Dedicated to the Music & Stars of 50s to 80s
Steve Harley fundraises to help Ukraine
Cockney Rebel's lead singer's great fundraising gift... As we watch the devastating situation unfold in Ukraine, we are actively fundraising for The British Red Cross DEC Ukraine Crisis Appeal. PizzaExpress will match fund all money raised, up to £30,000... Steve’s Gibson MK-35 acoustic guitar, made 1977. With Fishman pick-up....
News Beat ➧
Has Auntie ‘Beeb’ Radio Had Her Day?
In the past few decades as the stats will prove, the BBC's stranglehold on their loyal radio listeners has dwindled. Through their revolving doors, new controllers have come in with newer ideas on how to reverse their diminishing listening figures. The result is the...
Back Beat ➧
Songwriting Pilot Of The Airwaves – David Paton
As songwriter, singer, and bass player of the 70s band Pilot, David Paton has done it all in his long and successful career... By Ian Woolley Working with some of the biggest names in pop history, his life is laid out in his new autobiography called simply ‘Magic, The...
Review Beat ➧
Cars Of British Music Stars From The 50s To The 80s
Everyone finds something different in a car. Celebrities regard cars as a luxury. However, ordinary people who are not world famous want to experience the luxury of a car not only from the outside, but also as a driver. One of the brightest examples of a luxury...
Obituaries ➧
More Than Just A Backing Singer – RIP Linda Lewis
Blessed with a five-octave vocal range, Linda Lewis's career spanned four decades, including backing such pop greats as David Bowie and Rod Stewart... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley The eldest of six children, Essex-born Linda Ann Fredericks learned to play guitar and...
Steve Harley fundraises to help Ukraine
Cockney Rebel's lead singer's great fundraising gift... As we watch the devastating situation unfold in Ukraine, we are actively fundraising for The British Red Cross DEC Ukraine Crisis Appeal. PizzaExpress will match fund all money raised, up to £30,000... Steve’s Gibson MK-35 acoustic guitar, made 1977. With Fishman pick-up....
Print Issues ➧
Trending
News Beat ➧
Has Auntie ‘Beeb’ Radio Had Her Day?
In the past few decades as the stats will prove, the BBC's stranglehold on their loyal radio listeners has dwindled. Through their revolving doors, new controllers have come in with newer ideas on how to reverse their diminishing listening figures. The result is the...
Back Beat ➧
Songwriting Pilot Of The Airwaves – David Paton
As songwriter, singer, and bass player of the 70s band Pilot, David Paton has done it all in his long and successful career... By Ian Woolley Working with some of the biggest names in pop history, his life is laid out in his new autobiography called simply ‘Magic, The...
Review Beat ➧
Cars Of British Music Stars From The 50s To The 80s
Everyone finds something different in a car. Celebrities regard cars as a luxury. However, ordinary people who are not world famous want to experience the luxury of a car not only from the outside, but also as a driver. One of the brightest examples of a luxury...
Obituaries ➧
More Than Just A Backing Singer – RIP Linda Lewis
Blessed with a five-octave vocal range, Linda Lewis's career spanned four decades, including backing such pop greats as David Bowie and Rod Stewart... OBITUARY by Ian Woolley The eldest of six children, Essex-born Linda Ann Fredericks learned to play guitar and...
Back issues, subscriptions, pre-orders, etc.
News Beat
June dates for Cliff
Cliff Richard fans have something to look forward to in 2013. A string of concerts set for New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Manila. In June, the show moves to a series of open-air dates in England.
Frantic Four ride again!
The ‘classic’ line-up of Status Quo are going on the road for their first dates together since the departure of original drummer John Coghlan in 1981.
Still reelin’ and rockin’
After a rather barren 2012, Cliff Richard fans have something to look forward to in 2013.
Win a Free Rock ‘N’ Roll Quiz Book!
Win this must-have quiz book for your special occasion or music quiz night. We have a copy of Peter Gill's Rock 'N' Roll quiz book to give away in our easy to enter competition... Test your knowledge on rock 'n' roll music with this fabulous quiz book packed with 1000...
The Beat talks with David Hamilton
One of Radio's longest working broadcasters, David 'Diddy' Hamilton talks about his varied and successful career who at the age of 82 is about to embark on a new daily radio show... Many DJs of a certain age would think that it would be time to hang up those...
Limahl’s one wish for Christmas
By Ian Woolley One Wish For Christmas’ is a song that started life some seven years ago for Limahl. The 1980's artist Limahl, known for his time with the UK band Kajagoogoo wanted to release it again last in November. Limahl changed his name with an anagram of his...
New ‘WoolleysBeat’ Podcast
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...
