Yeah Yeah Yeah

by Bob Stanley

  The December 18th 1954 chart at the front of the book is from the NME archive: many thanks to Marc Walker, Karen Walter and Alan Woodhouse.

  All other images are from the author’s collection, with the exception of Chapters 8, 18 and 60 (courtesy of Geoffrey Weiss), 23 (courtesy of Ace Records), 63 (courtesy of Dale Shaw) and 65 (courtesy of Pietro Maglio).

  Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the many great writers at the New Musical Express, Fabulous, Record Mirror, Crawdaddy, Creem, Who Put the Bomp, Sounds, Smash Hits, Melody Maker and Select, all of whom have played a major part in developing my understanding and love of music over the years. It was a joy to have an excuse to re-read their work and dig out these publications again. I hope I have fully acknowledged their contribution to the era throughout the book. Special thanks to James Brown for giving me a start at the NME back in 1987, and to the late Tom Hibbert, my first pop-writer hero.

  SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Jonathan Aitken, The Young Meteors, Secker & Warburg 1967

  John Aizlewood, Love Is the Drug, Penguin 1994

  Peter Alex, Who’s Who in Pop Radio, New English Library 1966

  Adam Ant, Stand and Deliver, Sidgwick & Jackson 2006

  Hugh Barker and Yuval Taylor, Faking It, Faber and Faber 2007

  Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton, Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, Headline 1999

  Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton, The Record Players: DJ Revolutionaries, DJ History 2010

  Marcello Carlin, The Blue in the Air, Zero 2011

  David Cassidy, Could It Be Forever, Headline 2007

  Frank Clews, Teenage Idols, Digit 1962

  Nik Cohn, Pop from the Beginning, Paladin 1970

  Nik Cohn, Ball the Wall, Picador 1989

  Julian Cope, Head On, Magog 1994

  Dave Davies, Kink: An Autobiography, Boxtree 1996

  Jim Dawson and Steve Propes, What Was the First Rock ’n’ Roll Record?, Faber and Faber 1992

  Pat Doncaster, Tops of the Pops, Daily Mirror 1961

  Bill Drummond, 45, Little, Brown 2000

  Chuck Eddy, Rock and Roll Always Forgets, Duke University Press 2012

  Travis Elborough, The Long Player Goodbye, Sceptre 2008

  Ken Emerson, Always Magic in the Air, Viking 2005

  Mark Fisher, The Resistible Demise of Michael Jackson, Zero 2009

  Pete Frame, The Restless Generation, Rogan House, 2007

  Simon Frith and Andrew Goodwin, On Record, Routledge 1990

  Phyl Garland, The Sound of Soul, Regnery 1969

  Sheryl Garratt, Adventures in Wonderland, Headline 1998

  Nelson George, The Death of Rhythm & Blues, Pantheon 1988

  Nelson George, Hip Hop America, Penguin 1998

  Peter Guralnick, Careless Love, Little, Brown 1999

  Peter Guralnick, Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke, Little, Brown 2005

  Alex Halberstady, Lonely Avenue: The Life and Times of Doc Pomus, Jonathan Cape 2007

  Colin Harper, Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British Folk and Blues Revival, Bloomsbury 2000

  John Harris, The Last Party, Fourth Estate 2003

  Chris Heath, Pet Shop Boys, Literally, Viking 1990

  Dave Hill, Prince, Faber and Faber 1989

  The Hollies, How to Run a Beat Group, Daily Mirror 1964

  Ian Hunter, Diary of a Rock ’n’ Roll Star, Panther 1974

  Frank Kogan, Real Punks Don’t Wear Black, University of Georgia Press 2006

  Al Kooper, Backstage Passes, Stein and Day 1977

  Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Hound Dog, Simon & Schuster 2009

