Editing Fifth Beatle (section)

==Business, management, and production==

[[File:Aankomst Brian Epstein (manager Beatles) op Schiphol (Grand Gala du Disque 1965), Bestanddeelnr 918-2516 ShiftN.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Brian Epstein]]

===Brian Epstein===
{{Main|Brian Epstein}}

Brian Epstein, the band's manager from 1961 until his death in 1967, was instrumental in the Beatles' rise to global fame. Epstein "discovered" the band in Liverpool, saw their potential, and never wavered in his faith and commitment to them. He purposefully restricted his oversight of the band, limiting himself to business matters and public image, and gave the band free creative rein in their music. Epstein also doggedly sought a recording contract for the band in London at a crucial moment in their career, fighting their perception as provincial "[[Northern England|northern]]" musicians.

Epstein's death in essence marked the beginning of [[Breakup of the Beatles|the Beatles' dissolution]], as Lennon admitted later. Because he was not creatively involved with the band, Epstein was only infrequently called the "fifth Beatle", but over the years he and producer George Martin have been recognised as the two inner-circle members who most profoundly affected the band's career. In an interview in the 1990s describing Epstein's involvement in the band's rise to fame, Martin declared, "He's the fifth Beatle, if there ever was one."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rowan|first=Terry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FNvGBAAAQBAJ&dq=He%27s+the+fifth+Beatle%2C+if+there+ever+was+one.&pg=PA92|title=Penny Laine's Anthology|date=31 March 2015|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-105-58230-1|language=en}}</ref>

When the Beatles were awarded their [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]]s in 1965, Harrison said that a fifth medal should be given to Epstein since "MBE really stands for 'Mr Brian Epstein{{'"}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=Miles|first=Barry|title=The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years|year=2001|publisher=Omnibus Press|location=London|isbn=0-7119-8308-9|page=197}}</ref>
McCartney summarised the importance of Epstein to the Beatles when he was interviewed in 1997 for a BBC documentary about Epstein. He stated: "If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian."<ref name="epstein1"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Brian Epstein Play to Open in Liverpool |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9494823/Brian-Epstein-Play-to-Open-in-Liverpool.html |quote=Sir Paul McCartney said of him: 'If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian.' |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |date=27 August 2012 |access-date=23 September 2012 }}</ref>

In 2013 Epstein was the subject of a graphic novel entitled ''[[The Fifth Beatle (graphic novel)|The Fifth Beatle]]'' by [[Vivek Tiwary]]. The book was released in November and spent several weeks on [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''The New York Times'' Best Seller list]], reaching no. 1 in its third week of release.<ref>{{cite news |title=HARDCOVER GRAPHIC BOOKS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/hardcover-graphic-books/list.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=17 December 2013 |access-date=17 December 2013}}</ref>

[[File:Beatles and George Martin in studio 1966.JPG|thumb|left|275px|George Martin (second-right) working with the Beatles]]

===George Martin===
{{Main|George Martin}}
George Martin produced nearly all of the Beatles' recordings (except for the ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' album, produced by [[Phil Spector]], the songs "[[Real Love (John Lennon song)|Real Love]]" and "[[Free as a Bird]]", produced by [[Jeff Lynne]] and "[[Now and Then (Beatles song)|Now and Then]]", produced by his son [[Giles Martin]]) and wrote the instrumental score for the ''[[Yellow Submarine (1968 film)|Yellow Submarine]]'' film and soundtrack album, and the string and horn (and even some vocal) arrangements for almost all of their songs (with the famous exception of Spector's re-production on ''Let It Be'', and "[[She's Leaving Home]]", which was arranged by [[Mike Leander]]). His arrangement of the string octet backing for "[[Eleanor Rigby]]" was widely noted.

Martin's extensive musical training (which he received at the [[Guildhall School of Music]]) and sophisticated guidance in the studio are often credited as fundamental contributions to the work of the Beatles. Writer [[Ian MacDonald]] noted that Martin was one of the few record producers in the UK at the time who possessed the sensitivity the Beatles needed to develop their songwriting and recording talent. Martin's piano playing also appears on several of their tracks, including "[[Misery (The Beatles song)|Misery]]" and "[[In My Life]]". Martin himself deflected claims of being the "fifth Beatle"<ref>{{cite news |title=George Martin: 'The Fifth Beatle' Returns |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6665771 |quote= Sir George Martin is often regarded as 'The Fifth Beatle.' ... |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=19 February 2007 |access-date=23 September 2012 }}</ref> to Beatles' manager [[Brian Epstein]].

