Mickie Most (Producer) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Mickie Most Male Born Jun 20, 1938 Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Lulu, Suzi Quatro, Hot Chocolate and the Jeff Beck Group, often issued on his own RAK Records label. related links The Rhino Records Story Takes Shape Part 6: Business Advice From Rock Stars Huffington Post - Nov 16, 2013 'In the mid-1970s, my business partner Richard Foos and I were two college graduates with little more than a passion for music and a record store on Westwood Boulevard in L.A. How did we get the knowhow to launch a record label, Rhino, and make it into a major entertainment company? There was no wise mentor peeking over our shoulders, and neither of us had been to business school. While we got advice from many people, some of the most important tips didn\'t come from business executives. They...

70s Legends David Cassidy, Leo Sayer, Hot Chocolate And Smokie Announce Uk Tour Doncaster Free Press - Apr 17, 2012 ' Once In A Lifetime is an unforgettable UK tour that will feature the crÃ¨me de la crÃ¨me of 70s superstars and hit singles from the likes of pop icons David Cassidy, Leo Sayer, Hot Chocolate and Smokie. The tour will stop off at the Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield on Friday, November 16. Tickets priced Â£38.50 (booking fee may apply) will go on sale to the general public on Friday April 20 at 9am in person at the Arena Box Office, by phone on 0114 256 5656 or online at { Me And My School Photo: Kim Wilde Remembers Her Dad Writing A Space Age ... Daily Mail Google News - Aug 05, 2011 'Ricky was signed by the famous <mark>Mickie Most</mark> in London, I came along for a recording, and Mickie signed me too. I was thrilled.

Shortly after, the job centre said they&#39;d found me a job in a record shop but it was too late. I was 20 and already recording' The Vibrators + Guests Thursday July 21 @ Sneaky Dee's Blog To (Blog) Google News - Jul 21, 2011 'On Spedding&#39;s recommendation, <mark>Mickie Most</mark> signed them to his label RAK Records. Most produced their first single, &quot;We Vibrate&quot;. The band also backed Spedding on his single, &quot;Pogo Dancing&quot;. The Vibrators recorded sessions at for John Peel at BBC Radio 1' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Mickie Most. CHILDHOOD 1938 Birth Born on June 20, 1938. TEENAGE 1951 13 Years Old Most was born as Michael Peter Hayes in Aldershot, Hampshire. The son of a regimental sergeant-major, he moved with his parents to Harrow in 1951. … Read More 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. 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". Read Less TWENTIES 1959 21 Years Old After changing his name to Mickie Most in 1959, Mickie travelled to South Africa with his wife Christina, and formed a pop group, Mickie Most and the Playboys. … Read More The band scored 11 consecutive No. 1 singles there, mostly with cover versions of Ray Peterson, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran songs. Read Less 1962 24 Years Old 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 and had moderate success with 'The Feminine Look' in 1963, this latter featuring Jimmy Page on lead guitar and heralding early British heavy rock. … Read More 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. Their follow-up 1964 single, "The House of the Rising Sun", became an international hit. Read Less Show Less Most had success with Herman's Hermits after being approached by their manager Harvey Lisberg at Derek Everett's suggestion. Their first Most production, "I'm into Something Good", went to No. 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.

… Read More 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. Read Less In July 1964, Most scored another top 10 hit with The Nashville Teens cover of the John 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 a gold 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, notably Donovan with "Sunshine Superman", "Mellow Yellow", "Jennifer Juniper", and "Hurdy Gurdy Man", and Lulu's hits "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". … Read More 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 '60s, Most signed and produced artists such as singer-guitarist Terry Reid, and all-girl rock band The She Trinity.<br /><br /> 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. He teamed the Beck group with Donovan for the single "Barabajagal". Read Less 1967 29 Years Old By 1967, after commercial and critical failure of The Yardbirds album Little Games, he decided to steer clear of rock groups. … Read More The Yardbirds objected to his insistence that every song be cut to three minutes and that albums were an afterthought following the singles. Read Less THIRTIES 1968 30 Years Old … Most and Donovan reunited in 1973 for the album Cosmic Wheels on which Most was credited under his real name, Michael Peter Hayes. <br /><br />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. Read Less 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.

… Read More 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 Arrows. Both acts were produced by Most. Read Less 1969 31 Years Old His focused approach also led to a split with Donovan in late 1969. Mickie Most : definition of Mickie Most and synonyms of Mickie Most (English) Biography Early career Most was born as 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 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. [3] 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 .

