Gordon Mills
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Gordon William Mills (15 May 1935 – 29 July 1986) was a successful London-based music industry manager and songwriter. He was born in Madras,
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
and grew up in
Trealaw Trealaw is a long village, also a community and electoral ward in the Rhondda Valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It stretches over from the junction of Cemetery Road and Brithweunydd Road in the east, to the junction of Ynyscynon Road and Partri ...
in the
Rhondda Valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ...
, South Wales. During the 1960s and 1970s, he managed the careers of three highly successful musical artists - Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck and
Gilbert O'Sullivan Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and "Get Down". O'Sullivan's so ...
. Mills was also a songwriter, penning hits for
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates,
Freddie and the Dreamers Freddie and the Dreamers were an English beat band that had a number of hit records between 1963 and 1965. The band's stage act was enlivened by the comic antics of Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying. ...
, the Applejacks, Paul Jones,
Peter and Gordon Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher (b. 1944) and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling single " A World Without Love". The duo had sever ...
and Tom Jones, most notably co-writing Jones's signature song "
It's Not Unusual "It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones, after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. He intended it as a demo for her, but when she heard it she was so impressed with hi ...
" with Les Reed.


Biography

Mills's parents met and married in British India when his father was serving in the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. They returned to Britain shortly after Gordon's birth. An only child, Mills was taught to play the harmonica by his mother, Lorna. At age 15, Mills joined a group playing in pubs and clubs in the South Wales Valleys. At age 17, he was called up for
National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...
and served in Germany and Malaya. Returning to the UK, he competed in a harmonica championship event organised by
Hohner Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturer of musical instruments, founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner (1833–1902). The roots of the Hohner firm are in Trossingen, Baden-Württemberg. Since its foundation, and though known ...
at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He came second, qualifying him to represent the UK in the European final which he then won. Invited to join the Morton Fraser Harmonica Gang, he met musicians Don Paul and Ronnie Wells with whom he formed a trio known as
the Viscounts The Viscounts may refer to: *The Viscounts (American band) *The Viscounts (British band) See also *Viscount A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. ...
. One song " Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" (1961) became a minor
hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Their
cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of " Short'nin' Bread" (1960) also had some earlier success. Mills wrote some songs, with his first "I'll Never Get Over You", recorded by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, reaching No. 4 in the UK in 1963. In the space of a year he wrote three more hits "Hungry for Love", "Jealous Girl" and "Three Little Words". "
I'm the Lonely One "I'm the Lonely One" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in January 1964. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Background and release "I'm the Lonely One" was written by then-Viscounts member Gordon Mill ...
" gave
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
and
the Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...
a top 10 success in 1964. At a party given by singer
Terry Dene Terry Dene (born Terence Williams, 20 December 1938) is a British rock music singer popular in the late 1950s and early 60s. He had three Top Twenty hits between June 1957 and May 1958. Career Dene was born in Lancaster Street, Elephant & Ca ...
, Mills met model Jo Waring and they married two years later. Their daughter Clair, then three years old, became the subject of the 1972 song " Clair" by
Gilbert O'Sullivan Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and "Get Down". O'Sullivan's so ...
. Watching a performance by Tommy Scott and the Senators One, one night in Cwmtillery, he saw a new young singer named Tom Woodward. Mills eventually became the manager of Woodward, whom he renamed " Tom Jones," after signing a management transfer contract with Woodward's joint managers Raymond William Godfrey and Raymond John Glastonbury ("Myron & Byron"). The two had already signed the singer to Decca Records, after terminating their previous recording agreement with
Joe Meek Robert George "Joe" Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer, sound engineer and songwriter who pioneered space age and experimental pop music. He also assisted in the development of recording practices like over ...
of RGM Sound Ltd. They retained a 5% interest in Jones, but had to sue Jones and Mills in the High Court for non-fulfilment, finally obtaining a settlement, in 1969, for an undisclosed sum. Jones' first single "Chills and Fever", originally recorded with
