Record Mirror
Beat Group Names from America and Liverpool
Report by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, August 1962
IS THE Liverpool area the rockingest part of the great British Isles? A publication, Mersey Beat, just arrived, makes me think this is the ...
Floyd Cramer, Chet Atkins: Floyd Cramer and Chet Atkins: The Quiet Men from Nashville, Tennessee
Profile and Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, September 1962
THE TWO most dominant figures in the Nashville, Tennessee, music scene – a scene noted for loud noises – are QUIET men. Chet Atkins, we ...
Shirelles, The: The Neglected Shirelles
Profile by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1963
"I MET HIM on a Sunday" sang Addie, Doris, Shirley, and Beverly. They were heard by a class-mate at Passiac high school during a rehearsal ...
Fats Domino: The Man Who Sang Rock Before Haley
Report by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1963
HIS first million-seller was named after himself. Until last year he had more million-sellers than Elvis, who finally caught up with him after a hard ...
Report and Interview by Wesley Laine, Record Mirror, February 1963
WHETHER YOU like them or not, you've got to admit that the Beatles are just about the most talked-about group on the British beat scene. ...
Chris Montez: Give Me The Flamenco
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, February 1963
"I REALLY like Spanish dancing best." Chris Montez told me over the transatlantic phone, "And 'though I jive and twist a lot I guess it's ...
Beatles, The: The Beatles: New Album and Single
Report and Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, February 1963
THERE'S been a lot of stuff written on the Beatles lately. Rightly, too, for they happen to be in the class of the rarest performers ...
Bachelors, The: 'Don't Call Us Paddy' Begged The Bachelors
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, February 1963
"WHENEVER we talk to anyone they call us 'Paddy'," complained the three Bachelors. "We've got names you know." ...
Screaming Lord Sutch: Two Sides Of Sutch
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, March 1963
ROCK SINGING, horror, comedy – and now politics. Such are the interests, professional and personal, of Screamin' Lord Sutch. ...
Bobby Rydell: Twenty Years Plus Bobby
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, March 1963
A SIGNIFICANT thing happened to Bobby Rydell when he was five years old. His father took him to see a stage show. And another stage ...
Springfields, The, Dusty Springfield: The Springfields: The White Negress
Report and Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, April 1963
"THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL ME" – DUSTY SPRINGFIELD ...
Beatles, The, Dave Berry: The Hamburg Scene: An NRM Special Report
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, April 1963
WHERE, WOULD you reckon, is the greatest training ground for British beat singers and groups? ...
Rolling Stones, The: The Rollin' Stones: Genuine R&B!
Profile by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1963
AS THE TRAD scene gradually subsides, promoters of all kinds of teen-beat entertainment heave a long sigh of relief that they have found something to ...
Nat King Cole: Great Jazzman To Great Businessman
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, July 1963
SOFT LIGHTS, a smoke-hazed atmosphere, gentleness, smooth (and, if you're a susceptible girl, spine-tingling) singing. ...
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, August 1963
JOE BROWN has really put his foot in it this time. ...
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, August 1963
Frank Ifield had all the Star Qualities – Good Looks, Good Voice, Charm, etc., but it took him three years to hit the top, because ...
Lonnie Mack: The Instrumental Influence and Hit Star
Profile by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, August 1963
BEAT instrumentals are probably at a higher degree of popularity in the States than ever before. Discs like 'Wipeout', 'Tips Of My Fingers', 'Pipeline', 'Hot ...
Cliff Richard: How Cliff Rose To Fame
Profile by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, September 1963
David Griffiths spotlights the early days of Cliff's career... ...
Roy Orbison: An Unexpected U.S. Hit For Roy
Profile by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, September 1963
But although he's clicking with a rocker, he's recording with 'Those Great British Strings' ...
Trini Lopez: Pop-Folk Is Here To Stay — Like It Or Not
Profile by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, October 1963
SOME SAY IT'S TOO COMMERCIAL, IMPURE, PHONEY, ETC., BUT WHATEVER THEY SAY ABOUT IT... ...
Mickie Most: Do-It-Yourself Mick!
Profile and Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, October 1963
AFTER A MINOR record success with his 'Mr. Porter', Mickey Most looks all set for a far bigger success with the follow-up 'The Feminine Look', ...
Cliff Richard, Shadows, The: Cliff Richard & The Shadows: Cliff's New Film and Hank's New Guitar!
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, October 1963
IT WAS BUSY-ness as usual for birthday boy Cliff Richard this week. On Sunday night he cut his next record (out in about three weeks) ...
Quincy Jones: One Of The Greatest!
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, October 1963
SITTING IN a deserted recording studio at Philips, listening to the playback of a just-completed session by the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra, Quincy Jones – trumpeter, ...
Live Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, November 1963
THE OPENING night of the Duane Eddy/Little Richard/Shirelles tour was a lot better than most people expected at the Regal Edmonton, 2nd performance on Saturday. ...
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates: Johnny Kidd: It's The Song, Not My Name Which Sells
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, December 1963
Johnny Kidd's Latest Success Was Quite A 'Sleeper' ...
1963: Rhythm And Blues Made The News
Overview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, December 1963
THIS HAS been THE year for rhythm and blues fans. There is no doubt about it. At the beginning of the year the R & ...
Beatles, The: The Beatles: Backstage at the London Palladium
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, December 1963
The Man Who Guides The Stars Behind The Scenes ...
Helen Shapiro: Will Helen Make Her Comeback in 1964?
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, December 1963
From child prodigy to star of stage, screen etc. That's the career of young Helen Shapiro. She has a talent way ahead of her years. ...
1963: Year Of Rhythm & Blues #2
Overview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, December 1963
Part two of a series spotlighting all the important events in the R & B world this year. ...
Mort Shuman: The Man Who Writes Hits For The U.S. Stars
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1964
IF ANYONE bothers to look just under the titles of their records, they'll see a name or names in brackets. Those names are the songwriters. ...
Gene Pitney, Rolling Stones, The: Gene Pitney: Why 'Tulsa' Made The Charts
Profile by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1964
NORMAN JOPLING SUPPLIES THE ANSWER TO A CURRENT CHART SURPRISE ...
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, February 1964
ONE OF the mystery men of the U.S. recording scene is currently here in Britain following the interests of his artistes. His name is Phil ...
Crystals, The: The Crystals' Story: Their Sound, Their Career And Their X-Certificate Disc
Profile and Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, February 1964
Norman Jopling talks to the group with the hottest U.S. hit sound ...
Manfred Mann: Meet The Manfreds
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1964
PART ONE OF A NEW SERIES — MIKE HUGG AND TOM McGUINESS ...
Manfred Mann: More of the Manfred Men
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, May 1964
ONLY 18 months ago. Mike Vickers and Manfred Mann were eking out meagre existences as scuffling would-be jazz musicians. Both were fervent modern jazz enthusiasts. ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, May 1964
SLOW TALKING, deep thinking Roy Orbison – our first American to be featured in Off The Cuff – made an ideal interviewee. Following is a ...
Manfred Mann: The Paul Jones Mann
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1964
"UH-HU, IT'S THE Manfreds" yells Paul Jones, who is, to use the most overworked cliché in the book, last but not least in our series ...
Swinging Blue Jeans, The: The Swinging Blue Jeans: The Blue Jeans Ordeal
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, May 1964
The Swinging Blue Jeans talk to R.M's David Griffiths about the R&B fanatics who spoilt their act ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, May 1964
WHAT'S behind the New Look Juke Box Jury? ...
