Joe Meek was the guy behind the Tornados hit "Telstar" and was said to be something of a musical genius, sometimes called Britain's Phil Spector. But after that instrumental became a worldwide hit, his life spiraled out of control and resulted in his untimely death a few years later. 

In the meantime, he turned down future stars like David Bowie, Rod Stewart and yes, even The Beatles.

"A hit-maker certainly, but Meek wasn’t the best talent spotter in the business.

"Hearing an early Beatles demo he told Brian Epstein not to bother signing them and he failed to fully appreciate the talents of many future famous names that recorded with him: David Bowie, Ritchie Blackmore, Marc Bolan, Status Quo.

"Auditioning a band called The Raiders, Meek left them in no doubt about his poor opinion of the voice of their singer, a 16-year-old Rod Stewart. “[Stewart] did three tracks on the audition and after the session Joe came in, stared him right in the eye and blew a long raspberry at him,” says Rochford. “Rod just picked up his coat and walked out.” 

This is the story of a pioneering producer whose name you may not know, but whose story could make a fascinating movie. 

Suicide or murder? The life and untimely death of Sixties pop genius Joe Meek

Last edited by aflem (February 3, 2022 10:42 am)