Engineer With Pink Floyd and The Beatles Born Today: Alan Parsons

Alan Parsons, studio audio engineer, musician, and record producer was involved with the production of The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Let It Be, and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.  He was born today, December 20th 1948. As a music listener and professional DJ in the industry, the idea of working on two of Rock’s greatest achievements is quite a resume to attach to your name.  It is interesting that his participation in these monumental projects still has not brought him the public recognition that one wold assume would come with such great accomplishments.

 

Alan Parsons was only nineteen when he was hired to work at Abbey Road Studios. Soon after that, The Beatles were in the studio recording the album Abbey Road.

 

“But working with The Beatles was an amazing experience. And working with producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick gave me a great deal to learn from, and that experience too was amazing. The album Abbey Road was actually recorded very quickly, it was done in about eight weeks which for The Beatles was pretty fast. But I enjoyed every second of it. And I was getting paid to work with the greatest pop band of all time!” Alan Parsons Interview with Joe Matera from Ultimate-Guitar.

 

Alan was a main ingredient in the most successful Rock album in the history of Billboard’s Top 200 album charts.  He engineered its highly technical production with only sixteen tracks in analog.  They did not have digital technology yet.

 

He has been nominated for ten Grammys, which seven were for his critically acclaimed Alan Parsons Project work. Additionally one more for his solo work as Alan Parsons.

Alan Parsons Pink Floyd Dark Side of The Moon

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Max Yasgur, Farm Owner Of Woodstock Festival Born Today

Today, December 15, 1919, Max Yasgur was born, the owner of the dairy farm in Bethel, New York, where the Woodstock Festival was held in 1969. Max yasgur was a man who fought through significant local resistance to ‘all the long-haired hippies and anti-war young people playing loud music’ coming to the area to make sure the event took place. There were protest signs around town. This was one of the protest signs, “Stop Max’s Hippie Music Festival. No 150,000 hippies here. Buy no milk.”

 

Max Yasgur was initially offered $50,000 to lease the land for the festival. It was a rainy year and he needed the money. He also believed in the right to self-expression even. This was true even if he did not agree with the actions and attitudes of the festival attendees.

 

There is a legend that the locals were selling water to folks at the festival. Max Yasgur apparently was angered by this and slammed his hand on his kitchen table. He yelled “Water is free”. His son, Steve Yasgur, remembers exactly what his father said.  “He told us to take every empty milk bottle from the plant, fill them with water and give them to the kids, and give away all the milk and milk products we had at the dairy.”

 

Woodstock is one of The USA’s largest and most historical musical events. It set the tone for social, racial, religious and artistic shifts that we are still experiencing ripples today.

 

For those who do not know, here is a list of performers at the legendary festival concluding with Jimi Hendrix famed version of “The Star Spangled Banner” on electric guitar:

Richie Havens

Country Joe McDonald

John B. Sebastian

Incredible String Band

Sweetwater

Bert Sommer

Tim Hardin

Ravi Shankar

Melanie

Arlo Guthrie

Joan Baez

Quill

Keef Hartly

Santana

Canned Heat

Mountain

Janis Joplin

Sly & The Family Stone

Grateful Dead

Creedence Clearwater Revival

The Who

Jefferson Airplane

Joe Cocker

Country Joe & The Fish

Ten Years After

The Band

Blood Sweet And Tears

Johnny Winter

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Paul Butterfield Blues Band

Sha-Na-Na

Jimi Hendrix

 

3 Days of Peace & Music

Max Yasgur Woodstock Festival with Jimi Hendrix

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

50 Years Ago Today The Beatles Signed With Brian Epstein

On December 13, 1961 The Beatles signed with Manager Brian Epstein who later Paul McCartney said, “If anyone was the Fifth Beatle, it was Brian.” Brian Epstein paid for them to record a demo in Decca Studios since nobody thought The Beatles were talented enough to record.  George Martin was impressed with Epstein’s enthusiasm and gave them a listen. He offered them a contract with EMI’s small label Parlophone. That is where The Beatles journey began.

The Beatles – Brian Epstein Tribute – You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away

I wonder if The Beatles would have ever made it at all if not for the coaxing and complete faith that Epstein had that someday they would be an international hit. Hard to imagine growing-up without The Beatles and having them be ‘with me’ throughout my life. Imagine no “Let It Be”.

The Beatles Let It Be

Thanks Brian for your belief in these guys fifty years ago today!

The Beatles Icon

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