Yardbirds, The: The Yardbirds: The Blueswailers With The Mod Appeal
Profile by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1964
ALTHOUGH THE Sunday Telegraph insisted that the Yardbirds were called the Yardsticks, and also claimed they were public school boys it doesn't seem to have ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, June 1964
BILLY FURY – who's likely to be footsore and weary by the time you read this – was a worried man a few days ago. ...
Long John Baldry, John Lee Hooker: Long John meets John Lee Hooker
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, June 1964
THEY COULD hardly have been a bigger contrast in background and appearance: the young, very tall, bright white Englishman Long John Baldry, and the mature, ...
Andrew Loog Oldham, Rolling Stones, The: Andrew Loog Oldham: Secrets Of The Stones' Man
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, August 1964
The Stones are no longer a challenge... they need no pushing... the Andrew Oldham Orchestra doesn't exist ...
Burt Bacharach, Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick: Burt Bacharach: 'Time Is My Enemy'
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, September 1964
"I JUST DON'T get enough time to cram everything in," top U.S. songwriter, arranger and producer Burt Bacharach told me, during a two-day visit last ...
Jack Nitzsche, Righteous Brothers, The: Jack Nitzsche: Disc Producer To Film Gerry...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, October 1964
HAVE YOU heard about Electronovision? If not, you soon will. For American composer-arranger Jack Nitzsche is in London this week lining up appearances in the ...
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, October 1964
HOT NEW KINKS L.P.! ...
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, October 1964
Long John Baldry talks to RM's David Griffiths about the Folk-Blues Festival ...
Shangri-Las, The: The Shangri-Las: Shangris' Sensational Seagull Sounds
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, October 1964
THE LATEST gimmick in pop discs: sound effects! ...
Heinz's Hat, Some Surfing, & The Sharks!
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, October 1964
THE FACT that Heinz has just visited Australia stuck out the proverbial mile when I met him last week, after an exhausting two week tour ...
Searchers, The: The Searchers: Strings and Searchers!
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, December 1964
THERE THEY were — four Searchers in a Pye recording studio. Said Chris Curtis: "We're doing a new album, an elaborate one using strings." ...
Rolling Stones, The: The Rolling Stones: The Rolling Stones No. 2
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1965
"WE THINK IT'S a lot better than our first one... there's a more varied selection of songs... no instrumentals... we cut it at three different ...
Del Shannon: 'My Success Changed My Friends'
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1965
ONE OF THE chief attractions about Del Shannon is his own individual style of singing and guitar playing. So it'll come as a shock to ...
Rockin' Berries, The: The Rockin' Berries: The 'Accidental' Sound
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, January 1965
The Rockin' Berries explain how they found their sound to David Griffiths ...
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1965
"WHAT do we think of Cilla's version of 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'?" said America's Righteous Brothers when I posed them the question. "Well, we ...
Pretty Things, The: The Pretty Things: The Things Hit Back!
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, February 1965
ONE ACCUSATION that can't be levelled against the Pretty Things is that they're dull. In fact this wild-sounding, and equally wild-looking group are one of ...
Johnny Rivers Tries His Rhythm Here
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, February 1965
AFTER EIGHT years in and out of show business, Johnny Rivers has finally struck gold – In USA. During the last year he's been packing ...
Unit 4+2: Unit With The Crazy Nicknames
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, March 1965
UNIT FOUR Plus 2. A bit cumbersome as a title? Ah, but remember the man who pioneered ball point pens in America just after World ...
Beatles, The: How The Beatles Spend An Evening
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1965
IT WAS A typical quiet evening at London's Savoy Hotel. Quiet that is until the Beatles turned up to see Bob Dylan. They all trooped ...
Rolling Stones, The: The Rolling Stones: We Want The Stones (Decca EP)
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, June 1965
STONES EP – EXCITING & DIFFERENT ...
James Brown, Solomon Burke: Solomon Burke: The Burke v. Brown Feud
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, July 1965
"TELL ME," I said, "all about you and James Brown. There was a two-second hush, and then Solomon Burke, king of rock & soul, launched ...
Pretty Things, The: The Pretty Things: Why The Things Like Their Hair...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, July 1965
PRETTY THING Dick Taylor was gazing out of the window of his flat in Kensington, London, recently when a group of girls happened to look ...
Byrds, The: The Byrds: 'That Criticism Is Fair!'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, August 1965
...say the Byrds to David Griffiths ...
Pretty Things, The: The Pretty Things: Viv — "It's All Lies"
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, September 1965
'I could sue them' says Viv Prince, about newspaper articles which appeared about him in New Zealand. Norman Jopling reports...' ...
Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited (American Columbia)
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, September 1965
THOUGHT I'D jump the gun and tell you all about this LP, just issued in the States but not here. Side one starts off with ...
Barry McGuire Talks About Protest And His War On Evil
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, October 1965
WE WERE talking about protest and folk music. I suggested to Barry McGuire that so many of them are fundamentally silly because they either protest ...
James Brown: The Soul Of Mr. Brown
Interview by Dave Godin, Record Mirror, March 1966
JAMES BROWN has at last been to Britain. His all too brief stay had just about the maximum impact that it could have had. It ...
Band, The, Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan: Royal Albert Hall, London
Live Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, June 1966
With A Mixture Of Folk, Rock And Comedy, Dylan Shows He Can Take Every Insult But Not A Compliment ...
Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde (CBS)
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, August 1966
"GUILTY UNDERTAKERS sighed..." sings Bob Dylan, somewhat prophetically on his latest folk-rock-rhythm-blues-smash-top-twenty hit. And now, as Bob is lying in hospital with a broken neck, ...
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, August 1966
RACE RIOTS and pop music don't mix. If you buy records by a coloured artiste and you happen to be white, it's difficult to be ...
Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding: Atlantic '67
Report and Interview by Bill Harry, Record Mirror, December 1966
FRANK FENTER is a tall, tanned, talkative South African who has a way of expression with his hands that would do credit to an Italian. ...
Walker Brothers, The: The Reluctant American: Some Interesting Opinions from Scott Walker
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, December 1966
"I DIDN'T like it in America, and I'm not going back to live there. When I did live there it was terrible – once I ...
Easybeats, The: The Easybeats; Two In A Row?
Interview by Bill Harry, Record Mirror, February 1967
A peep into the studio where The Easybeats are cutting the follow-up to 'Friday On My Mind' ...
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, March 1967
...especially it seems, at the Saville. Chuck Berry talks to RM's Norman Jopling for this in-depth interview ...
Chuck Berry: Saville Theatre, London
Live Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, March 1967
Rockers Dominate Saville Again ...
Kathy Kirby: Kathy And The Problems Of Being A Girl Singer
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, March 1967
KATHY KIRBY loves her work but it happens to be one of the commercial facts of life that a highly paid entertainer sometimes gets in ...
Cat Stevens, Walker Brothers, The: The Walker Brothers: Images; Cat Stevens: Matthew & Son
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, March 1967
Moody Walkers L.P. and a great debut L.P. from Cat Stevens ...
Harry Secombe: Hearty Harry Talks Of His First Big Hit...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, April 1967
POOR OLD Harry Secombe! ...
Monkees, The: The Monkees: More Of The Monkees (RCA)
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, April 1967
IT'S A STRANGE thing to review an LP which you know will go to the top of the LP charts and sell a load of ...
Helen Shapiro, Beach Boys, The: The Beach Boys, Helen Shapiro: Hammersmith Odeon, London
Live Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1967
Happy Beach Boys sing the single they don't like ...
Yardbirds, The: Bill Harry's Pop Talk: The Yardbirds
Interview by Bill Harry, Record Mirror, May 1967
KEITH RELF, Chris Dreja and Jimmy Page are quite angry about the continuous, almost hysterical attacks the pop world has been receiving from all directions ...
