Brush With a Beatle

Readers share their stories of personally encountering one or more of The Beatles. If you've ever met one or more of The Beatles in person, we'd like to hear about your experience and post it on this page. Send your stories about meeting a Beatle to mixeditorial@mixonline.com.

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TO SIR, WITH LOVE

In June 2006, Sir Paul McCartney—along with Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison and their families—came to The Mirage in Las Vegas to see the gala premiere of Love, the Cirque du Soleil show celebrating the Beatles' legacy, with the original Beatles tracks produced and remixed by Sir George Martin and his son, Giles Martin.

As the “music playback engineer” for Love, I ran the music tracks for that show and had the pleasure of meeting Sir Paul when he came into my “office” to record a video interview following the Gala Premiere.

I gave Sir Paul my seat at our “music playback system.” Behind him were an array of keyboards, computer screens, and my parents' vinyl copy of the Sgt. Pepper album that I grew up with, and had brought with me for good luck.

“Sir Paul, might I have my picture taken with you?” I asked, as the interview was about to begin. “Of course,” he replied. “Why don't you sit on my lap?” His response caught me completely off guard—was this a trick question? British humor? Is it a crime to sit on the lap of an actual knight? After some mumbling and blushing on my part, I kneeled alongside the man to whom I owed my passion for music and my current career.

The interview that followed, which was included in the All Together Now documentary about the making of Love, summed up the night—and the show—perfectly: “We were a (expletive) great band,” Sir Paul stated quite matter-of-factly.
—Gavin Whiteley

SOMETIME IN NEW YORK CITY’S RECORD PLANT

I was James Brown's recording engineer from 1972 through 1977. It was sometime in mid-1973. We had just recorded a live show at the Apollo Theater in New York City using the Record Plant remote truck. The tapes were taken to the Record Plant after the concerts. Brown wanted to hear some mixes right away. Since the tapes were at the Record Plant already and I was in a rush, instead of dragging about 20 2-inch reels over to Sound Ideas, where I did most of my mixing, I booked two days of mixing time at the Record Plant on the weekend. I had done several mix sessions there before, but I wasn’t as comfortable with their Westlake monitors as I was with the speakers at Sound Ideas. Brown was impatient to hear some mixes, so there I was.

I preferred to mix on the Spectrasonics console they had in Studio A, but that room was already booked. I booked Studio B, which had a Data mix console. My girlfriend Karen came along for company—which she normally wouldn’t do, but it was a Saturday.

When I arrived I noticed a sign on the Studio A door that said “closed session—do not enter.” I didn't give it any thought and went into Studio B and began my mixing session. After several hours of work, I was listening to the playback of several mixes and my girlfriend had just gone to the ladies room, when John Lennon walked into the control room. He said, “I'm recording in Studio A. I heard the James Brown music and was wondering if he was here. I'd like to meet him." I explained that I was Brown’s engineer and was mixing the project. James Brown would not be attending the session.

We listened to a mix or two and talked for a bit. He said he was recording his Sometime In New York City album with the Elephant’s Memory Band. After a while he said, “I had better be getting back to me session. Sorry I didn't get to say hello to James. Good luck with the mixing.”

When my girlfriend returned I told her that she had just missed John Lennon and asked her what had taken her so long in the ladies room. She replied, “I met a nice Oriental woman in there and we were talking for awhile.” She didn't even realize she had been talking with Yoko Ono until I told her that [Ono and Lennon] were in the other studio.

I finished mixing the album the next day. Ironically, while I was preparing it for release we had recorded a new cut that Brown was excited about. We rush-released “Doing It To Death” instead. It became a million-seller. The live album I mixed at the Record Plant was never released. I don't believe Lennon ever got to meet Brown, but we did get a letter from George Harrison thanking Brown for recording a version of his song "Something.”
—Bob Both
www.twainrecording.com

ELEVATOR FANTASY

In the summer of 1980, just out of high school, I was recording my first album (as keyboard player for a soon-to-be successful black pop band) at the Hit Factory in New York City (I believe West 48th Street). The sessions for Double Fantasy took place a floor above us. We were not allowed on that floor.

One particularly hot day, I was waiting in the lobby for the elevator. Two people came into the building. In an effort to hide themselves, they were all the more conspicuous: hats, scarves, jackets, sunglasses: John and Yoko.

We all got in the elevator. I had to say something; when would this ever happen again?

“How’s the album going?”

“Fine,” says Yoko.

“Well, like everyone else, I’m really looking forward to it.”

John says, “Thanks.” And...it’s my floor.

When I get home that night, I, uh, embellish the story a bit for my girlfriend:

“How’s the album going?”

“Fine,” says Yoko.

“Well, like everyone else, I’m really looking forward to it.”

At that point, John breaks out in tears and hugs me. Yoko joins the hug, and there are tears all around.

“Great,” says my girlfriend. “And that’s when you got an autograph, right?”

Well, I didn’t get an autograph that day. (As a result, I didn’t get something else for days.)
—Floyd Fisher
Music producer

YOU KNOW YOU’VE MADE IT WHEN…

Many moons ago I was the bassist in a band that had a hit single, but it was a really big one: "Play That Funky Music.” So, we received a couple of Grammy Award nominations and performed on the televised broadcast in February 1977. (Actually, we lip-synched, which is far more difficult to endure.) Of course, it was quite a thrill to be rubbing shoulders with the who's who of the music biz at the time.

As everyone was getting seated for the show, I noticed Ringo. I didn't hesitate for even a moment as to what I had to do. If it weren't for the Beatles, as it is for so many of us, I would not have even been there. The [Beatles’ first appearance on the] Ed Sullivan Show changed my life and set me on a course that I have never regretted. I just had to walk up to him, introduce myself and thank him. He was quite gracious and exactly as advertised—a lovely bloke. Imagine him saying to me that he loved our record! A lifetime highlight for sure!
—Allen Wentz