Wizz Jones
Colin Harper, Record Collector, 2004
"HARD TIMES IN NEWQUAY, If You've Got Long Hair" was the endearingly absurd refrain performed by that Zelig of British acoustic music, Raymond "Wizz" Jones, when Alan Wicker went down to Cornwall in 1960 for BBC television to report on the area's worrying upsurge of beatnik activity. Jones is still "big in Cornwall", and a colossus in the history of British folk-blues and 'acid folk' but, incredibly, real success has somehow always eluded him.
Total word count of piece: 1488
Best Databases: RBP is Runner-up in Best Niche category
Video: Johnny Marr talks about Rock's Backpages
RBP on Spotify: The Absolute Best o' Burt
RBP Album Club, June 13th: Miki Berenyi and Lucy O'Brien celebrate a Blondie classic
Essential Listening: Mick Gold meets Patti Smith in '76
Essential Reading: RBP's awesome Ozzy anthology
Essential Reading: Nina Antonia introduces her new poetry collection
RBP Album Club, July 11th: Nick Hornby and Nick Coleman celebrate Southside Johnny's debut