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Mark Williams

Mark Williams

Since the laissez-faire underground press of the late '60s when web-offset printing and computer typesetting began displacing hot-metal and letterpress, Mark Williams has spent his entire career in publishing. A respected, if sometimes controversial journalist and columnist in the disparate fields of rock music, film and automotive media, he also conceived, launched and/or edited several successful magazines and newspapers which included Strange Days, Bike (still the UK's best selling motorcycle title), Which Bike?, New Music News, Bicycle Buyers Guide and Jalopy.

In the '90s, after a spell editing and successfully re-launching (with two editions) a weekly newspaper in Mid-Wales, Williams joined the Pearson Group in time to help negotiate their purchase of Future Publishing and then went on to establish Future's hugely successful international division which embraced licensing, joint ventures and wholly owned overseas subsidiaries.

Thanks to unrivaled experience in virtually every aspect of print media, come the millennium Williams became sought after as a consultant working with publishers both large and small. (Confidentiality deters him from detailing these on this website). In recent years he's handled foreign licensing and M&A deals, supervised business plan development, launches and re-launches and advised on every element of the publishing process which now of course includes multi-platform projects. He is also retained as p.r. advisor for a number of companies and charities.

And throughout his career in publishing management, Williams has continued to write highly regarded columns and features for a broad range of titles including Rolling Stone, Melody Maker, Top Gear, Motorcycle Rider, Time Out, Conde Nast Traveller, Italia!, TrailBike Magazine, the Guardian, London Evening Standard, Daily Telegraph and Used Car Buyer. He has also produced a number of books on film, music and motorcycling topics, plus two anthologies of material from The Week.

Outside of publishing, Williams has curated a number of art and photographic exhibitions and been involved in running several musical events, most notably Sheep Music the annual world music festival in Mid-Wales.

74 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Country Joe & The Fish: Country Joe: Fish Head

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 11 April 1969

INTERVIEWING COUNTRY Joe McDonald was an escapade I embarked on with fear in my heart, butterflies in my stomach and a copy of How to ...

Led Zeppelin: Plant

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 11 April 1969

IT'S NOT hard to suss that Led Zeppelin are well on the way to becoming a 'Supergroup', in the best tradition. ...

Leonard Cohen: Songs From A Room (CBS 9767 import)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 11 April 1969

LEONARD COHEN is not the world's greatest singer, his voice has a raspy edge to it and one often gets the impression that he's singing ...

Janis Joplin: Janis

Report by Mark Williams, International Times, 9 May 1969

JANIS WAS WANDERING round rapping and goofing with her band when I ventured onstage during her pre-concert rehearsal at the Albert Hall. She was obviously ...

Led Zeppelin: Jimmy Page

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 9 May 1969

A VERY WELL respected record producer recently informed me that Led Zepplin were the ONLY band that we're going to elevate themselves to the ranks ...

King Crimson King Crimson King Crimson King Crimson

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 13 June 1969

[NOTE: The first two paragraphs of this piece – along with one or two others – appear to bear no relation whatsoever to Mark's piece... ...

The LSD Of Underground Rock

Report by Mark Williams, International Times, 13 June 1969

IN AN ARTICLE in the dreaded Melody Maker (7/6/69), Tony Wilson points out that, 'At last the underground seems to be coming to terms with ...

Roy Harper: Waiting for the Bullets to Fly

Profile and Interview by Mark Williams, Rolling Stone, 14 June 1969

"I'M NEVER going to be a music industry hype. If they ever tried to make me into that I'd go round to what are considered ...

Blossom Toes: If Only For A Moment (Marmalade)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 4 July 1969

BLOSSOM TOES. Now there IS a band. Amazing people, a gas to be with, group looners of the old school but as music makers they've ...

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Bayou Country (Liberty)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 4 July 1969

HOORAY FOR this bopping, rhythm muslc! What more can a groover of a leaper ask for than to be socked endlessly by the compulsive unpretentious ...

Family Planning

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 4 July 1969

THE FAMILY used to scare me a bit. Onstage they seemed to perform with a mixture of super coolness, a nonchalance that sometimes gave me ...

The Rolling Stones: Jagger Rap/Stoned Earful

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 4 July 1969

FEELING RATHER like a tin can on a conveyor belt, moving along waiting to be filled with fruit salad or spaghetti, I went along to ...

Blossom Toes: Blossom Told

Profile and Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 18 July 1969

WHILST STARVING in Birmingham, trying to make ends meet, the dreary winter days were claeered up a little by an album called We Are Ever ...

