Yanni ("John") Alexis Mardas, better known as Magic Alex (born May 5, 1942, Athens, Greece), a self-styled electronics wizard, was the head of The Beatles' Apple Electronics. He became one of the principal hangers-on of the Beatles' burgeoning entourage, and broke the news from John Lennon to his first wife Cynthia that John wanted a divorce. May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Cynthia Powell Lennon (born September 10, 1939) was the first wife of John Lennon. ...

Mardas was initially introduced to Lennon by Brian Jones. Impressing Lennon with his "nothing box", a small plastic box with randomly blinking lights, and his ideas for futuristic electronic devices, he became one of the first employees of the newly formed Apple Corps, who fitted him out with his own laboratory and helped him to obtain a British work visa. His main job was to create sellable and innovative products and techniques that Apple could market. Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was a founding member, lead and rhythm guitarist and backing singer in the English rock group, The Rolling Stones. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ... Image of an entry visa valid in Schengen treaty countries. ...

He also became a friend of Lennon's, visiting him at home and at Abbey Road, whose "out-of-date" equipment and methods drew his constant criticism, to producer George Martin's annoyance. (Martin had always campaigned for better equipment, and he noted that "Magic Alex" nonetheless studied Abbey Road closely whenever he visited.) The Beatles were interested in buying or leasing a Greek island to move to, and Alex claimed to have government connections through his family, who could help with the deal. The legendary recording studio Abbey Road Studios, created in November of 1931 by EMI in London, England is best known as the legendary recording studio used by the rock artists: The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Pink Floyd and The Shadows. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Along with appearing (uncredited) in the Beatles' TV movie Magical Mystery Tour, he accompanied them to India to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the spring of 1968. When he suggested to Lennon and George Harrison that the Maharishi had been making sexual advances toward Mia Farrow and other women at the camp (a suggestion supported in Farrow's autobiography What Falls Away), they took the suggestion seriously enough to confront him. When the startled Maharishi's answers didn't satisfy them, they and their wives departed the camp. (McCartney and Starr had already left, for other reasons.) Magical Mystery Tour is an album by British rock band The Beatles, first released in late November 1967. ... Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma) [1] is the creator of Transcendental Meditationâ„¢ and leader of the Transcendental Meditation Movement, based on the principles of Mantra Shastra espoused by the Adi Shankara (c. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mia Farrow (born Maria de Lourdes Villiers-Farrow on February 9, 1945), is an American actress. ...

After returning to England, Lennon's wife Cynthia accompanied Mardas and his flatmate Jenny Boyd on a vacation trip to his native Greece (the island deal had been abandoned), while Lennon remained at home. Coming back early, Cynthia discovered her husband sitting at breakfast with Japanese artist Yoko Ono, both clad in bathrobes, and all the signs the two had been cohabitating for several days. She left with Alex and Jenny, staying with them overnight; Alex plied her with wine and tried unsuccessfully to seduce her. (Lennon used this incident to counter Cynthia's charge of adultery with one of his own, which he later dropped.) Helen Mary Boyd, 1960s London fashion model; younger sister of Pattie Boyd, who married Beatle George Harrison. ... Yoko Ono Lennon (born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese musician and artist best known as the widow of John Lennon of The Beatles. ...

Mardas was ultimately given the job of designing the Beatles' new recording studio, in the basement at Apple headquarters in Savile Row, after boasting of his plans to create the world's first 72-track tape machine. He gave the Beatles regular reports of his progress, but when they required their new studio in January 1969, during the Get Back project that became Let It Be, they discovered not a state-of-the-art facility, but a poorly planned, unusable, cramped set of rooms, with no 72-track tape deck, no soundproofing, no talkback (intercom) system, and not even a patch bay to run the wiring between the control room and the studio. The only new piece of sound equipment present was a crude mixing console Mardas had built, that was consigned to the scrapheap after one session. Apple Studio was a recording studio of the late 1960s and early 1970s, founded by The Beatles. ... Savile Row Savile Row Savile Row is a road in the City of Westminster in central London that runs parallel to Regent Street between Conduit Street at the northern end and Vigo Street at the southern. ... Compact audio cassette Magnetic tape is a non-volatile storage medium consisting of a magnetic coating on a thin plastic strip. ... Year 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Get Back sessions, see Let It Be (album). ... Let It Be is the twelfth and final album by The Beatles, released on May 8, 1970 by the bands own Apple Records label. ... Soundproofing is any means of to reducing the intensity of sound with respect to a specified source and receptor. ... In sound recording, talkback refers to the system used in recording studios to enable personnel in the control room to speak or give instructions to personnel in the recording area or booth. ... Intercom system in the Pittock Mansion An intercom is an electronic communications system within a building or group of buildings. ... Connections on a Patch Bay A patch bay is an assembly of hardware so arranged that a number of circuits, usually of the same or similar type, appear on jacks for monitoring, interconnecting, and testing circuits in a convenient, flexible manner. ... BBC Local Radio Mark III radio mixing desk In professional audio, a mixing console, mixing desk (Brit. ...

