Mickie Most | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Peter Hayes |
| Born | (1938-06-20)20 June 1938 Aldershot,Hampshire, England |
| Died | 30 May 2003(2003-05-30) (aged 64) London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1958–2003 |
| Labels | |
Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003),[1] known asMickie Most, was an English record producer[2] behind acts such asthe Animals,Herman's Hermits,the Nashville Teens,Donovan,Lulu,Suzi Quatro,Hot Chocolate,Arrows,Racey andthe Jeff Beck Group, often issued on his ownRAK Records label.[3]
Most was born as Michael Peter Hayes inAldershot,Hampshire, England.[4] The son of a regimental sergeant-major, he moved with his parents toHarrow,Middlesex in 1951. He was influenced byskiffle and earlyrock and roll in his youth. Leaving school at 15, he worked as a singing waiter at London'sThe 2i's Coffee Bar where he made friends with future business partnerPeter Grant, and formed a singing duo withAlex Wharton (aka Alex Murray) who billed themselves as the Most Brothers.[4] They recorded the single "Takes A Whole Lotta Loving to Keep My Baby Happy" withDecca Records before disbanding. Wharton later went on to produce theMoody Blues single "Go Now".
After changing his name to Mickie Most in 1959, he travelled to South Africa with his wife Christina, and formed a pop group, Mickie Most and His Playboys. The band had eleven consecutive No. 1 singles there, mostly with cover versions ofRay Peterson,Gene Vincent,Buddy Holly andEddie Cochran songs. Returning to London in 1962, Most appeared on package tours as well as recording "Mister Porter", a No. 45 hit in theUK Singles Chart in July 1963[4] and had moderate success with "The Feminine Look" in 1963, this single featuringJimmy Page on lead guitar and heraldingearly British heavy rock.[5]
Becoming tired of touring clubs, Most decided to concentrate on other aspects of themusic industry. His first job was selling records in stores and displaying them on racks (later inspiration for his record label, RAK) before finding a niche with production forColumbia Records. After spottingThe Animals atNewcastle's Club A-Go-Go, he offered to produce their first single, "Baby Let Me Take You Home", which reached No. 21 in theUK Singles Chart.[4] Their follow-up 1964 single, "The House of the Rising Sun", became an international hit.
Most had success withHerman's Hermits after being approached by their managerHarvey Lisberg at Derek Everett's suggestion.[6] Their first Most production, "I'm into Something Good", went to No. 1 in September 1964,[4] beginning a run of single and album sales (ten million over 12 months), the group for a time challengingThe Beatles in popularity in the United States. His down-to-earth handling of the band, his business acumen and knack for selecting hit singles, established Most as one of the most successful producers in Britain and kept him in demand throughout the 1960s and 1970s.[4]
In July 1964, Most had another top 10 hit withthe Nashville Teens' remake of theJohn D. Loudermilk song "Tobacco Road". In September 1964, with Most at the control board,Brenda Lee recorded "Is It True" and "What'd I Say". "Is It True" was released in England and later in the US, and it became a hit and agold record. "What'd I Say" became another hit throughout Europe but was never released in the US. Most had equal success with other artists for whom he produced chart-topping albums and singles between 1964 and 1969, notablyDonovan with "Sunshine Superman", "Mellow Yellow", "Jennifer Juniper", andLulu's hits "To Sir, with Love", "The Boat That I Row", "Boom Bang-a-Bang" (which finished equal first in the 1969Eurovision Song Contest), "Me the Peaceful Heart", and "I'm a Tiger".[4] Most also produced the final studio single of the 1960s byThe Seekers, "Days of My Life", in 1968, andNancy Sinatra's "The Highway Song" in 1969. Additionally in the 1960s, Most signed and produced artists such as singer-guitaristTerry Reid,[7] and all-girl rock bandThe She Trinity.
