From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Fri Apr 5, 2002  12:15 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Joe Meek
 
JOE MEEK (By Shaun Mather)

Born Robert George Meek, 5 April 1929, Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Died 3 February 1967, London, England

UK producer. Joe Meek stands alongside Jack Good as one of the original
eccentric music men on the British scene during rock's early days. His
productions always carried his distinct and imaginative sounds, whether it
be echo effects or some outer-space noises. Amazingly he achieved it all
from his make-do studio, in a flat above a shop. He scored successes
with the Tornados, whose Telstar topped the charts both sides of the
Atlantic. He also hit with Lance Fortune (Be Mine), Michael Cox (Angela
Jones), Mike Berry (Tribute to Buddy Holly), John Leyton (Johnny Remember
Me), The Honeycombs (Have I The Right) and Heinz (Just Like Eddie).
Among the many other artists he worked with are Screaming Lord Sutch,
the Outlaws and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers. As his career hit the
skids, he became more depressed, eventually fatally shooting himself and
his landlady (her first!) in 1967.
He has become a cult figure and his well documented life is best portrayed
in the biography mentioned below.

Further reading: John Repsch, The legendary Joe Meek : the Telstar Man.
London : Woodford House, 1989. Reissued in 2001 by Cherry Red Books.
Recommended listening:
It's Hard to Believe: The Amazing World of Joe Meek - Razor & Tie
Website: http://www.concentric.net/~meekweb/telstar.htm