John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac: Fleetwood Mac: Peter Green – The Guitarist Who Won't Forsake The Blues
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, August 1967
ANYONE WHO in a year has built up the reputation of being Britain's best blues guitarist, must have some interesting things to say, and therefore ...
Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones, The: Aftermath: Mick Jagger Answers Some Questions
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, August 1967
WHEN I SPOKE to Mick Jagger everything was "nice" and "groovy" with him, so don't believe everything you read in the papers. And he's ...
Flowerpot Men, The: The Flowerpot Men: Flowered, Belled and Beaded
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, September 1967
"I WAS strolling casually through the dining-car of a British Railways choo-choo train the other day, flowered belled and beaded, as befits a Flowerpot Man, ...
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, September 1967
Vanilla Fudge LP – even more dramatic than the hit single ...
Traffic: Saville Theatre, London
Live Review by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, September 1967
TRAFFIC GREAT AT SAVILLE ...
Live Review by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, October 1967
Hendrix and Brown triumph at the Saville Theatre... ...
Beatles, The: The Times Of India and Sgt. Pepper
Review by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, October 1967
IN THE POP column of a recent edition of the Times of India, critic Z. H. has his first listen to Sgt Pepper. Here's his ...
Beach Boys, The: The Beach Boys: Smiley Smile (Capitol)
Review by Wesley Laine, Record Mirror, October 1967
BEACH BOY fans will be delighted with the new LP Smiley Smile. At least, that is if (a) the record is released in the American ...
Jefferson Airplane: The Fantasy World of Grace Slick...
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, October 1967
THE WONDERS of modern science never fail to leave me gasping for breath. I find it absolutely incredible to think that I could, for example, ...
Pink Floyd: 'We Feel Good' Say The Pink Floyd
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, October 1967
LITTLE DID Mike Leonard know, during the second half of the nineteen-forties, that the experiments he was making in a new art form he was ...
Rascals, The: The Young Rascals' Peace Tour...
Interview by Bill Harry, Record Mirror, October 1967
HAD A CALL from Felix Cavaliere, organist with The Young Rascals during his recent short visit here. He told me: "I'm only here for forty-eight ...
Vanilla Fudge, Who, The: The Who, Vanilla Fudge: Saville Theatre, London
Live Review by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, October 1967
OH MY GOODNESS yes. It was definitely an ear-splitting, mind-blowing, supersonic-sounding sensation at the Saville last Sunday. ...
Arthur Conley: The Prince Of Sweet Soul Music
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, October 1967
THE WORLD of Pop is pretty crazy. And it's pretty crazy when a twenty-one-year-old singer is 'discovered' twice in his twenty-one-year-old life by two of ...
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, November 1967
A DOUBLE Dynamite Duo with a tradition to live up to. That's Sam and Dave – and their tradition is hit records. Hits like 'Soul ...
Foundations, The : Before This Record, We Were Just What You'd Call 'Bums' Say The Foundations
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, November 1967
IT'S ENOUGH to make psychedelia and Flower Power turn in its grave. I mean, how dare a group like the Foundations have the effrontery to ...
Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: The Bonzo's Humanoid Machines
Profile and Interview by Bill Harry, Record Mirror, November 1967
THE HUGE starship from Alpha Centuri entered the Solar System and Computer XII directed it to the third planet from the sun. The expedition scanned ...
Beatles, The: The Beatles: Magical Mystery Tour
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, December 1967
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR is another example of a subject in which the Beatles have been able to exercise their vivid imaginations. ...
Roger Miller: In The Red For Eight Of His Ten Singing Years
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, December 1967
ROGER MILLER – both on and off record – has a quiet, relaxed, uncomplicated approach to his music and to life. Yet he's had 10 ...
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, December 1967
ARRIVING at the Hilton Hotel to talk to Murry Wilson, I phoned his room to enquire as to whether I could go up and start ...
Aretha Franklin: A History Of Soul Queen Aretha Franklin
Profile by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, December 1967
WELL, WHAT'S going to happen in 1968? New faces? New stars? Of course. But as we step gingerly over the threshold into the new year, ...
Beatles, The: Records of the Year: The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, January 1968
THIS ONE has historical value as a milestone in pop music, and in the art of recording, so it ought to be on everybody's list ...
Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding (U.S. Columbia)
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, January 1968
BOB DYLAN'S LATEST LP JOHN WESLEY HARDING – A REVIEW IN DEPTH BY NORMAN JOPLING ...
Ten Years After: The Fastest Guitarist Alive!
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, March 1968
I'VE RECKONED Ten Years After since I first saw them, months ago, down at the Marquee club, where they were busy playing their own kind ...
Tony Bennett: 'Paul McCartney Has a Spirit That Moves Me'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, April 1968
THOUGH THE MUSICAL approach of Tony Bennett – and the bands he works with, such as Buddy Rich – is not usually treated with adulation ...
Scott Walker: Scott 2 (Philips)
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, April 1968
Scott's LP in depth ...
Profile and Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, April 1968
TIM BUCKLEY is a vague, interesting folksinger who doesn't know how many copies his records have sold or which of his songs have been put ...
Small Faces, The: The Small Faces: At Last The 1948 Cockney Show...
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, April 1968
I WAS DIGGING the sounds of this record called 'Lazy Sunday', and grooving along gently thinking I was listening to Tony Newley singing with a ...
Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1968
SOME PEOPLE are going around saying that Aretha Franklin is the Queen Of Soul, many people are buying her records, and one person (show compère ...
Gram Parsons, Byrds, The: The Byrds: Middle Earth, London
Live Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, May 1968
HIGH FLYING BYRDS TRIUMPH WITH A BRITISH AUDIENCE... ...
Bobbie Gentry: 'I'll Never Tire Of Billy Joe'
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, June 1968
STANDING around, waiting to meet Bobbie Gentry, I glanced through the two press handouts about her. ...
Review by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, June 1968
FOCUS ON 2 GIANT LPs ...
Report by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, June 1968
the dear sweet ageless hippy... ...
Esther and Abi Ofarim: The Dance That Lasted A Hundred Years...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, June 1968
RM's MULTI-LINGUAL DAVID GRIFFITHS TALKS TO ESTHER AND ABI OFARIM ABOUT THEIR NEW SINGLE ...
Sly & The Family Stone: "The Topless Came In So I Quit, Says Sly.."
Interview by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, August 1968
IT’S NOT every group that can boast a girl trumpeter, but Sly and the Family Stone can — and do. An unusual feature in what ...
Harry Nilsson: Computers to Composer
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, September 1968
SOMETIMES – not very often – but sometimes. What? Sometimes exciting things happen in pop music. Talents emerge that are new, refreshing. A shot in ...
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, October 1968
Cat's back. Dogs and Matthew and his offspring and guns and things and now his wife. Not that he has a wife – but here ...
Live Review by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, November 1968
ONCE UPON a time in the land of the Charity, a concert was given in aid of all the boys' clubs all over the country. ...
Deviants, The: From the Underground: The Deviants
Profile and Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, November 1968
IT'S BEEN SAID of the Deviants that they are the only real underground group. Like roots of the underground perhaps – because Mick Farren, first ...
Aphrodite's Child: 'Rain & Tears' 300 Yrs Old!
Profile and Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, November 1968
ONCE UPON a time, about three hundred years ago as the crow flies, a German organist with nothing better to do sat down at his ...
Cream, Yes: Goodbye To The Cream
Live Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, December 1968
THE CREAM delivered all that was expected of them, and a little more, at their final, farewell-type Albert Hall concert last week. Of course, the ...