Most's productions were backed by London-basedsession musicians includingBig Jim Sullivan andJimmy Page on guitar,John Paul Jones on bass guitar andarrangements,Nicky Hopkins on piano, andBobby Graham on drums. He producedJeff Beck's hits "Love is Blue" and "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and the Jeff Beck Group albumsTruth andBeck-Ola. By 1967, after commercial and critical failure ofThe Yardbirds albumLittle Games, he decided to steer clear of rock groups. The Yardbirds objected to his insistence that every song be cut to three minutes and that albums were an afterthought following the singles. His focused approach also led to a split with Donovan in late 1969. Most and Donovan reunited in 1973 for the albumCosmic Wheels on which Most was credited under his real name, Michael Peter Hayes.
Despite these setbacks, Most set up his own production office at 155 Oxford Street, sharing it with his business partnerPeter Grant. It was through Most's association that Grant was asked to manage The Yardbirds. In 1968, Most and Grant set up RAK Management, but Grant's involvement with The New Yardbirds, which soon evolved intoLed Zeppelin, meant Most had control in late 1969.RAK Records and RAK Music Publishing were launched in 1969.[4] RAK Music Publishing has the copyright of popular songs such as "You Sexy Thing" composed byHot Chocolate singerErrol Brown and a half interest in the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" written byAlan Merrill andJake Hooker of the bandArrows.
With RAK Records, Most's success continued with folk singerJulie Felix's charting cover ofSimon & Garfunkel's "El Condor Pasa".[4] Felix was the first artist signed to the label. Most then producedMary Hopkin's 1970 hit "Temma Harbour" forApple Records, followed by her Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Knock, Knock Who's There?". In 1970, Most approachedSuzi Quatro for a recording contract after seeing her on stage at a Detroit dance hall with the bandCradle (which also had Quatro's sisters Arlene, Patti, and Nancy as members), while on a production assignment in Chicago. Quatro was among a growing roster of artists signed to RAK Records which includedAlexis Korner'sCCS,Arrows,Smokie (with Chris Norman) (originally spelt Smokey),Hot Chocolate,Angie Miller,Chris Spedding, andHeavy Metal Kids.[4] Hiring the songwriting production team ofNicky Chinn andMike Chapman, RAK scored several British number 1 singles withSuzi Quatro ("Can the Can" and "Devil Gate Drive") andMud ("Tiger Feet", "Lonely This Christmas" and "Oh Boy").
For RAK in the 1970s, Most also produced hits forNew World,Duncan Browne,Cozy Powell,Tam White andRacey, as well asChris Spedding's self-titled 1976 album, which was Spedding's fifth solo record. He also produced "We Vibrate", the first 45 by punk bandThe Vibrators. In 1980, Most discoveredKim Wilde, who was doing backing vocals for her fatherMarty Wilde at aLuton recording session. After hearing her, Most signed Wilde who immediately scored a hit with the single "Kids in America" which reached number 2 in the UK, and number 25 on the USBillboardchart.[citation needed] In the 1980s, the bandJohnny Hates Jazz, which featured Most's sonCalvin Hayes, was also signed to RAK Records.[4]
In the 1970s, Most was a panellist on the ITV talent showNew Faces and, along with fellow record producerTony Hatch, became known for his harsh comments on the acts performing on the show. He was a producer ofRevolver, a TV programme devoted to punk rock which was at odds with his 'studio factory' approach to pop music.[4][8]
RAK sold out toEMI in 1983 but was revived in 1988. Most was one of the first producers to own the rights to his own records andRAK Studios, which opened in 1976 in St John's Wood, remains active.[9]
He was the subject ofThis Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised byEamonn Andrews atBBC Broadcasting House in London.[citation needed]
In 1995, Most's fortune was estimated at £50 million and he appeared inThe Sunday Times annual Rich List among the Top 500 in England. His house, Montebello, in Totteridge Lane, London, was claimed to be the largest private home in the UK, worth an estimated £4 million.[4] His production work diminished after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2000.[citation needed]
On 30 May 2003, Most died at home aged 64 from possiblyperitoneal mesothelioma, a complication ofasbestosis.[1] The investigative journalistPaul Foot thought it was probable that he contracted the cancer from ingesting fibres from vinyl tiles impregnated with asbestos, intended to improvesoundproofing in recording studios.[10] Ablue plaque, to commemorate his life, donated by the Heritage Foundation/Musical Heritage,[11] was unveiled at RAK Studios on 16 May 2004. The lunch and auction that followed raised £40,000 for research into mesothelioma.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
