10 Bizarre Recording Techniques Used On Famous Records

The Beatles, in their ground-breaking work with producer George Martin, viewed the entire studio as a sonic playground, and were restlessly inventive when it came to audio engineering. One important behind-the-scenes figure who is often unfairly overlooked is Geoffrey Emerick, the technician who worked closely with Martin and the band on Sgt. Pepper's, Abbey Road and Revolver.

Emerick was highly innovative in his approach, more than willing to tear up the rulebook and try new things. In search of a more solid drum sound, the engineer removed the front skin of Ringo Starr's bass drum and stuffed a sweater inside. For album closer, Tomorrow Never Knows, in response to John Lennon's desire for his vocals to emulate the chanting of Tibetan Monks, Emerick dismantled the studio's Hammond organ, using its rotating internal amp as a makeshift mic.

The bird noises audible on that same track are the outcome of Paul McCartney’s experiments with tape loops. McCartney took recordings of distorted guitars, ringing wine glasses and myriad 'found' sounds, physically cutting and splicing the results. Revolver is another album on this list whose novel engineering processes could fill up an entire book by itself.