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, December 1968
RECIPE FOR nice sounds: take John Sebastian, Dave Crosby, Steve Stills, and Graham Nash. Add the occasional Mama Cass or Al Kooper or Mike Bloomfield, ...
Charles Manson, Beach Boys, The, Dennis Wilson: Dennis Wilson: 'I Live With 17 Girls'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, December 1968
SAID DENNIS Wilson, a bemused frown on his face: "I don't know why I'm telling you all this..." Well, whatever Dennis's reasons (if any), the ...
Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox: Buddy Holly and Buddy Knox: Texas Buddies
Discography by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1969
LIKE THE rest of society, pop music isn't fair. The most successful singers earn more than they know what to do with, and the majority ...
Easy Rider: The Rock Generation Takes Over
Film/DVD Review by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1969
Songs by Steppenwolf, the Byrds and the Band underline the message of EASY RIDER ...
Reggae: A Night at Count Suckle's and Reggae
Film/DVD Review by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1969
JUST WHEN all hope had been abandoned, the ITV Network surprised us. ...
Fats Domino, Amos Milburn: Jump Boogie and Shuffle
Retrospective by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1969
IT WOULD BE nice to be able to point to a man, a record, a year, and say, "There! Rock and roll started with him, ...
Beatles, The: The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) (Apple PCS 7067 & 8)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, January 1969
LAST YEAR'S obvious standout LP was Sergeant Pepper and now we have its unbelievable, impossible, out-of-sight successor. It's no feat of critical perception to pick ...
Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band: Strictly Personal (Liberty)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, January 1969
APTLY TITLED. The unique Beefheart outfit have thoroughly fulfilled the promise of their first album. ...
Bonzo Dog Band: The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse (Liberty)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, January 1969
ONLY JUST received this one, so can't claim much familiarity, but I like it well enough already to want to include it anyway. ...
Moody Blues, The: The Moody Blues: In Search Of The Lost Chord (Deram)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, January 1969
THERE ARE some sumptuous sounds on this LP, all of them made by just the five Moodies. No session musicians, simply (?!) the group's instrumental ...
Deep Purple: From The Underground: Deep Purple
Profile and Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, January 1969
AND WHILE the rain falls in Britain, Deep Purple look out of their windows in America and the sun is shining a spotlight upon them ...
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, March 1969
A ROARING log fire and its reflection in the pine-panelled walls gave the whole room a cosy reddish glow all ankle-deep in carpet and large ...
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, March 1969
'I'm So Glad'; 'Politician'; 'Sitting On Top Of The World'; 'Badge'; 'Doing That Scrapyard Thing'; 'What A Bringdown' – Polydor Stereo 583 053. ...
Richard Harris, Jimmy Webb: Richard Harris: 'He Still Wants To Be A Pop Star..!'
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, March 1969
Richard Harris Talking Of His Boy Jim Webb ...
Joe South: Joe Tells Of The Games People Play...
Interview by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, April 1969
GET UP, GO over to the window and look out. Up and down that pavement outside every day walk people, some for pleasure, some going ...
Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin (Atlantic) *****
Review by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, April 1969
'Good Times Bad Times'; 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You'; 'You Shook Me'; 'Dazed And Confused'; 'You're Time Is Gonna Come'; 'Black Mountainside'; 'Communication Breakdown'; 'I ...
Errol Dixon, Desmond Dekker: Reggay: Son of R & B
Overview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, May 1969
THERE WERE two kinds of reaction when Desmond Dekker's 'Israelites' started up the hit parades in March: blimey, I heard that before Christmas; and, the ...
John Lennon, Yoko Ono: John Lennon and Yoko Ono: Life With The Lions (Apple)
Review by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, May 1969
JOHN AND YOKO DO THEIR OWN THING (Part 2) ...
Overview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, May 1969
THERE WAS a time, not so long ago, when almost all the writing about popular music was descriptive or informative. ...
Who, The: Born to Sing The Blues
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, June 1969
COLLECTORS of rhythm and blues music are doomed to perpetual frustration, as they witness one white singer after another plundering the culture they love. Occasionally, ...
Max Romeo: This Is The Record That Will Give The BBC Troubles — If It Reaches The Top...
Report by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, June 1969
HOVERING AROUND the lower end of the charts is a record that has had no plugs, and certainly no air plays – nor is it ...
Overview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, June 1969
ROCK AND roll was the victory of regional locality over the world, of precise beliefs over general theory, of particular feelings over universal philosophies. ...
Overview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, July 1969
THIS ARTICLE mentions a lot of singers you've never heard of. Why haven't you heard of them? (They're all very good, very important, and have ...
Lovin' Spoonful, The: The Lovin' Spoonful: The Urban Villagers
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, July 1969
POPULAR music is sentimental, trivial or melodramatic, and therefore need never be listened to by people who care about real feelings. ...
Lonnie Mack, Tony Joe White: The Real White Blues: Tony Joe White/Lonnie Mack
Review by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, August 1969
TONY JOE WHITE may well be the most sympathetic man making music today. His records show a man who cares about people, a Southerner with ...
Nik Cohn: Pop; Paul Oliver: The Story of The Blues
Book Review by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, August 1969
Charlie Gillett reviews two books on music: Pop by Nik Cohn, and The Story of The Blues by Paul Oliver ...
Overview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, August 1969
ON STAGE at the Apollo, Harlem: standing at one microphone, an immaculately dressed man dramatically insists his love. At the second mike, four men bend ...
James Brown: Telling The Natural Truth
Interview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, September 1969
'SAY IT LOUD – I'm Black and I'm Proud' sold 20,000 copies in Britain, although the BBC played it only once. Is James Brown surprised? ...
Little Milton and The New Black Blues
Overview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, September 1969
THROUGH THE 1950's, men with loud voices, amplified guitars and a few noisy accompanists made a modest but sufficient living out of singing the blues ...
Jive Five, The, Flamingos, The: The Jive Five: Where Are You Now
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, September 1969
To the editor, R 'n' B World, New York. ...
Gene Vincent Cuts A New LP: John Peel’s Label Gets A New Version of ‘Be-Bop-a-Lula’
Interview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, September 1969
ROCK'N'ROLL, WHICH HAS NEVER been far away since it made its first appearance in the early fifties, is without much doubt about to become all-powerful ...
Duke/Peacock: 20 Years of Don Robey's R&B Empire
Report by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, October 1969
1969 Is the Twentieth Anniversary of Duke/Peacock Records of Houston, Texas, one of the best R & B Soul companies. ...
Delaney & Bonnie: Clapton, Jagger, Harrison and Lennon Rave Over Them
Profile by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, October 1969
REPUTATIONS travel, Delaney And Bonnie's travel via Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger and George Harrison. ...
Johnny Otis: The New Johnny Otis Show
Review by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, November 1969
"I'm gonna lay right here on this wall, And drink this beer, And watch her walk. You heard me call a while ...
Percy Sledge: The Best Of Percy Sledge
Interview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, December 1969
PERCY SLEDGE is here for a three-week tour, and to coincide with it Atlantic have released a single, 'True Love Travels On A Gravel Road', ...
Jerry Lee Lewis: The Start of It All
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1970
I PLAYED 'Great Balls Of Fire' to some college students last week. And while it played, and while they listened, I closed my eyes and ...
Wilbert Harrison: Bring Back The Fifties
Column by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1970
EVERY YEAR, the manager of the Apollo Theatre in Harlem stages an 'oldies' show, in which almost forgotten stars of R&B relive their past for ...
How to Build a Bridge Backwards: Life as a Part-time Disc Jockey
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, January 1970
I HAD A STRANGE TIME the other day, playing records at a college party. ...
