George Martin began his career working at the BBC Music Library after which he landed a job at Parlaphone, EMI's "junk label" that released novelty records, soundtracks and light-pop orchestra material. After spending a few years recording classical music he went on to produce lots of comedy projects working with Peter Sellers & Spike Milligan (the Goons) and Peter Ustinov.
In early 1962, Martin and Maddalena Fagandini recorded the first single released by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop under the pseudonym "Ray Cathode". "Time Beat" was the A side of the 7" and was a re-working of one of Fagandini's interval signals. It's a decent track but is trumped by the B Side, "Waltz in Orbit" which was summed up nicely by Jonny Trunk (of the brilliant Trunk Records) thusly:
"This is a BBC Radiophonic Workshop thing, pressed on Columbia. You will definitely see this dinky little cheap single about and it seems like a bit of a lost gem to me. It's early (1962) but hugely progressive, with like a fat and catchy electronic waah-waah thing going off at the same time as a waltz. Only available on a single this sounds great very loud, most intense and thoroughly satisfying. I can liken it to being pissed in a microwave oven. So well done the workshop."
A few months after this single was released Martin would audition the Beatles and it took roughly three years before he got to fool around with electronics in the studio again. Some people claim that Martin played this single to Paul McCartney in 1965 and was an influence on Revolver's sound.
Ray Cathode - Time Beat
Ray Cathode - Waltz in Orbit
Many thanks to Adam Infanticide for both the lovely scan as well as the MP3s. His obscure pop reference site is well worth checking out.
Vaguely related links:
Funny George Martin Clip from Big Train
Delia Derbyshire & the Radiophonic Workshop
er, what made you think that Cook & Moore were the Goons?
just asking...........
Posted by: Bill | April 13, 2007 at 10:57 AM
Looks like I got my British comedy people mixed up. Thanks for catching that. I've updated the post.
Posted by: doron | April 13, 2007 at 11:25 AM
How timely - I played Time Beat on my radio show yesterday morning.
Vicki
DO or DIY
http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/22715
Posted by: Vicki DO or DIY | April 13, 2007 at 01:18 PM
If Sir George (Martin) would've had lyrics like those, click the link, he'd have grooved to an even/ever greater strata.
Oh, the lyrics are to Sir George (Harrison) 's song "Awaiting on You All."
Posted by: Now HERE are some "Real" lyrics | April 13, 2007 at 03:47 PM
I had no idea that Sir George had anything to do with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop! He certainly doesn't appear on the 4x10" that came out on Rephlex a few years ago, anyway...this is awesome.
Posted by: mike h | April 13, 2007 at 08:46 PM
Just to nit pick. Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan (with Harry Secombe) were the Goons. It's like saying he worked with John Lennon, Paul Macartney and the Beatles.
Posted by: Stephen Hocking | April 14, 2007 at 07:34 AM
Not nitpicking at all... On the contrary, thanks. I've updated again. I hearby resolve never to mention the goons again.
Posted by: doron | April 14, 2007 at 08:12 AM
I interviewed Sir George a few years back about his comedy/weird stuff recordings and we spoke about this. Apart from occasionally drifting into a few moments that were *very* like that Big Train sketch, he explained that the way the single worked was that "Time Beat" was George taking the original Radiophonic recording and jazzing it up, while for "Waltz In Orbit", he gave Maddalena a track and she added something of her own to that.
Don't forget the other RW/poptastic crossover - Delia Derbyshire planned to work with both Paul McCartney and Brian Jones at various points, but sadly nothing ever came of it.
Posted by: Sleazy Martinez | April 16, 2007 at 07:35 AM
This record is fantastic!
It kind of reminds me of Martin Denny meets Raymond Scott at a fiesta thrown by Esquivel.
Love the deliberately botched note thrown in towards the end of "Orbit". Makes me laugh no matter how many times I listen to it.
Posted by: rocketboy | April 17, 2007 at 08:28 PM
This was also released on Canadian Capitol (see www.capitol6000.com run by Toronto musicologist Piers Hemmingsen).
Piers tells me that the single probably only got 200 copies pressed and is highly sought after on that edition. Email me if you need a scan of the Canadian swirl label.
Posted by: Michael Fishberg | April 27, 2007 at 05:14 PM
From the Genius that gave us not only the Beatles, but the Goons too!
God Bless Us, Everyone! Power To The People!
Posted by: Rory Murray | December 04, 2007 at 02:41 PM