In addition to forming his own label in the '70s, RAK, British producer
Mickie Most is credited with the discovery of the
Animals and the
Nashville Teens, while his production credits include
Donovan,
Lulu and
Jeff Beck.
Born
Michael Hayes in Aldershot,
Most moved with his family to North London and, as a teenager, became entranced by the burgeoning British rock & roll scene. He became friends with
Terry Dene and
Wee Willie Harris and formed a band, the Most Brothers, along with
Alex Murray (who later produced the
Moody Blues). Yet, success eluded
Most, and in 1959 he married a South African woman and emigrated there. While in South Africa
Most had success as the frontman of a rock group who covered U.S. hits. Though this sort of arrangement would never make
Most an international star, it did walk him through the process of recording, and he amassed 11 consecutive number ones on the South African charts.
Returning to Britain in 1962,
Most found himself in the middle of an R&B revolution and, looking for a group to produce, discovered the
Animals in a Newcastle club. He had them record "Baby, Let Me Take You Home" and "House of the Rising Sun," the latter becoming a worldwide smash that catapulted the group to stardom and
Most to credibility. He produced "I'm Into Something Good" for Herman's Hermits and "Tobacco Road" for the
Nashville Teens and, in 1966,
Most produced Donovan's widely acclaimed
Sunshine Superman album. After producing
Jeff Beck in the late '60s,
Most decided to form his own label, RAK, in 1969. Though its roster never held any critically acclaimed acts, the RAK label was quite successful at releasing chart hits. Staff writers
Nicky Chinn and
Mike Chapman made acts such as
Suzi Quatro and Mud successful for a short time. In the '70s
Most worked with the English funk group
Hot Chocolate, helping them score their only two Top Ten hits.
Most's profile lessened considerably in the '80s. He sold his RAK label and concentrated on managing the publishing catalog he had amassed from the numerous productions he helmed over the years. On June 30, 2003, Mickey Most succumbed to cancer, passing away quietly in his London home at the age of 64. ~ Steve Kurutz