The Beatles' engineer Norman Smith, who worked on every studio recording the band made between 1962 and 1965, has died at the age of 85.
Smith, nicknamed "Normal Norman" by John Lennon, took charge of the band's first session at Abbey Road in 1962.

Promoted to producer in 1966, he signed Pink Floyd and produced their early albums including Saucerful of Secrets.

Under the name Hurricane Smith, he also enjoyed UK chart success with singles including Don't Let It Die in 1971.

I learned of this on Tuesday night from a post made on an American forum by Ken Scott, an ex colleague of Smith's at Abbey Road who went on to produce Bowie's immortal "Ziggy Stardust".

I was real sad by this because Norman was behind a lot of fave records of mine - early Beatles, early Floyd, The Pretty Things, Barclay James Harvest and others and then of course his unexpected solo career as Hurricane Smith... "Don't Let It Die" and "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?" are excellent records, not forgetting the Gilbert O'Sullivan penned "Who Was It?". I know that Americans especially love "Oh Babe" and last year he sang and performed it live on the piano at a Beatles convention in the States and was a magic moment those lucky to witness it will never forget. Lovely song, totally at odds with everything else around in 1972.

At the convention he unveiled his long awaited memoir entitled "John Lennon Called Me Normal" which he sold and signed as a limited edition. It is currently awaiting worldwide publication and I'm sure will be a great read.

He's left behind an interesting legacy of work guaranteed to never be forgotten.

I heard about this from Ken Bruce who seems genuinely interested in praising past talent; it was Ken who told me and millions of listeners about the death of various past great 60's singers.