Geoff Emerick was only sixteen years old when he worked on the Beatles' first-ever recording session. Only a few years later he would play an important part in shaping the fab four's musical direction.

At the age of fifteen, Geoff Emerick landed a job as an assistant engineer at Abbey Road Studios in London. Emerick, the son of a butcher, had developed a keen interest in music from an early age, despite the fact that none of his family members possessed any particular musical talent.

As a young child, Emerick was capable of picking out simple tunes he had heard on the radio and playing them solely by ear on his uncle's piano.

"I have no explanation for how I was able to do it; for some reason I just knew where the notes fell, and it was only a matter of going from one note to another to make up the tune," Emerick said in his book "Here, There and Everywhere - My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles."

Emerick discovered his grandmother's collection of classical and operatic records at the age of six, and played these records endlessly. He started to mimic the role of a conductor when listening to the records - using a pencil as a baton.

"The music would not only evoke emotions in me - joy, sadness, longing, excitement - but also conjure up images in my mind," Emerick said.

When his dad George presented him with his first radio, young Geoff began listening to skiffle and rock 'n' roll music. Listening to contemporary music, he said, was like a breath of fresh air. He found himself drawn more and more to pop records, but at the same time retained his appreciation for classical and operatic music.

"Somehow my musical tastes were broadening, not just shifting," he said.

A FUTURE TO CONSIDER

As he grew older, Emerick had to start thinking about his future. He was however reluctant to follow in his father's footsteps ("there was no way I could face a lifetime of chopping up raw meat.") In 1960's England, pupils completed school at the age of 15. Although his parents suggested he should pursue a career in architecture, Emerick lost interest as soon as he discovered he would have to go to university to do so.

After some deliberation, Emerick finally decided that he wanted to be involved in the creation of music.

"I realized that I was never going to get the proper training to become a professional composer or an accomplished musician, but I wanted to somehow make a contribution," he said.

Emerick sent application letters to record companies in London, but they either turned him down or never replied. His school's career counselor, Mr. Barlow, tried to convince him that a job in the post office installing telephones was the right thing for him. But Emerick was headstrong and made it clear that it was music he wanted to do. A few months later, when Emerick was beginning to lose hope, Mr. Barlow called him into his office. There was an entry-level vacancy at EMI's Abbey Road Studios and a job interview had been arranged.

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