David Jensen – for the record, Kid
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...
Gordon Lightfoot – Canadian National Treasure
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...
Readers Letters (March 2020)
Some of our March readers Letters to the Editor... Dear Editor All Charts Valid I read with interest Pat Murphy's Country 1960 feature in the March 2020 issue of The Beat. While identifying five chart-topping country recordings, he has done a disservice to another...
John Lennon Statue seeks peace setting
The future of the statue of John Lennon, currently wowing the crowds at Liverpool’s St George’s Hall was in question when the exhibition finished at the end of August... The life-size bronze statue - also displayed at this year’s Glastonbury Festival - shows Lennon...
Back issues, subscriptions, pre-orders, etc.
Back Beat
The New Seekers – The door remains open
The New Seekers release 1974 albums on CD for the first time, Together/Farewell, on April 20, 2018... The New Seekers recording catalogue has been vastly overlooked on CD, considering just how enormous this mixed vocal group was between 1970 and the group's split in...
Breakfast with: Steve Ellis
Steve's everlasting sound of music and rhythm... “Maybe if we live long enough, we grow into what we always wanted to be. Just maybe, if we stick at what we love, it’ll come around and come good. Steve Ellis has earned the right to sing the Blues if he wants. And sing...
Old style music preferred to youth pop
By Pat Murphy The early Grammys didn’t care for rock ‘n’ roll... The Grammys were invented in the late 1950s to give the American music industry its own version of Hollywood’s Oscars. Ostensibly, “artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence”...
Dean thanks his lucky stars
By Martin Hutchinson At the height of the Punk Rock explosion in the late seventies, a song by a relatively unknown American singer-songwriter drifted into the charts... Dean Friedman’s Lucky Stars followed his first chart entry, Woman Of Mine, which got to No.52 in...
Sharing a cuppa tea with…Wreckless Eric
By Jane Quinn Wreckless Eric chats about Tom Petty, secrets, and plynths... Remember that legendary song The Whole Wide World? Of course, you do. Written by singer/songwriter/musician Wreckless Eric, it has been covered by many artists including The Monkees, Elvis...
Looking back with Love Affair’s Steve Ellis
By David Parker We interview the legend that is Steve Ellis. The voice of the Love Affair... Legend! There I’ve said it. From a No.1 single in 1968 with the iconic tune ‘Everlasting Love’, singing with his then band, Love Affair, to other Top Twenty hits like ‘Rainbow...
Leaving Brian Epstein – The Tony Crane Interview
By David Parker Newly-honoured Tony Crane MBE admits he now regrets leaving Brian Epstein... Tony, you were a teenager at the start of your singing career, would you say you were walking into a good fortune on stage in front of paying fans? We were lucky to be in...
Marty Wilde – He only wanted to Rock ‘n’ Roll
Looking back over 60 years, Marty Wilde has many memories and achievements, not least of all his MBE which will be presented to him this month.
The New Seekers – The door remains open
The New Seekers release 1974 albums on CD for the first time, Together/Farewell, on April 20, 2018... The New Seekers recording catalogue has been vastly overlooked on CD, considering just how enormous this mixed vocal group was between 1970 and the group's split in...
Breakfast with: Steve Ellis
Steve's everlasting sound of music and rhythm... “Maybe if we live long enough, we grow into what we always wanted to be. Just maybe, if we stick at what we love, it’ll come around and come good. Steve Ellis has earned the right to sing the Blues if he wants. And sing...
Old style music preferred to youth pop
By Pat Murphy The early Grammys didn’t care for rock ‘n’ roll... The Grammys were invented in the late 1950s to give the American music industry its own version of Hollywood’s Oscars. Ostensibly, “artistic achievement, technical proficiency, and overall excellence”...
Dean thanks his lucky stars
By Martin Hutchinson At the height of the Punk Rock explosion in the late seventies, a song by a relatively unknown American singer-songwriter drifted into the charts... Dean Friedman’s Lucky Stars followed his first chart entry, Woman Of Mine, which got to No.52 in...
Sharing a cuppa tea with…Wreckless Eric
By Jane Quinn Wreckless Eric chats about Tom Petty, secrets, and plynths... Remember that legendary song The Whole Wide World? Of course, you do. Written by singer/songwriter/musician Wreckless Eric, it has been covered by many artists including The Monkees, Elvis...
Looking back with Love Affair’s Steve Ellis
By David Parker We interview the legend that is Steve Ellis. The voice of the Love Affair... Legend! There I’ve said it. From a No.1 single in 1968 with the iconic tune ‘Everlasting Love’, singing with his then band, Love Affair, to other Top Twenty hits like ‘Rainbow...
