Mike Hazlewood
- Pop
- soft rock
Michael Edward Hazlewood[1] (24 December 1941[2] – 6 May 2001)[3] was a British singer-songwriter and composer. He variously worked with Albert Hammond, T-Bone Burnett, Van Dyke Parks and Harry Nilsson.[4]
Biography
Educated at Hazelwick School, in Crawley, West Sussex, Hazlewood began his career as a DJ at the radio station Radio Luxembourg in the early 1960s. In 1966, he founded the group the Family Dogg with Albert Hammond and Steve Rowland.[5] In addition, he often wrote songs in collaboration with Hammond such as "Green Green Trees", "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee,[6] and "Gimme Dat Ding" for the Pipkins.[7] Hammond and Hazlewood wrote "The Air That I Breathe" which was originally released by Hammond in 1972, and then on Phil Everly's 1973 solo album Star Spangled Springer.[8] The song was subsequently a huge hit for the Hollies.[9]
Hazlewood's collaboration with Hammond resulted in co-written songs for the latter such as "It Never Rains in Southern California"[10] and "The Free Electric Band".[3][11]
Hazlewood and Hammond also wrote the international hit song "Make Me an Island" for the Irish singer Joe Dolan in 1969,[12] as well as his follow-up singles, "Teresa"[13] and "You're Such a Good Looking Woman".[14] The latter became a signature hit for Dolan, topping the Irish charts twice, in 1970 and 1997 when he re-recorded it with Dustin the Turkey. Hazlewood also wrote the song "Southern Lady", which was recorded by Rita Coolidge.[15]
During the late 1980s, Hazlewood held the theatrical rights to Mervyn Peake's novel Mr. Pye, and completed a musical theatre version of the book in collaboration with Howard Lee Sloan, the American-born pianist and composer.[citation needed]
Hazlewood and Hammond are also credited as co-writers of the 1992 Radiohead song, "Creep". Due to similarities to "The Air That I Breathe", Radiohead was successfully sued for plagiarism.[16][17] "Creep" used a chord progression taken from "The Air That I Breathe" in its verse, and a melody from the latter in the bridge following the second chorus.[18]
On 6 May 2001, Hazlewood died aged 59 from a heart attack, during his holiday in Florence, Italy.[4]
References
- ^ Mike Hazlewood Discography at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Michael Edward Hazlewood entry at Geni.com (pictured). Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ a b Mike Hazelwood – Credits. AllMusic (6 May 2001). Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ a b The Dead Rock Stars Club 2001. Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ The Family Dogg – Music Biography, Credits and Discography. AllMusic (18 May 1944). Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Leapy Lee – Little Arrows (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Pipkins, The – Gimme Dat Ding (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Phil Everly – The Air That I Breathe (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Hollies, The – The Air That I Breathe (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Albert Hammond – It Never Rains In Southern California (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Albert Hammond – The Free Electric Band (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Joe Dolan – Make Me An Island (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Joe Dolan – Teresa (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Joe Dolan – You're Such A Good Looking Woman (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Rita Coolidge – We're All Alone / Southern Lady (Vinyl) at Discogs. discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Wardle, Ben. (12 May 2009) Get off Coldplay's case – similar songs can co-exist peacefully | Music | guardian.co.uk. The Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ Albert Hammond Official Website Archived 11 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Alberthammond.com. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ English, Tim (2007). Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-Off Riffs, and the Secret History of Rock and Roll, p.149. ISBN 9781583480236.
- v
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- It Never Rains in Southern California
- The Free Electric Band
- Albert Hammond
- It Never Rains in Southern California
- "Down by the River"
- "It Never Rains in Southern California"
- "The Free Electric Band"
- "I'm a Train"
- "99 Miles from L.A."
- "When I'm Gone"
- "Be Tender with Me Baby"
- "Don't Turn Around"
- "Gimme Dat Ding"
- "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love"
- "I Don't Wanna Lose You"
- "I Need to Be in Love"
- "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be"
- "Just Walk Away"
- "Little Arrows"
- "Lonely Is the Night"
- "Love Thing"
- "Make Me an Island"
- "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"
- "One Moment in Time"
- "Room in Your Heart"
- "Tall, Dark Handsome Stranger"
- "The Air That I Breathe"
- "To All the Girls I've Loved Before"
- "Way of the World"
- "When I Need You"
- "When You Tell Me That You Love Me"
- "Where Were You"
- "You're Such a Good Looking Woman"