Stratpicker wrote:how can a group that sounds SO bad improve so much and become Mega Stars?
It's the difference that a good producer can make. George Martin recognised and refined the talent that was already there. They were 'a diamond in the rough'.
For another dramatic example of the difference that a good producer can make, first listen to
Staightjacket recorded by Bill Haley and his Comets for Essex in March 1954, then to
Rock Around The Clock, recorded for Decca in April 1954 with producer Milt Gabler in charge of the session. The Essex recording is a disgrace, with sloppy playing and slurred vocals. The second has a tight rhythm sound (driven by the slapped bass) and crisp vocal. It became the world's first No.1 rock'n'roll record around the world.