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Boy Bands

99 articles

The Lettermen: Lettermen Make Team With Haircuts

Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 18 September 1966

"THE WEIRD thing about us is that we're not weird. We're what you call the All-American boys. When we first started we wore our hair ...

Ramsey Lewis, The Monkees: The Monkees: The Monkees (Colpix COM/S-101); Ramsey Lewis: Wade in the Water (Cadet LP/S-774),Swingin' (Cadet LP/S-771)

Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 25 September 1966

Monkees Ape Their Betters ...

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, The Troggs, The Walker Brothers: The Walker Brothers, the Troggs, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich: Granada, East Ham, London

Live Review by Penny Valentine, Disc and Music Echo, 8 October 1966

They're Off! Walkers, Troggs, Dave Dee ...

The Monkees — They're What's Happening Baby!

Profile by Derek Taylor, Rave, January 1967

An exclusive story by Derek Taylor ...

The Monkees: The Monkees (RCA)

Review by Penny Valentine, Disc and Music Echo, 21 January 1967

CATCHEE MONKEES — on their first great LP ...

The Monkees: Cow Palace, Daly City CA

Live Review by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 23 January 1967

A Gleeful Time With the Monkees Spoofing, Chatter Thrill Youngsters ...

The Monkees: Empire Pool, Wembley, London

Live Review by Peter Jones, Record Mirror, 8 July 1967

CERTAINLY THE best-produced pop-music presentation I've ever seen — that's a summary of the Monkees in concert at the massive 10,000-seater Wembley Pool. Constant changes ...

Jimi Hendrix, The Monkees: The Monkees, Jimi Hendrix Experience: Forest Hills Stadium, Queens NY

Live Review by Richard Goldstein, The Village Voice, 27 July 1967

DAVY JONES pretended to dip his microphone in a goblet of water. And Micky Dolenz admitted he had bought a Moog synthesizer ("I'm fooling around ...

The Osmonds: Madison Square Garden, New York NY

Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 5 December 1971

Don't Knock Cradle Rock ...

New York Dolls, The Osmonds: The Top of Pop: The Dolls Will Be Heard From

Column by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 3 September 1972

THREE HEROES. You pay your money and you take your choice. Which one is yours? ...

The Jackson 5: How NOT to interview the Jackson 5!

Report and Interview by Robin Katz, Record Mirror, 3 February 1973

NOW, FOR the express purpose of this article, let's assume you've already interviewed the J5 in a serious press call. Like the other journalists, you ...

The Jackson 5: Papa Joe's Family Music Plan...

Interview by Robin Katz, Record Mirror, 2 June 1973

HOW MUCH does your father influence you? How would you feel if he insisted that you spend at least four hours everyday after school learning ...

The Jackson 5: The J Five Slot: Kimonos and a tea ceremony as the Jacksons tour Japan

Report by Robin Katz, Record Mirror, 23 June 1973

SOME GROUPS cause pandemonium the moment they come on stage, but it seems that the J5 are one of pop music's few groups who cause ...

The Osmonds: The Plan (MGM)

Review by Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 7 July 1973

The Os come of age ...

The Bay City Rollers: Split! Nobby and the Bay City Boys Roll Their Separate Ways

Report and Interview by Rosalind Russell, Disc, 16 March 1974

Rosalind Russell delves for the truth behind the departure of Nobby Clark from the Bay City Rollers ...

The Bay City Rollers: Rollin' with the Rollers

Interview by Colin Irwin, Melody Maker, 19 October 1974

HELLO AND welcome to the BBC Television Centre at Shepherd's Bush. There's a lot of excitement... and chaos... here today, as always when they're making ...

The Bay City Rollers: Bay City Rollers: Top of the Pops?

Profile by Wayne Robins, The Village Voice, 8 September 1975

IF YOU believe, as I do, that 'Sugar Sugar' was a brilliant record, you may like the Bay City Rollers. On the other hand, it ...

The Bay City Rollers: Can the Rollers crack America?

Report and Interview by Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 6 December 1975

CHRIS CHARLESWORTH IN NEW YORK ANSWERS THE 64,000 DOLLAR QUESTION ...

Slik back to the Fifties

Interview by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, 17 January 1976

IT'S NOT often you come across a small group of girls lying on their stomachs on a pavement on a cold, damp day. But if ...