Lennon disparaged Martin's importance to the Beatles' music. In his 1970 interview with [[Jann Wenner]], Lennon said that music publisher [[Dick James]] is "another one of those people, who think they made us. They didn't. I'd like to hear Dick James' music and I'd like to hear George Martin's music, please, just play me some."<ref name="Imaginepeace.com">{{cite web|url=http://imaginepeace.com/archives/4385 |title=The Rolling Stone Interview: John Lennon (text and podcast) |date=21 January 1971 |publisher=Imaginepeace.com |access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref> In a 1971 letter to Paul McCartney, Lennon wrote, "When people ask me questions about 'What did George Martin really do for you?,' I have only one answer, 'What does he do now?' I noticed you had no answer for that! It's not a putdown, it's the truth." Lennon wrote that Martin took too much credit for the Beatles' music.  Commenting on "[[Revolution 9]]", Lennon said, "For Martin to state that he was 'painting a sound picture' is pure hallucination. Ask any of the other people involved. The final editing [[Yoko Ono|Yoko]] and I did alone."<ref>{{cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/john-lennon-letters-reveal-bitterness-toward-george-martin-192300104.html |title='John Lennon Letters' Reveal Bitterness Toward George Martin As Well as McCartney |publisher=Yahoo! Music |date=8 October 2012 |access-date=4 January 2014}}</ref>

In a tribute to Martin after his death, McCartney said "If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle, it was George. From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I've ever had the pleasure to know."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/entertainment-arts-35635609 |title=Entertainment Live: Sir George Martin tributes |date=9 March 2016|work=BBC News |access-date=23 May 2017}}</ref> [[Julian Lennon]] called him "The Fifth Beatle, without question".<ref>{{cite web |first=Julian |last=Lennon |url=https://web.facebook.com/julianlennonofficial/posts/10153793802326117  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/62506571116/10153793802326117 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=So Sad to hear the News of George's Passing... |via=Facebook |date=9 March 2016 |access-date=22 December 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Neil Aspinall===
{{Main|Neil Aspinall}}
A schoolmate of McCartney and Harrison and a close personal friend of Pete Best (he actually lived in Best's house and fathered his youngest brother, Roag), Aspinall joined the Beatles as their [[road manager]], which included driving his old [[Commer]] van to and from shows, both day and night. After [[Mal Evans]] started work for the Beatles, Aspinall was promoted to become their personal assistant, and eventually ascended to the position of [[Corporate title|CEO]] for [[Apple Corps]] (a position he held until 10 April 2007).

Aspinall was involved in court cases on behalf of Apple over the years (including cases against the Beatles' then-manager [[Allen Klein]], their label [[EMI]], and [[Apple Corps v. Apple Computer|the case against]] [[Apple Inc.|Apple Computer]]). He supervised the marketing of music, [[videotape|videos]], and [[merchandising]] for the group. Aspinall also temporarily served as the group's manager following Epstein's death.

Although not a musician, Aspinall also made minor contributions to a handful of Beatles' recordings. He played a [[Tanpura (instrument)|tambura]] on "[[Within You Without You]]", harmonica on "[[Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!]]", some percussion on "[[Magical Mystery Tour (song)|Magical Mystery Tour]]", and was among the many participants singing on the chorus of "[[Yellow Submarine (song)|Yellow Submarine]]". In January 1988, while accepting the Beatles' induction into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]], Harrison named Aspinall as one of only two people worthy of the title "the Fifth Beatle", the other being Derek Taylor.<ref name="O'Dell p 122">{{cite book |last1=O'Dell |first1=Chris |last2=with Ketcham |first2=Katherine |year=2009 |title=Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved |location=New York, NY |publisher=Touchstone |isbn=978-1-4165-9093-4 |page=[https://archive.org/details/missodellmyhardd00odel/page/122 122] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/missodellmyhardd00odel/page/122 }}</ref>

===Derek Taylor===
{{Main|Derek Taylor}}

''Daily Express'' journalist Derek Taylor<ref>{{cite book|last=Goldsher|first=Alan|title=Paul Is Undead|year=2010|publisher=Gallery Books|isbn=978-1439177921|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781439177921/page/104 104]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781439177921/page/104}}</ref>  first met the band after reviewing their stage performance. Instead of the anticipated negative review of a rock-n-roll group, Taylor gave their act the highest praises. Invited to become acquainted with the Beatles' camp, he soon became a confidant, and gained his share of exclusives on them.

Eventually, he was hired away from his newspaper job by Epstein, who put him in charge of Beatles press releases, and playing media liaison to himself and the band. He also became Epstein's personal assistant.

By 1968, he became press officer for [[Apple Corps]]. As a VIP at Apple, Taylor had a major role in the company's ups and downs, making or enforcing many crucial business and personal decisions, for the Beatles and Apple's staff, and witnessing many key moments in the latter days of both. In January 1988, while accepting the Beatles' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Harrison named Taylor as one of only two people worthy of the title "the Fifth Beatle", the other being Neil Aspinall.<ref name="O'Dell p 122" />