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Paul Sexton

Paul Sexton

Freelance print and broadcast journalist Paul Sexton has been writing about music and avoiding a proper job since he started with the occasionally-lamented pop weekly Record Mirror while still at school in 1977.

He has written for all of the daily UK broadsheet titles (including the Financial Times), but is most closely associated with the Sunday Times (to whose Culture section he has contributed since 2003) and The Times itself, for which he started doing features and gig reviewer in 1993.

At Record Mirror he wrote features, record and gig reviews for well over a decade. He survived an early trial by subbing when an editing error on his first RM location assignment, covering rock ‘n’ roll revival band Darts in Dublin, meant that he appeared to think he was in Belfast.

Sexton wrote features on countless dance and soul acts for Record Mirror alongside influential DJ James Hamilton’s celebrated disco column. He went on to contribute to a wide range of daily, weekly and monthly titles including Music Week, Beat Instrumental and other titles published alongside Record Mirror by Spotlight Publications, notably the monthly dance title Jocks. He wrote for Select magazine in its initial years, and in the early 1990s began an ongoing association with Billboard magazine as a UK contributor.

His work in radio began as an interviewer and writer for the syndicated weekly British show Rock Over London, for which he soon became producer and, throughout the 1990s, presenter. At the height of its popularity, the programme was broadcast by more than 200 US radio stations a week. He also wrote for US titles such as Rockbill, Pollstar, Radio & Records and Friday Morning Quarterback. More recently, his features have appeared in Radio Times, SAGA and the PRS For Music magazine M.

Sexton is also a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 2, for whom he regularly presents and produces documentary programmes, including shows on everyone from the Rolling Stones to Louis Armstrong, also including Aretha Franklin, Leon Russell, Burt Bacharach, Dame Shirley Bassey, Al Green, Brian Wilson and dozens of others. He has deputised for Bob Harris and Huey Morgan and also presents shows at Inflight Entertainment for such airlines as Emirates, Cathay Pacific and KLM.

List of articles in the library by artist

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Hot House: Hot Shots

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

LL Cool J: Hard as Hell

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 ...

McFadden and Whitehead: Startin' 'N' Stoppin'

Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, July 1979

PAUL SEXTON winds up old phillybusters McFadden and Whitehead ...

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 ...

Minnie Riperton: Minnie (Capitol) ****

Review by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, August 1979

THIS WAS going to be a happy, triumphant comeback album... ...

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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

Anita Ward: Emergency Ward

Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, June 1979

Anita Ward rings PAUL SEXTON'S bells ...

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