Joe Meek - Recording Studio Innovator
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Although not many people have heard of him, Robert George 'Joe' Meek has left an indelible mark on the music of today. He was an independent record producer before Phil Spector, an artist grooming svengali before Jonathan King, and a pure sound innovator before the Beatles and George Martin. You may have heard his most well known recordings - 'Just Like Eddie' by Heinz, 'Have I The Right' by the Honeycombs, 'Johnny Remember Me' by John Leyton, and of course 'Telstar' by the Tornados. But beyond these 1960s pop classics, there is a much darker, stranger tale.
Background
Meek was born in the rural English town of Newent, Gloucestershire. Despite being brought up on the family farm, young Joe declined to follow his elder brothers into the rustic and masculine pastimes of farmer's boys. Instead, inspired by book on wireless radio sets he received one Christmas, expirimented with electronics in the shed. Rumour has it that he built the first working television set in Newent.
After a spell in the Royal Air Force, Meek moved to London in 1953 to become a recording engineer at IBC studios. In this capacity he engineered dozens of hit discs for the premier acts of the 1950s such as Acker Bilk, Lonnie Donegan and Petula Clark. Meek was recognised as an expert in the field of sound balance (an essential in the days of one and two track tape recording).
His first step in gaining notoriety in the music business came with the 1956 record by jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttleton 'Bad Penny Blues'. To gain more sound 'impact' on the tune, Meek put the microphones closer to the drums and distorted the sound of the piano. Lyttleton, coming back from a holiday and hearing the result for the first time disliked it, but later admitted that Meek's handiwork helped it become a top 20 hit.
Unfortunately, by the end of the 1950s, Joe Meek was gaining more of a reputation for his temper than his engineering prowess. It caused so many problems that, in the end, he was forced to leave IBC studios.
The Triumph Period
Background
Meek was born in the rural English town of Newent, Gloucestershire. Despite being brought up on the family farm, young Joe declined to follow his elder brothers into the rustic and masculine pastimes of farmer's boys. Instead, inspired by book on wireless radio sets he received one Christmas, expirimented with electronics in the shed. Rumour has it that he built the first working television set in Newent.
After a spell in the Royal Air Force, Meek moved to London in 1953 to become a recording engineer at IBC studios. In this capacity he engineered dozens of hit discs for the premier acts of the 1950s such as Acker Bilk, Lonnie Donegan and Petula Clark. Meek was recognised as an expert in the field of sound balance (an essential in the days of one and two track tape recording).
His first step in gaining notoriety in the music business came with the 1956 record by jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttleton 'Bad Penny Blues'. To gain more sound 'impact' on the tune, Meek put the microphones closer to the drums and distorted the sound of the piano. Lyttleton, coming back from a holiday and hearing the result for the first time disliked it, but later admitted that Meek's handiwork helped it become a top 20 hit.
Unfortunately, by the end of the 1950s, Joe Meek was gaining more of a reputation for his temper than his engineering prowess. It caused so many problems that, in the end, he was forced to leave IBC studios.
The Triumph Period
