Library Rock's Backpages

David Hepworth

David Hepworth

David Hepworth has been writing about and broadcasting about music since the 1970s. He started contributing to NME in 1975 and later wrote for Sounds. He joined Smash Hits soon after its launch in 1979 and was editor from 1980 to 1983 after which he became Editorial Director of EMAP Metro in which capacity he supervised the launches of many magazines including Q, Mojo and Empire. He was one of the presenters of BBC Television's Whistle Test in the early '80s and one of the anchors of the Corporation's coverage of Live Aid. He was one of the principals of the independent publishing company Development Hell, which published The Word and MixMag. His two books, 1971: Never A Dull Moment and Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars, were both Sunday Times bestsellers.

 

David Hepworth online

David Hepworth on the RBP podcast

80 articles

List of articles in the library

By date | By artist | Most recently added

Bonnie Raitt: Bonnie Raitt; Give it up; Takin' My Time (Warner Bros.)

Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 19 June 1976

IT'S ALL very well Warner Bros. making magnanimous noises about re-releasing these albums, Bonnie's first three. ...

The Runaways: The Runaways (Mercury, Import)

Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 26 June 1976

Falling foul of Fowley? ...

The Modern Lovers: The rarefield talents of Jonathan Richman: The Modern Lovers

Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 10 July 1976

David Hepworth reviews the most in-demand album in London ...

Jesse Winchester: New Victoria, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 17 July 1976

JESSE WINCHESTER certainly didn't have things easy for his British concert debut last week. For a start, the combination of heatwave and Bonnie And Clyde ...

Joan Armatrading: Joan Armatrading (A&M)

Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 7 August 1976

Joan puts on her sailin' shoes ...

Joan Armatrading, Moon: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 2 October 1976

MOON GET better weekly. Disciplined, tight, colourful but most important eager to please. They got an encore. Between their leaving the stage and Joan Armatrading ...

Tom Waits: Small Change (Asylum, Import)

Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 20 November 1976

Waits refuses to face his critics (to his lasting credit...) ...

The Mekons: Hope & Anchor, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 27 January 1979

THE HOPE and Anchor is stuffed. If you're aiming to pour one more leather jacket into this crypt, you'd be wise to have remembered the ...

Eddie Money: Life For The Taking

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 3 February 1979

THE FIRST Eddie Money album was the more or less happy outcome of moderate talent breaking bread with the neat idea and contriving solid formula, ...

Ian Dury is an Xmas Cake (Relax, it's a compliment)

Profile by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 8 February 1979

1979 is still only a few weeks old, and already the No. 1 singles slot has been occupied first by a buncha camp New Yorkers ...

Elvis Costello: One Itchy trigger

Profile by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 22 February 1979

ELVIS COSTELLO likes to keep his past a mystery. This attitude has led fact-starved journalists to guess that he was once everything from an escaped ...

Generation X: Just A Pretty Buncha Posers? Or is there more to Generation X?

Profile by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 22 February 1979

MOST BANDS would waste no time in setting the dogs on you if you dared call them posers. Generation X, on the other hand, have ...

Roxy Music: Manifesto (Polydor POLH 001)***½

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 10 March 1979

HOW ABOUT a little fanfare? Not that this is a comeback. Oh no. The accompanying propaganda takes pains to point out that this is just ...

Sniff 'N' The Tears: A Change Of Art

Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 10 March 1979

SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS, not a band to be sneezed at says DAVID HEPWORTH ...

The Pretenders: Pretenders, Strangeways: the Nashville, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 17 March 1979

Paralysed by expectation ...

Chic, Sister Sledge: Sister Sledge: We Are Family (Cotillion K50587)***

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 7 April 1979

THE SNAP on the front may be Janet Reger boudoir and the one on the back corn row ethnic, but such image upgrading doesn't alter ...

Japan, Reggae Regular: Japan, the Regulars: Rainbow Theatre, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 28 April 1979

Hype springs eternal ...

