Hugh Mendl
Encyclopedia
Hugh Rees Christopher Mendl (August 6, 1919, London
- July 7, 2008) was a British
record producer
, A&R
representative, and manager who worked for Decca Records
for over 40 years.
Mendl attended Radley College
and then University College, Oxford
, where he studied history
. After falling in love with jazz
music in the late 1930s, he abandoned his career in foreign affairs for sound recording and reproduction
. Mendl's grandfather, who was chairman of the Decca Gramophone Company, landed him his first position in the business. During World War II
he worked as an announcer for jazz radio in Jerusalem and on news broadcasts in the Mediterranean. He applied for a job at the BBC
after the war but soon returned to Decca. He worked as a "song plugger" in the late 1940s, and began producing in 1950, working early in his career with Reggie Goff (his first recording), Winifred Atwell
(producing her classic recording of "Black And White Rag") and Josh White
.
Mendl produced Lonnie Donegan
's first recordings, which were pivotal in defining the new skiffle
sound of the 1950s. He was instrumental in establishing Decca's new progressive subsidiary Deram and acted as executive producer for the Moody Blues' 1967 album Days of Future Passed
. Through his efforts, David Bowie
, John Mayall
, Caravan
, and Genesis
signed with Decca. His production credits covered a wide variety of styles—he also produced the original cast recordings of musical
s such as Hello, Dolly!
, Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be
, Oh! What a Lovely War
and Cinderella, a set of speeches by Winston Churchill
, comedy/satire albums by Ivor Cutler
and Frankie Howerd
and even an LP of the Le Mans
24-hour race, inspired by his lifelong passion for motor racing.
Mendl encouraged Decca to sign rising Liverpool band The Beatles
in 1962 but they were famously turned down by executive Dick Rowe
. As a result of that historic mistake, Decca executives began paying more attention to Mendl's advice and he is credited with recommending several other of the company's most important signings including The Rolling Stones
(for which Rowe ultimately took credit), David Bowie
, Genesis
, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Caravan
.
In the mid-1960s Mendl was instrumental in the establishment of Decca's new subsidiary label Deram and he championed Deram's biggest act, The Moody Blues
. He gave the group the support that enabled them to evolve from a struggling 'beat-pop' act into a full-fledged progressive rock group and he offered them a deal to record a lavish orchestral concept album that would promote the company's DSS stereo sound system, in exchange for which Decca wiped the band's debts, which by then amounted to several thousand pounds. Mendl also backed the group's groundbreaking demand for complete artistic control over the resulting album, Days of Future Passed, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra
, and for which he acted as executive producer, as well as writing the liner notes.
Mendl was well-known for his "massive contempt" for Decca's rival EMI
, which he described as having "all of the arrogance of the BBC without any of the education", but his obituary noted that he largely stood apart from the often bitter and divisive office politics at Decca, where staff were habitually played off against each other by Edward Lewis..
Mendl suffered a heart attack at an industry Christmas party in December 1979, which he blamed on the stress of "working for a dying company". During his convalescence Sir Edward Lewis died, and a few weeks later Decca was taken over by Polygram
. When Mendl returned to work, he discovered that his office had been cleaned out on the orders of the new proprietors and all his diaries—which would have provided a unique insight into the company's operations—had been thrown away.
He left the company soon after and quit the music business, retiring to Devon
, where he ran an antiques shop.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- July 7, 2008) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
representative, and manager who worked for Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
for over 40 years.
Mendl attended Radley College
Radley College
Radley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
and then University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, where he studied history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. After falling in love with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music in the late 1930s, he abandoned his career in foreign affairs for sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
. Mendl's grandfather, who was chairman of the Decca Gramophone Company, landed him his first position in the business. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he worked as an announcer for jazz radio in Jerusalem and on news broadcasts in the Mediterranean. He applied for a job at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
after the war but soon returned to Decca. He worked as a "song plugger" in the late 1940s, and began producing in 1950, working early in his career with Reggie Goff (his first recording), Winifred Atwell
Winifred Atwell
Una Winifred Atwell Una Winifred Atwell Una Winifred Atwell (27 February or April 1910 or 1914There is some uncertainty over her date and year of birth. Many sources suggest 27 February 1914, but there is a strong suggestion that her birthday was 27 April. Most sources give her year of birth as...