Donovan: Meditation Is Like A Miracle Cure
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1970
IT IS A FAR CRY from 'Catch The Wind' to songs like 'Winking Blinking and Nod' or 'A Poke At The Pope' but then Donovan ...
Quintessence: Notting Hill Gate – a Single, a Group, and a Place
Profile and Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, January 1970
LONDON WEST Ten is the Grove. It is that part of Notting Hill straddling Ladbroke Grove, where, over the past few years, a whole new ...
Pioneers, The: The Pioneers: 'Longshot' Never Let Them Down. Will 'Ramases' Do The Same?
Profile and Interview by Roger St. Pierre, Record Mirror, January 1970
'Long Shot, Kick The Bucket' brought pop fame and a trip to Britain for the Pioneers; 'Poor Ramases' is their latest disc and to give ...
Dave Clark Five, The: The Dave Clark 5's Mike Smith
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1970
NOT UNLIKE 'old man river' the Dave Clark Five keep rolling along and just when the critics are about to re-write their obituaries – missing ...
Led Zeppelin: Jimmy Page: Superstar
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, February 1970
JIMMY PAGE is the phoenix who has arisen from the ashes of the Yardbirds to emerge amongst the electric guitarist gods, through the meteoric success ...
Booker T & The MGs, Bill Justis: Bill Justis: The Baldest Rock'n'Roll Star
Interview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, March 1970
THE PRESS reception is for Booker T and the MG's. They introduce themselves through the mike on a stage at one end of the room, ...
Faces, The: The Faces: The Lyceum, London
Live Review by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, March 1970
THE FIRST thing you notice about them is why they're not "The Small Faces" anymore. Rod Stewart, the new vocalist, is head and shoulders above ...
Don Gibson: Lonesome Number One: Profile of Don Gibson
Profile by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, March 1970
DON GIBSON is the most original country and western singer of the past 15 years, and that's been his problem. While everybody else has been ...
Report by Derek Taylor, Record Mirror, April 1970
DEREK TAYLOR, THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE McCARTNEY AFFAIR (AND WHAT BETTER PLACE TO BE?) TELLS THE INSIDE STORY ...
Brinsley Schwarz: The Lost Weekend
Report by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, April 1970
Charlie Gillett's impressions of Brinsley Schwarz, the Fillmore East, and night life in New York ...
Paul McCartney, Beatles, The: Paul McCartney: Let It Be
Interview by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, April 1970
Your own dossier on The McCartney Affair: Paul replies ...
Is Pop Music Putting The Boot In For Bovver?
Overview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, May 1970
Robert Partridge argues that violence has taken on a different meaning ...
Joe Cocker, Leon Russell: Leon Russell — Super Group?
Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, May 1970
THERE ARE GROUPS, super-groups and super-super-groups. But there must be a new name for a combination of Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, ...
Moody Blues, The: The Moody Blues: When Is A Single Not A Single?
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, May 1970
WHEN IS a single not a single? Apparently when it is the Moody Blues. The Moodies have broken into the Seventies with every indication of ...
Who, The: The Who: Live At Leeds (Track)
Review by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, May 1970
'Young Man'; 'Substitute'; 'Summertime Blues'; 'Shakin' All Over'; 'My Generation'; 'Magic Bus'. ...
Joe South: The Other White South
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, June 1970
MOST WHITE people in the American South like country and western music. ...
Fleetwood Mac: Falling Victim To An Epidemic
Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, June 1970
GROUP SPLITS have become the foot-and-mouth disease of pop. And this year the splits have become almost endemic with British bands. ...
Overview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, June 1970
I'M NOT sure why, but I'm more often moved by men singing than by women. Somehow I can identify with a much larger range of ...
Report by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, July 1970
A front row view of how Swindon got FREED ...
Randy Newman, Bob Dylan: Hyped By Your Heroes: Bob Dylan, Randy Newman
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, July 1970
THE SUMMER of 1970 will go down in the history books as the time when the music of the period finally let loose the truth ...
Retrospective by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, August 1970
THE MOST influential singer of the last 25 years was Roy Brown. ...
Deep Purple: Rock Is Where We're At
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, October 1970
ORGANIST JON Lord asserts triumphantly that with Deep Purple In Rock the group have finally found their true musical identities following their early 'success' as ...
Rod Stewart: How Rod's Old Raincoat Didn't Let Him Down
Profile and Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, October 1970
ROD STEWART is a walking synopsis of British rock music. He's been in there from the golden days of CND, through the Rod The Mod ...
Black Sabbath: It's All Word Of Foot
Profile and Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, October 1970
THE BLACK SABBATH album Paranoid, slipped into your record shops a couple of weeks ago. No ballyhoo. The release was as quiet as it was ...
Moody Blues, The: The Moody Blues: Why Do People Get Moody About The Moodies?
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, October 1970
THE MOODY BLUES – trick or treat? Their talent and ability to produce their unique sounds on live appearances is undeniable but a hard core ...
Mary Wells, Chairmen Of The Board: Motown: Still Making It?
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, November 1970
FOUR years ago, there were a lot of people who made a point of going into their local record shops and asking, can I hear ...
Randy Newman: In Praise of the Ten Second Song
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, December 1970
THE MOST influential record of 1970 was the Edwin Hawkins' Singers' 'Oh Happy Day', which came out in 1969. It takes a while for people ...
Rufus Thomas: Push and Pull That Funky Dog
Interview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1971
REHEARSALS at Top of the Pops. A man who looks close to 50 years old goes up to a taller, younger man in dark glasses. ...
Sly & The Family Stone, Ike & Tina Turner: Soul reviews
Review by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, 1971
Ike and Tina Turner: Hammersmith Odeon, LondonSly and the Family Stone: Greatest Hits (Epic) ...
Comment by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, January 1971
THERE must be about four generations of pop music fans reading this paper, and to each of them Carole King means something different. ...
McGuinness Flint: McGunness Flint: My Goodness, McGuinness!
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1971
TOM McGUINNESS has been upon us now for many, many years, peering through little circular windows in a kindly and benign manner at the journalese ...
Moody Blues, The: The Moody Blues: Now I Know How McCartney Felt…
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1971
FLAUTIST RAY Thomas is now ensconced in the Moody Blues new "Threshold" HQ in Surrey after the group's pre-Christmas run across the States, shattering attendance ...
Moody Blues, The: The Moody Blues
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1971
'GI-NORMOUS' is the only word to describe the Moody Blues present status in America. They have reached the kind of heights there which are only ...
Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, January 1971
STAN WEBB is Chicken Shack. And at the moment he's quite literally the whole band – the rest of the original members left when the ...
Black Sabbath: Nobody But The Public Digs Sabbath
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1971
THERE WOULD seem to be a lot of unnecessary resentment over Black Sabbath's success in this business. And even outside it by those bastions of ...
Grand Funk Railroad: Grand Funk — Or Bunk?
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, February 1971
RESENTMENT from the critics is something that Grand Funk Railroad are having to live with in the United States, but the pill is made the ...
Pete Townshend, Who, The: Pete Townshend
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, February 1971
WHITHER the Who? you might ask, for despite their Live At Leeds album and Pete Townshend's recently announced plans for "musically computerised character analysis" we ...
Linda Ronstadt: Get That Ronstadt Message
Report and Interview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, February 1971
WELL, MY lady took the message, and she wrote it on the wall: "Linda Ronstadt, EMI Press Reception, 4 o'clock tomorrow." ...
Led Zeppelin: Jimmy Page: Zep Come To The People
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, February 1971
"WHAT DO YOU want if you don't want Money?" was the lyrical question once put but never answered by a certain Adam Faith nee Terence ...