Joe Meek Robert George "Joe" Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer, sound engineer and songwriter who pioneered space age and experimental pop music. He also assisted in the development of recording practices like over ...
, was released in late 1964, but was not a hit. Jones' second attempt was a song turned down by
Sandie Shaw Sandie may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Sandie Clair (born 1988), French professional racing cyclist * Sandie Fitzgibbon, Irish former camogie player * Sandie Jones (1950/1951–2019), Irish singer * Sandie Lindsay, 1st Baron Lindsay of Birker (187 ...
. The song was "
It's Not Unusual "It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones, after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. He intended it as a demo for her, but when she heard it she was so impressed with hi ...
" which propelled him into the top reaches of the chart. Mills then wanted to break Jones into recording film soundtracks but, after the relative failure of the James Bond theme song " Thunderball" (UK No. 35), another approach was needed. Mills redesigned the singer's image into that of a
crooner Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
. Jones also began to sing material that appealed to a wider audience such as the big country hit "
Green, Green Grass of Home "Green, Green Grass of Home", written by Claude "Curly" Putman Jr., and first recorded by singer Johnny Darrell in 1965, is a country song made popular by Porter Wagoner the same year, when it reached No. 4 on the Country chart. It was also r ...
". The strategy worked and Jones returned to the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and began hitting the Top 40 again in the United States. For the remainder of the decade, he scored a string of hits on both sides of the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
. In 1967, Jones performed in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
for the first time, at the
Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbea ...
. In 1965, Mills started working with Gerry Dorsey, a singer who had been around for a long time without major success, changing his name to Engelbert Humperdinck and with television exposure on a Sunday night in 1967 at the
London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...
, a new star was born. Between 1967 and 1972, Mills had two of the biggest stars in the music industry under his control and he signed female singer/songwriter Lynsey de Paul who had just scored a huge hit with Sugar Me, but by the end of 1973 she had left the label. As revealed in his 2015 autobiography, Tom Jones stated "We had Lynsey de Paul, a big star, though she fell out with Gordon (Mills) for wanting to produce her own records" but de Paul was also not happy about decisions on which of her songs were recorded and released too. Mills cleverly renamed a number of famous singers. Tom Woodward became "Tom Jones" after a suggestion from Godfrey and Glastonbury, who had objected to Decca's plan to call him "Scotty" in 1965. Mills gave other pop music stars their stage names, such as Engelbert Humperdinck, and
Gilbert O'Sullivan Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and "Get Down". O'Sullivan's so ...
. By 1973 however, both Jones's and Humperdinck's record sales had dropped dramatically, but Mills had found new talent with
Gilbert O'Sullivan Raymond Edward "Gilbert" O'Sullivan (born 1 December 1946) is an Irish singer-songwriter who achieved his most significant success during the early 1970s with hits including "Alone Again (Naturally)", " Clair", and "Get Down". O'Sullivan's so ...
who kept MAM's business booming. Mills also produced O'Sullivan first four albums, spawning notable hits such as "
Alone Again (Naturally) "Alone Again (Naturally)" is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. It was recorded in 1972 at the same time as his album '' Back to Front'' and was a worldwide hit. The single spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one on ''B ...
, " Clair" and " Get Down". However, when his success started to fade, there was no replacement. By 1978, Jones was reduced to making country albums for the American-only market, Humperdinck had left Mills and O'Sullivan was no longer commercially successful. MAM was merged with Chrysalis Records in 1985. Things turned more sour when O'Sullivan discovered his recording contract with MAM Records greatly favoured the label's owner. O'Sullivan sued his former manager on suspicion of the latter having "cooked the books", failing to pay O'Sullivan all of his duly earned royalties. It was also revealed that former label mate Lynsey de Paul earned a royalty rate of 8% - 3% higher than O'Sullivan. A lawsuit followed, with prolonged argument over how much money his songs had earned and how much of that money he had actually received. Eventually, in May 1982, the court found in O'Sullivan's favour, describing him as a "patently honest and decent man", who had not received a just proportion of the vast income his songs had generated. He was awarded £7 million in damages. Mills died of stomach cancer in 1986, at the age of 51 and is buried in Burvale Cemetery,
Hersham Hersham is a village in Surrey, within the M25. Its housing is relatively low-rise and diverse and it has four technology/trading estates. The only contiguous settlement is Walton-on-Thames, its post town. Hersham is served by Hersham and Wal ...
.


