He pioneered studio tools such as multiple over-dubbing on one- and two-track machines, close miking, direct input of bass-guitars, the compressor, and effects like echo and reverb, as well as sampling. Unlike other producers, his search was for the "right sound" rather than for a catchy musical tune, and throughout his brief career he single-mindedly followed his quest to create a unique "sonic signature" for every record he produced.
At a time when many studio engineers were still wearing white coats and assiduously trying to maintain clarity and fidelity, Meek, the maverick, was producing everything on the three floors of his home studio and was never afraid to distort or manipulate the sound if it created the effect he was seeking. For the song "Johnny Remember Me" he placed the violins on the stairs, the drummer almost in the bathroom, and the brass section on a different floor entirely.
Meek was one of the first producers to grasp and fully exploit the possibilities of the modern recording studio. His innovative techniques -- physically separating instruments, treating instruments and voices with echo and reverb, processing the sound through his fabled home-made electronic devices, the combining of separately-recorded performances and segments into a painstakingly constructed composite recording -- comprised a major breakthrough in sound production. Up to that time, the standard technique for recordings, regardless of musical genre, was to record all the performers in one studio playing together in real time as the music was cut live to tape all at once. Joe Meek's recording techniques (as well as the recording techniques of Les Paul) did much to further the art of record production as we know it today.
Besides his idiosyncratic music production, many of Meek's character eccentricities continue to capture the imagination of people today. Although never properly diagnosed, it is believed today by many that Meek suffered from bipolar disorder type one (some even suggest further that he was paranoid-schizophrenic). Meek was obsessed with outer space, the occult and the idea of "the other side". He would set up tape machines in graveyards in a vain attempt to record voices from beyond the grave, in one instance capturing the meows of a cat he claimed was speaking in human tones, asking for help. In particular, he had an obsession with Buddy Holly (claiming the late American rocker had communicated with him in dreams). His professional efforts were often hindered by his paranoia (Meek was known to tear up his walls as he was convinced that Decca Records would put hidden microphones behind his wallpaper in order to steal his ideas), drug use, and attacks of sudden rage and depression.
Meek's homosexuality (illegal in the UK at the time) also put him under pressure during his career. He had been charged with "importuning for immoral purposes" in 1963 and was consequently subjected to blackmail. In January of 1967, police in Tattingstone, Suffolk, discovered a suitcase containing the mutilated body of Bernard Oliver, an alleged rent boy who had previously associated with Meek. According to some accounts, Meek became concerned that he would be involved in the murder investigation when the Metropolitan police stated that they would be interviewing all known homosexuals in the city. On February 3rd, 1967, the eighth anniversary of Buddy Holly's death, Meek killed his landlady Violet Shenton and then himself with a single barreled shotgun that he had confiscated from his protegé, former The Tornados' bassist and solo star Heinz Burt. Joe Meek was 37 at the time of his death.
Johnny Remember Me
Joe Meek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the rain is falling
And the wind is blowing cold across the moor
I hear the voice of my darlin'
The girl I loved and lost a year ago
(Johnny remember me)
But I hear her singing in the sighing of the wind
Blowin' in the tree tops way above me
(Johnny remember me)
Yes I'll always remember
Till the day I die
I'll hear her cry
Johnny remember me
Well some day I guess
I'll find myself another little girl
To take the place of my true love
But as long as I live I know
I'll hear her singing in the sighing of the wind
Blowin' in the tree tops way above me
(Johnny remember me)
Yes I'll always remember
Till the day I die
I'll hear her cry
Johnny remember me
(Johnny remember me)
The lyrics of Joe Meek's song Johnny Remember Me evoke a sense of melancholy nostalgia and a deep longing for lost love. The singer describes a dreary moorland, where mist and rain are omnipresent, and the wind blows cold. In this desolate setting, the singer hears the voice of his former lover, whom he lost a year ago. The haunting refrain "Johnny remember me" further emphasizes the sadness and pain associated with losing someone dear.
Despite the bleakness of the setting and the singer's sense of loss, there is also a sense of hope in the song. The singer states that he will always remember his former lover, and that her voice can be heard in the wind blowing through the tree tops. Although he may find himself another girl someday, he will never forget his former love.
Overall, the lyrics of Johnny Remember Me paint a picture of a sorrowful man who is haunted by the memory of his lost love, yet finds solace in the nature around him which still carries remnants of her.
Line by Line Meaning
When the mist's a-rising
When the fog is forming and rising from the earth
And the rain is falling
And water droplets are descending from the sky
And the wind is blowing cold across the moor
And a chilly breeze is blowing across the open expanse of land
I hear the voice of my darlin'
I hear the sound of my beloved's voice
The girl I loved and lost a year ago
The girl that I was in love with, who passed away a year ago
(Johnny remember me)
A plea to Johnny to remember the singer's lost love
Well it's hard to believe I know
It's difficult to believe, but it's true
But I hear her singing in the sighing of the wind
But I hear the sound of her singing in the whistling of the wind
Blowin' in the tree tops way above me
The sound is coming from the tree tops high above me
(Johnny remember me)
A plea to Johnny to remember the singer's lost love
Yes I'll always remember
Yes, I will never forget
Till the day I die
Until the day of my death
I'll hear her cry
I will hear her voice calling out
Johnny remember me
A final plea to Johnny to never forget the singer's lost love
Well some day I guess
Well, I assume that someday
I'll find myself another little girl
I will find another woman to be with
To take the place of my true love
To fill the void left by my lost love
But as long as I live I know
But for as long as I am alive, I am aware
I'll hear her singing in the sighing of the wind
I will hear the sound of her singing in the whistling of the wind
Blowin' in the tree tops way above me
The sound is coming from the tree tops high above me
(Johnny remember me)
A plea to Johnny to remember the singer's lost love
Yes, I'll always remember
Yes, I will never forget
Till the day I die
Until the day of my death
I'll hear her cry
I will hear her voice calling out
Johnny remember me
A final plea to Johnny to never forget the singer's lost love
(Johnny remember me)
A repeated plea to Johnny to remember the singer's lost love
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GEOFFREY GODDARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danstorey2918
This is probably the song that shifted from the 50s to the 60s. I've not found a sound sounding more modern than this, that was produced or released any earlier than this song. This song started the 60s revolution. Followed by Del Shannon Runaway. Massive turning point in history!
@gm4014
Good analysis, thanks :)
@gm4014
There was a Bryan Ferry jazz doc recently. Joe Meek was a producer of Bad Penny Blues, a British jazz hit, which Macca was very influenced by for Lady Madonna. This was when Jazz was popular in the UK, and the success might have given Joe Meek a financial boost. Which enabled his subsequent success. Meek got a piano sound on Bad Penny Blues which the composer wasn't happy with, but it was one of the key features of the thing :)
@ronnieparkerscott6223
Joe Meek apparently...
@Straker1923
I remember being on a school trip aged 10 in July '61. We were at Heysham Head, near Morecambe and Del Shannon's Runnaway was playing EVERYWHERE. I remember trying catch the eye of a schoolgirl I fancied whilst on the areoplanes...the things one remembers 60 years later! Great days though, esp for transitional rock!
@KarmicSalt
@@gm4014 macca?! bwaa haa haa
@Einstein852
The 60's and 70's the 2 best eras of all time. So glad I was part of it
@vincentmurphy8337
Hi Patricia
@juliepownall1063
And the 80s
@michaelredshaw5372
Pushing 72 years of age now and I still remember the 60s like they were yesterday what a decade it was orgasmic