MICKIE MOST considered the question that I had just put to him: "What does Herman do now?". He came up with the conclusion that the star was, in a sense, at the crossroads, certainly in his recording career. He said: "We have to decide exactly which way herman will go in future - and it's difficult because of his enormous success."
    A short pause, and then Mickie launched into his theme. "Remember that herman has had his 15th or 16th Top Ten single in the States, plus many in this country. It is now a matter of how he best develops his own talents. This month (May) he is making the film 'Mrs. Brown,' and this is important. It's not a pop picture - it's being made with good actors - and I believe it can help his recording career a great deal. It can make him more believable to the mass of people. And it will surely make him more competent all the way round.

THE RIGHT SONG
    "With Herman, my biggest problem is finding exactly the right number for him. What I do is pick the best song available to fit in with the best time of release. I believe, implicitly, that Herman is now laying something down of his own. He's setting standards for other artists. Take 'No Milk Today': it's being covered by a lot of singers all round the world. It's the sort of thing they listen to, then say, 'I wish I'd recorded that first'. It's a HERMAN song. And, of course, 'There's A Kind of Hush' is a big success.
    "I can say this, for sure. Herman is singing better and better with each session. But he has to remain just ... Herman. There's no point in him trying to do a Beatle job. It's not an electrical sort of talent. He is just himself. Basically it is a melody group. The song is all-important.
    "I believe the pop business is like a dart board. There are a lot of slots all over the place. What is important is for an artist to know his own slot. With Herman it is a matter of simplicity and cuteness - nobody can deny that. And I always keep it in my mind when recording him. Herman may think sometimes he should get his group on a kick more


Herman; singing better, but he must remain himself.

   like the Stones - but what's the point'? The Stones will end up doing it much better. As I've said, you have to pick exactly the right songs for Herman.

ROMANTIC AIR
    "With him, there is an air of romance. I think this question is important, even to the Beatles. Give them a romantic sort of song, like 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand', and it's a smash. Some of the others are less so. I mean, 'Ticket To Ride' was honestly NOT so strong. With Herman, you lay on the romance and the fans think to themselves, 'Maybe he's singing to me.'"
    What about the future, then, in Herman recordings? Said Mickie: "Well, as I've said, the song is the thing. Herman can get the most out of a useful number - and he has his own brand of charm.
    "But people sometimes wonder if the Hermits themselves aren't being pushed too much in the background. I regard them as being very important to the recording scene. Take the films: they realise better than anybody that you can't fit in five people all on equal merits. It has to be Herman who takes the lead, but the others will be there in rather smaller parts. They'll be on the scene, but Herman must be the major star. Certainly they make a lot of difference to Herman in the recording studios, simply because they know exactly what he is doing, and they all get on very well with him.

AMERICAN SUCCESS
    "At a recording session, Herman is very calm and co-operative - and that's the sort of mood we want to get across. His success in America is quite incredible. We've just completed a new LP called 'There's A kind of Hush' and no doubt that will be very big in America. For Britain, we're sifting out numbers for the next single, which should be out in a few weeks. Then we may be thinking more about a new LP for Britain, but it'll probably tie up with the 'Mrs. Brown' movie."
    So there you have the views of the ultra-successful Mickie Most, who has proved to possess a golden touch when it comes to boosting an artist's career on disc. It answers, quite clearly, those who feel that Herman will (a) either drop the Hermits; or (b) concentrate entirely on a film career. Mickie is convinced that a really artistic film role will merely help Herman when it comes to making records - and get him accepted on a much wider level.
    He added: "Herman has a tremendous sense of loyalty to the people who work with him. He works hard and puts the very best he can into what he is doing. He is no trouble at all - mainly because he accepts advice and is content merely to be the singer on the record."
    Which leaves just a small gap for Herman's own views. He told me: "With Mickie, you get his opinions expressed loud and clear, and you may argue at first with his decision. Then you realise he is completely right."
    A partnership in a million? More than that, it's a partnership which has led to millions ... millions of record sales! How's that, then, you Herman knockers?

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