Sir George produces a finale for HMV

The Beatles' producer Sir George Martin yesterday unveiled a plaque marking the role of a record store in bringing the world's greatest rock band to fame.

The HMV branch at 363 Oxford Street, London is to close its doors for the final time on Saturday, and move across the road. It was a visit Brian Epstein, the band's manager, paid to the shop in 1962 which set in motion the band's Parlophone Records deal. "If he hadn't come in here, I would never have heard them," said Sir George.

Epstein had been touting the Fab Four without luck. But at HMV - once the world's largest record store - the music caught the attention of engineer Jim Foy, who referred him upstairs to music publisher Sid Coleman. Coleman then passed him on to George Martin, head of Parlophone. The rest, as they say...