By Jane Quinn Discussing Inspiration, Barbara Windsor, and much more..... Squeeze has been described as Punk/ New Wave, Pop/Rock, New Wave, Contemporary Pop/Rock, College Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock. Inspired by the Kinks, Beatles, David Bowie, The Who, and others....
Gerry Marsden, the lead singer of the Liverpool group Gerry & the Pacemakers, has died... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley Gerry's band started the Merseybeat sound in the early sixties and by 1963 became the first band to reach the top of the UK pop charts with their...
In our bumper-packed 2020 December issue of the Beat... Rick Nelson makes our front page as Derek Mead looks back at his incredible life and we have exclusive interviews with a star of the '60s and '80s. From the 60's decade... Ron Tennant looks back at Craig Douglas...
One of our regular columnists Ian Woolley has just launched a podcast where you can listen to many of the featured artists in the Beat... Across 7 platforms, including Anchor and Spotify, listen to the interviews of many of the singers, musicians, and book authors...
Dominic Grant, the founder member of the 1970's pop group Guys 'n' Dolls has died... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley Enjoying success with his group with hits like There's A Whole Lot Of Loving, the former singer went on to be a celebrated sculptor. Along with members David...
By Ian Woolley Mike Berry has juggled acting and singing most of his life. Who knows where he'll turn up next... “When you get an interest in music, that’s all you want to do,” recalled Mike Berry, reminiscing on his early road into music as a 15-year-old. “I would...
By Pat Murphy When Capitol signed Bobby Darin in 1962, they probably felt they were getting the new Sinatra... Darin would be the best possible replacement for their hitherto star who’d left to set up his own record company. And on paper, it looked like a shrewd move....
By Derek Mead The world of a music entrepreneur production of music film television and stage turbulent times and strong attitudes... To read about Robert Stigwood is to become immersed in the world of singers and their songs, and in the production of film and TV...
By Ian Woolley Talking Luxy frolics, Macca on the beach, and fighting Parkinson's... With his new autobiography called Kid Jensen – For The Record, now in the shops, we thought it time to catch up with ‘The Kid’ (as he was christened by fellow DJ and Luxembourg...
By David Parker Gene Pitney, the singing genius who was perfect... That wonderful pop singer, songwriter, and musician Gene Pitney was amazing. He had many hits in many different countries as a singer, and he wrote superb songs that were giant hits for other singers...
By Derek Mead Shapiro topped the charts at 14 and a year later, was voted Britain’s top female singer... Helen Shapiro was born on September 28, 1946. She was 14 years old when, in 1961, she achieved a UK No.3 hit with her first single, and a No.1 hit at the same age,...
By Derek Mead Dreamer who sang and whose humour entertained... Freddie and the Dreamers were an English beat band based on the Merseybeat sound of the mid-1960s that encompassed the world of music and also visually entertaining rather than just soundwise. But the...
By Jane Quinn Ray chats about dreams, nature and Tab Hunter... His name is Ray – Ray Dorset – although you probably refer to him as Mungo Jerry. You are excused for not knowing that Mungojerrie was a cat character in a TS Elliot poem that had an identical cat twin...
Our 2020 November issue is packed with stories of your favourite artists... Ray Dorset 'aka' Mungo Jerry makes the front page and inside shares a cuppa with Jane Quinn. Derek Mead covers Helen Shapiro, Freddie Garrity, Robert Stigwood, and Harry Belafonte. In three...
Tremeloes drummer and often lead singer Dave Munden has died... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley The group started out with Brian Poole as its lead singer but after he left in 1965, they still enjoyed chart success with their four-man line-up including the chart-topping single...
Spencer Davis, lead singer of the 60's band Spencer Davis Group had died... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley One of the '60s most dynamic bands, the Spencer Davis Group lost its founding member on Monday after a bout of pneumonia. Hits like 'Keep On Running', 'Gimme Some...
By Ian Woolley Who Killed John Lennon? A new novel by celebrated music writer and biographer Lesley Ann-Jones has hit the shelves... Chatting with music biographer Lesley-Ann Jones on her new book Who Killed John Lennon? on the life of the Beatle from his early days...
King Crimson's former bass guitarist Gordon Haskell has died... OBITUARY By Ian Woolley Haskell, who had featured in school friend Robert Fripp's pre-King Crimson band League Of Gentlemen, as well as psychedelic pop band Fleur de Lys (during which time he shared a...
We are giving away not one, but THREE books of David Ambrose's (ex Fleetwood Mac) new book How To Be A Rock Star (worth £20). Courtesy of Little Wing Books, we have three copies of How To Be A Rock Star, written by ex Fleetwood Mac David Ambrose with celebrated music...
Inside our 2020 October issue... Making our front cover, two 80-year-olds (and counting) that are still performing for their fans- Cliff Richard and Marty Wilde. Derek Mead looks in detail at the career of Maggie Bell and for all you Deep Purple fans, Martin...
By Derek Nicol And now, Derek faces the final curtain call... At the age of 79, after 60- plus years in music and entertainment, including 37 years with Flying Music, I have decided to retire. I sat with Paul Walden in November and effectively gave six months' notice...
By Martin Hutchinson It's only logical to be Supertramp... The definitive guide to this respected and popular band is: 'Supertramp, it’s logical captain' written by music academic Laura Shenton, ‘The Logical Book – A Supertramp Compendium’. With chapters reflecting...
By Ian Woolley Reading the mind of a singer-songwriter... Perhaps the most prolific and greatest Canadian singer-songwriter of all time, Gordon Lightfoot is an indelible part of the Canadian national spirit. In 2007, he even had his own postage stamp! Now, with the...
REVIEW by Ian Woolley Kim claims the Blues crown SAVOY BROWN “AIN’T DONE YET” Legendary British Blues Rock band Savoy Brown, led by founding member Kim Simmonds, release their new album, Ain’t Done Yet, on Quarto Valley Records on September 28. It follows Savoy...