  Richard Mabey, The Pop Process, Hutchinson 1969

  Ian MacDonald, Revolution in the Head, Fourth Estate 1994

  Greil Marcus, Like a Rolling Stone, Faber and Faber 2005

  Dave Marsh, The Heart of Rock and Soul, Plume 1989

  George Melly, Revolt into Style, Penguin 1970

  Greg Milner, Perfecting Sound Forever, Granta 2009

  Paul Morley, Ask, Faber and Faber 1986

  Jeff Nuttall, Bomb Culture, MacGibbon & Kee 1968

  Andrew Loog Oldham, Stoned, Secker & Warburg 2000

  Richard Osborne, Vinyl: A History of the Analogue Record, Ashgate 2012

  Kevin Pearce, Something Beginning with O, Heavenly 1993

  Ulf Poschardt, DJ Culture, Quartet 1998

  Dave Rimmer, Like Punk Never Happened, Faber and Faber 1985

  David Ritz, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye, Da Capo 1985

  The RZA, The Wu-Tang Manual, Penguin 2005

  Andrew Sandoval, The Monkees, Backbeat 2005

  Jon Savage, England’s Dreaming, Faber and Faber 1991

  The Shadows, The Shadows by Themselves, Consul 1961

  Peter Shapiro, Turn the Beat Around, Faber and Faber 2005

  Joe Smith, Off the Record, Warner 1988

  Ronnie Spector, Be My Baby, Harmony 1990

  J. Randy Taraborrelli, Madonna, Sidgwick & Jackson 2001

  Derek Taylor, As Time Goes By, Straight Arrow 1973

  Stewart Tendler and David May, The Brotherhood of Eternal Love, Cyan 2007

  Ben Thompson, Seven Years of Plenty, Victor Gollancz 1998

  Nick Tosches, Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, Delacorte Press 1982

  Fred Vermorel and Judy Vermorel, Starlust, Comet 1985

  Elisabeth Vincentelli, Abba Gold, Continuum 2004

  Elijah Wald, How the Beatles Destroyed Rock ’n’ Roll, Oxford University Press 2009

  Michael Wale, Voxpop, Harrap 1972

  Pete Waterman, I Wish I Was Me, Virgin 2000

  Judith Wells, Keith Moon Stole My Lipstick, UKA Press 2008

  Ian Whitcomb, Rock Odyssey, Hutchinson 1983

  Timothy White, The Nearest Faraway Place, Henry Holt 1994

  Richard Williams, Out of His Head: The Sound of Phil Spector, Sphere 1972

  Carl Wilson, Let’s Talk About Love, Continuum 2007

  Rob Young, Electric Eden, Faber and Faber 2009

  INDEX

  A&M (record label), 1

  Aaliyah, 1, 2

  Abba, 1, 2, 3; ‘Dancing Queen’, 1, 2;

  ‘The Day Before You Came’, 1;

  ‘SOS’, 1;

  ‘Waterloo’, 1;

  ‘The Winner Takes It All’, 1

  Abba: The Movie, 1

  ABC, 1, 2, 3; Lexicon of Love, 1

  Abdul, Paula, 1, 2

  AC/DC, 1, 2, 3

  Ace of Cups, 1

  acid house, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Acid Jazz (record label), 1

  Action, the, 1

  Action (comic), 1

  Adam and the Ants, 1, 2, 3; ‘Stand and Deliver’, 1;

  ‘Young Parisians’, 1

  Adams, Bryan: ‘Everything I Do (I Do It for You)’, 1; ‘Summer of ’1’, 2

  Adamski, 1n

  Aerosmith, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Pump, 1;

  ‘Walk This Way’, 1

  Aguilera, Christina, 1, 2

  AIDS, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Air Supply, 1

  Albarn, Damon, 1, 2, 3

  Albini, Steve, 1, 2

  albums, 1, 2, 3

  Aldon Music, 1, 2

  All Saints, 1

  Almond, Marc, 1, 2, 3

  Alpert, Herb, 1, 2

  Altern-8, 1

  Alternative TV, 1

  Altham, Keith, 1, 2

  American Bandstand, 1, 2, 3

  Andersen, Eric, 1

  Anderson, Brett, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Anderson, Jon, 1, 2, 3

  Animals, the, 1; ‘House of the Rising Sun’, 1;

  Winds of Change, 1n

  Anka, Paul, 1, 2

  Aphex Twin (Richard James), 1

  Apple (record label), 1

  Apple (technology company): iPod, 1; iTunes, 1, 2

  Aquatones, the: ‘You’, 1, 2

  Arcadia, 1

  Archies, the: ‘Sugar, Sugar’, 1

  Arrested Development, 1

  Arthey, Johnny, 1, 2

  As
pinall, Neil, 1

  Association, the, 1, 2, 3, 4; ‘Never My Love’, 1, 2

  Atkins, Chet, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Atkins, Juan, 1, 2, 3

  Atlantic (record label), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Atlantic Starr, 1

  Atwell, Winifred, 1, 2, 3; ‘Poor People of Paris’, 1, 2

  Avalon, Frankie, 1, 2

  Avory, Mick, 1

  Axton, Estelle, 1, 2

  Aztec Camera, 1, 2

  B*witched, 1

  B-52s, the, 1, 2

  Babes in Toyland, 1, 2

  Baby D: ‘Let Me Be Your Fantasy’, 1

  Baccara: ‘Yes Sir I Can Boogie’, 1

  Bacharach, Burt, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Bachelors, the, 1n, 2n

