The Strange Story of Joe Meek (Arena 1991)

The story of Joe Meek has only just started to surface in the wake of the 2008 fictionalised biopic 'Telstar' and yet the music he made in the late fifties and sixties changed the face of both popular music and the recording processes behind that music.

Even if you know very little about Joe Meek's life and death, most people of a certain age will be aware of the song from which the film biography took it's title. A paean to the American transatlantic broadcasting satellite launched into space in 1962. Recorded by The Tornados it was number one on both sides of the Atlantic in 1962 (it was also the subject of a lengthy legal battle due to a claim of plagiarism by a French composer and though the court eventually threw out the claim, Joe Meek never saw a penny of the royalties as it was settled after his death),

Highly introverted, subject to wild mood swings and paranoia, coupled with an addiction to uppers and downers, Meek killed his landlady and then committed suicide on 3 February 1967

The 1991 Arena documentary features talking-head footage from members of the Meek family and from artists and producers who worked with him.

There is something compelling about the story of Joe Meek, a sonic outsider who created some of the most unique and innovative music of the late fifties and sixties and yet hide to hide one of the most core elements of his personality, the fact that he way gay.
Fascinated by the occult and the emerging paradigm of flying saucers and extraterrestrial entities, Joe Meek lived on the edge of creativity and paranoia, battling his demons as a post-war generation grooved to the soundtracks he provided for their lives.

My favourite Joe Meek recording is the legendary concept album 'I Hear a New World', created and composed by Joe Meek and performed by The Blue Men in 1959. It was partially released in 1960 and finally released in full in 1991 by RPM Records.

Here is what Joe Meek had to say about the record (which some argue is the first "pop" concept album). As mentioned above, Meek was fascinated by the then-new space programme and proposed that life existed elsewhere in the solar system. This album was his attempt "to create a picture in music of what could be up there in outer space", he explained. "At first I was going to record it with music that was completely out of this world but realized that it would have very little entertainment value so I kept the construction of the music down to earth." My only wish is that we too could hear the sonic universes, teaming with extraterrestrial sounds that Joe could hear.

For an excellent overview of his life, his unique recording processes and constellation of forces and influences that created the Joe Meek psyche check out Loz Cliffe's scholarly and expansive essay entitled:

"Joe Meek's Telstar: Progressive Creativity And Imagination In Independent Music Production" By Loz Cliffe

http://www.lozcliffe.com/article.php?id=39&Joe+Meek%27s+Telstar%3A+Progre....

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• joe meek
• arena
• telstar
• recording
• murder
• occult
• magic
• tornados
• occulture
• suicide
• honeycombs
• heinz
• mickie most
• sixties
• 60s
• 50s
• documentary
• shotgun
• court case

[ammiralowling]

@ammiralowling As gruesome as it sounds Joe's body could be exhumed and re-examined. How much investigative effort was put into his death? I'm not a forensic expert but there is such a think as gun residue that comes off in a blast that can determine who had the gun or in this case if the gun was ever in Joe's hands. The matter of available angles when one uses a shotgun to kill themselves. The story to me has gaping holes. I wonder if some of the players know how suspicious they look?

[ammiralowling]

@ammiralowling It was almost as if the manager was trying to erase the very memory or existance of Parsons. Years later in interviews he'd say things like "if Gram Parsons was still alive today he'd still be dead". In other words I've got to rationalize how it really wasn't my fault Gram od'd on the drugs I got him. There could be more to the death of Joe Meek as well. Dead men tell no tails but now a days they do. What kind of shot gun? Not entirely easy to kill yourself with a shotgun.

[ammiralowling]

@ammiralowling The way his death is explained reminds me a bit of a guy named Gram Parsons. Gram had an od and was dead in the company of 2 girls. Instead of calling for help they called his road manager. His road manager beat the police to the scene to gather up all the drugs. Gram had requested some from a "local connection" earlier in the day. Later the manager stole his body from the airport in a broken down hearse and set it ablaze in the desert. A previous drunken request of Gram's

[ammiralowling]

@petelucas51 Oh I totally believe if he owed money, was in general a loner and people could see this he was ripe for picking. He was going through a bad period and people have been known to do irrational things in such a state however...big however.. I'm looking at body language and how two of the guys in the end are working so hard to tell their side of the story. Lots of extra detail is being worked in. If I was trying to justify something I thought people might not believe I'd add extra icing

[petelucas51]

@ammiralowling I agree with your sentiments. I am in my fifties but never really learnt of him till about 12 months ago. It turns out that not only did he come from the same area as my father in law but Joe is distantly related to my wife So we did a bit of digging and I totally agree that the death of Joe was a bit odd. If he was that mentally unbalalnced how come he was working the day before? The Krays knew him as well that sounds very dodgy

.

[ammiralowling]

I've watched this documentary a couple of times now and one part that strikes me odd is the finale. I suppose it was set up that way to cast doubt or raise questions or conspiracies into his death but you've got to admit it was a little peculiar this shot gun left behind, argument over money etc..and all at odds with the references to Joe arguing with his landlord and being excessively paranoid. Maybe he was. Then again people often take advantage of such people. I'm probably wrong but wonder.

[NicolaLovesIvan123]

Lovely to see Joe Meek and Geoff Goddard <3

[pontello3]

cool documentary!

[juggernautpresents]

That was Magic. :) Nice one for posting that mate.

[ames462]

thanks so much for posting this