Joe Meek (1929-1967) was an incredibly imaginative and progressive independ… Read Full Bio ↴Joe Meek (1929-1967) was an incredibly imaginative and progressive independent record producer and songwriter. Despite being tone-deaf and not being able to play a musical instrument or write notation, Meek displayed a remarkable facility for writing and producing successful commercial recordings. In writing songs he was reliant on musicians such as Dave Adams, Geoff Goddard or Charles Blackwell to transcribe melodies and chord-progressions from his "demos". He worked on 245 singles, of which 45 were major hits (top fifty or better).
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.
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.
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@davidpar2
This movie really ran the gamut—starts out light and humorous, ends on as dark a note as could be imagined
@avam_tpn8291
Loved this, even if the end caught me a bit off guard 😭 Con portrayed so many emotions in this it’s beautiful
@42awww
I don't recall a time when the main character seems like a cocky, nasty human being, only to have my heart bleeding for the guy at the end.
@davidlorenson8283
Yeah this is a real good movie that a lot of people don't know about. If you love music it's a must.
@RossCompose
I grew up with a TELSTAR 45 record. Still have it. Who knew ? ? ? ?
@billstill1794
Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand?
@dianagillen1362
Thanks MC for Great Interesting Movie 👍We Love the played they played🎸🎶🎵 Sad Ending😢Poor Joe. We Enjoyed This Movie MC🎶🎵 11/27/22👏👏🇺🇸Ca🌟6pm. We Love Rock N Roll 🥁 🎶🎵 🎸 Enjoy Ur Nite MC🌟
@nolagospeltracts8264
Spacey was hilarious.
@PeepshowMenagerie
Didn't know this one existed! Great casting too! (Well, could have done better not seeing Spacey, but what can you do.)
@humboldthammer
Wanna know why Republicans hate Kevin Spacey? During House Of Cards, in an interview with Jimmy Fallon, Spacey let it slip that the writers told him that the "Off Screen" character that he spoke with, was Donald Trump -- Right there, in the White House, already influencing the DARK side of politics.
It was about 2 days later that Spacey was accused of assault -- a nearly 20-year old assault, on a young Hollywood actor -- now 34..