Mickie Most

Mickie Most, born Michael Peter Hayes (June 20, 1938 - May 30, 2003), successful record producer notably with a string of Number 1 hit singles with his own RAK Records label and acts such as The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Donovan and Suzi Quatro.

Producer

Becoming tired of touring clubs, Most decided to concentrate on other aspects of the music industry. His first job involved selling records in stores and displaying them on racks (which was the later inspiration for naming his own record label, RAK) before finding a niche with production for Columbia Records. After spotting The Animals playing at Newcastle's Club A-Go-Go, he offered to produce their first single called "Baby Let Me Take You Home" which reached Number 21 on the UK charts. Their follow-up 1964 single, "House of the Rising Sun", became a worldwide Number 1 hit. Most then won the "Producer of the Year" award at the 1964 Grammy Awards.

Related Topics:
Columbia Records - The Animals - Newcastle - 1964 - Grammy Awards

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Most had instant success with Manchester band Herman's Hermits after being approached by their manager Harvey Lisberg. Their first Most production, "I'm Into Something Good", went straight to #1 in 1964, beginning an incredible run of single and album sales (ten million units over twelve months) by the band, with the group for a time even challenging The Beatles in popularity in the United States. His down-to-earth handling of the band, his business acumen and his unerring knack for selecting hit singles established Most as one of the first and most successful producers in Britain and kept him in high demand throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Related Topics:
Manchester - Herman's Hermits - 1964 - The Beatles - 1960s - 1970s

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In September 1964, with Most at the control board, singer Brenda Lee recorded "Is It True," and "What'd I Say," "Is It True," was released in England, and later in the U.S. and became a major hit, with subsequent gold record achievement. "What'd I Say," became another hit throughout Europe, but was strangely never released to the U.S. record market. Most had equal success with other artists for whom he produced a string of chart-topping albums and singles between 1965 and 1969, notably Donovan with "Mellow Yellow", "Jennifer Juniper", "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.

Related Topics:
Brenda Lee - Donovan - Lulu - 1969 - Eurovision Song Contest - The Seekers - Nancy Sinatra

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Most's productions were regularly backed by top London 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 hit singles "Love Is Blue" and "Hi-Ho Silver Lining" and the influential Jeff Beck Group LPs Truth and Beck-Ola, teamed the Beck group with Donovan for the single "Goo Goo Barabajagal", and signed up new artists such as singer-guitarist Terry Reid.

Related Topics:
Jimmy Page - John Paul Jones - Nicky Hopkins - Jeff Beck - Terry Reid

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By 1967 music was turning to a heavier and improvisational sound that was at odds with Most's formulaic singles selection format. After the commercial and critical failure of The Yardbirds album Little Games, he decided to steer clear of rock groups, realising they mostly did not share his vision. The Yardbirds objected to his obsession of aiming to cut down every song to within three minutes and albums were just an "afterthought" following the singles. His focussed but undeniably successful approach also led to a split with Donovan in late 1969.

Related Topics:
1967 - The Yardbirds - Little Games

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