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Joe Meek

JOE MEEK
 
 
Joe Meek  (5 April 1929  – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer and songwriter who pioneered experimental pop music.  His best-remembered hit is the Tornados’ “Telstar” (1962), which became the first record by a British group to reach number one in the US Hot 100.  It also spent five weeks at number one on the UK singles chart.  Meek’s other hits 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, “Have I the Right?” by the Honeycombs, and “Tribute to Buddy Holly” by Mike Berry.  Meek’s concept album I Hear a New World (1960), which contains innovative use of electronic sounds, was not fully released in his lifetime.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

The Giles Brothers later connected with the Dowland brothers in a band called the Dowland Brothers & the Soundtracks.  I suppose there have been other rock bands that featured two pairs of brothers in the line-up, but one doesn’t come to mind right away.  (Well, there is Sparks, originally known as Halfnelson, founded by the Mael brothers, Ron Mael and Russell Mael, and including the Mankey brothers, Earle Mankey and Jim Mankey, on their first two albums).  The sound of these earliest recordings (from 1962) sound a lot like another set of brothers, the Everly Brothers.  Several of these songs were produced by the legendary Joe Meek, one of the most innovative figures in early British rock music; his best known recording is the instrumental “Telstar” by the Tornados (released in December 1962), the first rock song (and only the second record, period) by a British artist to reach the top of the American charts. 

 

(March 2013)

 

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Buddy Holly’s death had a profound effect in the United Kingdom; Buddy’s final single, “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” rose to #1 on the charts following his death.  In 1961, the ground-breaking record producer Joe Meek, working with singer Mike Berry created “Tribute To Buddy Holly” that seemed like the man himself singing from beyond the grave.  Joe Meek apparently never got over the loss, and he committed suicide in 1967 on the anniversary of the airplane crash.  

 

(June 2013/1)