Jethro Tull: God Is Alive and Starring On…
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, March 1971
AQUALUNG is undoubtedly Jethro Tull's most significant album to date and although comparisons are often odious to the artist concerned, the highest compliment I feel ...
Emerson Lake And Palmer: ELP Is On The Way…
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, March 1971
DESPITE PROTESTATIONS to the contrary, there is no such thing as an instant group – super or otherwise – and ELP are a testimony to ...
Tony Orlando: The Last Of The Teenage Idols
Retrospective by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, April 1971
THE ODEON, Kingston-upon-Thames. Or maybe it was The Granada. It's 9.20 p.m. on the 15th February 1962 and Clarence 'Frogman' Henry has just boogied his ...
T. Rex, Marc Bolan: Marc Bolan: Energy Is What It's All About
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, April 1971
MARC BOLAN is ready to take on the world following his incredible success with two maxi singles, 'Ride A White Swan' almost indecently closely followed ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, May 1971
THE CRY most likely from the touchline as Deep Purple rocket on from standing ovation to standing ovation in the next few weeks is "bring ...
Overview by Martin Hawkins, Record Mirror, May 1971
MUCH HAS been written recently about the influence of Sam Phillips' Memphis Sun label on rock 'n' roll, especially since its British releases of recent ...
Rory Gallagher: Fresh Taste For Rory
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, May 1971
WHAT WERE the real reasons for the break-up of the late lamented Taste at a time when it appeared they were THE live band and ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, May 1971
FAMILY ARE something else, that is they are not immediately classifiable into a particular bag – blues, rock, folk or progressive. ...
Groundhogs, The: The Groundhogs: The Hogs Kept Clean And Still Made It
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, May 1971
IF IT had not been for a clever piece of intuition on the part of Liberty Record's knowledgeable young A&R director Andrew Lauder the Groundhogs ...
Jimi Hendrix, James Taylor: James Taylor: On The Road With Sweet Baby James
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, May 1971
AMONG THE very few road managers who have put their heads, hearts, hands and feet into their work is Super-Scot Eric Barrett who hit the ...
Van Der Graaf Generator: The Generator Are Staying Very Content On The Continent
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, May 1971
PERHAPS THE most obvious band of our times are Van der Graaf Generator who without any publicity hype – hit single or ballyhoo – have ...
Cat Stevens: The Honest Way For It To Happen
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, June 1971
MR STEVENS is, one might suppose of a young man who has survived the horrors of being initially conceived as a teen idol at 18 ...
Jimmy C. Newman: Cajun: Swamp Pop
Overview by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, June 1971
COUNTRY music does not accept outside influences as readily as r&b and r&b doesn't lap them up as greedily as pop music. ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, June 1971
THE BYRDS have flown leaving behind them a few thousand satisfied customers and a liberal sprinkling of Her Majesty's Musical Trade Press impressed with their ...
Deep Purple: "The Stones Are Out Of Date" — Ian
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, July 1971
DEEP PURPLE are the band who made it in spite of the critics, the press and most of the mass media and, for that alone, ...
Comment by Martin Hawkins, Record Mirror, July 1971
"DID YOU EVER HEAR A TENOR SAX, SWINGING LIKE A RUSTY AXE?" ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, July 1971
AMONGST THOSE still waiting for D'Abo I count myself still waiting for the real man to stand up and declare himself. ...
Conway Twitty: The Lonely Country Blues Boy
Overview by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, August 1971
WHEN discussing the history of rock 'n' roll, a number of writers have recently implied that the attention paid to black influences has long obscured ...
Carly Simon Quits The Family Commune
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, September 1971
IT SEEMS ENTIRELY possible that Carly Simon (with one highly successful album high in the American charts, following a top ten single) might well be ...
Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson Is No Rock Hitler
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, September 1971
THAT BEARDED prankster Ian Anderson is amongst us once more with his reshuffled ensemble now featuring Barrie-More Barlow on percussion in place of Clive Bunker ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, September 1971
HAVE YOU HEARD the one about the Englishman, the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic in a pub at lunch time? And – the first ...
Who, The: Keith Moon: Pitch And Bowl For A Pig!
Report by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, September 1971
THERE WAS a Moon landing in Lyne, Surrey last week when the Who's very own 'lunar-tick' did his bit for his new community by putting ...
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Smokey Robinson: The Miracle of Smokey Robinson
Profile and Interview by Charlie Gillett, Record Mirror, September 1971
ABOUT twelve years ago, Berry Gordy told Smokey Robinson how to write songs: "Every song should have an idea, tell a story, mean something." Smokey ...
Coasters, The: Lecherous, Indolent, Stupid…and Comical: The Coasters
Retrospective by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, October 1971
THERE IS A passage in the Coasters' 'Sweet Georgia Brown' where the lead baritone flies off on the immortal line "she gotta walk that make ...
T. Rex: Marc Bolan: I Am The Cosmic Dancer
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, October 1971
I DO BELIEVE I am in grave danger of becoming a pleb! For example, in the opinion of a number of eminent musical critics Marc ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, October 1971
THEIR MUSIC is both uncompromising and aggressive but like most musical hard men they have their other side and their latest album Fearless is likely ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, October 1971
'THE FASTEST Guitar in the West', 'The Elvis Presley of the Woodstock Generation', 'King Guitar' (Bert Weedon would dispute that – rock on Bert) – ...
Sir Douglas Quintet, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, Ritchie Valens, Freddy Fender: Chicano Rock
Special Feature by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, October 1971
ON 3 February 1959 Richard Valenzuela died in a plane crash along with Buddy Holly whose final recordings foretold the Beatless sixties; a more pop ...
Howlin' Wolf, Junior Parker, B.B. King: Memphis Blues: Sun Rise
Overview by Colin Escott, Record Mirror, November 1971
IN 1950 WHEN Sam Phillips gave up his job as band promoter for the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and opened the studio of the Memphis ...
Mott The Hoople: Mott — An Enigma
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, December 1971
"THE PLOT thickens" as they used to say in all the best detective stories and the mystery as to why Mott the Hoople cannot break ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, December 1971
JEFF BECK has called him 'The greatest living guitarist in the World' and whatever you think of the American band Mountain there is no ignoring ...
Frank Zappa: Rude, Pompous…And Frank
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1972
EVERY ONE has a right to an opinion but there are some who believe he has no right to express it in public. There are ...
Overview by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, January 1972
THERE'S A HOT SEAT in my house. Right by the record player. Victims are required to sit in it and hazard a guess at the ...
Lindisfarne: Selling Newcastle
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, January 1972
LONG AGO AND far away when Hyde park was just a flower pot and underground meant the Bakerloo line to me I was given to ...
Curved Air: A Little Rift In Curved Air?
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, February 1972
IT WAS SCOTT Fitzgerald who held to the theory that the test of a first rate intelligence was to hold two opposed ideas in the ...
Cadillacs, The: The Cadillacs: Speedo's Back In Town
Interview by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, February 1972
EARL CARROLL is still a rocker. The other Coasters wear Afros but Mr. Earl's hair is black, shiny and slickered back. Thumbing through a copy ...
Jerry Lee Lewis: Echoes: Jerry Lee Lewis
Retrospective by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, March 1972
ON 22nd MAY 1958, an immigration officer manning the desk for TWA flights from New York to London Airport North scratched his head, sighed, picked ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, March 1972
DEFINING Lindisfarne's success is rather like pulling the wings off a butterfly at present but there seems little doubt after having seen them on stage ...
