Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles | 
| Authors: Geoff Emerick, Howard Massey
Publisher: Gotham
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Rating:  183 reviews
Sales Rank: 20683
Media: Paperback
Pages: 400
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.3 x 1
ISBN: 1592402690
Dewey Decimal Number: 780
EAN: 9781592402694
ASIN: 1592402690
Publication Date: February 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Geoff Emerick became an assistant engineer at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in 1962 at age fifteen, and was present as a new band called the Beatles recorded their first songs. He later worked with the Beatles as they recorded their singles "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the songs that would propel them to international superstardom. In 1964 he would witness the transformation of this young and playful group from Liverpool into professional, polished musicians as they put to tape classic songs such as "Eight Days A Week" and "I Feel Fine." Then, in 1966, at age nineteen, Geoff Emerick became the Beatles chief engineer, the man responsible for their distinctive sound as they recorded the classic album Revolver, in which they pioneered innovative recording techniques that changed the course of rock history. Emerick would also engineer the monumental Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road albums, considered by many the greatest rock recordings of all time. In Here, There and Everywhere he reveals the creative process of the band in the studio, and describes how he achieved the sounds on their most famous songs. Emerick also brings to light the personal dynamics of the band, from the relentless (and increasingly mean-spirited) competition between Lennon and McCartney to the infighting and frustration that eventually brought a bitter end to the greatest rock band the world has ever known.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 178 more reviews...
 I love this book. Great even if you're not a big Beatles fan June 27, 2009
Bookenator
I'm not much of a Beatles fan, but I could not put this book down. It's a fascinating look not only at the Beatles but at the creative process at work, and the inner dynamics of a band on it's rise to the top. Along the way you get an insider's view of the creative decisions that lead to the songs and sounds we know so well. For anyone into recording, this book will inspire you to try something new and experiment more. Great book and a great read.
Hazard to read on public transport ! May 25, 2009
Dianne S. Markey (Melbourne, AUSTRALIA)
Once I started to read this I actually I felt like I was right there in Geoff's shoes and assisting recording music history. This book opens up so much more insight into nearly every song that I had to relisten to my original MONO vinyl albums fresh again to hear sounds I never knew were there. I became so absorbed whilst reading this on the train that I almost missed getting off at my station several times! No other book has had that effect. This is a MUST have book for any Beatles fan and so much so, that I had to purchase my own "hard" copy (after reading a borrowed paperback) just to keep it as a reference next to my treasured Beatles vinyl albums.
From Dianne (Melbourne, Australia)
This is the book that I was waiting for... May 24, 2009
ricca (Philippines)
...Ever since I picked up my first Beatles biography-slash-memoir, I always felt that there was a side to their story that was missing. And Emerick's accounts filled that void.
The fact that this book takes the point of view of someone who was with the band at their most essential--their music--is enough to merit this a place on any fan's shelf.
More important for me, though, was the fact that Emerick provided yet another insight (and often, a totally different and unexpected one, at that) on the 4 guys that were the Beatles. Just when I thought that I might finally have an inkling as to who John, Paul, George, and Ringo really are (or were), Emerick reveals (whether accurately or not, who knows) the ineptitude of Lennon on the basics of sound recording, Harrison's near-embarrassing incompetence on guitars during the earlier band albums, and Ringo's apparent mulishness in his more private moments. On McCartney, Emerick is blatantly biased for...he loves the guy.
Of course, I suppose I needn't be surprised. Different people impact on different Beatles members, and different circumstances (say, touring across the globe vs being ensconced in the EMI Studios) would inevitably impel a different side of a Beatle to show. There's something to be said for seeing how the band works when it's time to do their voodoo--and Emerick's stories of the often zany and challenging, or utterly aggravating and tension-filled (but definitely never boring) Beatles studio sessions are every fan's wet dream.
The great music that churned out from EMI studios like that of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and their swan song Abbey Road, among others, would then be seen as a combination of artistry (both from the side of the band and of the engineer & producer), providence, as well as unmitigated accident...with a smattering of intended flukes that were nothing more than secret jokes played for their listeners.
Whatever may be the case, Emerick's stories are to be treasured--it tells of how, as a sound engineer, he was pushed to his creative limits as a response to the unceasing fervor of the band to raise the bar for themselves, expecting nothing less from the people who handle their music.
Half the time, of course, I don't even understand the technicalities that Emerick spouts about...but it doesn't matter. What really mattered to me is finally having someone show me how the band members forged musical history as they crowded about a mic, or tinkered about in a piano, guitar, or synthesizer, or how they showed their vulnerabilities by eventually inevitably drifting apart from one another, to the point that they literally could not stand each other's presence for long periods of time.
This insider look at the Beatles recording at the height of their career is a must-read. Certainly, as the the New York Times Book Review states, this book will irresistibly pull readers back to listening to these well-loved songs...straining their ears to hear those tell-tale sounds, clicks, and echoes that told hidden stories and marked a revolution in music.
Excellent read! May 22, 2009
Larry Graves (Ontario, Canada)
Excellent book. My only gripe would be he seemed to put down George Harrison quite a lot (and rarely a bad word for Paul McCartney...)
AT LAST , THE REAL STORY........ May 18, 2009
Daniel B. Dickason (Portland, OR United States)
I FEEL THAT THIS BOOK FILLS IN THE BLANKS OF THE TRUE STORY OF THE BEATLES. I HAVE READ MOST OF THE BOOKS ABOUT THEM , SINCE I TRULY AM A FAN. I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN MOST OF THIS HAPPENED. GEOFF'S BOOK IS AN UNVARNISHED ACCOUNT OF THE PERSONALITIES OF THE BEATLES ,AND THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. IN ADDITION , THERE ARE FASCINATING DETAILS CONCERNING SOME OF THE PERIPHERAL CHARACTERS [ GEORGE MARTIN , MAGIC ALEX MARDAS ,ETC. ] AND NONE OF IT IS GOSSIP ! SOME OF THE STORIES SURPRISED ME [ PAUL PLAYED LEAD GUITAR ON "TAXMAN....." ]
I RECOMMEND THIS HIGHLY TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT.......
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