Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Giles Martin (son of Sir George Martin) joined Apple Music’s Zane Lowe for in-depth conversation about the arrival of The Beatles’ iconic 1 album in Spatial Audio for the first time ever, in addition to “Strawberry Fields Forever” in celebration of the song’s 55th anniversary.
During the lively discussion, Martin discussed the responsibility he feels while tackling a project like this: “I still find it hard to believe that that I get given this responsibility. I never thought in my life I’d be mixing or remixing Beatles stuff. And I realized that when I walk into a room at Abbey Road and I can get a four track, one inch tape and it has ‘A Day in the Life’ in it or ‘Paperback Writer’ or anything, and I can press play and I can hear it how lucky I am and how many people would want to do this? How many people would want to be in that position? I shouldn’t have this privilege, everyone should have this privilege.”
Martin also discussed how “Strawberry Fields” was one of his father’s proudest achievements. “It was my dad’s, I think, proudest work as a producer, you know, because it was two different takes, two different speeds, he put the strings, he created this thing. And it’s a lovely story, he — John Lennon got in touch with him and they didn’t speak for a while for different reasons. John got in touch with him the month before he died. And my dad went to go see him in the Dakota building…And John said, ‘You know, I’d love to just go back and record everything again properly this time.’ And my dad was like, ‘what??’ And he goes ‘Come on, we probably could do a lot better this time around.’ My dad goes, ‘What about ‘Strawberry Fields?,’ and John went, ‘Especially ‘Strawberry Fields’ — so the so the legacy and the importance of that song for me personally is huge.”
The Beatles’ 1 Spatial Audio Edition Tracklist:
Love Me Do
From Me To You
She Loves You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Can’t Buy Me Love
A Hard Day’s Night
I Feel Fine
Eight Days A Week
Ticket To Ride
Help!
Yesterday
Day Tripper
We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Yellow Submarine
Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane
All You Need Is Love
Hello, Goodbye
Lady Madonna
Hey Jude
Get Back
The Ballad Of John & Yoko
Something
Come Together
Let It Be
The Long and Winding Road