Every Song Tells a Story

Mike Hurst's first appearance on stage was at the Metropolitan Theatre, London, at the age of four. As part of a theatre group run by his mother, Flavia, Mike appeared with the great comedians of the day like Max Miller and Sid Field in the dying days of Music Hall. Rumours that Mike was responsible for its demise are untrue.Mike started playing guitar aged 12 and his first professional rock appearance was singing at the premiere of Jailhouse Rock in London in 1958. After the usual coffee bar and local theatre gigs, he auditioned for EMI aged 16, and failed manfully. Undeterred, Mike joined The Springfields alongside Dusty and Tom in 1962, and achieved the first hit USA single ever by a British vocal group, Silver Threads And Golden Needles. The Springfields were NME poll winners for the top UK group that same year, with the runners up being The Beatles!The Springfields broke up at the end of 1963, and Mike put a new group together, called Mike Hurst and The Methods. The name might not have been great, but the band was. His lead guitarist was a 17-year-old Jimmy Page, and his second stringer was Albert Lee, with Tony Ashton on keys. The band played country rock, which was NOT the flavour of the month! This resulted in the band breaking up at the close of 1964.By 1965, Mike was a record producer, and he was lucky enough to find Marc Bolan cutting his first single, The Wizard. A few months later he met the man who changed his life in business terms, Cat Stevens. Mike produced and managed Cat, and it made Mike's career as a producer. From 1966 to 1985, Mike achieved 53 hit singles and 25 gold and platinum albums with artists like Cat, Manfred Mann, The Move, Spencer Davies, PP Arnold, Showaddywaddy, Shakin' Stevens and many others.In 1984, Mike put a new group together with Mary Hopkin, called Sundance, and toured with Doctor Hook across the UK, including appearances at Wembley Arena and on the Parkinson show.In the late 80s and throughout the 90s, Mike and his huge family (wife Marjorie and six children) ran a summer camp for kids at their farm in Devon. He also continued to run theatre groups for children in his home town Henley on Thames and in Devon. In 1999, Mike was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Gold Badge by the British Academy of Songwriters and Composers. He still runs his own band, with old friends Ray Fenwick (ex Ian Gillan Band) and Clem Cattini (ex Tornados). He started a summer residential school for young musicians at Stowe School in 2006, and formed a new company Rockmasters, which is currently being franchised around the country and abroad.Since 1994, Mike has been lecturing at schools in the UK on the history of popular music from the 16th century to the present day. Mike and his wife have six children and 17 grandchildren. Where he got the time to write this book is a mystery.