As a songwriter, producer, singer, and musician, Mike Hurst has earned his place in the pop pantheon. A member of The Springfields alongside Dusty Springfield and her brother Tom, Hurst later formed a band with Jimmy Page (The Methods) and produced hits for Cat Stevens, P.P. Arnold, Manfred Mann, The Spencer Davis Group, Fancy, Showaddywaddy, and others. Late in 2021, Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint celebrated Hurst’s musical legacy with a 4-CD collection, In My Time: Recordings, Productions, and Songs 1962-1985 curated by Hurst himself. Mike Hurst received his big break when his…
Wild Thing: Cherry Red Collects Complete Recordings of ’70s Glam-Pop Band Fancy
The story of the band Fancy began with Chip Taylor’s “Wild Thing.” Captivated with Jimi Hendrix’s fiery take on the classic popularized by The Troggs, producer Mike Hurst (The Springfields, Cat Stevens, Shakin’ Stevens, Showaddywaddy) began to imagine the song as sung by a woman. He dialed up both the sex and the funk for a slower, breathier, and more salacious version of the pop-rock staple. Guitarist Ray Fenwick, bassist Mo Foster, drummer Henry Spinetti, keyboardist Alan Hawkshaw, and Hurst on background vocals supported lead singer Helen Caunt, a former “Penthouse Pet”…
