Most, 64, who worked with stars such as Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Lulu, Hot Chocolate and Kim Wilde, first made his name as a producer during Britain’s R’n’B revolution in the 1960s when he discovered the band, The Animals, in a Newcastle club.
With them he recorded Baby, Let Me Take You Home and House Of The Rising Sun, which catapulted the group to worldwide stardom in 1964. He later produced Herman’s Hermits’ I’m Into Something Good, Nashville Teens’ Tobacco Road and Donovan’s Sunshine Superman album in 1966.
Father of two Most was credited with producing more number one hits worldwide than any other record producer. In the early 1960s, he pioneered the export of British music to the US.
Born in Aldershot, Hampshire, in June 1938, Most — real name Michael Peter Hayes — began his career alongside many other young hopefuls in the 1950s at the Two Eyes Coffee Bar in London.
With his first band, The Most Brothers, he enjoyed limited success with Marvin Rain water’s It Takes a Whole Lotta Loving To Keep My Baby Happy. In 1959, he followed his future wife Christina, known as Chris, back to her homeland of South Africa where he became the country’s first rock star, scoring hits with his band The Playboys.
But it was on his return to Britain that his career took off, leading to a Grammy award for his work with The Animals.
Lifelong friend Deke Arlon, the president of Sanctuary Entertainment Group, said: ‘Mickie’s musical success in the US stemmed from his monthly trips to New York and LA carrying a briefcase full of his latest tapes. He knocked on the doors of top record executives and wouldn’t leave until they’d heard his music.
‘Introducing R’n’B to America was no easy feat. It was this determination and belief that contributed to his remarkable achievements.’
In 1969, Most realised another dream with the creation of Rak Records and Rak Music publishing. He and the famed Peter Grant formed Rak Management which developed the talents of Led Zeppelin. In the 1970s, Most helped produce hits for other star names including Sweet, Smokey, Mud and Suzie Quattro while working with production team Chinn and Chapman.
In 1977, well into the Glam Rock era in the UK, Most teamed up with Phil Denny to write the international hit Dance With The Devil for the drummer Cozy Powell. The pair’s success continued into the early 1980s with artists including Racey.
Although he became a record producer of worldwide repute, Most will be remembered by many for his brutally honest assessments of new talent on the 1970s television show, New Faces.
Arlon added: ‘Mickie was born with the rare gift of being able to pick a hit song to nurture and choose a new talent and then to marry the two thereby creating hundreds of international hits, such as I’m a Tiger by Lulu.’
Despite having been more than a decade away from the music scene, last year Most was reported to be worth £50 million and had the distinction of selling more than five million singles.
He died on Friday after battling a rare cancer, mesothelioma, for a year. His wife Chris was at his side.
Nicky Chinn, of Chinn and Chapman, described Most as a ‘giant of the industry’.
He said: ‘He was a great man and my best friend. He had an incredible skill in picking songs — he could pick a song on the moon. Everything he said was worth listening to. I said to him recently, ‘the day I stop listening to you is the day I will leave the music business’. He was a giant, something special. So many artists owe so much to him. I am already missing him greatly.’
Most once said Phil Spector produced his all-time favourite song, You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling. Arlon added: ‘Chris, his wife for more than 40 years, worked side by side with Mickie throughout his career and was a major contributing partner in his success.
‘All of his recording artists and writers remain close friends — a rare tribute to both Mickie and Chris.’
courtesy Sunday Herald