The Bay City Rollers: Palladium, New York NY

Live Review by Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 15 January 1977

Rollers: it's a riot ...

The Jacksons: The Jacksons (Epic/Philadelphia International); Joyful Jukebox Music (Tamla Motown)

Review by Bob Woffinden, New Musical Express, 15 January 1977

The red carpet, but no heat treatment ...

Donny Osmond, The Osmonds: In the busy world of Donny Osmond

Interview by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 2 November 1977

"YOU'RE GOING to phone Donny Osmond?" A couple of my jazzfan friends stared in disbelief. It was as if I had announced that Duke Ellington ...

The Jacksons: Destiny (Epic)

Review by Danny Baker, New Musical Express, 13 January 1979

EACH YEAR, when the popularity polls roll around, way down in the best vocalist section we can find Bowie, Dylan and even Cornwall whilst my ...

New Edition: Editions Of Youth

Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 16 April 1983

HERE'S SOMETHING that can't miss. Five young and cute boys (ages 14 and 15) who can sing and dance, including one outstanding lead singer whose ...

Wham! Teen Dreams Come True

Interview by Paolo Hewitt, New Musical Express, 18 June 1983

A sense of humour? Clubs, parties and late nights? Five months to write 'Bad Boys'? What is with these WHAM! guys? PAOLO HEWITT steps into ...

New Edition: Candy Girl (London/Streetwise SH8553)

Review by Betty Page, Record Mirror, 20 August 1983

EDITIONS OF YOU ...

New Edition: Boston' Loose

Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, 27 August 1983

We release New Edition on an unsuspecting London ...

George Michael, Wham!: Wham!: The Beach Boys

Report and Interview by Neil Tennant, Smash Hits, 24 May 1984

A sun-soaked story of sea, sand, shorts, shuttlecocks and snogging. Yes, Wham! are back. Your travel guide in Miami: Neil Tennant. ...

New Edition

Report and Interview by David A. Keeps, Smash Hits, 4 April 1985

THESE BOYS ARE BUSY. TWO YEARS AGO THEY WERE NUMBER ONE WITH 'CANDY GIRL'. NOW THEY'RE BACK WITH 'MR TELEPHONE MAN' AND 'COOL IT NOW', ...

Wet Wet Wet: Stupid Sports of the World Part 112: Ten "Pin" Bowling featuring Wet Wet Wet

Report and Interview by Sylvia Patterson, Smash Hits, 20 May 1987

They used to be "punk" "rockers" with horrible hair but now they're four "nice" "lads" who love their parents and take their washing home with ...

A-ha, The Beastie Boys, Boy George, The Communards, Curiosity Killed The Cat, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Whitney Houston, Nick Kamen, Simply Red, Spandau Ballet, Swing Out Sister, UB40: The Montreux Pop Festival

Report and Interview by William Shaw, Smash Hits, 3 June 1987

What are Curiosity Killed The Cat, Boy George, Whitney Houston, Beastie Boys, A-ha and three squillion other pop stars doing in a little town in ...

Bros: This Is What You Do To Get On The Cover Of Smash Hits...

Report and Interview by William Shaw, Smash Hits, 10 February 1988

It's not just a queston of having a massive hit (e.g. Bros' 'When Will I Be Famous?') and then standing still for thirty seconds in ...

Bros: "We're The Only Group Who Write About Our Generation"

Interview by William Shaw, Smash Hits, 6 April 1988

Matt, Luke and Craig from Bros tell William Shaw about the songs on their first-ever LP Push... ...

New Kids On The Block, Tommy Page, Tiffany: New Kids on the Block, Tiffany, Tommy Page: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD

Live Review by Geoffrey Himes, Evening Sun (Baltimore), The , 31 July 1989

5 Kids, 5,000 screamers produce A YYYEEEEEYEYEOHOOOWWWW!!! ...

New Kids On The Block: It's the New Kids on the Block!

Interview by Chris Heath, Smash Hits, 16 November 1989

IT'S THE Monday morning after their "triumphant" performance of 'You Got It (The Right Stuff)' at the Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party and New Kids ...