One of Mardas's more outrageous plans was to replace the sound baffles (insulators, used to prevent leakage) around Ringo Starr's drums with an invisible sonic force field. That didn't happen. George Harrison's suspicions of Mardas's competence were raised when he saw him wandering around in a white coat, with a clipboard, muttering as he placed tiny loudspeakers around the studio — one for each track. When "Magic Alex" failed to deliver, the Beatles had to wait until George Martin came to the rescue, working around the studio's technical problems, and borrowing a pair of four-track recorders from EMI, to continue the project. A sound baffle is a construction or device which reduces the intensity of airborne sound. ... The term leakage has numerous definitions: In normal usage, leakage is the diffusion of energy or matter out of a container. ... Richard Starkey, MBE (born 7 July 1940 in Liverpool, England), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English popular musician, singer and actor, best known as the drummer of The Beatles. ... The EMI Group is a music company comprising the major record label, EMI Music, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ...

Mardas was fired from Apple by Allen Klein in 1969, and every British patent he applied for on Apple's behalf was turned down, on the grounds that he had invented nothing new, but had only built modified versions of products already under patent. It was later revealed that Mardas's main electronic experience had been as a TV repairman. In The Beatles Anthology, Harrison considered the possibility that "Alex just read the latest version of Science Weekly, and used its ideas." Allen Klein (born December 18, 1931) is a business manager. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a patentee (the inventor or assignee) for a fixed period of time in exchange for the regulated, public disclosure of certain details of a device, method, process or composition of matter (substance) (known as an invention) which... The Beatles Anthology is the name of a documentary series, a series of three albums and a book, all of which focus on the history of the popular rock band The Beatles. ...

Later media stories showed Mardas partnering with the former King of Greece, in a company marketing bulletproof cars to royalty and VIPs. He also sold his Beatles memorabilia for a profit.

References

• John by Cynthia Lennon (Hodder & Stoughton)
• The Sunday Times, 18 September, 2005
• George Harrison: The Quiet One by Alan Clayson (Sanctuary Publishing)
• The Love You Make by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines
• Shout! by Philip Norman (Warner Books)
• All You Need is Ears by George Martin (St. Martin's Press)
• "Hawkers by Appointment", New Statesman, 3 August 1979