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 .[ citation needed ] 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 No. 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.[ citation needed ] 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 .[ citation needed ] 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 ". 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. 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 Most 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 Arrows . Both acts were produced by Most.[ citation needed ] 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, 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 number 1 singles with Suzi Quatro (" Can the Can ", " Devil Gate Drive ") and Mud .[ citation needed ] 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 number 2 in the UK, and number 25 on the US Billboard chart .[ citation needed ] Later career Most was a panellist on the television talent show New Faces (ITV) 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 pop 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 was 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. [4] 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.[ citation needed ] Death On 30 May 2003, Most died at home aged 64 from peritoneal mesothelioma . [1] He was cremated at Golders Green crematorium. He is survived by his wife Christina and their three children; Calvin, Nathalie, and Cristalle. A blue plaque to commemorate his life, donated by the Heritage Foundation /Musical Heritage, [5] was unveiled on RAK Studios on 16 May 2004. The lunch and auction that followed raised £40,000 for research into mesothelioma. Discography Best of Mickie Most and His Playboys (1994) To Sir With Love: The Complete Mickie Most Recordings (2005) EMI Mickie also played with the Rolling Stones.

See also » 2010 » May The Music's Over June 20, 1938 – May 30, 2003 Mickie Most with Suzi Quatro on left Mickie Most was an English producer and label owner who had a run of Number One hits with a stable of artists that included the Animals, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and Herman’s Hermits. Most started his career as a performer in London coffee houses where he met future partner and Led Zeppelin manager, Peter Grant. He had a semi-successful run during the late ’50s and early ’60s but grew tired of the touring so he explored opportunities on the business side of music. He started out in sales and merchandising and soon landed a gig in production at Columbia Records. His first act was a little band he found called the Animals who he helped record a worldwide hit with “House Of The Rising Sun,” and in turn received a Grammy for Producer Of The Year in 1964. Then came Herman’s Hermits who had a string of hits that at one time rivaled the Beatles.

Other artists he recorded included Lulu, Jeff Beck, the Seekers, Nancy Sinatra, the Yardbirds and Brenda Lee. In 1968, Most partnered with Peter Grant to open RAK Management and a year later, RAK Publishing and RAK Records. Artists signed to RAK Records included Suzy Quatro, Sweet, Hot Chocolate, and Chris Spedding. By the ’80s, he had discovered Kim Wilde and produced her worldwide smash, “Kids In America.” And later appeared as a harsh judge on a British television talent program called New Faces, which no doubt helped create a future television star by the name of Simon Cowell. Most died of mesothelioma, a cancer generally associated with the exposure to asbestos. Mickie Most - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Mickie Most Wikis Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles .

Related top topics Encyclopedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mickie Most, born Michael Peter Hayes (20 June 1938 – 30 May 2003), was a successful English record producer , with a string of Number One singles with his own RAK Records , and with acts such as The Animals , Herman's Hermits , Donovan , and Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group . Contents 8 External links Early career Most was born 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 'n' 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 scored a minor hit with Decca Records called "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 Number 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 minor hit in 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 Number 21 on the UK charts. 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 .

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 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 U.S. and became a hit, with gold record. "What'd I Say," became another hit throughout Europe, but was never released to the U.S.

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 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 LPs Truth and Beck-Ola . He teamed the Beck group with Donovan for the single " Barabajagal ".

Notably, Most produced the 1968 Donovan megahit Hurdy Gurdy Man , utilizing future Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones . By 1967 music was turning to a heavier and improvisational sound at odds with Most's formulaic singles selection format. After commercial and critical failure of The Yardbirds album Little Games , he decided to steer clear of rock groups, realizing they mostly did not share his vision. 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. 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 , 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 "), Sweet , and Mud . In 1976, Most produced Chris Spedding 's self-titled album "Chris Spedding", which was Spedding's first solo record. In 1980, Mickie 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 Number 2 in the UK and other countries, and Number 25 on the US Billboard charts. 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 [1] . 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 N20 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. Death On 30 May 2003 Most died at home at age 65 of mesothelioma , a cancer almost always caused by exposure to asbestos , and was cremated at Golders Green crematorium in north London. He is survived by his wife Christina and their three children Calvin, Nathalie, and Cristalle.

Discography Best of Mickie Most and His Playboys (1994) To Sir With Love: The Complete Mickie Most Recordings (2005) EMI See also :: Thema anzeigen - MICKIE MOST / MOST BROTHERS (England Rocks) MICKIE MOST / MOST BROTHERS (England Rocks) MICKIE MOST / MOST BROTHERS (England Rocks) Hier ein wenig WIKIPEDIA, um das Rad nicht neu zu erfinden: Mickie Most (20 June 1938 ï¿½ 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 Hopkinï¿½s 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 Quatroï¿½s 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 ï¿½50 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 ï¿½4 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. Most brothers01Whistle Bait Decca F 10968.jpg Beschreibung:

Question: Who was an English record producer for The Animals, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Lulu, Nancy Sinatra, The Yardbirds, Suzi Quatro, Kim Wilde and the Jeff Beck Group?
Answer: Mickie Most