1911 - 2010
Mitch Miller (1911-2010)
was an influential American musician, orchestra leader, record producer, and A&R manager (artists and repertoire). He was a key figure in American pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Miller began his musical career as a classically trained oboist and played in various orchestras, including the CBS Symphony Orchestra.
Mercury Records
In the late 1940s, he worked at Mercury Records and managed artists such as Vic Damone.
Columbia Records
From 1950 to 1961, he was head of the pop department at Columbia Records. In this role, he played a key role in the careers of many well-known artists, including Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Frankie Laine, Guy Mitchell, and Marty Robbins. He was known for covering country songs for the pop market.
Musician and orchestra conductor
He himself had a successful singing career with his “Sing Along With Mitch” series of albums, some of which produced big hits, including “The Yellow Rose of Texas.”
He conducted his own orchestra and choir (“Mitch Miller & The Gang”).
TV personality
From 1961 to 1964, he had his own very popular NBC television show, “Sing Along with Mitch,” which encouraged viewers to sing along and also featured Leslie Uggams.
Controverses
Miller was an outspoken opponent of rock ‘n’ roll and refused to sign artists such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and the Beatles to Columbia, which cost the label market share in the early 1960s.
Other noteworthy aspects
He graduated from the Eastman School of Music.
He worked in the music department at CBS in the early 1930s.
He played oboe in the orchestra of George Gershwin's “Porgy and Bess.”
He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
Mitch Miller war eine prägende Figur der amerikanischen Unterhaltungsmusik der Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts, sowohl hinter den Kulissen als auch im Rampenlicht. Seine "Sing Along" Ära war ein kulturelles Phänomen.
Production style
Mitch Miller verwarf die traditionelle 32-Takt-Songform und verwendete “Hybridinstrumente“, was zu dieser Zeit absolut neu war.
Commitment to Columbia Records
Miller moved to Columbia in 1950 and quickly gained a reputation as a hit maker. He worked with stars such as Frank Laine, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett, and Doris Day. In 1954, when Columbia contacted Jackson, the label experienced its most successful year with a 25% increase in sales. Signing Jackson as the label's first gospel artist was part of Columbia's ambitious vision in the mid-1950s.
Contract offer to Mahalia Jackson
In 1954, Miller offered Jackson a five-year contract with four recording sessions per year. He offered her a guaranteed $50,000 per year for four years.
Artistic differences
Miller wanted to expand Mahalia's repertoire, but Mahalia Jackson insisted on recording either gospel or nothing at all. There were disagreements and artistic dissatisfaction, as Columbia provided elegant accompaniments, but the former verve and rawness were missing. Miller tried to convince Jackson not to limit herself to gospel, which led to tensions.
Recordings with Mahalia Jackson
Miller sent Mahalia new songs to learn, including country songs such as “The Bible Teels Me So” and “A Satisfied Mind,” which confused Jackson. In November, Miller experimented with a country-style Jackson.
CBS Radiosendung
Miller commissioned Lou Cowan to produce a half-hour radio program featuring Mahalia Jackson.
Commercial aspects
Miller recognized Mahalia's commercial potential and wanted to ensure that she became fully known to the public. He took her to the Ed Sullivan Show to ensure that the sound was right for her.
Relationship with John Hammond
Hammond drew Miller's attention to Mahalia Jackson's magnificent voice. Miller asked Hammond to have lunch with him and Mahalia Jackson in order to persuade her to leave Apollo.
Criticism
Joe Bostic criticized Miller and accused him of luring Mahalia away from Apollo in order to change her.
Christmas album
Miller wanted to record a Christmas album with Mahalia and asked her to let him know which Christmas songs she had in her repertoire.
Mahalia said that you and Mitch got along very well.
After Mitch Miller of Columbia Records heard Mahalia's last concert at Carnegie Hall, he wanted her to sign a record deal with Columbia. Miller was a key figure in Mahalia Jackson's career, particularly in connection with her move to Columbia Records. Originally a classical oboist, he became a pop producer.
Before joining Columbia, he was head of the Artists and Repertoire (A&R) department at Mercury. Mitch Miller rejected the traditional 32-bar song form and used “hybrid instruments.” Hybrid instruments are musical instruments that consist of elements from various other instruments. They can be a combination of acoustic and electronic components, or they can consist of parts from two or more different types of traditional instruments. Hybrid instruments often arise from a desire to create new timbres and expressive possibilities. However, they can also be developed for practical reasons, such as to combine the advantages of different instruments in a single instrument. Some examples of hybrid instruments are the electric violin, a violin with an electric pickup that allows it to be played through an amplifier.
The theremin, an electronic instrument that is played without being touched. The duduk, an Armenian oboe that is often played with an electronic effects device to alter its sound.
Hybrid instruments are an important part of contemporary music and are often used in experimental and improvisational contexts. However, they can also play a role in traditional music, for example when musicians are looking for new ways to play their instruments.
Atlantic Records boss Jerry Wexler called Miller “the first great record producer in history.”
A short interview with Mitch Miller from 2018.