Magic Alex was also the name of a rock band who formed in the mid 90's in the UK and were most notable for having actor John Simm as the guitarist. The band were big favourites of Echo & The Bunnymen whom they supported on a number of tours. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Richard Starkey, MBE (born 7 July 1940 in Liverpool, England), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English popular musician, singer and actor, best known as the drummer of The Beatles. ... The Beatles, early 1962: (L-R) Pete, George, Paul and John. ... A self portrait by Sutcliffe. ... Former Liverpool businessman and promoter; original manager of The Beatles, who sent the young band to Hamburg, Germany, where they gained vital show business experience. ... Brian Epstein, The Beatles manager and a force behind the groups early success. ... Allen Klein (born December 18, 1931) is a business manager. ... Neil Aspinall (born in Prestatyn, North Wales, on 13 October 1942) is best known as the road manager and personal assistant for The Beatles. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Engineer Geoff Emerick. ... Norman Smith is a musician and record producer. ... Harvey Phillip Spector (born December 26, 1940) is an American record producer of the 1960s and 1970s. ... The legendary recording studio Abbey Road Studios, created in November of 1931 by EMI in London, England is best known as the legendary recording studio used by the rock artists: The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Pink Floyd and The Shadows. ... Jeff Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English rock songwriter, singer, guitarist and record producer. ... My Bonnie / The Saints, by Tony Sheridan & The Beatles, the first Beatles record to be released. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... With the Beatles (side 1) - Parlophone yellow and black label With the Beatles was the Beatles second British album, recorded four months after the bands first album and released 22 November 1963. ... A Hard Days Night by The Beatles (side 1) - Parlophone yellow and black label A Hard Days Night was the third album by The Beatles, released on July 10, 1964 as the soundtrack to their first film of the same name. ... Beatles for sale by The Beatles (side 1) - Parlophone yellow and black label. ... Help! is the fifth album released by The Beatles, the soundtrack album from their film Help!. Produced by George Martin for EMI Records, the album (in its original British form) contains seven songs that appeared in the movie of the same name, and seven that did not, including the most... Rubber Soul is the sixth album by English rock band The Beatles, first released in December 1965. ... For the album by The Haunted, see rEVOLVEr. ... For other uses, see Sgt. ... Magical Mystery Tour is an album by British rock band The Beatles, first released in late November 1967. ... The Beatles is the ninth official album by The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. ... Yellow Submarine is the eleventh album released by The Beatles. ... Abbey Road is the eleventh official album released by The Beatles. ... Let It Be is the twelfth and final album by The Beatles, released on May 8, 1970 by the bands own Apple Records label. ... The Capitol label of the Past Masters, Volume One LP. Note the small Parlophone logo on the left Past Masters, Volume One is a compilation album by The Beatles released in 1988. ... The Capitol label of the Past Masters, Volume Two LP. Note the small Parlophone logo on the left Past Masters, Volume Two is an compilation album by The Beatles released in 1988. ... This article is about the film. ... Help! is the title of a 1965 film starring The Beatles and featuring Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, John Bluthal and Roy Kinnear. ... Magical Mystery Tour, starring The Beatles, was a special that aired on BBC TV on Boxing Day in 1967. ... For the song, see Yellow Submarine (song). ... Let It Be is a 1970 film about The Beatles rehearsing and recording songs for the album Let It Be in January 1969. ... // Categories: | ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... My Bonnie / The Saints, by Tony Sheridan & The Beatles, the first Beatles record to be released. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The songwriting credit Lennon/McCartney appears on all Beatles songs that were written by John Lennon and/or Paul McCartney without the aid of the other two Beatles, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. ... The Beatles Anthology is the name of a documentary series, a series of three albums and a book, all of which focus on the history of the popular rock band The Beatles. ... The Beatles influence on rock music and popular culture was – and remains – immense. ... The Quarry Men (sometimes Quarrymen) were a little-known skiffle group formed around Liverpool, England in March 1957 by John Lennon. ... The Beatles London This article looks at the history behind some of the London landmarks famously associated with the Beatles for example the Abbey Road Studios & crossing etc The famous Abbey Road Zebra crossing Abbey Road Studios The Beatles first came to the Abbey Road studios on June 6th... The Beatles arrival at Americas JFK Airport in 1964 has proved a particularly enduring image of Beatlemania. ... The Fifth Beatle is a title that has over the years been applied to several people who were at one point a member of The Beatles, or who had a strong association with the Fab Four other than John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The appearance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964, was the breakthrough moment of the burgeoning British Invasion. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ... Northern Songs Ltd. ... Yoko Ono Lennon (born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese musician and artist best known as the widow of John Lennon of The Beatles. ... William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American soul musician from Houston, Texas, raised mostly in Los Angeles, California. ... Tony Sheridan (born Andrew Esmond Sheridan McGinnity on May 21, 1940), is an English rock and roll singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Chas Newby was temporarily the bassist for The Beatles in December of 1960, following the departure of Stuart Sutcliffe. ... James George Nicol, known as Jimmie Nicol or Jimmy Nicol, is an English musician born August 3, 1939. ... Mal Evans Malcolm Evans (May 27, 1935 – January 5, 1976) is best known as the roadie, assistant, and friend to the hugely popular rock band The Beatles. ... Astrid Kirchherr (b. ... Klaus Voormann (born April 29, 1942) is a German artist, musician, and record producer who was associated with the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg and later designed the cover of their album Revolver. ...