Joe Meek

Joe Meek (born Robert George Meek; April 5, 1929 in Newent, Gloucestershire — February 3, 1967 in London) was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter acknowledged as one of the world’s first and most imaginative independent producers.

His most famous work was The Tornados’ hit “Telstar” (1962), which became the first record by a British group to hit #1 in the US Hot 100. It also spent five weeks atop the UK singles chart, with Meek receiving an Ivor Novello Award for this production as the “Best-Selling A-Side” of 1962.

Meek’s other notable hit productions include “Don’t You Rock Me Daddy-O” and “Cumberland Gap” by Lonnie Donegan (as engineer), “Johnny Remember Me” by John Leyton, “Just Like Eddie” by Heinz, “Angela Jones” by Michael Cox and “Have I The Right?” by The Honeycombs. Meek’s concept album I Hear A New World is regarded as a watershed in modern music for its innovative use of electronic sounds.

Meek’s career was not only remarkable for his distinctive production techniques, but also for the fact that much of his recorded output was created in his home studio above a leather goods shop on London’s Holloway Road. Having been fascinated by electronics as a child he served time in Britain’s Royal Air Force as radar technician and eventually built much of the equipment which helped produce his signature sound of heavy echo and intense compression. In addition Meek was notable for signing many acts himself before leasing the subsequent recordings to major labels for release.

His commercial success as a producer was short-lived and Meek gradually sank into debt and depression. On February 3rd 1967, using a shotgun owned by musician Heinz Burt, Meek murdered his landlady before turning the gun on himself. Aged 37, he died eight years to the day after his hero, Buddy Holly.

In 2005 a stage play, Telstar, based on his life starred Con O’Neill as Meek and Linda Robson as his landlady.

“If it sounds right, it is right.” – Joe Meek

Information courtesy of wikipedia, for more please go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Meek