The Roches: The Roches (Warner Bros Import BSK 3298)****½

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 9 June 1979

Dogs and married men ...

Dire Straits: The Mild Bunch

Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 30 June 1979

DAVID HEPWORTH shoots the breeze with DIRE STRAITS ...

Tom Waits: BBC Studios, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 30 June 1979

A man alone ...

Lowell George, Little Feat: Lowell George hangs up his sailing shoes

Obituary by David Hepworth, uncredited writer, Sounds, 7 July 1979

LOWELL GEORGE, founder and leader of Little Feat, collapsed and died in Washington DC last Friday. Thirty-four-year-old George, father of four children, had just started ...

Van Halen Makes Your Day Go Away

Report and Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 7 July 1979

DAVID HEPWORTH GOES TO HALEN BACK (NEWCASTLE, ACTUALLY) ...

The B-52s: Life With a Wig On

Report and Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 21 July 1979

NEW PERSPECTIVES ON ROCK AND ROLL REVEALED TO DAVID HEPWORTH BY THE B-52s ...

Chas and Dave, Commander Cody, Fairport Convention, Led Zeppelin, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Utopia: Led Zeppelin, Utopia, Southside Johnny, Chas And Dave, Commander Cody, Fairport Convention: Knebworth Festival, Knebworth House, Herts

Live Review by Hugh Fielder, David Hepworth, Sounds, 11 August 1979

OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY ...

Talking Heads: Fear Of Music (Sire SRK 6076) *****

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 18 August 1979

Don't eat, talk ...

The Fabulous Thunderbirds: The Fabulous Thunderbirds (Takoma TAK 7068) ***

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 25 August 1979

IT WILL not have escaped your attention that America is one beast of an extensive country. As far as it concerns rock and roll music ...

The Jam: Talking 'Bout My Generation: The Jam

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 6 September 1979

IT'S AUGUST 1979 and this is The Modern World. The Who are back in action for the first time in years, their films are on ...

The Specials: Don't Call Me Ska-Face!

Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 6 September 1979

SO WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THE SPECIALS? David Hepworth is the man with the answers ...

Michael Jackson: Off The Wall (Epic FE 35745)****

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 15 September 1979

IF ANYONE was worried whether Michael Jackson could keep his act in one piece in the face of the inexorable march of the years (the ...

XTC: The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindon

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 1 November 1979

The only notes that count are the ones that come from Wilts. David Hepworth meets XTC. ...

The Undertones: Smash Hits Dept. of Gritty Realism presents: If This Is Tuesday, It Must Be Blackburn

Report by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 15 November 1979

David Hepworth goes on the road with THE UNDERTONES ...

Marianne Faithfull: As Years Go By

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 29 November 1979

David Hepworth recites the ballad of Marianne Faithfull ...

Madness: They Call It Madness

Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 29 November 1979

Dr. Hepworth dons a white coat and investigates... ...

Rachel Sweet: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 8 December 1979

THE RECENT transfiguration of Rachel Sweet into hard punchin' rock and roll chicklet series two may be causing the continent of her birth to curl ...

Kim Fowley: Snake Document Masquerade (Island ILPS 9572) **

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 5 January 1980

A personal harem of tasty tarts is not enough ...

The Police: Police Profile: Sting

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 7 February 1980

In the first instalment of a four part close-up on the band of the moment, the man with the voice talks to David Hepworth about ...

The Ramones: Wanchewfreefor!!!

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 7 February 1980

David Hepworth catches up with Da Ramones, y'know? ...

The Police: Police Profile: More STING

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 21 February 1980

In the second instalment of our four part Police Profile, Sting talks to David Hepworth about fans, fame and the future. ...

The Police: Police Profile: Andy Summers

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 20 March 1980

Fifteen years in Rock 'n' Roll. Is it just a passing phase? David Hepworth thinks not. ...

The Police: Police Profile: Stewart Copeland

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 3 April 1980

The man who formed The Police stresses the importance of faith and gestures a lot. David Hepworth sits still and listens. ...