Johnny Winter, Tony Joe White: Johnny Winter: Johnny Winter (CBS); Tony Joe White: Black And White (Monument)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 18 July 1969

THE ONLY OTHER record I possess on English Monument, is Ray Steven's single, 'Mr Businessman', which is beautiful and so is this album by Mr ...

Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left (Island)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 18 July 1969

I DON'T think I've been so impressed by an unknown singer/songwriter since I got the Duncan Browne album on Immediate, eighteen months ago, (why don't ...

Yes: Yes (Atlantic 588 190)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 18 July 1969

WRITING REVIEWS of records made by people I'm happy to regard as good friends, always makes me feel a little guilty. What if my opinions ...

Blossom Toes: If Only For A Moment (Marmalade 608 010)

Review by Mark Williams, Rolling Stone, 26 July 1969

IN THESE days of repressive mass media and a pop press that still bases the bulk of its criticism and coverage on what is happening ...

The Nice: Nice Work If You Can Get It

Profile by Mark Williams, Rolling Stone, 26 July 1969

THE NICE are the most successful British group to have achieved fame without a single in the top ten. The future is surer for them, ...

Yes: Yes (Atlantic)

Review by Mark Williams, Rolling Stone, 26 July 1969

THE BRITISH END of the Atlantic Recording Company's operations rarely signs up this country's groups and when it does, they have to be exceedingly good ...

Pete Brown and His Battered Ornaments, Family, Alexis Korner, The Rolling Stones, Screw: The Rolling Stones: Free Concerts — The Aftermath

Report by Mark Williams, uncredited writer, International Times, 1 August 1969

FREE CONCERTS constitute a threat to the established promotional ethos. An opportunity for music to be played without the encroachments of contractual stipulations, of advertising ...

Crosby Stills and Nash: Crosby, Stills & Nash: Crosby, Stills & Nash (Atlantic 588 189)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 15 August 1969

LATE LAST summer Dave Crosby was preparing his first solo album after having left the Byrds, Graham Nash was in America having a rest from ...

Jethro Tull: Stand Up (Island I LPS 9103)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 15 August 1969

SOME CLEVER bastard is going to remark that the cover is the best part of this album, which would be a drag for him. Nevertheless ...

The Action, Mighty Baby: Mighty Baby: The Five Year Pregnancy

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 15 August 1969

ROGER TELLS the story with the quiet resignation of someone who has been fucked about so much that it really doesn't matter any more. ...

Crazy Horse, Neil Young: Neil Young with Crazy Horse: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Reprise)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 15 August 1969

THE AFFECTION one feels for Neil Young is already immense because of his contribution to Buffalo Springfield, and the many beautiful things he wrote and ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Band: Tadpoles (Liberty)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 29 August 1969

LIBERTY RECORDS have gone to an almost unusual amount of trouble to supply record reviewers, deejays and other assorted irks with a copious, track-by-thrusting-track run ...

The Nice: Nice (Immediate)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 29 August 1969

THE NICE just keep escalating from strength to strength, their reputation solidifying as their incorporation of classical phraseology (sometimes admittedly borrowed wholesale) becomes even more ...

The Third Ear Band: Glen

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 29 August 1969

THE THIRD Ear Band, in its various forms, has been with us for over a year and will hopefully exist for many moons to come. ...

Tea & Symphony: Rock In The Sticks: Tea & Symphony

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 12 September 1969

THE MOST INTERESTING group in this article, from an historical point of view, is Tea & Symphony. They have had almost as many changes in ...

Blodwyn Pig: Ahead Speaks Out

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 26 September 1969

I'D NEVER seen Mick Abrahams in a suit before. In fact, he'd confessed to me that he'd never bought a suit in his life. He'd ...

Graham Bond

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 26 September 1969

AS ALL OF us who diligently study the music press will know, Graham Bond is back in Britain after nearly 2 years in America and ...

Joni Mitchell, Bridget St John: Bridget St. John: Ask Me No Questions (Dandelion 63750); Joni Mitchell: Clouds (Reprise RSLP 6341)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 10 October 1969

TWO BEAUTIFUL records both with an element of surprise; Joni's isn't as immediately impressive as was her first and Bridget's manages to emanate an aura ...

Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 10 October 1969

THE ALBERT Hall Concert on Wednesday September 24th, featuring Deep Purple in concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, was possibly the most important musical event ...

King Crimson: In The Court Of The Crimson King (Island ILPS 9111)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 10 October 1969

THE ULTIMATE Album. There is little one can fault with it; the arrangements make masterful use of multi-tracking, compressing and reducing, the standard of playing ...