Seals and Crofts: Faith The Music
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, March 1972
NICE PEOPLE – Jim Seals and Dash Crofts. A couple of less unlikely Texans I have yet to meet, currently residing somewhat ironically in the ...
Captain Beefheart: Love Over Gold: Captain Beefheart Talks To RM Readers
Report and Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, April 1972
FIVE YEARS ago, the magic name of Captain Beefheart was no more than an imported LP in the window-display of clique-ey One-Stop Records. There ...
Fats Domino: Walking To New Orleans
Profile by Martin Hawkins, Record Mirror, May 1972
IN RECENT years the music of New Orleans in the 50's has been well documented on albums, but maybe now is the time to be ...
Acappella: The Rise And Fall Of Acappella
Guide by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, June 1972
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, 1954. Five young men stood around a tape recorder in a church cellar and gang. They couldn't afford a band but wouldn't ...
Little Willie John: Willie John: A Soul Who Died In Jail
Retrospective by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, June 1972
THE DEATH of Little Willie John is chronicled in the June 8th 1968 edition of Billboard. Datelined Walla Walla, Washington, May 27th, the notice reads: ...
Richard Berry: Echoes: Richard Berry
Retrospective by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, July 1972
"They took me to see that friend of mineyeah District court-room two-twenty-ninethe judge said 'your payments are way behind'I said 'Don't worry Daddy it won't ...
Johnny Otis: The Godfather of R&B
Retrospective by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, July 1972
I THOUGHT Johnny Otis was suffering from over-exposure Dave Wolf who has drained his life savings to bring over Johnny's entire package thinks not. So ...
Discography by Bill Millar, Record Mirror, August 1972
"ULTIMATELY there was Charlie Rich. Rich was a Georgia cotton farmer and he was into his thirties, he had grey hair and a paunch. Still ...
Interview by Ray Fox-Cumming, Record Mirror, May 1975
A FEW MONTHS ago Queen were the band everyone was talking about and the only reason why their name hasn't been on everyone's lips just ...
Overview by Kevin Allen, Record Mirror, September 1975
You either love it or hate it. It's either boring, and all the same, or the most exciting thing you've ever heard. No other current ...
Sadistic Mika Band, Roxy Music: Roxy Music, Sadistic Mika Band: City Hall, Newcastle
Live Review by Ray Fox-Cumming, Record Mirror, October 1975
THE EARLY part of Roxy's British tour has been a succession of 'welcome homes' for members of the band. ...
Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry: Bryan Ferry: So Ferry Stylish
Report and Interview by Ray Fox-Cumming, Record Mirror, October 1975
POST-CONCERT meals with Roxy Music are relaxed and refined affairs. The group change for dinner, sip pre-prandial drinks in their hotel bar, then dine with ...
Temptations, The: The Temptations: Moving With The Times
Interview by Kevin Allen, Record Mirror, October 1975
IT'S SURE tough work being a Temptation. Before replacing Damon Harris in soul music's top fivesome, Glenn Leonard not only had to learn the group's ...
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas: Martha Reeves: Our Martha Aims Higher And Higher
Interview by Kevin Allen, Record Mirror, December 1975
"IF I won any fans over here on my first trip I still have them. They're so much more devoted than the people back home, ...
Smokie: Smokie Rising — 11 Years to Take Off!
Profile and Interview by Ray Fox-Cumming, Record Mirror, January 1976
MOST BRIGHTEST hope contenders in any year tend to be fairly new bands, but Smokie, although the name is newish, had their beginnings over 11 ...
Johnny Guitar Watson: Beware The Guitar Gangster
Profile and Interview by Kevin Allen, Record Mirror, January 1976
SUPERSTAR? MAYBE not. But despite a lack of any major hits, Johnny 'Guitar' Watson has long been acknowledged as a super-talent of the black American ...
Thom Bell, Dionne Warwick: Dionne Rings The Changes
Report and Interview by Kevin Allen, Record Mirror, January 1976
SINCE IT was the arranging/production and inspiration of Thom Bell which took Dionne Warwick (no final "e" these days) back into the charts after a ...
Comment by Kevin Allen, Record Mirror, February 1976
JUST ONE glance at the pop charts over the past decade is sufficient to indicate the domination of black music in general and soul music ...
Mary Hopkin: Mary Had A Little Jam...And Now She's Got A Single!
Interview by Ray Fox-Cumming, Record Mirror, February 1976
MARY HOPKIN has at least one good reason for being glad to be back at work "It gives me an excuse to get a maid. ...
Brook Benton: Brook's No Hero Of The Past
Report and Interview by Roger St. Pierre, Record Mirror, April 1976
LIKE RAY CHARLES, Fats Domino and precious few others, Brook Benton's pulling power as one of the father figures of black American music continues despite ...
Marc Bolan, Gloria Jones: Marc Bolan: My Life Alone by Gloria Jones
Interview by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, November 1977
WHAT WERE you doing on the morning of September 16 this year? Were you, like me, numb with the shock of hearing that Marc Bolan ...
Sex Pistols, The: The Sex Pistols: Winterland, San Francisco
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, January 1978
London's pride take over USA – The Pistols' last gig? ...
Be-Bop Deluxe: Ol’ Bill: Be-Bop Deluxe’s Bill Nelson
Interview by Sylvie Simmons, Record Mirror, February 1978
"THE AMERICAN interviewers have been saying, 'Hey, are you going to wear the suits again this time?' and I say, 'We've worn them the last ...
Blondie: Starwood, Los Angeles CA
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, May 1978
They still don't know who Blondie is in LA ...
Jacksons, The: The Jacksons: No Signs Of Any Slackening
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, October 1978
'Blame It On The Boogie' may not be the Jacksons most exciting single, but it's doing the trick again. PAUL SEXTON talks to Michael Jackson ...
Heatwave: Heating Up the Disco Crowd
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, November 1978
TO COME back from a very successful American tour to see your new single shoot into the chart at No 36 while making healthy strides ...
Chaka Khan: Chaka (Warner Bros.) ****
Review by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, December 1978
NOW THEN, an album which the whole team involved has obviously spent a good deal of time thinking about. Chaka Khan needs songs which exploit ...
Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, April 1979
EVER HEARD the one about New Yorkers in Los Angeles? Well there's more than one, as Woody Allen knows, and Blondie have a few on ...
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, June 1979
Anita Ward rings PAUL SEXTON'S bells ...
McFadden and Whitehead: Startin' 'N' Stoppin'
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, July 1979
PAUL SEXTON winds up old phillybusters McFadden and Whitehead ...
Minnie Riperton: Minnie (Capitol) ****
Review by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, August 1979
THIS WAS going to be a happy, triumphant comeback album... ...
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, December 1979
DOWN AT Acquarius Records an assistant keeps rushing out to put out more copies of 'One Step Beyond'. He's kept pretty busy. They're being bought ...
Japan: Ryerson Theatre, Toronto
Live Review by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, January 1980
WEST OF JAPAN ...
Sugarhill Gang, The: The Sugarhill Gang: Beat The Rap
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, January 1980
SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA: and the Parliafunk crowd are watching three ex-DJs performing 15 minutes of the hippest tongue twisting in town. "Said a hip-hop, the hibbitt. ...
Dan Hartman: Relight My Fire (Blue Sky) *
Review by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, February 1980
DAN HARTMAN has obviously learned all he knows from listening to TV theme music. Shame he didn't pay more attention to the master — Aaron ...
Gary Numan: Warfield Theatre, San Francisco
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, March 1980
Frozen Robots ...
Eagles, The: The Eagles: Oakland Coliseum
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, March 1980
THE EAGLES on home turf in California, even if it does rain more here in the north. ...
