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Mickie Most (20 June 1938 — 30 May 2003) was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with his own RAK Records, and with acts such as The Animals, The Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group.
Early career
Most was born as born Michael Peter Hayes in Aldershot, Hampshire. The son of a regimental sergeant-major, he moved with his parents to the north London suburb of Harrow in 1951. Most 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. They recorded with Decca Records a single "Takes A Whole Lotta Loving to Keep My Baby Happy" before disbanding. Wharton 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 the Playboys. The band scored 11 consecutive #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 #45 hit in the UK Singles Chart in July 1963.
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 #21 in the UK Singles Chart. Their follow-up 1964 single, "The House of the Rising Sun", became a worldwide hit. Most then won the "Producer of the Year" award at the 1964 Grammy Awards.
He had success with Herman's Hermits after being approached by their manager Harvey Lisberg. Their first Most production, "I'm Into Something Good", went to #1 in 1964, 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.
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 became a hit, with gold record. "What'd I Say," became another hit throughout Europe, but was never released to the US. Most had equal success with other artists for whom he produced chart-topping albums and singles between 1965 and 1969, notably Donovan with "Mellow Yellow", "Jennifer Juniper", "The Hurdy Gurdy Man", and "Atlantis" and Lulu "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". Most also produced The Seekers singles "Days of My Life" and "Love Is Kind, Love Is Wine", in 1968, and Nancy Sinatra's "The Highway Song" in 1969. Most signed new artists such as singer-guitarist Terry Reid.
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, and Nicky Hopkins on piano. He produced Jeff Beck's hits "Love is Blue" and "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and the Jeff Beck Group albums Truth and Beck-Ola. He teamed the Beck group with Donovan for the single "Barabajagal". Notably, Most produced the 1968 Donovan hit "Hurdy Gurdy Man", using future Led Zeppelin members Jones, Page, and John Bonham.
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 focussed approach also led to a split with Donovan in late 1969. Although not every one of Donovan's better songs was produced by Most, Donovan never had a significant hit again after their split.[citation needed] Most and Donovan reunited in 1973 for the album Cosmic Wheels on which Mickie was credited under his real name Michael Peter Hayes.
RAK Records
Despite these setbacks, Most set up his own production office at 155 Oxford Street, sharing it with his business partner Peter 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 Yardbirds, which soon evolved into Led Zeppelin, meant Most had control in late 1969. RAK Records and RAK Music Publishing were launched in 1969. RAK music publishing has the copyright of such classic popular songs as "You Sexy Thing" composed by 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 The Arrows. Both acts were produced by Most.
With RAK Records, Most's success continued with folk singer Julie Felix's hit "El Condor Pasa". Felix was the first artist signed to the label. Most then produced Mary Hopkin’s 1970 Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Knock, Knock Who's There?," followed by the single "Temma Harbour". In 1970, Most approached Suzi Quatro for a recording contract after seeing her on stage at a Detroit dance hall with the band Cradle (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 included Alexis Korner's CCS, The Arrows, Smokie (with Chris Norman)(Originally spelt Smokey), Hot Chocolate, Angie Miller, and Chris Spedding. Hiring the songwriting production team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, RAK scored several British #1 singles with Suzi Quatro ("Can the Can", "Devil Gate Drive") and Mud.
In 1976, Most produced Chris Spedding's self-titled album, which was Spedding's first solo record. In 1980, Most discovered Kim Wilde, who was doing backing vocals for her father Marty Wilde at a Luton recording session. After hearing her, Most signed Wilde and produced the single "Kids in America" which reached #2 in the UK, and #25 on the US Billboard chart.
Later career
Most was a panelist on television talent shows such as ITV's New Faces where his tough assessments of contestants foreshadowed the style of Simon Cowell. He was producer of Revolver, a program devoted to punk rock which was at odds with his "studio factory" approach to music. Most asked Kate Bush to appear as guest on the pilot episode. In the 1980s, the band Johnny Hates Jazz, which featured Most's son Calvin Hayes, was also signed to RAK Records. RAK sold out to EMI in 1983 but revived in 1988. Most was one of the first producers to own the rights to his own records and RAK Studios, opened in 1976 in St John's Wood, remains active.
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 in Totteridge Lane, London was claimed to be the largest private home in UK worth an estimated £4 million. His production work diminished after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2000.
On 30 May 2003, Most died at home aged 64 from mesothelioma. He was cremated at Golders Green crematorium. He is survived by his wife Christina and their three children Calvin, Nathalie, and Cristalle.