The Specials: Today Coventry, Tomorrow — Coventry

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 29 May 1980

Terry Hall treats David Hepworth to a short course in TwoTonics and explains how to keep out of the Rat Race. ...

The Human League: Very Ordinary People With Very Odd Tastes

Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 10 July 1980

THE HUMAN League are different. Yes, I know that's the fanfare that's trotted out to greet the arrival of every other new act these days ...

Dexys Midnight Runners: Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (Parlophone)

Review by David Hepworth, The Face, August 1980

YOU WON'T go short of excuses for snickering at Dexys Midnight Runners from behind your hand. There's the lofty self-esteem, the leather uniforms, the missionary ...

New Musik: The Appliance of Science

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 7 August 1980

Knee deep in keyboards and cables, Tony Mansfield makes New Musik. Tape Op: D. Hepworth ...

Ian Dury, Wilko Johnson: Ian Dury & Wilko Johnson: The Odd Couple

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 4 September 1980

The Class of '73 holds a reunion. David Hepworth takes the roll call. ...

The Police: The World About Us

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 16 October 1980

In today's programme, lesson one: Income = Input + Inspiration. Stewart Copeland supplies the formula. David Hepworth studies it very carefully. ...

Bruce Springsteen: The River (CBS)

Review by David Hepworth, The Face, November 1980

THEY GAVE me 350 words and Wednesday evening to account for the fact that my heart took to pumping double when this record slid out ...

The Clash: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 25 December 1980

Joe Strummer don't. Neither do The Clash. They just wanna make triple albums. David Hepworth raps (ouch!)   ...

Madness: The Return of the Mad-nificent 7

Report and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 5 February 1981

Davy, Dav-ee Hepworth (King Of The Wild Frontier) watches Madness ride off into the sunset. ...

Brian Eno, Talking Heads: Byrne's Eye Vew

Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 5 March 1981

Talking Heads is TV slang for people whose legs you never see. It's also the name of one of the finest groups in the world. ...

Linx

Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 19 March 1981

DAVID GRANT, singer, songwriter, ritzy dancer and one half of the pair of young blades who spearhead Linx, has a saying. "This is show business. ...

The Cramps: Psychedelic Jungle (IRS)

Review by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 14 May 1981

FROM THE DEPTHS of the primeval rain forest they came, bathed in hideous blue light, muttering of voodoo and rotting bones and things that go ...

Earth, Wind & Fire: Earth Wind & Fire: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 1 April 1982

OVER THE TOP WITH EARTH WIND & FIRE AT WEMBLEY ARENA OUR MAN IN BLOCK E: DAVID HEPWORTH ...

Ron Sexsmith: Other Songs (Universal IND90123)

Review by David Hepworth, Q, July 1997

Ron Sexsmith: a case of, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. ...

Elvis Costello: Nobody talks like Elvis Costello

Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2003

On the eve of his second quarter century Elvis looks back, sideways but most of all forward. "I've started to sing from directly inside of ...

Steely Dan: Everything Must Go

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, July 2003

They used to be great... they still are ...

Neil Young: On The Beach/American Stars 'N Bars/Hawks & Doves/Re•ac•tor

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, August 2003

I SPOKE TO Neil Young in 1992, when one of his riffs was the shortcomings of digital sound. "You ever sit down with a CD ...

Randy Newman: What made Randy Newman invisible at the Oscars?

Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, September 2003

RANDY NEWMAN comes from Hollywood's leading musical family. Two of his uncles were major screen music composers and conductors. His own father was a musician ...

Emmylou Harris: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"

Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, December 2003

For Emmylou Harris it was more than just "practice". She started out playing four shows a night six nights a week, became the "chick singer" ...

Willie Nile: Streets Of New York

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2006

MUSICIANS NEVER give up, which is more often a cause for sadness than celebration. I reviewed my last Willie Nile record in 1980. I thought ...