New Kids on the Block: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis TN

Live Review by Lloyd Bradley, The Independent, 23 February 1990

Young bloods in Memphis: the boys from next door ...

New Kids On The Block: Step by Step (CBS 466686 1)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 June 1990

CONCERNED PARENTS may be anxious to discover what exactly has precipitated the recent bouts of querulous mass hysteria among our nation's six to 12 year-olds. ...

New Kids On The Block: Step By Step (CBS)

Review by Ian Gittins, Melody Maker, 30 June 1990

WHAT IS SO odious about New Kids On The Block? Why are they so uniquely dislikeable? Is it the disturbingly cynical way they blunted rap's ...

East 17, Sybil, Take That, Utah Saints, Worlds Apart: Take That, Utah Saints, Worlds Apart, Sybil, East 17: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Bennun, Melody Maker, 28 August 1993

"TAKE THAT are the best group in the whole world. So there!" ...

D:Ream, Take That: Take That, D:Ream: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Barbara Ellen, New Musical Express, 11 December 1993

PIN-UP... AND COMING ...

Boyz II Men: II (Motown) ****

Review by Amy Linden, New York Daily News, 4 September 1994

Boyz II Men: A Smooth Transition. II shows Philly quartet isn't just a passing fancy. ...

Take That: Bare cheek, but check out the talent — Take That: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Max Bell, The Evening Standard, 16 September 1994

Deafened by screams, but impressed by the cabaret, MAX BELL reviews Take That at Wembley Arena ...

The Flying Medallions, Stereolab, Suede, Take That, Tiny Monroe, Voodoo Queens: Take That and Indie?

Report and Interview by Siân Pattenden, Select, December 1994

What happens when a quintet of indie deities meet the locus of teen-lust that is Take That? Will they cop off? Will they agree to ...

Take That: Nobody Else (RCA)

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 May 1995

THE TEENY horrors' recent attempts to grow up have been partially successful; the newly-acquired dreadlocks are frightening rather than alluring, but their third album is ...

East 17: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 May 1995

Hormonesapoppin' as E17 storm the Sheffield Arena. No prisoners taken ...

Peter Andre, East 17: East 17, Peter Andre, Deuce, J-Pac: SECC, Glasgow

Live Review by Keith Cameron, New Musical Express, 3 June 1995

COCKNEY REVELS ...

Boyzone, Whigfield: Grand, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 14 June 1995

Quick, nurse the screams ...

George Michael, Take That, Robbie Williams: Robbie Williams: Gain the world, lose your soul

Comment by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 28 July 1995

Why did Robbie Williams turn his back on
 fame, fortune and Take That? Because he had to ...

Take That split (if you say so)

Comment by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 8 September 1995

The most remarkable thing about the teen scream dreamboys is they know exactly how disposable they are. ...

Take That: 'Back For Good' (Arista)

Review by James Hunter, Rolling Stone, 2 November 1995

BEAUTIFUL LOSER ...

East 17: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 11 December 1995

The music of merchandise ...

Oasis, Robbie Williams: No sign of peace at the Oasis

Report by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 22 December 1995

Caitlin Moran says blood will prove thicker than water between the battling Gallaghers ...

Oasis, Take That: Take That: Sex pistols will fill pretty vacancy

Comment by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 8 March 1996

Think of Take That as a magic bus — another, bigger and brasher, will be along in a minute ...

Gary Barlow, Take That, Robbie Williams: Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams: New Labour v Militant

Report by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 12 July 1996

IT IS HARD to believe, but there are children young enough not to remember last year's Blur v Oasis wars. Children who will have to ...

Bobby Brown, New Edition: New Edition: Houston? We Have No Problem

Interview by Johnny Cigarettes, New Musical Express, 7 September 1996

The Rolling Stones? Pah! The Beatles? Forget it! They're nothing compared to NEW EDITION (remember '80s classic 'Candy Girl'?). Or so founder member Bobby Brown ...

East 17: Pimply — East 17: Around The World — The Journey So Far (London 826852-2)

Review by Lucy O'Brien, Q, January 1997

East 17: becoming cooler by degrees. ...

Eternal, Human Nature: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 7 April 1997

The sound of a well-oiled machine ...

Blackstreet, Brownstone: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 24 April 1997

Street life of Riley ...

