February 16th – We all know that George Martin had a way with
a tune, from the production side that is, and, although I’m not a Beatles fan
(see Jan 4th) there is no denying that he and they could hack it. Some of the 60’s/70’s
production values for some of the so-called fab four’s tracks are really high
for now.
To back up his perspicacity, what he said to the Beatles on
this day in 1963, after they had finished recording ‘Please, Please Me’ was; “Gentlemen,
you have just recorded your first number one.” and was he right? Yup. He knew
it by instinct and that’s a skill that is rare and very valuable in the pop
industry. And, NO, that X Factor fellow, Calloway or Callow or whatever his
name is, he hasn't got it. He’s just a chancer. Anyone can have lines of
wannabes filing past them and manage to pick out a few successes. That’s not a
skill; it’s just an ability with a pin… What Mr. Martin had was a real gift of
being able to work up a raw tune and make it something special. Whatsisname
just pumps up the hype. Anyway, enough of thingy, onto important things.
I got to thinking if we all might
have a snippet of Mr. Martin’s ability. Not to be able to produce a hit record or
memorable tune from the raw material but to recognise a hit when we hear it,
and not in the global but in the purely personal sense? For me, and I know for
you too, there are certain tracks that shake and stir to the point where,
within four bars you know, you just know that this is one you’re going to
carry. Now I know this is on a very personal scale, it won’t
make you and me millionaires and your choice will be so different from mine,
but I’ve strung together seventeen of the best musical openings for me; the
one’s where I knew, within three/four seconds, that this was something special,
that this one was going to tell me something about me and my place in the
universe…then I made it really difficult and forced myself to chose just ONE.
Now that was tricky.
The one track opening above all others
that through the performer’s artistry and emotion, and the signature abilities of
the producer, made this track part of me from day one…and still does.
‘Look Out Any Window’ – Bruce Hornsby
– The sheer, watercolour majesty of that opening and the single, held note of
feedback that drops into the donkey kick of a guitar slide and percussion as a
lead in to the body of the song…a song that describes the swapping of the
environment for cash by a careless city, this one does it for me every time.
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