Butch Vig Says Beatles Producer George Martin Influenced Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’
In the wake George Martin’s death earlier this week, many in the music industry have opened up about how the famed Beatles producer impacted their careers and work. Nirvana producer and Garbage drummer Butch Vig joined that chorus of voices, calling Martin “the most important producer in the history of rock ‘n’ roll” and citing his influence on Nirvana’s breakthrough record Nevermind.
Vig produced Nirvana’s 1991 album, and Martin’s work with the Beatles inspired a key element. “There was a point where I wanted Kurt Cobain to double-track his vocals on a song when we were recording Nevermind, and he was reluctant to do so because he thought it sounded too fake and I said: ‘Well, John Lennon double-tracked his vocals,’” Vig told the Guardian. “And as soon as I said that, Kurt said: ‘OK.’ He pretty much double-tracked all the vocals after that.”
Martin died on Tuesday, March 8, at the age of 90. “He guided the career of the Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family,” Paul McCartney wrote in tribute of the late producer.
Vig and the rest of Garbage just announced a new album Strange Little Birds, which is due out June 10 via STUNVOLUME.