Late producer Sir George Martin is described as A Painter in Sound on Cherry Red/El's new collection of his Pre-Beatles Productions and Classical Influences.  While Martin has been anthologized in the past, most notably on the unparalleled 6-CD set Produced by George Martin in 2001, there's always room for another one - in this case, an eclectic 4-CD journey that's largely far-removed from the rock which made Martin famous.

The title of the set is derived from a Martin quote repeated in its booklet.  "When I joined EMI, the criterion by which recordings were judged was their faithfulness to the original [performance].  If you made a recording that was so good that you couldn't tell the difference between the recording and the actual performance, that was the acme.  And I questioned that.  I thought, 'OK, we're all taking photographs of an existing event.  But we don't have to make a photograph; we can paint.  And that prompted me to experiment."

That willingness to experiment and defy convention, of course, served Martin well as The Beatles' producer. Had he "only" produced the majority of The Beatles' recordings, his place in the pantheon of history would have been assured.  But Martin's contributions to music and popular culture went well beyond his remarkable work with The Fab Four.  By the time of his first collaboration with John, Paul, George and Ringo, Martin was already an accomplished musician and producer.  He had mastered the piano and oboe as well as the arts of orchestration, conducting, and composition - all skills he brought to the table when he joined EMI's Parlophone Records in 1950.  He started as an assistant, and within five years was running the label.

Among his varied projects at Parlophone, Martin produced pioneering comedy records by Peter Sellers and beautiful pop recordings by Matt Monro - along with classical, light music, soundtracks, TV themes, cast recordings, poetry, and more.  These are the styles sampled on A Painter in Sound.  The first disc, In All Directions, encompasses the wide range of music released on Parlophone, opening with a classical composition by Dvorak.  Martin oversaw the London Baroque Ensemble's atmospheric 1951 recording of "Serenade for Winds in D Minor, Op. 44;" it's not hard to draw a straight line from here to "Eleanor Rigby," one of numerous Martin productions to incorporate classical flourishes.  The disc continues with novelty records (light music maestro Frank Chacksfield's "Little Red Monkey," featuring the unusual sound of the clavioline, an early electronic keyboard), vocal jazz (Cleo Laine and her future husband John Dankworth's "Honeysuckle Rose") and trad jazz (The Temperance Seven's. chart-topping "You're Driving Me Crazy"), early rock-and-roll (future Broadway star Jim Dale's "Don't Let Go"), big band and orchestral instrumentals (Ron Goodwin's "Mercury Gets the Message," Jack Parnell's "A Trip to Mars," Humphrey Lyttleton's "Saturday Jump"), and uncategorizable space-age electronica ("Time Beat" and "Waltz in Orbit" from Martin and Maddalena Fagandini of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, billing themselves as Ray Cathode).  It's clear from these 27 tracks that Martin brought the same sharp ear and embrace of the unexpected to every genre in which he worked."

The second disc, Experiments with Pop, dives further into Martin's work in a pre-Beatles popular music landscape.  "[Because] we had no American imports," he remembered of his time as head of Parlophone, "I had to find my own way to make hits and my way of getting between the cracks was to make comedy records."  His gamble paid off.  Many of his pop-comedy crossovers are featured here including John Dankworth's "Experiments with Mice" in which the bandleader does "Three Blind Mice" in the style of Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, and others; "The Gnu Song," about a talking gnu, from comic duo Flanders and Swann's musical revue At the Drop of a Hat (plus other animal-centric F&S tunes "The Armadillo" and "The Spider in the Bath") and a whole clutch of tracks from the late, great Peter Sellers including his joyfully goofy duets with Sophia Loren ("Goodness Gracious Me," "Bangers and Mash") and one featuring the pre-fame Matt Monro, credited as "Fred Flange," on the comedy legend's Sinatra-spoofing "You Keep Me Swingin'."  (Monro wasn't the only one using a pseudonym.  Martin co-wrote the track as Graham Fisher.)  Sellers' Goon Show cohorts get the spotlight on the zany "Tale of Men's Shirts," but it's somewhat of a ringer here as Sir George didn't produce it.  He certainly did helm the two hits here from Monro, the sublime "My Kind of Girl" (both Monro and Martin's first U.S. hit) and "Portrait of My Love;" his association with Martin would last from 1959-1974 and yielded dozens of classic performances.  (Many of those were anthologized in 2016 on Monro's The George Martin Years.)

Pure comedy is the subject of the third disc, Comedy Surrealist.  As heard on these 13 prime examples, Martin melded spoken word with sound effects and sonic collages when producing Peter Sellers, actor Peter Ustinov, The Goons, and the Beyond the Fringe group of Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, Jonathan Miller, and Peter Cook.  The latter quartet enlivened London's West End and New York's Broadway with their irreverent and influential brand of topical satire, unafraid of taking down authority figures with gusto.  Listening to these comedy sketches, one gathers exactly what Martin quickly identified in The Beatles' personas and comic interactions - key qualities not so easily seen by others as the Fab Four ascended to fame.

