Mike Pickering is an English musician, DJ, songwriter, A&R Executive from Manchester, UK.
Career
Pickering was a DJ at
The Haçienda
The Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England, which became famous during the Madchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was run by the record label Factory Records.
The club opened in 1982, eventually fosteri ...
's Nude and Hot nights, and later Shine. He worked for
Factory Records
Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus.
The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order (band), New Order, A Certain Ra ...
,
where he signed
Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays are an English rock band formed in Salford in 1980. The original line-up consisted of brothers Shaun Ryder (vocals) and Paul Ryder (bass), Gaz Whelan (drums), Paul Davis (keyboard), and Mark Day (guitar). Mark "Bez" Berry la ...
, To Hell with Burgundy and
James, among others. With Hillegonda Rietveld, he was joint founder, writer and producer of
Quando Quango
Quando Quango were a British electronic music group, formed by The Haçienda DJ and Factory Records A&R man Mike Pickering, Hillegonda Rietveld and Reinier Rietveld. Their unique sound influenced the underground dance music scenes in New York ...
,
and he later founded
M People
M People (stylised as ''M''People) are an English dance music band that formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is derived from the first letter of the first name of band member Mike Pickering, who f ...
,
for whom he wrote and produced many songs and played saxophone live.
In 2002 Pickering was one of the curators of
New Order's box set
Retro
Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from the past, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. It has been argued that there is a nostalgia cycle in popular culture.
Definition
The term ...
compiling the Club disc and contributing sleeve notes to the release.
Pickering then worked for 20 years as
A&R within the Columbia label of
Sony BMG
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
,
where he worked with
the Gossip,
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris (and sometimes under the stage name Love Regenerator), is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'' (2007 ...
,
Kasabian
Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and second vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karloff ...
, and
the Ting Tings.
In other media
Pickering appeared as himself in the film ''
24 Hour Party People
''24 Hour Party People'' is a 2002 British biographical comedy drama film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Wint ...
''. He supports
Manchester City Football Club, and appeared in the documentary film about the club, ''
Blue Moon Rising'' in 2010 alongside
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Gallagher is the primary songwriter, lead guitarist and a co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. After leaving Oasis, he formed Noel ...
.
References
1954 births
Living people
English DJs
English rock saxophonists
British male saxophonists
English record producers
English male songwriters
A&R people
Musicians from Manchester
People from Accrington
21st-century British saxophonists
21st-century British male musicians
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