Leaving Brian Epstein – The Tony Crane Interview
By David Parker Newly-honoured Tony Crane MBE admits he now regrets leaving Brian Epstein... Tony, you were a teenager at the start of your singing career, would you say you were walking into a good fortune on stage in front of paying fans? We were lucky to be in...
Marty Wilde – He only wanted to Rock ‘n’ Roll
Looking back over 60 years, Marty Wilde has many memories and achievements, not least of all his MBE which will be presented to him this month.
Back issues, subscriptions, pre-orders, etc.
Review Beat
Graham Gouldman 2015
By Jim Stewart Originally scheduled as the second leg of 10cc’s 2014-15 Nationwide Tour the dates now have a greater significance to their fans as the band will feature the complete ‘Sheet Music’ album onstage for the very first time. They begin at Reading Hexagon on...
Jimmy Somerville – The Glitter Ball In My Head
Singer Jimmy Somerville is releasing his sixth solo album, Homage... The record, a collection of 12 original disco tracks, is a tribute to the genre that inspired Jimmy so much during his teenage years. “A homage to disco is something I always wanted to do. I never...
The Mac is back – Fleetwood Mac Return
Martin Hutchinson They say the New Year is a time for new beginnings, and so it was exactly 40 years ago for Fleetwood Mac... After a number of hits between 1968 and 1970, blues-based, times were hard for the band. ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Albatross’, ‘Oh Well’ and ‘The...
The Four Seasons of the Ragdolls
By Katie Davis One of Europe's top Four Season tribute bands The Ragdolls talks all things Frankie Valli... The Ragdolls, one of the top European Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute acts, take you back through the Jersey Boy’s career and before their fame,...
Back in the USA
The Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, New Jersey, September 12
Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven
By Jim Stewart When Danny And The Juniors sang ‘Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay, It Will Never Die’ it was as much in hope as belief, music experts gave it a year, let alone seeing the 50s out, and now as the 60th Anniversary approaches it remains the most popular form...
Blockbuster
Orchard Theatre, Dartford, September 16 Throughout the ‘70s Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn reigned supreme, writing huge chart hits for every year of the decade, including 5 number one’s, mainly short, catchy, infectious tunes that got inside your head and within 90...
Love and affection for Joan
By Martin Hutchinson After 42 years of touring, Joan Armatrading is undertaking her first solo world tour, and it’ll be her last major tour... “I’ve always toured with a band before, but as this will be the last major tour that I’ll be doing, I’ve decided to do it on...
Graham Gouldman 2015
By Jim Stewart Originally scheduled as the second leg of 10cc’s 2014-15 Nationwide Tour the dates now have a greater significance to their fans as the band will feature the complete ‘Sheet Music’ album onstage for the very first time. They begin at Reading Hexagon on...
Jimmy Somerville – The Glitter Ball In My Head
Singer Jimmy Somerville is releasing his sixth solo album, Homage... The record, a collection of 12 original disco tracks, is a tribute to the genre that inspired Jimmy so much during his teenage years. “A homage to disco is something I always wanted to do. I never...
The Mac is back – Fleetwood Mac Return
Martin Hutchinson They say the New Year is a time for new beginnings, and so it was exactly 40 years ago for Fleetwood Mac... After a number of hits between 1968 and 1970, blues-based, times were hard for the band. ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Albatross’, ‘Oh Well’ and ‘The...
The Four Seasons of the Ragdolls
By Katie Davis One of Europe's top Four Season tribute bands The Ragdolls talks all things Frankie Valli... The Ragdolls, one of the top European Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute acts, take you back through the Jersey Boy’s career and before their fame,...
Back in the USA
The Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, New Jersey, September 12
Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven
By Jim Stewart When Danny And The Juniors sang ‘Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay, It Will Never Die’ it was as much in hope as belief, music experts gave it a year, let alone seeing the 50s out, and now as the 60th Anniversary approaches it remains the most popular form...
Blockbuster
Orchard Theatre, Dartford, September 16 Throughout the ‘70s Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn reigned supreme, writing huge chart hits for every year of the decade, including 5 number one’s, mainly short, catchy, infectious tunes that got inside your head and within 90...
Love and affection for Joan
By Martin Hutchinson After 42 years of touring, Joan Armatrading is undertaking her first solo world tour, and it’ll be her last major tour... “I’ve always toured with a band before, but as this will be the last major tour that I’ll be doing, I’ve decided to do it on...
Back issues, subscriptions, pre-orders, etc.
Obituaries
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We cannot locate what you are looking for. We are sorry for any inconvenience. You may try the site menus. If you need further help please do not hesitate to get in touch.