Mott the Hoople: Hoopling Furiously

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 10 October 1969

GUY STEVENS is a man one should learn to trust. Every musical entity, record, group, or individual performer he's ever recommended me to, has turned ...

Mighty Baby: Mighty Baby (HOLS 6002 Head Records)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 6 November 1969

MIGHTY BABY are unique In having, over a period of five years, transmuted from a good Moddy (Skinhead)?) soul/pop group into a brilliant electric contemporary ...

Jerry Yester, Judy Henske: Judy Henske & Jerry Yester: Farewell Aldebaran (Straight)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 21 November 1969

JUDY HENSKE'S magnificent, almost butch voice makes this album memorable. Jerry Yester's vocals, arrangements and production (shared with ex-Lovln' Spoonful man Zal Yanovsky,) don't. ...

Mountain: Leslie West: Mountain (Bell)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 21 November 1969

LESLIE WEST is a large American who sings a bit like a white Buddy Miles (or a black Terry Reld) and plays guitar just like ...

The Youngbloods: Elephant Mountain (RCA)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 21 November 1969

THIS ALBUM is one of the essential records one would possess if a broad cross-sectlon of Rock is the ultimate zenith of one's collecting habits. ...

Eyes of Blue, Van Morrison, Traffic: Eyes Of Blue: In Fields Of Ardath (Mercury); Best Of Traffic (Island); Van Morrison: Astral Weeks (Warner Bros.)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 5 December 1969

IT'S VERY difficult you see. The record companies send you FREE records to review and something goes wrong: not enough space, a strangely appalling record ...

Jose Feliciano, Harry Nilsson: José Feliciano: 10 To 23 (R.C.A. Victor 8044); Nilsson: Harry (R.C.A. Victor 8046)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 5 December 1969

R.C.A. VICTOR, whoever he may be, has just issued these two albums which both employ pictures of the recording stars in question at a very ...

Larry Coryell: Lady Coryell (Vanguard SVRL 19051)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 5 December 1969

THIS IS quite possibly the most important record Philips have put out this year. Coryell is an unclassifiable guitarist and an artist who uses sound ...

Neil Young: After The Gold Rush

Review by Mark Williams, Oz, 1970

To start with Nell Young ain't tryin' anything flashy – he does what he knows and he does it with the perfection of a trained ...

The Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed (Decca)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 28 January 1970

IT'S ONLY after deliberately listening to the complete Stone's recorded output (9 albums, umpteen singles, 1 promotional album, 2 EPs) that one really appreciates just ...

Spirit

Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 12 February 1970

CTA, CANNED HEAT, Love & Flock are some of the more interesting American contemporary bands we've seen, or will be seeing, in Britain during the ...

Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath (Vertigo)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 13 March 1970

A BLOW JOB. Just get the gear on stage and wind it up Marshall stacks nine feet high on big & harsh with an edge ...

Caravan, The Wilde Flowers: Caravan and That Lot

Profile and Interview by Mark Williams, International Times, 13 March 1970

I REMEMBER the early publicity campaign, a minor masterpiece of hip PR and, it being early 1969 when the 'Underground Group As Pop Stars' syndrome ...

Yes: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 9 April 1970

IT HAS BEEN many months since I've seen YES and the consequent starvation of tight British progressive rock music par excellence left me eagerly awaiting ...

The Sound of the Seventies and The Pop Proms: It's All a Put On

Report by Mark Williams, International Times, 8 May 1970

Pop Proms, Rock machine & the penis of promoting. ...

Jimi Hendrix

Comment by Mark Williams, Strange Days, 25 September 1970

THE DAY after Judy Garland was found dead, a West End cinema began screening some of her old films. It was as predictable as it ...

Eric Burdon Now

Interview by Mark Williams, Strange Days, 9 October 1970

ERIC BURDON is back in town; talking with the old passion, drinking with the same cats and the same thirst as of old and generally ...

Reggae: The Real Underground Music

Report and Interview by Mark Williams, Strange Days, 23 October 1970

FORGET YOUR Edgar Broughtons and your Pink Floyds and your three million other 'underground' groups, ('underground' that is, until they start selling lottsa albums, when ...

John Cale: The Academy In Peril (Reprise)

Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 7 October 1972

WITH THIS album, John Cale continues to present a tantalising artistic persona, defying critical attempts to put his work into any concrete perspective. Vintage Violence ...

Rockpile: Rock Around With Philip Marlowe

Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 16 December 1978

THE TROPICANA MOTEL sits disconsolately on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, an area that looks uncomfortable sandwiched in between the clinical sky-scrapers of Century ...

