Perhaps the most brilliant behind-the-scenes musical talent of the 20th century, Sir George Martin, has passed away at the age of 90. Sir George was often referred to as the "fifth Beatle" for his skill at arranging and orchestrating most of their music. Sir Paul McCartney had an emotional tribute to Martin upon learning of his passing, including this anecdote about the arrangement of one of The Beatles' biggest hits, "Yesterday":
"He took my chords that I showed him and spread the notes out across the piano, putting the cello in the low octave and the first violin in a high octave and gave me my first lesson in how strings were voiced for a quartet. When we recorded the string quartet at Abbey Road, it was so thrilling to know his idea was so correct that I went round telling people about it for weeks."He was a quiet gentleman who took the raw, brilliant musicality of each Beatle and melded it into the magnificent body of work that they are rightfully known for. RIP.
