Sir, – Hugh Linehan wrote an excellent overview of the achievements of George Martin, the Beatles producer who died this week ("George Martin – the man who helped make the Beatles truly great", March 10th). However, Linehan, in describing him as the "fifth Beatle", uses an overused term. There were two actual fifth Beatles, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best, but Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager, was also given that description. Even George Best was sometimes described as a fifth Beatle. And of course the Volkswagen car in the background on the famous Abbey Road album sleeve also merits the title. – Yours, etc,
GARRY BURY,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.