The Beatles were of course talented enough to hold their own and create their own music. However, it never hurt to get a little help from their friends, and they did so on numerous occasions. In addition to collaborating with musicians such as Eric Clapton and Billy Preston, they had one other major player play on several of their early tracks, and that was their producer and friend, George Martin.
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Given the production quality of The Beatles’ music, Martin’s role as the lead producer was as integral as any of the four members. However, the man didn’t just control the sticks; he also tickled the ivories on several of The Beatles’ most iconic early tracks. That being so, here are three early Beatles songs that feature George Martin on the piano.
“Not a Second Time”
Released in 1963, The Beatles single “Not a Second Time” is the quintessential tune of the group’s teenie-bop era. However, amidst the boyish harmonies is a George Martin piano solo that nobody expected nor thought could fit into the song. However, George Martin did, and he executed it to near perfection.
Following its release, “Not a Second Time” didn’t receive much chart success. On the contrary, the album, With The Beatles, peaked at No. 1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Nearly every song on that album is a certified classic, and “Not a Second Time” certainly falls into that category, and it’s partly thanks to George Martin.
“You Really Got a Hold On Me”
It seems Martin had an enormous presence on The Beatles 1963 album, With The Beatles, as he also tickled the ivories on their song, “You Really Got a Hold On Me.” Originally written and recorded by Smokey Robinson’s R&B band, The Mircles, George Martin helped turn this song into an early Beatles staple.
Upon its release, “You Really Got a Hold on Me” peaked at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for two weeks. If not for George Martin’s piano portion of the song, who knows what kind of life this tune would have taken on. Though, we don’t need to worry about that whatsoever.
“Money (That’s What I Want)”
Again, the other George Martin appearance resided on The Beatles album, With The Beatles, on the single “Money (That’s What I Want).” The song is a cover of the classic R&B single by Barrett Strong, which was originally released in 1959. However, with the help of George Martin, this song took a different trajectory.
The song didn’t chart following its release, but regardless, George Martin’s collaboration on the piece shows just how important he was to the four-headed monster. Hence, George Martin goes by the nickname of the “Fifth Beatle.”
Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns
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