The fourth and final disc of the set delves into Martin's Classical Influences with pieces recorded in the U.K. and throughout Europe and North America from composers including Ravel, Debussy, Bach, Chopin, Delius, and Rachmaninoff.  "He could conjure up sounds of the orchestra better than anybody of his time," Martin is quoted of observing about Ravel, while he felt that Bach was "the greatest designer of music that's ever been."  It was Debussy, he felt, that "turned me onto music as a child," and he recognized the "pop" quality in Delius' melodies.  Though one wouldn't have argued with a fourth disc of Martin productions, this disc offers context as to the influences that shaped Martin as a composer and an orchestrator.

A Painter in Sound is housed in a slipcase, with each disc in a colorful sleeve.  The 36-page booklet, in El style, doesn't have a straightforward essay but rather, excerpts of various pieces relating to the music in the collection.  It's illustrated with photos and album artwork, and includes credits (though no discography).  This release has been made possible via current U.K. public domain laws.  It should also be noted that three of the four discs (all but Disc Three) do not comply to "redbook" standard and clock in over 80 minutes in length.  (For the record, they played properly on my CD player.)  This look into George Martin's early days is one worth exploring, especially for fans of '60s British comedy and the varied world of pre-Beatles pop.

George Martin, A Painter in Sound: Pre-Beatles Productions and Classical Influences (Cherry Red/El ACME366CDX, 2022) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. Serenade for Winds in D Minor, Op. 44 (Dvorak) - London Baroque Ensemble/Karl Haas (Parlophone Odeon PMB 1001, 1952)
2. Little Red Monkey - Frank Chacksfield's Tunesmiths (Parlophone R 3658, 1952)
3. Corn Rigs Are Bonnie - Kenneth McKellar (Parlophone F 3487, 1952)
4. Bandbox - The Kirchin Band (Parlophone R 4018, 1955)
5. Honeysuckle Rose - Cleo Laine with The Johnny Dankworth Seven (Parlophone R 3660, 1953)
6. Bicycle Belles - Sidney Torch and His Orchestra (Chappell C 531, 1956)
7. Robin Hood - Dick James (Parlophone R 4117, 1956)
8. Besame Mucho - Eve Boswell (from Parlophone LP PMC 1038, 1957)
9. Theme from ITV's 64,000 Question - Bert Weedon (Parlophone R 4256, 1957)
10. Don't You Rock Me, Daddy-O - The Vipers Skiffle Group (Parlophone R 4261, 1957)
11. Skiffling Strings - Ron Goodwin and His Concert Orchestra (Parlophone R 4297, 1957)
12. Don't Let Go - Jim Dale (Parlophone R 4402, 1958)
13. Mercury Gets the Message - Ron Goodwin and His Orchestra (from Parlophone LP PMC 1065/PCS 3006, 1960)
14. Trip to Mars - Jack Parnell and His Orchestra (from Parlophone LP PMD 1053, 1958)
15. Saturday Jump - Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band (Parlophone 45-R 4519, 1959)
16. The House That Humph Built - Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band (from Parlophone LP PMC 1110, 1959)
17. Lithe Girl, Brown Girl - Christopher Logue with The Tony Kinsey Quintet (from Parlophone EP GEP 8765, 1959)
18. The Girl from Corsica - Ron Goodwin and His Concert Orchestra (Parlophone 45-R 4649, 1960)
19. Long Time Boy - Nadia Cattouse (Parlophone 45-R 4725, 1960)
20. The African Waltz - Johnny Dankworth and His Orchestra (Columbia EP SEG 8137, 1962)
21. You're Driving Me Crazy - The Temperance Seven (Parlophone 45-R 4757, 1961)
22. Pasadena - The Temperance Seven (Parlophone 45-R 4781, 1961)
23. Everybody Loves My Baby - The Temperance Seven (Parlophone 45-R 4893, 1962)
24. Time Beat - Ray Cathode (Parlophone 45-R 4901, 1962)
25. Waltz in Orbit - Ray Cathode (Parlophone 45-R 4901, 1962)
26. Just for Jerry - The Fentones (Parlophone 45-R 4937, 1962)
27. The Lark Ascending - Ralph Vaughan Williams (Parlophone Odeon PMB 1003, 1953)

