Mickie Most

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Mickie Most
RAK

Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003),

RAK Records label.[3]

Biography

Early career

Most was born as Michael Peter Hayes in Aldershot, Hampshire, England.[4] The son of a regimental sergeant-major, he moved with his parents to Harrow, Middlesex in 1951. He was influenced by skiffle and early rock and roll in his youth. Leaving school at 15, he worked as a singing waiter at London's The 2i's Coffee Bar where he made friends with future business partner Peter Grant, and formed a singing duo with Alex 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" with Decca Records before disbanding. Wharton later went on to produce the Moody 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 of Ray Peterson, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran songs. Returning to London in 1962, Most appeared on package tours as well as recording "Mister Porter", a No. 45 hit in the UK Singles Chart in July 1963[4] and had moderate success with "The Feminine Look" in 1963, this single featuring Jimmy Page on lead guitar and heralding early British heavy rock.[5]

Producer

Becoming tired of touring clubs, Most decided to concentrate on other aspects of the music 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 for Columbia Records. After spotting The Animals at Newcastle's Club A-Go-Go, he offered to produce their first single, "Baby Let Me Take You Home", which reached No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart.[4] Their follow-up 1964 single, "The House of the Rising Sun", became an international hit.

Most had success with Herman's Hermits after being approached by their manager Harvey 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 challenging The 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 scored another top 10 hit with

To Sir, with Love", "The Boat That I Row", "Boom Bang-a-Bang" (which finished equal first in the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest), "Me the Peaceful Heart", and "I'm a Tiger".[4] Most also produced the final studio single of the 1960s by The Seekers, "Days of My Life", in 1968, and Nancy Sinatra's "The Highway Song" in 1969. Additionally in the 1960s, Most signed and produced artists such as singer-guitarist Terry Reid,[7] and all-girl rock band The She Trinity
.

Most's productions were backed by London-based session musicians including Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass guitar and arrangements, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and Bobby Graham on drums. He produced Jeff Beck's hits "Love is Blue" and "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and the Jeff Beck Group albums Truth and Beck-Ola. By 1967, after commercial and critical failure of The Yardbirds album Little 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 album Cosmic Wheels on which Most was credited under his real name, Michael Peter Hayes.

From 1968 to 1983

Despite these setbacks, Most set up his own production office at 155 Oxford Street, sharing it with his business partner

Hot Chocolate singer Errol Brown and a half interest in the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of the band Arrows
.

With RAK Records, Most's success continued with folk singer

Mike Chapman, RAK scored several British number 1 singles with Suzi Quatro ("Can the Can" and "Devil Gate Drive") and Mud ("Tiger Feet", "Lonely This Christmas" and "Oh Boy
").

For RAK in the 1970s, Most also produced hits for

Calvin Hayes, was also signed to RAK Records.[4]

In the 1970s, Most was a panellist on the ITV talent show New Faces and, along with fellow record producer Tony Hatch, became known for his harsh comments on the acts performing on the show. He was a producer of Revolver, a TV programme devoted to punk rock which was at odds with his 'studio factory' approach to pop music.[4][8]

Later career

RAK sold out to EMI in 1983 but was revived in 1988. Most was one of the first producers to own the rights to his own records and RAK Studios, which opened in 1976 in St John's Wood, remains active.[9]

He was the subject of

BBC Broadcasting House in London.[citation needed
]

In 1995, Most's fortune was estimated at £50 million and he appeared in The 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]

Death

On 30 May 2003, Most died at home aged 64 from possibly peritoneal mesothelioma, a complication of asbestosis.[1] The investigative journalist Paul Foot thought it was probable that he contracted the cancer from ingesting fibres from vinyl tiles impregnated with asbestos, intended to improve soundproofing in recording studios.[10] A blue 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.

Discography

Compilation albums

  • Best of Mickie Most and His Playboys (1994)
  • LuluTo Sir with Love: The Complete Mickie Most Recordings (2005), EMI

References

  1. ^ a b Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2003 January To June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Mickie Most, Record Producer And Pop Impresario, Dies at 64". The New York Times. 5 June 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  3. ^ Cartwright, Garth (2 June 2003). "Obituary: Mickie Most – Prolific pop producer whose ability to match a song to a performer ensured hit after hit". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  4. ^ .
  5. .
  6. ^ "Industry veteran Everett dies". Music Week. Retrieved 13 July 2005.
  7. ^ "There's a reason why they called this, the first-ever U.S.-issued compilation of the work of U.K. power belter Terry Reid, "Superlungs."". Billboard. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  8. ^ Leigh, Spencer (2 October 2013). "Mickie Most". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Legendary London Recording Studios". RAK Studios. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  10. ^ Foot, Paul (11 June 2003). "The death dividend". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Blue Plaques". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2010.

External links