he has remixed Beatles songs for LOVE (2006), 1 (2015), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017), The Beatles (2018), Abbey Road (2019), Let It Be (2021), Revolver (2022) and now Now and Then and the Red and Blue albums (2023). He was not involved in the mono remasters from 2009 and 2014.
@@ThisBirdHasFlown Thanks. I had a brain fart.
When I think “ English Gentleman “, this is what comes to mind!
Just Like his Dad
I think it´s part of closing a magic circle. George Martin produced all the Beatles records. Now, so many years have passed since then and this tape shows up and Giles takes the responsibility of working in some way with the four of them again as his father did then. I´m absolutely sure Sir George Martin would be mesmerized by this new track and also extremely proud of the work done by this son. It all stayed in the family as it should.
No, he'd probably say Paul needs to let it go with the contrived Beatles reunions and just be his own man.
17:55 I'm glad he mentioned Penn, because this is the kind of Beatles nut Penn is. On his podcast, he mentioned being friendly with Giles and having his contact info, and after watching Get Back, he was so enraptured by how much toast the band was eating at the sessions, and how delicious the footage made it look, he wondered what kind of toaster they used. So he emailed Giles Martin to see if he had record of the kind of toaster The Beatles used at Abbey Road to make their toast. Turns out, that information exists and was accessible, so Penn Jillette now owns a toaster of the same model as The Beatles for that singular reason. Imagine that, knowing the son of the man who orchestrated "Strawberry Fields Forever," and the most burning question you have on your mind is, "Can you find me a model number for the toaster John, Paul, George, and Ringo used?"
Ha! That's great, thanks for sharing that :)
Absolutely beautiful song ,well done Giles, your dad was a genius, ❤
' Paul is just a lovely man ' - so very British. Great interview! Giles is tops.
I am so glad that he did the strings. It just about has all the originals (and son) doing what they did and what they do.
Kudos to Giles. His mother just passed and he’s still on the circuit talking up the new Beatles offering.
I love Giles so much, he’s such a humble guy and is making such incredible mixes for not just the Beatles, but many other artists. He did a stellar job on Now and Then
Nice to see he has fans! I think everything he has done to Beatles material is a disaster. I don’t find him very humble, and Now and Then suffers from incredibly bad mixing. It is the worst drum sound Ringo has ever had, the piano and strumming guitars is a big mush, and the bass is way too weighty on some of the bass notes compared to the rest of the range.
@@hepphepps8356 The guy who mixed Now and Then was Spike Stent, Giles only did the Atmos version based on it, but it sounds much better
@@ExtremeGuyOne I didn’t know that! Glad to hear the alternate sounds better, but I am still not a fan of the material I have heard GM work on. He has moderated the old mixes into current middle of the road expectations, and current middle of the road expectations is exactly what the Beatles went beyond and above in the first place.
@@hepphepps8356 Well for each their own but so far Ive been loving all the remixes hes done, sure some are almost Identical, but some are mind blowing (The earlier ones on the new Red Album, and Tomorrow Never Knows are examples I love to give, but there are plenty on the White Album, Sgt Pepper, and Revolver as well) I think they bring so much life to those songd, and even small things like slightly panning John and Pauls vocals to oposite sides on Two Of Us really makes up a new experience for me, and I just can never go back to the original ones withouth feeling something is weird Thought I have 2 ecxeptions, The single version of Get Back is really weird, somehow the atmos mix is worse, amd Heler Skelter which is just not right, but to be fair I think just increasing that bass a bit and making the backing vocals come from both side would fix it for me because otherwise it brings a lot to the table
They need to remix Free as a Bird with the AI for John’s voice!
Yeah, really... Major missed opportunity for red & blue.
Maybe there will be a remix of the Anthology albums one day, I even suspect it.
Real Love!
@@jugibur2117🤞
Yes!
Like father like son ! Talented on his own & it shows, thank you 🙏 ❤
He'll never fill his father's shoes, but he's certainly getting close another genius in the martin family
Thank you Giles! Now, please use the technology on the Star Club tapes. Everyone could then here The Beatles "punk" phase.
Better still, update “Free as a bird” and “Real Love”.
@@beckyzwhite That's fine but I want to put to rest all the talk of The Beatles being a "boy band" at the beginning of their career.
What a nice gentleman. Maybe there are some critics about these mixes as usually are out there but I believe he did a great job and was absolutely the right person to take care of this material. Who else if not he should have done it? Nobody else but him. His father probably would have been proud of him risking and mastering that task.