Jonny Lang: Hanson: The little brat pack

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 May 1997

They're too young to drink at their own gigs. But Hanson are coming, and so is a new wave of pubescent poppers. Caroline Sullivan meets ...

Boyzone: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 9 June 1997

One for the girls ...

Five: Boys Will Be Boys Bands

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 October 1997

You've never heard of Five. The Spice Girls' inventors will make sure you do. Caroline Sullivan reports ...

Hanson: Snowbored! Hanson: Snowed In (Mercury 11 tks/42 mins)

Review by Simon Price, Melody Maker, 22 November 1997

So, is HANSON'S second album — devoted to the spirit off Christmas — a cracker... or a whopping great turkey? ...

Backstreet Boys: And They Can Sing Too

Profile and Interview by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 4 January 1998

Two years ago, the Backstreet Boys struggled to find an audience in America for their clean-cut songs. Now, after mega-star success in Europe and Canada, ...

Gary Barlow: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 March 1998

Ready to Take That and party on ...

Hanson: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 June 1998

Teen hearts throb with teen music ...

Boyzone: Lost Boyz

Report and Interview by Barbara Ellen, The Observer, 25 October 1998

They live a rock-and-roll lifestyle but are hung-up about virginity. They act like grown-ups but keep their clothes in baskets with schoolboy name-tags on them. ...

Backstreet Boys, Robbie Williams: Backstreet Boys: Millennium (Jive); Robbie Williams: The Ego Has Landed (Capitol)

Review by James Hunter, New York Observer, 24 May 1999

Backstreet Boys Play Coy, Robbie Williams Is a Joy ...

Jordan Knight: Jordan Knight (Interscope)

Review by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 1999

KNIGHT MAY have served his musical apprenticeship by doing the electric boogaloo in stone-washed jeans when he was a member of New Kids on the ...

Backstreet Boys: Earls Court, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 18 June 1999

Good, and over here ...

Backstreet Boys: Earl's Court, London **

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 June 1999

IT'S A DEPRESSING thought, but the Backstreet Boys have a strong claim to being the most popular group in the world right now. Although no ...

Gary Barlow: Stronger, Faster, Better — and Taller

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 July 1999

Gary Barlow may have been upstaged by the success of his former Take That colleague. Then again, says Caroline Sullivan, Robbie can't fly ...

98 Degrees, B*Witched, Aaron Carter, E.Y.C., Monica, No Authority: B*Witched, 98 Degrees, Monica et al: Nickelodeon's All That Music & More, Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 1999

A Smartly Wrapped Package: All That Music & More tour's acts fly by in a format tailored to kids. ...

Bros, Five, Spice Girls: Bob Herbert 1942-1999

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 August 1999

BOB HERBERT, who has died in a car crash aged 57, didn't invent the idea of the packaged pop group, but, as the man responsible ...

Backstreet Boys: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim CA

Live Review by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 16 October 1999

There's a Backstreet Boy for Every Teenage Girl ...

The Bay City Rollers: My tartan heart

Retrospective by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 October 1999

Caroline Sullivan reflects on the life and love of a teenage Bay City Rollers fan ...

Spice Girls, Westlife: Battle of the blands: Westlife versus the Spice Girls

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 November 2000

It was the biggest chart clash since Blur versus Oasis: Westlife versus the Spice Girls. What does that tell us about today's music business, asks ...

Donny Osmond: Big Brother

Profile and Interview by Tim Cooper, The Observer, 25 March 2001

He was on stage by five, on tour by eight and receiving 50,000 fan letters a week by 13. But behind his success lay loneliness, ...

Ronan Keating: Mad about the boy

Profile and Interview by Tim Cooper, The Observer, 8 April 2001

Ronan Keating is the blue-eyed blond who stole the heart of every schoolgirl in the country with Boyzone. Now, he's going it alone and is ...

NSYNC: Celebrity

Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 18 August 2001

ADIEU, BACKSTREET BOYS: your retirement awaits you. With Celebrity, NSYNC have cooked the boyband goose, and none will feel the heat more acutely than the ...

Blue (England): Blue: One Love

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 November 2002

BLUE'S MELANCHOLY All Rise, probably the only hit of 2001 to feature accordion as lead instrument, was such a sterling example of what thoughtful production ...

