Mailbag

Nice to hear all the compliments about Mickie Most the genius of song picking,and capturing the moment in the studio. Mick was my best friend, my best man at my wedding and my daughter Natalie Noone's godfather.

I once told Mickie that if he would have said to me "I will sign your group (Herman's Hermits) and we will make 20 hits, your records will last forever, we will laugh for hours together at no other person's expense and you will make no royalties" I would have said.......... "How much do you want ? I will get the money off my Dad!"

Peter Noone

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Please tell Mark Linett that the "other" take of "We Gotta Get Outta...." is the one that was used for the UK single, that's why it's on lots of compilations. I agree with him that the take used on the US releases is hugely superior,

Marshall Crenshaw

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Mark Linet's right on the money about "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place."

The U.S. mono single is an alternate take from the same session as the UK/international version. The latter one is the rendition played almost exclusively on oldies outlets these days and is decidedly inferior to the original U.S. hit version.

There are many hit single versions that are still not available on CD: something that I and other music lovers are trying to remedy in the waning days of physical CDs.

Cheers,

Ed Osborne

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The version of "We gotta Get Out of This Place" both Mark and Kevin are referring to is what I call the " see my daddy in bed a dying" version we all grew up on here in the 60's in America NOT the "watch my daddy in bed a dying" which was the version released in Europe.

You couldn't find the US version nowhere until the Animals Retrospective cd that was released in 2004 on ABKCO, yes that ABKCO (Allen Klein Co. controls The Animals MGM catalog), it even says it in the credits that it's the US version (that we all been waiting for).

All the best,

Bob Herman

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Wow..Thanks for the info........Hard to believe that vocal take was thought suitable for release, especially the way his voice shreds on "turning grey" and what with the other take available as well...........

Mark Linett

P.S. Just wanted to add the Most also produced the first two Jeff Beck Group albums. Still two of my favorites.......

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This is absolutely true, Bob ("We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" was written for the Righteous Brothers). Like Bill told me, "Listen you can hear my part, "In this dirty old part….." and then what was to be Bobby's, "See my daddy…etc" It was custom made for Billy & Bob, but…….. The guys made a number of strange decisions. The one I have to rag Billy most about is turning down "In The Ghetto," Mac Davis' little masterpiece. Well, I guess Elvis did alright with it tho', didn't he?

Best

Shayne Fair

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bob,
i just picked up the first stones album, england's newest hit makers produced by oldham.
all covers except for one original. it's the song, not the singer. great to read oldham's words on
mickie most. i've been raving about most since i was a kid. in addition to the animals (most brought
in "house of the rising sun") hermit's (first ray davies cover "dandy"), and my favorite, donovan (the list
is obvious but top it off with "to susan on the west coast waiting").

thank you.

marvin etzioni

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If Rob Meurer means the "yeah, yeah's" on Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me, the whole record is Lou Rawls singing harmony with Sam Cooke AND Ray Charles is playing piano on one of Sam's versions of Lil' Red Rooster. Just a bit of fun to listen for while you're chowing down on your double double.

J.D. Souther

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bob,

i had the pleasure of spending a few evenings at rak studios in st johns wood, london talking to mickey most in the mid 90's. a beautiful guy with the energy of a teenager. he loved to tell stories and talk music.
he told me he cut "house of the rising sun" at 8.00 am and it was done by 8.15 am. they played it live. like at the gigs. sure sounds like a late night record instead of an early morning record, right?
he told me he used to do quick trips to new york to the brill building, get songs, come back, record and release them before anyone else.
he told that "we gotta get out of this place" was written by mann/weill for the righteous brothers but
he got the demo and quickly cut it on the animals. never to be a hit by the righteous brothers.
imagine the righteous brothers singing it.
he told me he helped put led zepplin together. jimmy page and john paul jones played on the donovan records. barabajackal, hurdy gurdy man…
he signed and developed the careers of mike chapman and nikki chin.
he signed and developed the career of kim wilde producing "kids in america".
he produced "to sir with love" by lulu. "mellow yellow" donovan. "there's a kind of hush" herman's hermits.
rak still publishes "i love rock 'n roll' and "you sexy thing".
his family still owns rak studios and his daughters work there every day.
it is one of the last standing "proper" live recording studios in london.
every big act records there.
i had a writing room upstairs in one of the bedrooms from 2009-2011,
mickey was a great record man in every way.
and the coolest guy.

