George Martin, who has died aged 90, will always be remembered as the man who produced the Beatles. But before working with the Fab Four he was already well-established as the man behind the mixing desk on a number of comedy recordings.

Martin produced Peter Sellers’ 1959 hit album Songs for Swinging Sellers (the title a parody of Sinatra’s Songs for Swinging Lovers). He also worked with the Goons – Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. He released Milligan's Bridge on the River Wye, which featured Peter Cook, on his Parlophone label. Martin had never worked on a rock and roll record when the Beatles came along but they approved of him because the Goons were on his CV. John Lennon later recalled: “our studio sessions were full of the cries of Neddie Seagoon, etc, etc."

Martin also produced or co-produced The Temperance Seven, Charlie Drake's My Boomerang Won't Come Back, Bernard Cribbins' Right Said Fred and Rolf Harris' Sun Arise and Jake The Peg. The BBC was being criticised on social media for mentioning convicted paedophile Harris in its tribute to Martin on Breakfast News.