Mickie Most (20 June 1938 — 30 May 2003) was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with his own RAK Records, and with acts such as The Animals, The Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group.
Early career
Most was born as born Michael Peter Hayes in Aldershot, Hampshire. The son of a regimental sergeant-major, he moved with his parents to the north London suburb of Harrow in 1951. Most 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. They recorded with Decca Records a single "Takes A Whole Lotta Loving to Keep My Baby Happy" before disbanding. Wharton 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 the Playboys. The band scored 11 consecutive #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 #45 hit in the UK Singles Chart in July 1963.
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 #21 in the UK Singles Chart. Their follow-up 1964 single, "The House of the Rising Sun", became a worldwide hit. Most then won the "Producer of the Year" award at the 1964 Grammy Awards.
He had success with Herman's Hermits after being approached by their manager Harvey Lisberg. Their first Most production, "I'm Into Something Good", went to #1 in 1964, 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.
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 became a hit, with gold record. "What'd I Say," became another hit throughout Europe, but was never released to the US. Most had equal success with other artists for whom he produced chart-topping albums and singles between 1965 and 1969, notably Donovan with "Mellow Yellow", "Jennifer Juniper", "The Hurdy Gurdy Man", and "Atlantis" and Lulu "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". Most also produced The Seekers singles "Days of My Life" and "Love Is Kind, Love Is Wine", in 1968, and Nancy Sinatra's "The Highway Song" in 1969. Most signed new artists such as singer-guitarist Terry Reid.
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, and Nicky Hopkins on piano. He produced Jeff Beck's hits "Love is Blue" and "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and the Jeff Beck Group albums Truth and Beck-Ola. He teamed the Beck group with Donovan for the single "Barabajagal". Notably, Most produced the 1968 Donovan hit "Hurdy Gurdy Man", using future Led Zeppelin members Jones, Page, and John Bonham.
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 focussed approach also led to a split with Donovan in late 1969. Although not every one of Donovan's better songs was produced by Most, Donovan never had a significant hit again after their split.[citation needed] Most and Donovan reunited in 1973 for the album Cosmic Wheels on which Mickie was credited under his real name Michael Peter Hayes.
RAK Records
Despite these setbacks, Most set up his own production office at 155 Oxford Street, sharing it with his business partner Peter 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 Yardbirds, which soon evolved into Led Zeppelin, meant Most had control in late 1969. RAK Records and RAK Music Publishing were launched in 1969. RAK music publishing has the copyright of such classic popular songs as "You Sexy Thing" composed by 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 The Arrows. Both acts were produced by Most.
With RAK Records, Most's success continued with folk singer Julie Felix's hit "El Condor Pasa". Felix was the first artist signed to the label. Most then produced Mary Hopkin’s 1970 Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Knock, Knock Who's There?," followed by the single "Temma Harbour". In 1970, Most approached Suzi Quatro for a recording contract after seeing her on stage at a Detroit dance hall with the band Cradle (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 included Alexis Korner's CCS, The Arrows, Smokie (with Chris Norman)(Originally spelt Smokey), Hot Chocolate, Angie Miller, and Chris Spedding. Hiring the songwriting production team of Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, RAK scored several British #1 singles with Suzi Quatro ("Can the Can", "Devil Gate Drive") and Mud.
In 1976, Most produced Chris Spedding's self-titled album, which was Spedding's first solo record. In 1980, Most discovered Kim Wilde, who was doing backing vocals for her father Marty Wilde at a Luton recording session. After hearing her, Most signed Wilde and produced the single "Kids in America" which reached #2 in the UK, and #25 on the US Billboard chart.
Later career
Most was a panelist on television talent shows such as ITV's New Faces where his tough assessments of contestants foreshadowed the style of Simon Cowell. He was producer of Revolver, a program devoted to punk rock which was at odds with his "studio factory" approach to music. Most asked Kate Bush to appear as guest on the pilot episode. In the 1980s, the band Johnny Hates Jazz, which featured Most's son Calvin Hayes, was also signed to RAK Records. RAK sold out to EMI in 1983 but revived in 1988. Most was one of the first producers to own the rights to his own records and RAK Studios, opened in 1976 in St John's Wood, remains active.
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 in Totteridge Lane, London was claimed to be the largest private home in UK worth an estimated £4 million. His production work diminished after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2000.
On 30 May 2003, Most died at home aged 64 from mesothelioma. He was cremated at Golders Green crematorium. He is survived by his wife Christina and their three children Calvin, Nathalie, and Cristalle.
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