Pretenders, The: The Pretenders: Talk Of The USA
Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, May 1980
LAST YEAR'S "next big thing" rarely succeeds in becoming "This year's model" with the ease with which the Pretenders have performed the feat in Britain. ...
Judas Priest: The Empire Strikes Back
Report and Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, July 1980
MARK COOPER encounters JUDAS PRIEST under a pile of volcanic ash of the third kind ...
Bruce Springsteen: The Man, The Myth, The Magic
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, October 1980
MILWAUKEE IS up by the Great Lakes in the industrial badlands. Concrete freeways, steel chimneys, cloudy skies and breweries. The kind of place "where Mister ...
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, November 1980
STEVE STRANGE, chief of the new clan of the beautiful people has made a record. MARK COOPER talks to him about the concept ...
Obituary by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, December 1980
WHEN WE were growing up, my brother and I, he loved John Lennon especially. Our parents used to give us a Beatles album every Christmas. ...
Stray Cats, The: On The Tiles With The Stray Cats
Profile and Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, December 1980
Your storyteller: MARK COOPER (MA, DFC, VD and Private Bar) ...
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, January 1981
MARK COOPER joins the AU PAIRS' campaign trail ...
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, May 1981
'We've got to get out and we've got to fight back' is still the message from SLF and their commitment hasn't evaporated since the heady ...
Beat, The: The Beat: Wha'ppen? (Go Feet) ****
Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, May 1981
IN WHICH the Beat define their sound over a whole album, realise their strengths (most notably the individuality of each performer) and, in general, settle ...
Pink Floyd: Earls Court, London
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, June 1981
PINK FLOYD'S The Wall is the ultimate rock concert, more a funeral than a celebration. ...
Human League, The: The Human League: Beautiful Dreamers
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, August 1981
Start with pop with a capital P, add a touch of glamour, stir with a generous helping of amateur enthusiasm and you've got the new ...
Teardrop Explodes, The: The Teardrop Explodes: We Can Be Heroes Just For One Day
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, September 1981
Christ, Warhol, Arthur Lee (who?), Scott Walker, JULIAN COPE. Are these the immortals of the next century and beyond? Julian Cope hopes so, after all ...
Human League, The: The Human League: A Soap Opera
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, October 1981
An everyday story of human life starring the HUMAN LEAGUE. Script MARK COOPER ...
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, October 1981
MARK COOPER talks to the 'cool ruler', Gregory Isaacs ...
Teardrop Explodes, The: The Teardrop Explodes: Club Zoo, Liverpool
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, November 1981
Escape from Tinseltown ...
Spandau Ballet: A Day In The Life Of Gary Kemp
Interview by Chas de Whalley, Record Mirror, November 1981
Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet talks to Chas De Whalley sbout one of his working days. ...
Scritti Politti: Suspicious Minds
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, December 1981
Making their way from the margins to the mainstream SCRITTI POLITTI have discovered the beauties of pop. But what took them so long? "Professor" MARK ...
Duran Duran: Rum Runner, Birmingham
Live Review by Chas de Whalley, Record Mirror, December 1981
THERE WASN'T a lot to see, for a start. When Duran Duran returned to their old stamping ground in Birmingham's trendy but tiny Rum Runner ...
A Certain Ratio: Sextet (Factory Fact 55)
Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, January 1982
A CERTAIN JE NE SAIS QUOI ...
Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus: Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus: Disarmament (Trojan)
Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, January 1982
DISARMAMENT IS a surprise – perhaps the first reggae album to openly confront the threat of nuclear warfare with the power of Jah Love while ...
Rhoda Dakar: Being Boiled – Rhoda Dakar
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, January 1982
2-Tone's follow up to 'Ghost Town' is equally timely and a good deal more controversial. The single is 'The Boiler' and its subject is rape. ...
Talking Heads: Wembley Arena, London
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, January 1982
Joining the stadium set ...
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, February 1982
"I'm not nuts," says RALF HÜTTER of mighty Germanic megastars KRAFTWERK. "Blimey," gasps MARK COOPER (PHD Engineering and Knitting) in disbelief. Well, is he or ...
Haircut 100: The Young Ones, Darling We're The Young Ones
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, February 1982
Young is beautiful, say HAIRCUT 100. MARK COOPER gets nostalgic with the band every mother wants her daughter to love. ...
KLF, The, Teardrop Explodes, The, Echo & The Bunnymen: A Life In The Day Of Bill Drummond
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, April 1982
Bill Drummond, manager of The Bunnymen and The Teardrops, talks to Mark Cooper ...
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: I Love Rock And Roll (Epic)
Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, April 1982
JOAN JETT is 23 years old. She's been in rock and roll for the last 10 years. It shows. ...
Clash, The: The Clash: Combat Rock (CBS) ***
Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, May 1982
Gonna write a Clashic ...
Girlschool: Hammersmith Odeon, London
Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, May 1982
THE SPECTACLE is always the same – blinding flashes and smokebombs, loud guitar and pounding drums. The band dedicate the songs to the crowd, the ...
Human League, The: A Life In The Day Of Martin Rushent
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, June 1982
MARTIN RUSHENT, producer of the Human League and Altered Images, talks to MARK COOPER. ...
Soft Cell: Non Stop Erotic Dancing (Some Bizarre) **
Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, June 1982
I'M NOT dancing, I'm sulking. Here we have a copy of Soft Cell's dance-mix album, a supposed treat, and I'm rooted to the floor. Church ...
Dennis Brown: Dennis the Menace
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, June 1982
DENNIS BROWN talks high finance with MARK COOPER ...
Interview by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, July 1982
Mark Cooper throws a few questions at the brand new Pigbag ...
Sugarhill Gang, The, Pete Wingfield: The Sugarhill Gang: Sweet Talking
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, August 1982
Rap? No, actually the Sugar hill Gang are pretty good, says Paul Sexton ...
Live Review by Betty Page, Record Mirror, May 1983
75% OF THIS Kajaudience measured less than 5ft 2ins and looked like the walking personification of Top Shop. Hundreds of young girls in crisp, virginal ...
Freeez: Two's Company... Freeez A Crowd
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, July 1983
PROFOUND STATEMENTS of our time, number 23. Let me introduce you to Freeez's John Rocca, who says assertively: "If you want a loaf of bread, ...
Dennis Edwards: Anyone For Dennis?
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, April 1984
IT WAS very nearly the combination of the year. Dennis Edwards and Chaka Khan. But hold on: Dennis Edwards and Siedah Garrett – maybe it ...
SOS Band, The: The SOS Band: $O$
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, April 1984
The selling of soul, by our financial staff, Paul Sexton ...
Interview by Betty Page, Record Mirror, September 1984
Billy Idol introduces Betty Page to an exciting new phenomenon called 'punk rawk' ...
Full Force: Young Business People Of The Year?
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, January 1986
Well, they have created the biggest 12 inch record in CBS history and they are going to feature on a new tribute to Martin Luther ...
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, January 1986
That's LL Cool J, possibly the best rapper ever and main thrust of Def Jam Recordings, possibly the coolest label this decade. They're both here ...
Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle: Cherrelle, Alexander O'Neal: Fairfield Halls, Croydon
Live Review by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, March 1986
THEY PACK 'EM in down Croydon way. A brace of shows by the Tabu twosome, no less, proving that Saturday love really stretches this far ...
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, February 1987
Hot House is one of the best new soul acts in Britain. Hot House was signed before their record company had even seen a picture ...
Interview by Betty Page, Record Mirror, November 1987
STEP INTO CAROL Decker's parlour and she'll greet you with a firm but welcoming handshake. This is characteristic of this forthright, intelligent and sharp young ...
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