Dick Rowe

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Dick Rowe (died June 6, 1986) was an A&R man at Decca Records from the 1940s to the 1960s.

He was one of the most important producers of Middle of the road hits in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and early 1960s, along with Norrie Paramor. As a producer he had several number ones in the singles chart:-

In addition:

  • Al Hibbler: "Unchained Melody (reached number 3 in the Billboard charts in 1955)
  • Billy Fury: "Halfway to Paradise" (reached number 3 in 1961 in the UK)
  • Billy Fury: "Jealousy" (reached number 2 in 1961)
  • Jet Harris and Tony Meehan: "Scarlett O'Hara" (reached number 2 in 1963)
  • Jet Harris and Tony Meehan: "Applejack" (reached number 4 in 1963)
  • The Bachelors: "Marta" Jul 1967 (reached number 20)
  • Neil Reid: "Mother Of Mine" Dec 1971 (reached number 2)
  • Englebert Humperdinck: some tracks on "Greatest Love Songs"

Due to the rapid success of USA-style rock and roll, he was left high and dry, looking extremely old-fashioned. He frequently made use of the session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan who is prominent on hits by Billy Fury and Jet Harris & Tony Meehan. For lovers of Shadows-style twanging, he occupied a unique spot in UK pop history.

The first song by Tony Hatch to be recorded was "'Crazy Bells'. This was produced by Dick Rowe and sung by Gerry Dorsey (Engelbert Humperdinck). When Rowe got a job at the "Top Rank" label, he recruited Tony Hatch as an assistant.

He is historically presented in popular musical history as "the man who turned down The Beatles". This is somewhat unfair as he, unlike most A&R men, was at least willing to give the Beatles an audition. He has often been quoted as saying "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr. Epstein". However, this attribution is uncertain, as the Beatles were turned down in favor of Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, who themselves were a guitar group. Brian Epstein had already been turned down by nearly all the record companies in London during the preceding year, before getting The Beatles signed to EMI-owned Parlophone, which up to that point had chiefly been a jazz label with a sideline in novelty and ethnic songs.

Dick Rowe did sign, amongst others: Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, The Rolling Stones because of a recommendation by George Harrison, Vera Lynn, Mantovani, Tom Jones, The Bachelors and Them; Rowe produced some tracks by the last two.

Rowe died of diabetes on 6 June 1986. His son, Richard Rowe is head of ‘Sony Publishing’.

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