A new 90-minute documentary about legendary Beatles record producer Sir George Martin will premiere on Britain's BBC-2 TV network over the Easter weekend. The film is titled "Produced by George Martin" and includes new footage with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
"Produced by George Martin" will air on BBC-2 on Saturday April 23rd, which by coincidence is celebrated in England (and many other European nations) as "St. George's Day," a day commemorated by several nations and cities of whom St. George is the patron saint.
The film documents the six-decade professional history of the 85-year-old knighted record producer who discovered and signed the Beatles in June 1962, and then produced them throughout their recording career, and who also produced several albums with Paul McCartney and Wings. The film features specially-shot new sequences with Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Other interviewees include vocalist Cilla Black and Monty Python's Michael Palin.
Londoners may see a sneak preview of the film when it is screened this coming Wednesday (April 13th) at the British Film Institute's flagship National Film Theatre on London's South Bank. Click here for more info on this special screening.
There are preliminary plans for the film to be televised in other countries including the USA in 2012. There are also discussions for the film to be screened at prestigious international film festivals.
In addition to chronicling his pioneering production work with the Beatles, the film looks at his extensive producing experience before and after the Beatles. This includes his early work with classical music - and with comedic performers such as Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, The Goons and Beyond The Fringe. And a focus on some of his wide-ranging post-Beatles work including film scores and album production for many major musicians.
Among the many artists produced by Sir George during his sixty-year career have been: friends and contemporaries of the Beatles such as Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Fourmost, Mary Hopkin; rock and pop artists such as Jeff Beck, Ultravox, Cheap Trick, John McLaughlin & The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Preston, Sinead O'Connor, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Elton John, Gary Brooker, Jimmy Webb, Neil Sedaka, Stevie Wonder and America; jazz artists such as: Ella Fitzgerald, Cleo Laine, Johnny Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton; and vocalists such as: Matt Monro, Kenny Rogers, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Celine Dion.
This news story comes to us courtesy of a longtime friend of Sir George Martin - Martin Lewis. The two have worked together many times over the years, including in 1998 when Lewis worked as consultant on Sir George's album "In My Life" and in 2002 when Sir George gave Lewis a rare interview for "Give Me Everything!" - the bonus disc that accompanied the DVD Edition of "A Hard Day's Night" produced by Lewis.
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