  Back to Basics (club), 1

  Backstreet Boys, 1

  Bad Manners, 1

  Baez, Joan, 1, 2, 3

  Bailey, DeFord, 1n

  Baja Marimba Band, 1

  Baker, Arthur, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Baker, Ginger, 1, 2

  Ball, Dave, 1, 2n

  Bambaataa, Afrika, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; ‘Planet Rock’, 1, 2

  Band Aid, 1, 2

  Band, the, 1, 2, 3, 4; Music from Big Pink, 1n, 2

  Bangles, the, 1, 2

  Bangs, Lester, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Banned, the, 1

  Bannister, Matthew, 1, 2

  Barber, Chris, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; ‘Petite Fleur’, 1n

  Barlow, Gary, 1

  Barrett, Syd, 1, 2n, 3, 4, 5

  Barretto, Ray, 1

  Barrie, J. J., 1

  Barry, Jeff, 1, 2, 3, 4

  Barry, John, 1, 2, 3

  Barson, Mike, 1

  Bart, Lionel, 1, 2

  Barton, Eileen, 1

  Bath Blues Festival, 1

  Batley Variety Club, 1n

  Bay City Rollers, 1, 2, 3, 4; ‘Bye Bye Baby’, 1;

  ‘Give a Little Love’, 1, 2

  BBC Light Programme, 1, 2

  BBS (record label), 1

  Beach Boys, the, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14; ‘All Summer Long’, 1;

  ‘God Only Knows’, 1;

  ‘Good Vibrations’, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5;

  ‘In the Back of My Mind’, 1;

  ‘Mrs O’Leary’s Cow’, 1;

  Pet Sounds, 1, 2, 3;

  ‘She Knows Me Too Well’, 1;

  Smile, 1, 2, 3, 4;

  ‘Surf’s Up’, 1;

  Wild Honey, 1

  Beastie Boys, the, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; ‘Fight for Your Right to Party’, 1;

  Licensed to Ill, 1

  Beat, the, 1

  beat boom, 1, 2, 3

  Beatles, the, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14; ‘And I Love Her’, 1;

  break-up, 1, 2, 3;

  and the Cavern, 1;

  A Hard Day’s Night, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5;

  ‘Help!’, 1;

  ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, 1, 2;

  ‘If I Fell’, 1;

  ‘I’ll Be Back’, 1;

  influences, 1, 2;

  ‘Lady Madonna’, 1;

  ‘Let It Be’, 1;

  ‘The Long and Winding Road’, 1;

  and LSD, 1;

  and Motown, 1;

  and Nilsson, 1;

  ‘Paperback Writer’, 1;

  Please Please Me, 1;

  ‘Rain’, 1;

  Revolver, 1, 2;

  set up Apple, 1;

  Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7;

  ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, 1;

  ‘Taxman’, 1n;

  team surrounding, 1;

  ‘Things We Said Today’, 1;

  ‘Twist and Shout’, 1n;

  The White Album, 1, 2;

  ‘Yer Blues’, 1;

  ‘You Can’t Do That’, 1

  Beau Brummels, the, 1

  Beck, Jeff, 1, 2, 3

  Becker, Walter, 1

  Beckford, Ewart: see U Roy

  Bee Gees, the, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; ‘Grease’, 1;

  ‘How Deep Is Your Love’, 1;

  Main Course, 1;

  ‘Massachusetts’, 1;

  Mr Natural, 1;

  ‘Night Fever’, 1;

  Spirits Having Flown, 1;

  ‘To Love Somebody’, 1;

  ‘Tragedy’, 1;

  ‘Until’, 1;

  ‘Words’, 1

  Bell, Reuben: ‘It’s Not That Easy’, 1

  Bell, Thom, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

  Belle and Sebastian, 1

  Berns, Bert, 1, 2, 3

  Bernstein, Leonard, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

  Berry, Bill, 1

  Berry, Chuck, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; ‘Johnny B. Goode’, 1;

  ‘Maybellene’, 1;

  ‘My Ding-a-Ling’, 1n

  Berry, Mike: ‘Tribute to Buddy Holly’, 1

  Beth, Karen, 1; The Joys of Life, 1

  Beyoncé, 1; ‘Crazy in Love’, 1

  big beat, 1, 2

  Big Beat (magazine), 1, 2

  Big Black, 1

  Big Star, 1

  Big Three, the, 1

  Bikini Kill, 1, 2; ‘Rebel Girl’, 1

  Bilk, Acker, 1n

  Billboard (magazine), 1, 2, 3, 4n, 5, 6; R&B chart, 1;