Guy Peellaert: The man who invented rock and roll

Comment by David Hepworth, The Word, 20 November 2008

I'VE ONLY JUST noticed that Guy Peellaert died the other day. Lots of people have never heard his name but the fact remains that, rightly ...

The Cramps: Lux Interior, 1946-2009

Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2009

SOMETIME IN THE mid-'70s, Erick Purkhiser of Stow, Ohio, exchanged his given name for words he found in an automobile catalogue. ...

The Who: Sell Out: Deluxe Edition (Polydor)

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2009

The Who Sell Out was muddled enough with all those fake ads getting in the way. It's certainly not made "deluxe" by such additions as ...

Nick Drake: Robert Kirby, 1948-2009

Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, December 2009

THE SPARSENESS of the three albums Nick Drake released in his lifetime are part of their enduring appeal. On two of those albums, string arrangements ...

Jonsi: Go (Parlophone)

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, July 2010

HEY, THIS IS a first. I'm reviewing this record on an InterCity train. I've accessed it via Spotify and been able to put it — ...

Paul Simon: So Beautiful Or So What

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2011

After a 70-year emotional odyssey, Paul Simon offloads his hard-won black humour and shrugging folk wisdom. ...

Paul Simon: How does Paul Simon deal with his compulsive side?

Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, September 2011

THE MEASURE OF Paul Simon's output first came home to me over 20 years ago when I went to see him perform at Wembley Arena. ...

Patti Smith: Outside Society – Greatest Hits

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, September 2011

Patti Smith wouldn't thank you for calling her a pop star. In fact, there's no higher praise — as this compilation attests. ...

The Coasters, The Drifters, Ben E. King, Big Mama Thornton: Jerry Leiber, 1933-2011

Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, October 2011

The man who made "15-minute radio plays" into hits. ...

Little Feat: 40 Feat – The Hot Tomato Anthology 1971-2011

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, October 2011

Five years of inspiration and another 35 of re-creation in a box of Little Feat, the band that nearly became the next big thing. ...

Pajama Club: Marital Records

Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, October 2011

The moment their kids left home, Neil and Sharon Finn formed a new band. Pajama Club is their "empty-nest album". ...

Etta James 1938-2012

Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, March 2012

JOHNNY OTIS was relaxing in his San Francisco hotel room one afternoon in 1954 when his manager called from the lobby and said he was ...

Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2012

IN SEPTEMBER 2009, Whitney Houston performed in Central Park for the TV show Good Morning America. ...

T. Rex: Electric Warrior (De Luxe Edition)

Review by David Hepworth, The Word, May 2012

Marc Bolan's magical flair for a pop hook was giddy and touching — and owed as much to Chuck Berry as Roy Harper. ...

Levon Helm, 1940-2012

Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, June 2012

'THE NIGHT THEY drove old Dixie down' is the perfect emblem for the life and career of Levon Helm. This one song, written by Robbie ...

Donna Summer, 1948-2012

Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, July 2012

AT A TIME when pop music seems to be dominated by solo female artists, it's hard to imagine that they were once a relative rarity. ...

Ed Sheeran: And another thing: Miserable songs

Comment by David Hepworth, The Word, August 2012

Writing miserable songs doesn't make you deep, boys and girls ...

Jimmy Savile: Young girls were just another victim of the rock'n'roll years

Comment by David Hepworth, The Independent, 2 October 2012

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY has always been awash with salacious rumours about the sexual tastes of its more prominent figures, particularly when they look as though ...

The Beatles: Why the Beatles' Abbey Road reigns supreme 50 years on

Retrospective by David Hepworth, New Statesman, 9 October 2019

The interesting thing about the 1969 record is that it is bigger now than it was then. ...

Why we should mourn the loss of Q magazine

Retrospective by David Hepworth, New Statesman, 22 July 2020

The music title was a thrill-ride at the front and a good shopping guide at the back.  ...

back to LIBRARY

COPYRIGHT NOTICE