MIKE HURST Producers Archives Volume 4 1966-1980

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On the album you get twenty-two short tracks with a brief synopsis on each one by Hurst. I like the fact he is brutally honest in his descriptions even to the point of not liking some of the tunes. The disc opens with two tracks by the band Fancy, a version of “Wild Thing” and “Touch Me”. Both tunes have sultry female lead vocals that add a certain sexual element and I can see why teenage boys back in the day probably dug these tunes. The next two tracks by the Fingertips, “You Put The Magic In Me” and “Anyone You Want Me To Be” are breezy pop tunes with a hint of disco…New World’s “Somethings Wrong” is in the style of say America or James Taylor and are pleasant enough as are the two Billy Fury tunes “Old Sweet Roll” and “Paradise Alley”. One of the best tunes is the irresistible pop of “Face To Face” by Sprinkler. Other good tracks include the psychedelic rock circa 1968 of “Pink Dawn” by New Zealand’s The Human Instinct and The Beatles-like “Top Girl” by The Cymbaline.

…if you dig ’60s and ’70s pop music Producers Archives should be worth checking out. Released on Angel Air Records.

Sea Of Tranquility (January 2017)


Seven years down the line from its predecessor, this disc could have been a barrel-scraping effort if it wasn’t so consistent quality-wise, despite the mostly non-familiar names on display. Focused for the most part on MOR, now the standout tracks are those that Mike Hurst had a hand in writing of, while covers such as Billy Fury’s barrelhouse take on “(Hi-De-Ho) That Old Sweet Roll” or an attempt to glamorize “Wild Thing” by FANCY firmly remain in the sweet early ’70s pocket. FINGERTIPS’ cheerfully delicate “Anyone You Want Me To Be” may be a prime example of the period’s light side, but the song’s title is also a possible motto for the producer’s method of bringing out the best in artists he worked with, and the same goes for his own projects, as suggested by 1969′s “Wednesday’s Child” – credited to MIKE HURST ORCHESTRA – which, drenched in strings, had emerged like a space-era answer to Strauss’ waltzes…

DMME.net (November 2016)


Billy Fury’s 1970 takes on two City-era Carole King songs, ‘Old Sweet Roll’ and ‘Paradise Alley’, are pleasant enough… Kiwi psych-poppers Human Instincts’ ‘Pink Dawn’ still sounds as tough and assured as the first time most will have heard it on Rubble Volume 12, 20 years ago…

Shindig Magazine (November 2016)


Mike Hurst has over the decades produced a massive amount of music. Mike was originally a member of The Springfields…and they were the first British vocal group to have a top 20 single in the USA, with ‘Silver Threads And Golden Needles’…Mike then turned to producing and initially worked with Andrew Loog Oldham and Micky Most. He then went on to produce The Wizard for Marc Bolan and Cat Stevens’ ‘Matthew & Son’ and ‘I’m Gonna Get Me A Gun’…his production work included ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’ by P.P. Arnold, ‘The Mighty Quinn’ by Manfred Mann and ‘Curly’ by my old band, The Move.

Bev Bevan, Sunday Mercury (November 2016)


The Briton Mike Hurst has been an important person in the music industry for more than 40 years. He was originally part of the group The Springfields, with Tom and Dusty, and they were the first British group who had a single in the top 20 with “Silver Threads”. At the end of 1963, the group broke up, and Mike started playing for producer Andrew Loog Oldham and Mickie Most, and in 1965 he produced ‘The Wizard’ by the young Marc Bolan. He formed his own company, discovered Cat Stevens and produced his first five singles, including ‘Matthew And Son’ and ‘I’m Gonna Get Me A Gun’. Later, he would take care of PP Arnold’s ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’, The Move’s ‘Curly’, Manfred Mann’s ‘Mighty Quinn’, as well as Spencer Davis Group, New World, Hot Sounds and Alan Bown Set. During the following decade he founded, Showaddywaddy and produced a string of hits such as ‘Under The Moon Of Love’, ‘Three Steps To Heaven’ and ‘When’. At the end of the ’70s he signed Shakin’ Stevens and produced his debut album ‘Hot Dog’. The fourth producers archives volume features tracks from the period 1966 to 1980.

Keys and Chords (October 2016 – Translated)


This fourth collection contains some well-known artists such as The Bachelors, Billy Fury and
Russ Abbot. There is also the presenter of TV’s ‘Lift Off’ Ayshea Brough and Aussie ‘folkies’ New World. Sprinkler was Dennis Waterman’s backing band, they went on to back Bucks Fizz and leader Alan Coates was a member of The Hollies for many years. Some fine recordings here too: ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’ comes courtesy of The Bachelors and the Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields song ‘I Won’t Dance’ is well sung by John Henry. The Troggs’ ‘Wild Thing’ gets a seventies make-over by Fancy, whose lead singer was a Penthouse Pet! Add to this a couple of Carole King songs and you can’t go wrong.

Amplified Magazine (October 2016)


Here we open with a monster American hit single, Fancy’s 1973 soft-porn reworking of the Trogg’s “Wild Thing”, still riding the squelchiest, filthiest bass line ever to get past the Thought Police, and its “Touch Me” follow-up, too. New World resurface with a James Taylor b-side; and fifties rocker Billy Fury, making a comeback in 1970.

There’s another late-in-the-day revival…the Bachelors from 1977 (“they were…on their last legs when we made this,” Hurst’s refreshingly honest liner notes admit), and also a handful of cuts by bands which he acknowledges he simply doesn’t remember. But we also hear Human Instinct, a New Zealand psych band that you need to hear; and the Cymbaline, who Hurst describes as a Beach Boys style band from England’s industrial north east.

And more and more and more, twenty-two tracks in all, that also see Hurst at the helm for singles by TV comedians (Russ Abbot’s rather spiffy “The Space Invaders Meet The Purple People Eater”) and presenters (Ayshea Brough’s “Moonbeam”); a youthful Gary Barnacle and even his own pop orchestra. Add this disc to the other three volumes and you’re on the way to a lesson in British pop history that nobody else could tell.

Goldmine Magazine (October 2016)


Hurst must have been great to work with, because all of these artists sound like they’re having the best time playing in the studio. Hurst’s involvement in music has touched millions upon millions of listeners and yet his name probably doesn’t ring a bell with most…Volume 4 of the Producers Archives focuses on the period from 1966 to 1980. We never heard most of these tracks so this serves as an introduction to some wonderfully entertaining music. Groups in this collection include Fancy, Fingertips, Billy Fury, Mike Hurst Orchestra, Hit & Run, The Speedos, The Bachelors, John Henry, and Russ Abbot. We’ve rarely heard any various artists compilation as thoroughly entertaining as this one. Highly recommended. TOP PICK.

babysue (October 2016)

 

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