The Pretenders: Say a Prayer for the Pretenders

Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 17 February 1979

The way tongues are wagging, though, they might not need them. Mark Williams profiles a Next Big Thing who actually look like delivering. ...

MC5, Wayne Kramer: Wayne Kramer Forgets The Motor City

Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 17 March 1979

"SOMETIMES we used to pass the Milan jail when the MC5 were driving to gigs outside of Detroit, and I used to look up at ...

Bill Nelson: The Sound Of Household Appliances

Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 24 March 1979

From frayed denim through guitar heroics to novorock, Bill Nelson's career has been plagued by accusations of plagiarism. MARK WILLIAMS listens to the disclaimers. ...

New Barbarians: The Forum, Los Angeles

Live Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 26 March 1979

IN THE foyer of LA's vast concrete amphitheatre, you could buy T-shirts promising "nothing less than ear-to-ear violence" in lettering supposed to resemble dripping blood. ...

The Who: The Mod Revival, Yes…

Live Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 12 May 1979

The Who: Rainbow, London ...

Madness: Dublin Castle, London

Live Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 13 June 1979

THE NAME says it all. ...

Wings: Taking Off At Last

Report and Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 16 June 1979

After a lengthy period on the ground, Paul McCartney's redesigned Wings are taking a few exploratory hops. MARK WILLIAMS' verdict: no metal fatigue. ...

Chris Rea: Up from Cleveland... England

Profile and Interview by Mark Williams, Rolling Stone, 26 July 1979

Singer/songwriter with an edge ...

Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, J. D. Souther, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat: Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt et al: Lowell George Benefit Concert, The Forum, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 11 August 1979

IT'S IRONIC that Little Feat were never adjudged sufficiently commercial to have headlined a concert at Los Angeles' massive Forum, since the place was bursting ...

The Alley Cats, The Bags, Black Randy & The Metrosquad, The Controllers (LA punk), The Germs, The Mau-Mau's, The Plugz, The Screamers, Suburban Lawns, X: L.A. Punk: Pogo-ing On The Fault Line

Overview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 20 September 1979

If Los Angeles is the future, how come its bands all sound so backdated? MARK WILLIAMS puts the case for the defence ...

Ian Gomm: Thinking Out Loud

Report and Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 29 September 1979

IAN GOMM is short, not quite stout, and has had his straw-coloured hair fashioned a la mod from the first time it was fashionable. His ...

The Eagles: The Long Run (Asylum)

Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 29 September 1979

THE POLITICS of pop have always been anathema to me. I cannot, and will not, shift my allegiances from an underrated or up-and-coming band when ...

The Kinks, Ray Davies: The Kinks: Low Budget (Arista)

Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 29 September 1979

THE TROUBLE with Ray Davies is that since he forsook the stark, three-chord spleen of 'You Really Got Me' and 'All Day & All Of ...

The Beat: Rankin' to Riches

Report and Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 19 January 1980

MARK WILLIAMS explodes the 2-Tone myth with the Beat ...

XTC: Hurrah, New York

Live Review by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 26 January 1980

Gunboat diplomacy ...

Madness in the USA

Report and Interview by Mark Williams, Melody Maker, 15 March 1980

Today the UK. Tomorrow the USA? Next week, the world? Are Madness about to get everybody up and dancing again? MARK WILLIAMS sits down and ...

The Go-Go's: Squealin' With A Feelin'

Interview by Mark Williams, L.A. Weekly, 10 April 1980

IT HARDLY seems right that five diminutive females dwarfed behind guitars and drums would be showing the door to half of Southern California's elder statesmen ...

Madness: A Brief Case History Of Madness

Book Excerpt by Mark Williams, Proteus Books, 1982

Their condition as carriers of a fast reggae hybrid, ska, was first diagnosed in 1979. This nutty sound was then transmitted to an increasingly larger ...

Parting Shot: Keith Morris 1938-2005

Obituary by Mark Williams, Guardian Unlimited, 29 July 2005

IN THE EARLY 1970s, Keith Morris was asked to do a session for the first album with an unknown singer-songwriter, Nick Drake. Keith took a ...

New Music News: My Part in IPC's Downfall

Memoir by Mark Williams, Rock's Backpages, 21 April 2009

IN RESPONSE TO an earlier blog, a generous comment from Johnny Black resurrected the ghost of a magazine I thought I'd laid to rest some ...

It's Tom Hibbert's World, And We'll Miss It

Memoir by Mark Williams, Rock's Backpages, 13 September 2011

SOMETIMES IT'S impossible not to write in clichés, and this is one of them: There have been too many deaths in my life recently and ...

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