Son Of Dork: Welcome To Loserville

Review by Ian Watson, Yahoo! Music, November 2005

Dear Shareholders, FOLLOWING THE concerns raised (see minutes passim) about the discontinuation of the Busted product and the underperformance of the Fightstar spinoff, we’re delighted to ...

Johnny Jenkins, Otis Redding: Johnny Jenkins, 1939-2006

Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 16 September 2006

Flamboyant musician who influenced Hendrix and Otis Redding ...

Scouting for Girls: 100 Club, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 August 2007

IF SCOUTING FOR GIRLS turn out to be notable for nothing else, they have at least saved the name Roy from extinction. But Roy Stride, ...

McFly: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 November 2008

REMEMBER THE days when boy bands were 10 a penny and schoolgirls would wage war over whether Take That or East 17 were more luscious? ...

Jedward: Planet Jedward

Review by Pete Paphides, The Times, 24 July 2010

WHEN ASKED WHAT he does for a living, Simon Cowell says his job is to "guess what's going to be popular". In fact, the strange ...

The Walker Brothers: John Walker, 1943-2011

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 9 May 2011

Singer with the Walker Brothers, one of the most popular bands of the 1960s ...

Davy Jones, The Monkees: Davy Jones, 1945-2012

Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 29 February 2012

Former child actor who became a star with the '60s pop group the Monkees. ...

JLS: O2, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 March 2012

WHO COULD HAVE predicted not one but two X Factor boybands would exceed their allotted 15 minutes? The onus is now on JLS to out-dazzle ...

McFly: HMV Apollo, London W6

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 April 2012

MCFLY HAVE never paid much attention to the traditional boyband script. It is eight years since their first single, '5 Colours in Her Hair', reached ...

Backstreet Boys, One Direction: Just me and the boybands…

Retrospective by Mark Kemp, Creative Loafing, 21 June 2012

IT WAS BEGINNING to get very surreal. For months we'd been broadcasting live out of a brand-new studio overlooking Times Square, first as MTV Live, ...

Justin Timberlake: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 September 2013

His ex-boyband DNA compels him to give the footwork as much prominence as the songs  ...

One Direction (2015)

Interview by Pip Williams, Rock's Backpages audio, 15 October 2015

One Direction's Harry Styles and Niall Horan on their new album, Made In The A.M.; it's release clashing with Justin Bieber's; will the All Blacks win the Rugby World Cup; why they don't behave like most rockers; their responsibilities towards their fans; why Ireland didn't beat Poland in the Euro qualifiers, and their fondness for Sweden.

File format: mp3; file size: 14.6mb, interview length: 15' 11" sound quality: *****

One Direction's Harry Styles and Niall Horan On Their New Album, Made In The A.M.

Interview by Pip Williams, Coup De Main, 18 October 2015

IT'S BEEN A wild year for One Direction. Five years down the line from their original formation as one of Simon Cowell's amalgamations of solo ...

George Michael: Why George Michael was the greatest pop star of the MTV era

Comment by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 26 December 2016

Jackson had the moves, Madonna had the moxie, Prince had the sex – but George Michael had the voice … and thrilling songs like spinning ...

Busted: Hammersmith Apollo, London — all grown up and not so much fun

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 February 2017

Wall-to-wall screaming greets the trio's return, but 13 years on their infectiously exuberant punk-pop has been replaced by cloying, synth-heavy soft rock. ...

Harry Styles: teen star turned serious player?

Profile by Jude Rogers, The Observer, 14 May 2017

He was boyband One Direction's most high-profile pin-up. But as his debut solo album proves, behind the marketing lies a smart young man ...

Bros: O2, London

Live Review by Stephen Dalton, The Times, 21 August 2017

NOSTALGIA IS A powerful drug. One of the joys of witnessing former teen-pop idols re-form in middle age is the extra emotional depth, knowing hindsight ...

Harry Styles: Harry Styles

Review by Geoffrey Himes, The Washington Post, 29 September 2017

HARRY STYLES has gone back to the future. Sooner or later, this short, wiry singer with the tousled hair and giddy tenor had to leave ...

Busted: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 1 April 2019

When the apocalypse comes, all that will remain is cockroaches and Busted. ...

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