Giles Martin Responds | Lefsetz Letter

Re: Sgt. Pepper

Dear Bob,

Thomas told me you were thinking of coming down to the Sgt Pepper playback next week. I’m delighted. I read your post and love your passion.

I hope you realise the remix project came from Apple Corps, not Universal. I was initially against the idea, let’s face it, no one has ever mentioned that Sgt Pepper sounded bad. The difference with the way the Beatles work is that we’re very much behind closed doors. I book the time at Abbey Road, often under a different band name. It’s just myself and Sam Okell (engineer). We use a combination of old and new to mix and it’s only when we feel like we are doing something good that we play it for Paul and Ringo. It’s their call, it’s their music after all.

With the remix we realised that we were on to something good. Something that was missed in the original stereo, as Paul and Ringo told us and my dad had mentioned in the past, something that the mono had that had been taken away by the quick stereo mix that everyone knows.

But in essence this new mix isn’t for y4ou, or for me. It isn’t so the socks and sandals brigade can discuss the fade on Good Morning. It’s about kids putting on one of the greatest records of all time and realising the music is timeless, just there to be enjoyed. Sadly no kids are going to seek out the mono, the record the band mixed. So we made a stereo mix using the same care, attention and process that the band did 50 years ago.

Cynical marketing? I completely understand your point, but from those of us involved in the project all we are trying to do is celebrate the music.

I hope all is well with you and I hope to see you Tuesday.

All the best

Giles

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