What an amazing guy Giles is. I’m 60 (today)! Sitting on holiday in Egypt. I loved the ‘Love’ album and have followed Giles’ work from then on. What a glorious gauntlet to have bestowed on him by both his Father and the ‘Boys.’ This interview by Chris (who like me is a Beatles geek) was respectful, fanatical, informative and obviously put Giles at ease to come forth with all that was what we really enjoyed hearing. Bloody hell…. The Beatles…..what a Band….what a journey……what and amazing influence on the world. Name me another……….. you won’t be able to.
The Love remixes sounded incredible. Which is why I believe he barely had a hand in them. All of his other mixes sound completely different, and quite awful. I have a feeling he was more of a young ideas guy for the Love project, suggesting mash-up ideas and the like. Which is where that soundtrack suffers at times. Take the guitar solo shoved into Lady Madonna; they aren't even in tune with each other! Sloppy execution!
Very good interview with Giles. Not many people on this earth can say, "yeah Paul phoned me up the other day"
Transends space and time... I mean it is just incredible... Just how??? It is just one strand of hair standing up perfectly straight!
I remembered Paul (in the 70s) once rang up John, they had a really great chat, talking about this, talking about that. As they ended their call John said to Paul; think of me *Now and Then.*
Wow I loved this!!! I had never heard of this show before . Giles is always great to listen to . As a musician myself , I’d love to work with him . Time is not on my side though. One can dream . The Beatles are the Greatest Musically Group in all of History.
Just excellent. No other words needed. Oh and Now & Then is just amazingly beautiful...........
Amazing. I'm a caretaker so I can't leave the house for more than 3 hours. No time to get to Antwerp(en) to drink a coffee, let stand getting to Abbey Road. Thanks to let the Beatles story go on. I was right when I became a Beatles fan at the middle of the seventies, when people told me "they were dead". They'll never die.
Fab! and Fabber! thought Alice! What a nice interview! Love the whole, beautiful thing.......what magic, then and NOW!
Lovely man, just like his father! Great interview!!!
What a brilliant interview ❤
On the early songs I like the mixes just the way they were. that is part of the charm of it all. maybe technically the songs will sound better on the new blue and red album remixes. because you will hear Ringo's bass drum more. but that doesn't necessarily mean it makes it a better recording. because it's no longer the original mix that everyone first heard when the songs came out. its like painting the Crome bumper on a 1960's car to make it look more modern. but then it's not the same classic 1960's car. but I don't think the same way about what they did with Now and Then. the song and video together are really a piece of art. and I love it. its like the perfect last song. like as if John Lennon wrote it with the intention of it coming out in 2023. to give tribute to his old band mates and for band to give the love back. and one last chance for the fans to appreciate what the Beatles have given them for the last 60 years. the video along with the song is just magical. and makes me in tears every time I see it. I think the song along with the video has taken on a meaning way beyond what the song would've had if it came out when it was originally written in 1977. that is why I say in some strange way it's as if Lennon wrote it to be the last song and come out in 2023 without even realizing it at the time. and that's part of what's magical about the song and video.
A real conversation with meaningful insights! Thanks Chris, for milking Giles for all he's worth - and that's a lot!
This is the first I'm hearing of a NOW AND THEN album...
Giles Job is not easy nor trivial, he has treated the original Beatles track with a lot of respect, using the new technologies wisely. (in less capable hands this endeavour could be a real tragedy).
Thank you Giles 👏
I thank Giles for caring about this and bringing that love. I'm Gen X like him and my dad looked suave AF in 1969 too. I adore that his daughter got to discover her grandfather young.. I'm guessing Giles was in Utero at that time. HA. Let's keep that generation's great work refreshed and going as long as we can.
The power of KZhead - I can watch this interview in the states. Thanks and looking forward to the next Giles interview and more on the Red & Blue album drop on Friday.
Excellent get! Giles Martin's observations were enlightening! 👍💯
Great interview. Met Giles in 1999 in Alexandria, Va! 😊
An old band director i knew in New Orleans got dementia--wandering out the house, didn't know where he was--but i'd go over and play Beatles tunes on his piano and he'd whip out his trombone, and he nailed every lick and melody, even words sometimes. Music isn't like 'stored facts' in our memory--it's a living entity, an integrative experience that our bodies actively, physically participate in, and that part of us really does stay young no matter what else happens to our bodies. When i first heard "Now And Then" I instantly heard "Grow Old With Me" in the construction, and it almost sounds like John could've recorded them on the same tape, the noise elements and decays sound similar. You wonder what interesting concepts John might've come up with as technology exploded like this...
Glad to know that a Martin is behind this piece. The addition of the strings would have been George Martin's idea. Truly great producers are hard to find.
Holy cow! I had that Love album growing up and LOVED it!
Love the show, Chris. And please keep remastering those Beatles albums Giles!
Remixing.