Notable songs written or co-written by Mills

*"A Little You" (1965) (
Freddie and the Dreamers Freddie and the Dreamers were an English beat band that had a number of hit records between 1963 and 1965. The band's stage act was enlivened by the comic antics of Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying. ...
, UK No. 26); ( Tom Jones) *"And I Tell The Sea" (1965) (Tom Jones) *"Hide and Seek" (1966) (Tom Jones) *"High Time" (1966) ( Paul Jones) (UK No. 4) *"Hungry for Love" (
The Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John W ...
); ( Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, UK No. 20) *"If I Had You" (1966) (Tom Jones) *"I Like The Look of You" (1964) (
The Fortunes The Fortunes are an English harmony beat group. Formed in Birmingham, the Fortunes first came to prominence and international acclaim in 1965, when "You've Got Your Troubles" broke into the US, Canadian, and UK Top 10s. Afterwards, they had ...
) *"I'll Never Get Over You" (1963) (Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, UK No. 4) *"I'll Never Let You Go" (1967) (Tom Jones) *"
I'm the Lonely One "I'm the Lonely One" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in January 1964. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart. Background and release "I'm the Lonely One" was written by then-Viscounts member Gordon Mill ...
" (Cliff Richard, 1964, UK No. 8); retitled "The Lonely One" (Tom Jones, 1967) *"I've Got a Heart" (1966) (Tom Jones) *"It Takes a Worried Man" (1965) (Tom Jones) *"
It's Not Unusual "It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones, after having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. He intended it as a demo for her, but when she heard it she was so impressed with hi ...
" (1965) (Tom Jones, UK No. 1) *"Key to My Heart" (1966) (Tom Jones) *"
Lady Godiva Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly re ...
" (1966) (
Peter and Gordon Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher (b. 1944) and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling single " A World Without Love". The duo had sever ...
, UK No. 14) *"Little by Little" (1966) (Tom Jones) *"Not Responsible" (1966) (Tom Jones, UK No. 18) *"Once Upon a Time" (1965) (Tom Jones) *"Pretty Ribbons" (1968) (Engelbert Humperdinck) *"Smile Away Your Blues" (1968) (Tom Jones) *"Some Other Guy" (1965) (Tom Jones) *"Take My Heart" (1966) (Engelbert Humperdinck) *"
Ten Guitars "Ten Guitars" is a 1967 song by the English singer Engelbert Humperdinck. It was the B-side to his single " Release Me". The song is especially well known in New Zealand, where it has become a beloved folk song and is considered by some to be the ...
" (1966) (Engelbert Humperdinck) *"The Rose" (1965) (Tom Jones) *"Things I Wanna Do" (1967) (Tom Jones) *"Three Little Words (I Love You)" (1964) ( The Applejacks, UK No. 23) *"Untrue Unfaithful" (1965) (Tom Jones) *"Where Do You Belong" (1966) (Tom Jones)


Gordon Mills Jr.

Gordon Mills' namesake son found some success with Strange Nature, and is now a record producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist session musician.


See also

*
Saint George's Hill St George's Hill is a private gated community in Weybridge, Surrey, United Kingdom. The estate has golf and tennis clubs, as well as approximately 420 houses. Land ownership is divided between homes with gardens, belonging to home owners, and t ...
*
Hersham Hersham is a village in Surrey, within the M25. Its housing is relatively low-rise and diverse and it has four technology/trading estates. The only contiguous settlement is Walton-on-Thames, its post town. Hersham is served by Hersham and Wal ...


References


External links


Gordon MillsBBC Wales
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mills, Gordon 1935 births 1986 deaths People from Chennai People from Trealaw British songwriters British music managers Deaths from stomach cancer Deaths from cancer in California Indian songwriters 20th-century British musicians