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.
Please Stay
Joe Meek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not to go but to stay in my arms
Would you walk out the door
Like you did once before
This time be different
Please stay don't go
Would you leave me alone with my tears
Knowing I need you so
Would you still turn and go
This time be different please stay
Don't go please stay
I loved you before I even knew your name
I wanted to give you my heart
But when you came back after me one time
Oh I knew, yes I knew that the heartaches would start
If I called out your name like a song
That was written for you, you alone
Would you still hurt all my pride
Oh, hey, how I cried
This time be different
Please stay
Oh, this time be different in some way
Don't go please stay
You know I'll always love you darling
Please stay
The lyrics of Joe Meek's song "Please Stay" are a passionate plea to a lover not to leave. The singer begs his lover to stay with him and not leave him alone with his tears. He has already experienced heartbreak and knows that if she leaves again, the heartaches will start once more. He loves her so much that he is willing to get on his knees and plead with her not to go. He even compares calling out her name to a prayer, showing the depth of his need for her. The song is filled with emotion and desperation.
The singer's passion is further cemented by his references to music. He speaks of calling out her name like a song written just for her, and how he cried when she hurt his pride. Music is often considered a universal language of love, and the singer is using this language to express his feelings to his lover.
Overall, "Please Stay" is a love song that expresses the intense desire to be with the one you love. The author captures the pain and desperation of heartbreak, while also conveying the passion and depth of emotion that comes with love.
Line by Line Meaning
If I got on my knees and I pleaded with you
If I humbly begged you to stay by my side
Not to go but to stay in my arms
Instead of leaving me, be near and embrace me
Would you walk out the door
Will you abandon me again and leave?
Like you did once before
As you did before when you left me
This time be different
Let this moment unfold differently from the previous one
Please stay don't go
Do not leave my side, stay with me
If I call out your name like a prayer
If I invoke your name as a plea to the divine
Would you leave me alone with my tears
Would you let me feel the sorrow by myself
Knowing I need you so
Understanding how much I depend on you
Would you still turn and go
Would you still leave me and walk away
This time be different please stay
This time, please choose to stay with me, differently from before
Don't go please stay
Stay with me, don't go away
I loved you before I even knew your name
I cherished you before I was acquainted with you
I wanted to give you my heart
I desired to hand over my love and loyalty to you
But when you came back after me one time
But when you chased after me the first time
Oh I knew, yes I knew that the heartaches would start
I already knew that pain and sorrow would ensue
If I called out your name like a song
If I sang your name like a cherished melody
That was written for you, you alone
That was composed for nobody else but you
Would you still hurt all my pride
Would you still wound my self-respect
Oh, hey, how I cried
Oh, how I wept
This time be different
Don't make the same choices you made before
Please stay
Stay with me
Oh, this time be different in some way
Oh, let this time differ somehow
Don't go please stay
Stay with me, don't go away
You know I'll always love you darling
You know that I'll never stop loving you, dear
Please stay
Stay with me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, BOB HILLIARD, BURT F. BACHARACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BarryClevelandMusic
http://www.barrycleveland.com/jm-about
Joe Meek's Bold Techniques
Second Edition
Legendary British producer and innovative recording genius Joe Meek—the man behind the global hit “Telstar”—has become a cult figure since his death in 1967, with Meek fan clubs, CD collections, and retrospectives growing in popularity every day—and a major documentary film on the way.
Although much attention has been paid to his unusual life story and tragic passing, Joe Meek’s Bold Techniques is the first book that details the methods that led to Meek’s influential hits. Written by veteran music journalist Barry Cleveland, this book takes an industry perspective on Meek’s life. It explores his 12-year professional career in great depth, with special attention paid to the equipment and techniques he used, and the effect that his work had on the people around him.
Also included is a newly restored and remastered version of Meek’s extraordinary 1959 stereo album about life on the Moon, I Hear a New World, made available in its original form for the first time (via digital streaming).
Responsible for many “firsts,” at least in the U.K., Meek was:
• One of the first to experiment professionally with sound-on-sound overdubbing techniques (1951)
• The first to put microphones directly in front of and sometimes inside sound sources (1954)
• The first to intentionally overload preamplifier inputs and print “hot” signals to tape (1954)
• The first to use compressors and limiters in creative rather than corrective applications (1954)
• The first to build a compact spring reverb unit (1957)
• The first to “flange” sounds using two synchronized tape recorders (1958)
• The first to employ tape loops on commercial recordings (1959)
This Second Edition of Joe Meek’s Bold Techniques updates the 2001 edition with a new Introduction, new information, an additional chapter, and newly restored audio.
@christinefox317
My brothers favourite record,sadly passed today . He listened to it on radio Caroline .Gonna miss you bro ,hope mum and dad were waiting for you .
@christinefox317
❤️❤️
@davidkeay1035
Very Sorry Christine of your sad loss .My favourit song to Wish you all the best 🎼♥️
@christinefox317
@David Keay Thank you , still have single and play it often, best wishes to you too.
@Clint1977.
played this at my grans funeral, makes me cry every time i hear it, she was a true legend, r.i.p my beautiful wee scottish grannie, true lady. xxxx
@FantomasSF
D-Antron 5396 Maarrttiin 🙏🏼
@ediah5
Who in their right mind would ever vote thumbs down on this great song.....? This is song is beyond epic and no one can come close to duplicating this song.
@davidkeay1035
ONE OF THE BEST SONGS OF THE 60S
@bertystewart2659
Could not agree more with you
@andym1742
One of the very best songs from the 60s. One of Joe Meek's finest moments.