Well .... looks like I'm now flying into the flak.

If it wasn't for the genius (sorry, Bruce, overused but what the hell) of George Martin there certainly would not have been the beatles that we now know. He recognized something ... he took that something in, that something thrived from what he tilled ... He honed their skills, they learned frowm what he offered. The beatles sound is directly a result of GM.

He was the maestro, they were the brilliant students. Sorry, he was not a window dresser or just a promoter, he was a producer, who had a direct result in their sound.

In regards to John Hammond, did not influence Bob Dylan's sound, he heard it, recognised it's unique brilliancy, and he promoted it.

sIx