My mistake 😊
Great respectful warm interview. Got me thinking about Beatles songs overlooked. Often thought YES IT IS is a forgotten classic which was a B Side to Ticket To Ride 65. Now imagine it with only strings and lifted Because harmonies, it would be majestic in Giles hands. Let’s not kid ourselves that this is not Hello Goodbye from The Beatles, more like Goodbye Hello. With so much more possible now. Love albums 2,3,4? An album of Beatles B Sides, Beatles mash up singles…Imagine😎👌
Great and informative interview. Thanks for doing!
Fantastic guy
Wow - what an excellent interview
Listening to my daughter's pop music when she was younger, my comment was often "this was writen by someone who grew up listening to their grandparent's Beatles records"
That is an interesting point. How many other groups have broken up and ALL the members had successful solo careers? This final version is credited to all 4 members. The last time we saw that was the innocuous 'Flying' from Magical Mystery Tour.
"Every member of this band is really good" That is a understatement....... I look at these guy's with Amazement!!! I am Astonished by what these 4 Lads Accomplished in their lifetime. The Beatles were without a doubt the 8th Wonder of the world..............................
It's a single, not an album.... that aside, they need to remix Free as a Bird with the AI for John’s voice, it really needs it!
I know, right? When I saw “album” I got very excited!
De Lynne it
@@darrell6800really dislike the phasing on Ringo’s toms .
Great job on all the projects he's done, thank you Giles.
What a lovely guy Giles Martin is. How proud would his dad be to hear him talk about macca and ringo back together on a Beatles track.
Like father like son.🙌
Amazing interview
Imagine going into the vaults and listening to all the outtakes that were never releases along with the conversations during the takes. whewww.
Lovely man. Fantastic interview. Great song.
always a pleasure to hear from the Martin"s & Chris has always been the best DJ of his generation
Awesome, brings a tear to my eye
Wonderful!
Thank you Giles for keeping the legacy alive❤
Love this interview, Giles seems like a top guy
Very nice interview. ✨
The Fabs are endlessly fascinating.
Thanks Giles, I agree your Dad would be so happy at this.
The Beatles wrote songs that don't wear out.
Perfectly put.😊
Thank you Giles
Masterful job done on NOW AND THEN. A masterpiece.
It was crazy to hear Giles talk about his dad being younger than him when he was working with the Beatles at their height of it all! Even i forget that the Beatles werent even 30yrs old when they broke up!
Thank you!
Top man. Giles is doing a great job.
Giles Martin: The Third Beatle (currently) Haha. Much appreciation for the work of Giles Martin! 🙏
His hair is standing straight up! Darn electrons!
He looks so like his father.
Yes he does.
He sounds a lot like his father. Really incredible. My favorite moment of ‘Get Back’ is the beginning of Part 3, with GM coming in with this commanding presence (which the director *never* managed) to explain why their studio was a mess. Starts telling people to move mics various places and just cleans house in this loving, paternal way. It’s why they wanted him for their last LP.
John's last time talking to Paul before he died was "think of me now and then old friend" so this song is perfect as their swan song.
Love this❤
Giles also did a fantastic job remastering goat's head soup from the rolling Stones👍🏼 I'm hoping with a little bit of luck since pop worked with them perhaps Gerry and Dewey will let him get his hands on some of the America releases. There's a couple of those seventies albums that could use a fantastic remaster
Last year's Revolver was mixed extremely well... Love the stereo... The Song, Now and Then, strong point preserving Beatle performances. Weak point, the song was not worked until the end prior to this release, so the early performances (George) are works in progress, at least that is what I hear
I’m hearing George didn’t like the quality of the original cassette, which is why it’s was a work in progress. Shame because he’d have done a better solo than Paul. Also loved the revolver mix’s , just hope Free as a Bird gets the PJ treatment.
Wonderful guy. Chip off the old block. I’d like to think that the stray vertical hair is for extra sensitivity to sound waves. Injecting the music directly into his brain 😅
Mark it fab. Thank you.
Hey, Giles! Great work! Now, it is finally time to re-mix "She Loves You" ("She Loved You" 😉) into a stereo mix!
Giles Martin is another great gentleman, just like his dad.
"The Beatles..... they did not choose their time; somebody chose the time for them" - George Martin
Excellent interview. Thanks! P.S. Giles. How does your sister feel about the Rollers Vs The Beatles today?
That was very entertaining, thank you! Does anyone know if the other albums will also be remixed? PS: It would be interesting to know why and who decided which new songs go on the red and blue albums. I think it's a shame that they didn't include "If I Fell".
Giles will know before any of us, if more albums will be re mixed & at this point …….he doesn’t.
The Blue and Red albums are coming out remixed in a few days!
Gold
Album ?
Giles is one of the best that george martin has ever produced.