best regards,
rick nowels

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Bob: If you haven't fully exhausted the topic of Mickie Most, let me quickly weigh in on the man. I produced several records during the early mid 80's at RAK, his beautiful facility in London. Mickie was not only a great producer, he was a great guy. More than once, he
graciously lent me pieces of his personal equipment, synths, outboard gear etc. and when he was in the building, would always inquire as to how my sessions were progressing. If you were lucky enough to see his big black motorcycle parked in front of the studio, you knew you were going to be treated to some of his funny, historical and informative stories of the 60s.

Ritchie Gold

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Hey Bob, something to add on Mickie Most....

A little background.

Circa 1969 my wife and I arrived from “the North” into London to “get famous”

I had gigged,with my band, through the early sixties around Morecambe/Liverpool/Manchester with bands like the Beatles and the Stones and Gene Vincent supporting us!!

The temptations of alcohol took over from wanting to be a musician but around '68 got sorted, married and got to London.

We looked for a record deal for my wife(she was the talented one!)...wanted a producer/label.

I had heard what Mickie was doing so I walked down Oxford St. into RAK and asked to see him..imagine my pleasure when Mickie came out of his office invited us in and we talked for 2 hours! We both loved a US artiste Emitt Rhodes and we played some tracks and I just listened to some great advice. RAK did not sign my wife...but what an education.

Cut to 1972 I joined WEA as a salesman and became UK MD,
I worked for the greats Nesuih,Ahmet,Mo Austin and learnt a lot...but I never forgot,and tried to emulate,how gracious Mickie had been with a completely unknown, where he gave that most precious gift...TIME, and asked for nothing in return....

Great Man,Great Producer,Top A&R....and a Great Human Being

Love the blog.

MIKE HEAP...London England

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Re: Rejection

hey bob,
this was perfectly timed for me today!

my friend and fellow drummer cactus moser had gotten a new lease on life.
he had enormous success with california country act highway 101 in the 80's.
we recently sat next to each other on a short flight from nashville to chicago and it gave us ample time to reconnect.
he was madly in love, had just married country superstar wynonna judd, was producing their next project.
life was great for my pal cactus.

the news reports yesterday he and wy are riding motorcycles in Deadwood, SD and he gets hit head on by an oncoming vehicle.

we hear his injuries are not life threatening on the news but friends report his leg was severed above the knee and his hands are a mess.

this is heartbreaking news.
at 22 i was playing in 5 bands around houston and was diagnosed with level 4 melanoma in my right leg.
the doctor said, "if you survive you'll probably lose your right leg."
thankfully, i have survived two bouts with melanoma.

you are so right!
every day is a wonderful gift.
"what are we living for?" is a question we should ask repeatedly throughout the day.

cactus is a fighter.
he will get the prosthetic he needs and the care it takes to get him back behind a drum kit.

thanks for writing the amazing things you share with us, your subscibers!
i've said it before and like my former bandmate walt wilkins sings...
it's poetry.

Billy Block

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When Larry died, three people forwarded your eulogy to me. I immediately subscribed and have been reading you ever since. Although I've never written to you, I almost feel like it's a conversation....I also live for Newsroom, loved Gone Girl and share some of your musical tastes and views.

There's a memorial for Larry scheduled for September 16th in Woodstock, and I've been asked to read your piece. You said important things well. It seems appropriate for me to do, with an omission of a sentence or two. So I wanted to let you know, in time to make any alterations you deem necessary. And of course to get your blessing.

thanks,

Johanna Hall



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