CD 2

1. Experiments with Mice - Johnny Dankworth and His Orchestra (Parlophone R 4185, 1956)
2. The Gnu Song - Flanders and Swann (from At the Drop of a Hat, Parlophone PMC 1033, 1957)
3. The Hippopotamus Song - Ian Wallace (Parlophone R 4296, 1957)
4. Bad Penny Blues - Humphrey Lyttelton and His Band (Parlophone R 4184, 1956)
5. I'm So Ashamed - Peter Sellers (Parlophone R 4491, 1956)
6. You Keep Me Swingin' - Fred Flange and Peter Sellers (from Parlophone LP PMC 1111/PCS 3003, 1959)
7. Ukelele Lady - The Temperance Seven with Peter Sellers (from Parlophone LP PMC 1131/PCS 3012, 1960)
8. Shadows on the Grass - Irene Handl and Peter Sellers (from Parlophone LP PMC 1111/PCS 3003, 1959)
9. Goodness Gracious Me - Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren (from Parlophone LP PMC 1131/PCS 3012, 1960)
10. Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo - Sophia Loren (from Parlophone LP PMC 1131/PCS 3012, 1960)
11. Bangers and Mash - Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren (from Parlophone LP PMC 1131/PCS 3012, 1960)
12. Victorian Plums - Tommy Watt and His Orchestra (from Parlophone LP PMC 1107, 1959)
13. Portrait of My Love - Matt Monro (Parlophone R 4714, 1960)
14. The Armadillo - Flanders and Swann (from Parlophone LP PCS 4026, 1962)
15. The Spider in the Bath - Flanders and Swann (from Parlophone LP PCS 4026, 1962)
16. My Kind of Girl - Matt Monro (Parlophone 45-R 4755, 1961)
17. Murder, She Says - Ron Goodwin and His Orchestra (Parlophone 45-R 4821, 1961)
18. The Hole in the Ground - Bernard Cribbins (Parlophone 45-R 4869, 1962)
19. Right Said Fred - Bernard Cribbins (Parlophone 45-R 4923, 1962)
20. The Barefoot Girl - Ron Goodwin and His Orchestra (from Parlophone LP PMC 1109/PCS 3002, 1960)
21. Tale of Men's Shirts - The Goons (from Parlophone LP PMC 1129, 1960)

CD 3

1. Mock Mozart - Peter Ustinov (Parlophone R 3612, 1952)
2. Phoney Folk-Lore - Peter Ustinov (Parlophone R 3612, 1952)
3. Unchained Melody - The Goons (rec. 1955, rel. EMI 146, 1990)
4. You Gotta Go "Oww!" - Count Jim Moriarty with Gravely Stephens and the Massed Alberts (Parlophone R 4251, 1956)
5. Jakka and the Flying Saucers - Peter Sellers (Parlophone R 3785, 1953)
6. Take a Pew - Alan Bennett (from Beyond the Fringe, Parlophone PMC 1145, 1961)
7. And the Same to You - Dudley Moore (from Beyond the Fringe, Parlophone PMC 1145, 1961)
8. Sitting on the Bench - Peter Cook (from Beyond the Fringe, Parlophone PMC 1145, 1961)
9. The Sewers of the Strand - Spike Milligan (Parlophone 45-R 4839, 1961)
10. Train Commercial (The Astronauts) - Michael Bentine (Parlophone 45-R 4927, 1962)
11. Morse Code Melody - The Alberts (Parlophone 45-R 4905, 1962)
12. Bridge on the River Wye (Part One) - Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Jonathan Miller, and Peter Cook (Parlophone PMC 1190/PCS 3036, 1962)
13. Bridge on the River Wye (Part Two) - Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Jonathan Miller, and Peter Cook (Parlophone PMC 1190/PCS 3036, 1962)

CD 4

1. The Planets, Op. 32: Venus, The Bringer of Peace (Holst) - BBC Symphony Orchestra/Malcolm Sargent (rec. 1957)
2. Prelude in A Minor (Ravel) - Vlado Perlemuter (piano) (rec. 1955)
3. Daphnis et Chloe - Lever du Jour / Daphne and Chloe Are Reunited (Ravel) - Boston Symphony/Charles Munch and New England Conservatory Chorus and Alumni Chorus/Robert Shaw (rec. 1955)
4. Le Tombeau et Couperin (Fugue) (Ravel) - Monique Haas (piano) (rec. 1955)
5. Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune (Debussy) - Philharmonia Orchestra/Guido Cantelli (rec. 1954)
6. L'isle Joyeuse (Debussy) - Samson Francois (piano) (rec. 1962)
7. The Walk to the Paradise Garden (Delius) - Halle Orchestra/John Barbirolli (rec. 1956)
8. La Calinda (Delius) - London Philharmonic Orchestra/Thomas Beecham (rec. 1938)
9. The Foggy, Foggy Dew (Pears/Britten) - Peter Pears, tenor, and Benjamin Britten, piano (rec. 1961)
10. Oboe Concerto in C Minor: 1. Introduzione (Larghetto) (Cimarosa) - Pro Arte Orchestra feat. Evelyn Rothwell/conducted by John Barbirolli (rec. 1959)
11. Bess, You Is My Woman Now (Gershwin/Gershwin/Heyward) - Todd Duncan and Anne Brown (rec. 1940)
12. Matthew Passion BWV244 No. 1 Chorus (Bach) - Munich-Bach Orchestra and Chorus/Richter (rec. 1958)
13. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18 - Adagio Sostenuto (Rachmaninoff) - The Robin Hood Dell Orchestra/Steinberg (rec. 1950)
14. Preludes for Piano, Op. 28: No. 4 in E Minor (Chopin) - Geza Anda, piano (rec. 1959)