Meek, Joe
Entry updated 20 August 2012. Tagged: Music, People.
(1929-1967) UK music producer and composer, famous for creating a distinctive, innovative and influential sound. His lifelong interest in "outer space" resulted in one early concept-album, I hear a new world – an outer space music fantasy by Joe Meek (1960). Set mostly on the moon and concerning aliens called Globbots, Saroos and Dribcots it strives to create sonic landscapes by adding weird sound effects to blues and skiffle songs. But Meek is more famous as a producer and writer of other bands' work. His biggest hit came when he wrote and produced the single "Telstar" (1962) for The Tornadoes. Though in effect a novelty record designed to cash in on the recent launch of the Communications satellite from which it took its name, and marketed as a "space-like" hymn to a new age, this track has proved enduring. Its attractively-tinny musical idiom, chugging rhythm and the soaring melody line (played on a clavioline, a precursor to the electronic synthesizer) propelled the track to number one in both the US and UK charts. [AR]
see also: SF Music.
Robert George Meek
born Gloucestershire: 5 April 1929
died London: 3 February 1967
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