[2019-01-25] Various Artists "The Pop Genius Of Mickie Most" (Ace UK)

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:38 pm

Description
Making hits seemed all too easy for legendary producer Mickie Most who attributed his success to his extraordinary ability to spot a hit tune, combined with unbridled common sense.

Most never got his motives confused with art; a hit by any means (with as little time spent in the studio pondering the meaning of life) was his objective and he proved remarkably astute at second-guessing the musical tastes of the common man or woman.

In the 1970s, Most became a household name as one of the judging panel on New Faces, a TV talent show which anticipated the X Factor by some three decades – in fact, Simon Cowell cites the fair-minded if plain-speaking Most as a man he greatly admired.

Most returned to the UK from South Africa in 1962 in time to take advantage of the fast-changing British music scene. Sensing his career as a superannuated rock’n’roller was at an end, he became an independent producer, supervising consecutive smash hits by newcomers the Animals, the Nashville Teens and Herman’s Hermits, all within the space of a few months in 1964.

American record companies sat up and took notice and, with his career in the ascendancy, Most extended his run of hits on both sides of the Atlantic with artists such as Donovan, Brenda Lee, Lulu and Jeff Beck. He turned down the chance to produce the Monkees, Elvis and Barbra Streisand because it clashed with his scheduling.

In late 1970, Most launched the RAK label which quickly made its mark with hits by Julie Felix, Peter Noone and CCS, followed a little later by Mud, Hot Chocolate, Suzi Quatro and Smokey.

Here then is a hand-picked representation of the man’s best or most significant work. Incidentally, both ‘I Love Rock’n’Roll’ and ‘Living Next Door To Alice’ are the original flop versions of songs that went onto become huge hits for Joan Jett and Smokey, respectively.

The CD comes in a deluxe package with rigid slipcase and a separate memorabilia-laden 72-page booklet with in-depth notes by Rob Finnis.

Tracklist
1. Motor Bikin' - Chris Spedding
2. Tobacco Road - The Nashville Teens
3. The House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals
4. Hi-Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck
5. Journey - Duncan Browne
6. Brother Louie - Hot Chocolate
7. Is It True - Brenda Lee
8. Sunshine Superman - Donovan
9. Dance With The Devil - Cozy Powell
10. No Milk Today - Herman's Hermits
11. Walking - CCS
12. Little Games - The Yardbirds
13. Gin House - Paul Williams & The Big Roll Band
14. The Boat That I Row - Lulu
15. Jailhouse Rock - The Jeff Beck Group featuring Rod Stewart
16. 48 Crash - Suzi Quatro
17. Living Next Door To Alice - New World
18. I Love Rock 'N' Roll - Arrows
19. Mellow Yellow - Donovan
20. Days Of My Life - The Seekers featuring Judith Durham
21. Bread And Butter - Barry St John
22. Flight 2 - Angelo & Eighteen
23. To Sir With Love - Lulu
24. Some Girls - Racey
25. Kids In America - Kim Wilde

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J3G1Y9B/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07J3G1Y9B/?tag=imwan-21

djgarver · 18 Dec 2007

This looks really interesting - I will get it just for the Brenda Lee cut 'Is It True', which I got as a cut out sometime in 1965 or so in a double-bag of Lay's potato chips... Also had gotten She Loves You - on Swan of all labels (not Capitol) with the 'Don't Drop Out' slogan on it from the same place. For a while that was worth $100 bucks on the used market..... Still have both...

The Brenda Lee track is a real sleeper and I would love to know who played lead guitar on it...possibly Page or Baldry or Big Jim Sullivan...but I've no idea if it was recorded in the US or London.....maybe Nashville Cats...

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

Very tasty collection.

phenri · 18 Dec 2007

djgarver wrote:

This looks really interesting - I will get it just for the Brenda Lee cut 'Is It True', which I got as a cut out sometime in 1965 or so in a double-bag of Lay's potato chips... Also had gotten She Loves You - on Swan of all labels (not Capitol) with the 'Don't Drop Out' slogan on it from the same place. For a while that was worth $100 bucks on the used market..... Still have both...

The Brenda Lee track is a real sleeper and I would love to know who played lead guitar on it...possibly Page or Baldry or Big Jim Sullivan...but I've no idea if it was recorded in the US or London.....maybe Nashville Cats...

Jimmy Page plays guitar on "Is it True", and it was definitely recorded in the UK.

I also have this on an Ace Brenda Lee comp that came out a few years ago. Great tune!

David Beller · 12 Jul 2006

Wow. Fun to find out Jimmy Page played guitar on Is It True. Big hit from my teen years in Cleveland. Hit #8 week of 10/31/64 on WHK's Fabulous Fifty Tunedex.

tideshea · **Joined:** 27 Mar 2014 **Posts:** 225

Mickie Most kind of looks like Alex Van Halen in this picture.

Linda · **Posted:** Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:33 pm

Bump: This has been pushed back to January 25th.

Rokin Robin of Locksley · 20 Oct 2007

Kinda of ironic that Lulu's "To Sir, With Love" is on there, seeing as how Mickie didn't like it so much and stuck it as a B-side in the UK...

But I digress, ha...

:music1:

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Linda · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2019 6:06 am

[2019-01-25] Various Artists "The Pop Genius Of Mickie Most" (Ace UK)

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