Editing Fifth Beatle (section)

===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>