VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE @TheBeatUK for special offers. Would you like a trial copy? Send for a trial copy of the latest issue for only £4 including post, saving £1. Pay by credit card -1722 742966 Paypal advertising@beat-magazine.co.uk Or post cheque, payable to Kingsley House, to Beat, 9, West Street, Wilton SP2 0DL HURRY! […]
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By Ian Woolley On the eve of their first UK tour together for many years, we caught up with two true survivors of the punk era – Toyah Wilcox & Hazel O’Connor. The latter recently underwent a knee operation so was recuperating at her home in the South of France where she splits her time […]
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By Ian Woolley For 25 years, Kiki Dee has toured with celebrated guitarist Carmelo Luggeri, in which time they have written and recorded several albums together with their new one due out later in the year. Back in 1994, they first got together after being introduced through a friend. Born Pauline Matthews in Yorkshire in […]
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BackBeat: Odyssey – Native New Yorker By Martin Hutchinson DISCO legends Odyssey are taking their party night around the country in what promises to be an energetic and boogie-licious experience. Odyssey was one of the most successful soul/disco acts from the late 70s to the 80s. The hit run started in 1977 with Native New […]
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Backbeat: Manfred – the timeline By Derek Mead Manfred Mann was bom in 1940 and has been active as a UK musician from 1961. 1962 – 1963; Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers 1962 to 1963 then changed name to 1962 – 1969 Manfred Mann 1963 to 1969 during which time vocalists were Paul Jones 62-66 then Mike […]
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By Pat Murphy Andy Williams was a consummate albums artiste. If you were searching for the quintessential non-rock American album artiste of the 1960s/70s, Andy Williams would definitely be on your shortlist. Between 1960 and 1972, he put 19 different albums onto Billboard’s US Top 40. A dozen made the Top 10. In the UK, […]
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By Derek Mead AMONG OUR SOUVENIRS: Memories keeping alive the music and songs of the early girl groups’ It was inevitable that after extensive American male and female vocal and musical popularity from the 1950s, highlighted in two recent articles in The Beat, numerous girl groups formed at about the same time – some with […]
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By Martin Hutchinson IT’S looking like a great year for fans of The Hollie: not only do they have TWO UK tours to look forward to – one in the Spring and the other in the Sutumn – but the long-awaited autobiography of drummer Bobby Elliott has been published. ‘He Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Story’ […]
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by Ian Woolley On the tail end of his current tour at the age of 80, we met Marty in Dorset just a week after celebrating his diamond anniversary. Born Reg Smith, Marty was going to record under the name of Reg Patterson but Larry Parnes had other ideas. “We tossed a coin, not once […]
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“For many commentators it was a day that changed the world, both musically and culturally. By Ralph Gowling The Beatles landed at New York’s JFK Airport on February 7, 1964, to be greeted by hoards of reporters and thousands of screaming female fans. That night CBS television’s famed news anchorman Walter Cronkite...
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By Katie Davis Liverpool, the original home of Britain’s most famous band, The Beatles, is one of my favourite places. The atmosphere there is like no other I’ve experienced. Being a Beatles fan, visiting Liverpool was like Christmas come early, with the excitement and anticipation building up on the journey. The day we...
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FOREIGNER, with special guests Europe and FM, appear on-stage together for the first time when they undertake a short tour of the UK throughout April.
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Vince Eager nearly had a crashing fall off stage last month – 55 years after tumbling into an orchestra pit at the Southend Odeon. “Joe Brown was backing me on guitar at the Southend Odeon and, to this day, he considers it to be the funniest thing he’s seen on stage!” said Vince. “Last night at The Guildhall Arts...
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Bobby Vee has braved Alzheimer’s disease and recorded a new album called “The Adobe Sessions.” The album is released this month to mark the 55th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP ‘‘The Big Bopper’’ Richardson near Clear Lake, Iowa on the way to a gig. The tragedy also launched...
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Barry Manilow has a new album out in March and tours the UK in May. “‘Night Songs’ is the most intimate album I’ve ever made, just me playing the piano, bass and singing – that’s it,” said Barry. “The songs I’ve chosen are a batch of my favourite standards, most of them not very famous, but fantastic songs by...
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SLADE & SWEET The Palace Theatre, Manchester Wednesday, December 4. IT was a battle of the Glam bands at the Palace Theatre, as Slade took on Sweet in a no-holds-barred contest. Sweet were up first with a full hour of excellent music. The original guitarist Andy Scott held things together while bandmates Pete Lincoln (lead...
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By John Firminger Continuing our monthly visit to the cinema, when I went to see this month’s selection, ‘Disc Jockey Jamboree’ (its UK title) from 1957, I discovered it was on with ‘The Green-Eyed Blonde’ which had an ‘A’ certificate, which meant I couldn’t get in unaccompanied by an adult. Keen to see the film, I did what all...
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By Robert Rush Greetings from Across the Pond, and all best wishes for a healthy, happy and rockin’ 2014! Here’s what’s happening: In America, we’re calling 2014 “The Beatles’ 50th Anniversary.” Now, you and I know that’s not really the case, but apparently the US media is looking at it from a typically American,...
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BOBBY DAY (1928?), the first Black American rock ‘n’ roller to visit the UK on the strength of the 70s/80s revival, seems to have a variable birth date. Bobby played one show at The Powerhouse, Birmingham, promoted by Colin Silcocks, with backing from Welsh band ‘The Red Hot Pokers’. New movie ‘Last Vegas’, starring Michael...
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