  US number ones (1978), 1

  Birkin, Jane, 1

  Biting Tongues, 1

  Biz Markie: ‘Alone Again’, 1

  Black Box: ‘Ride on Time’, 1, 2

  Black, Cilla, 1, 2

  Black Flag, 1

  Black Sabbath, 1, 2, 3, 4; Master of Reality, 1;

  ‘Paranoid’, 1

  Blackboard Jungle, 1

  Blackwell, Chris, 1, 2, 3

  Blige, Mary J., 1, 2; What’s the 1, 2

  Blink 1, 2

  Blitz (club, London), 1

  Blizzard of Oz, 1

  Blondie, 1, 2, 3, 4n, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; ‘Heart of Glass’, 1, 2;

  Parallel Lines, 1, 2;

  ‘Rapture’, 1, 2

  Bloodvessel, Buster, 1

  Blow Up, 1

  Blue Beat (record label), 1

  Blue Cheer, 1

  Blue Guitar (record label), 1

  Blues Incorporated, 1

  bluegrass, 1n

  blues boom (British), 1

  blues rock, 1

  Bluesbreakers, 1

  Blur, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; ‘Country House’, 1, 2;

  ‘Girls and Boys’, 1;

  Parklife, 1

  Bobbettes, 1

  Bobby O, 1

  Bogart, Neil, 1, 2

  Bolan, Marc, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; and Born to Boogie movie, 1;

  ‘Cosmic Dancer’, 1;

  ‘Hippy Gumbo’, 1;

  ‘Ride a White Swan’, 1;

  see also T. Rex

  Bon Jovi, 1, 2

  Boney M, 1n

  Bono, 1, 2

  Boo, Betty, 1

  boogie-woogie, 1

  Boom, Sonic, 1, 2

  Boomtown Rats, 1, 2, 3; ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’, 1;

  ‘Rat Trap’, 1, 2

  Boone, Pat: ‘I’ll Be Home’, 1

  Boone, Steve, 1, 2

  Born to Boogie, 1, 2

  Boston: ‘More than a Feeling’, 1

  Boswell, Eve, 1

  Bouncer, Peter, 1

  Bovell, Dennis, 1

  Bow Wow Wow, 1, 2

  Bowie, David, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; ‘Be My Wife’, 1;

  ‘The Bewlay Brothers’, 1;

  ‘Heroes’, 1;

  Hunky Dory, 1;

  ‘Jean Genie’, 1;

  Let’s Dance, 1;

  Lodger, 1;

  Low, 1;

  ‘The Prettiest Star’, 1;

  ‘Sound and Vision’, 1;

  ‘Space Oddity’, 1;

  Tonight, 1;

  ‘Young Americans’, 1;

  Ziggy Stardust alter ego, 1;

  Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1, 2

  Box Tops, 1

  boy bands, 1

  Boy George, 1n, 2; see also Culture Club


  Boyce, Max, 1

  Boyfriend (magazine), 1

  Boyzone, 1n, 2

  Bradley, Owen, 1

  Brandy and Monica: ‘The Boy Is Mine’, 1

  Brautigan, Richard, 1n

  Bread, 1; The Best of Bread, 2; ‘Guitar Man’, 1n

  Brenda and the Tabulations, 1

  Brenston, Jackie: ‘Rocket 1’, 2

  Brent, Tony: Off Stage, 1

  Brewer, Teresa: ‘Music Music Music’, 1

  Brill Building sound, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

  Brilleaux, Lee, 1

  Britpop, 1, 2, 3; demise, 1, 2n

  Britpop Now, 1

  Brooks, Garth, 1; Ropin’ the Wind, 1

  Bros, 1, 2

  Brother Beyond, 1

  Brown, Bobby, 1, 2

  Brown, James, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7n, 8, 9, 10n; ‘Funky Drummer’, 1;

  ‘Give It Up or Turnit a Loose’, 1;

  ‘Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag’, 1

  Brown, Joe, 1

  Brown, Maxine, 1

  Brown, Michael, 1

  Brown, Miquel: ‘So Many Men, So Little Time’, 1

  Brown, Roy, 1

  Browne, Duncan: ‘On the Bombsite’, 1

  Browne, Tom, 1

  Bruce, Jack, 1

  Bryant, Boudleaux, 1

  Bryant, Felice, 1

  Buck, Peter, 1

  Bucketheads: ‘The Bomb!’, 1

  Buckingham, Lindsey, 1

  Bucks Fizz: ‘My Camera Never Lies’, 1

  Buff, Wade, 1