(producing her classic recording of "Black And White Rag") and Josh White
Josh White
Joshua Daniel White , better known as Josh White, was an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist. He also recorded under the names "Pinewood Tom" and "Tippy Barton" in the 1930s....
.
Mendl produced Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
's first recordings, which were pivotal in defining the new skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
sound of the 1950s. He was instrumental in establishing Decca's new progressive subsidiary Deram and acted as executive producer for the Moody Blues' 1967 album Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by The Moody Blues, released in 1967. It was also their first album to feature Justin Hayward and John Lodge, who would play a very strong role in directing the band's sound in the decades to come...
. Through his efforts, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
, Caravan
Caravan (band)
Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...
, and Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
signed with Decca. His production credits covered a wide variety of styles—he also produced the original cast recordings of musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s such as Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
, Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be
Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be
Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'be is a play with music, rather than a musical. The play, by Frank Norman, himself a Cockney, has music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, who also grew up in London's East End.-Production background:...
, Oh! What a Lovely War
Oh! What a Lovely War
Oh! What a Lovely War is a musical film based on the stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War! originated by Charles Chilton as a radio play, The Long Long Trail in December 1961, and transferred to stage by Gerry Raffles in partnership with Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop created in 1963,...
and Cinderella, a set of speeches by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, comedy/satire albums by Ivor Cutler
Ivor Cutler
Ivor Cutler was a Scottish poet, songwriter and humorist. He became known for his regular performances on BBC radio, and in particular his numerous sessions recorded for John Peel's influential radio programme, and later for Andy Kershaw's programme...
and Frankie Howerd
Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...
and even an LP of the Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
24-hour race, inspired by his lifelong passion for motor racing.
Mendl encouraged Decca to sign rising Liverpool band The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in 1962 but they were famously turned down by executive Dick Rowe
Dick Rowe
Richard Paul Rowe was an A&R man at Decca Records from the 1950s to the 1960s.He was one of the most important producers and record executives in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and early 1960s and is the man who signed The Rolling Stones, Them , The Moody Blues, The Animals, The Zombies, John...
. As a result of that historic mistake, Decca executives began paying more attention to Mendl's advice and he is credited with recommending several other of the company's most important signings including The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
(for which Rowe ultimately took credit), David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Caravan
Caravan (band)
Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...
.
In the mid-1960s Mendl was instrumental in the establishment of Decca's new subsidiary label Deram and he championed Deram's biggest act, The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
. He gave the group the support that enabled them to evolve from a struggling 'beat-pop' act into a full-fledged progressive rock group and he offered them a deal to record a lavish orchestral concept album that would promote the company's DSS stereo sound system, in exchange for which Decca wiped the band's debts, which by then amounted to several thousand pounds. Mendl also backed the group's groundbreaking demand for complete artistic control over the resulting album, Days of Future Passed, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, and for which he acted as executive producer, as well as writing the liner notes.
Mendl was well-known for his "massive contempt" for Decca's rival EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, which he described as having "all of the arrogance of the BBC without any of the education", but his obituary noted that he largely stood apart from the often bitter and divisive office politics at Decca, where staff were habitually played off against each other by Edward Lewis..
Mendl suffered a heart attack at an industry Christmas party in December 1979, which he blamed on the stress of "working for a dying company". During his convalescence Sir Edward Lewis died, and a few weeks later Decca was taken over by Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
. When Mendl returned to work, he discovered that his office had been cleaned out on the orders of the new proprietors and all his diaries—which would have provided a unique insight into the company's operations—had been thrown away.
He left the company soon after and quit the music business, retiring to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, where he ran an antiques shop.