Keyboard virtuoso, singer/songwriter, multimedia artist, clubland innovator and hired hand for Hawkwind/Hawklords and Pilot – Steve Swindells, who grew up near Bath and Bristol before moving to London in his late teens, has excelled at almost everything he’s attempted. Among his finest achievements are a trilogy of albums from the 70s that still deserve a broader audience. But his solo career span off-track more than once through no fault of his own. And his early experiences, signed to RCA, are nothing short of a #metoo horror story.
Swindells took to the piano in early childhood when he and his brothers were sent to stay with relations in Surrey. “They had a piano, and I was just instantly drawn to it,” he tells RC. “And then, when we moved house to the village of Salford, I was absolutely thrilled to see an upright piano being wheeled in.” His piano teacher was a pivotal mentor. “Bristol Cathedral School was a very liberal, artsy school. When I told him I wanted to be a singer/songwriter, his face lit up and he clapped his hands and said, ‘Brilliant! I’m going to teach you the basics of jazz, gospel and blues – you’ve already got your classical technique and you know about melody and harmony.’”
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Esta historia es de la edición September 2022 de Record Collector.
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WINDOWS ON THE WORLD
At the peak of their powers in the early 70s, by 1975 there were signs that Led Zeppelin were burning out, and their legendary appetite for excess, not to mention stadium-straddling, mythically charged, epically inclined hard rock, might be waning.
HI-FIDELITY?
Running a record shop is a dream for many music aficionados. Steve Burniston investigates how to run a successful one
THE ENGINE ROOM
The unsung heroes who helped forge modern music
UNDER THE RADAR
Artists, bands, and labels meriting more attention
45 SHEFFIELD 45s
Continuing our celebrations of RC's 45th birthday and following on from our look at the best 45s to come out of Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow, we focus on the urbanisation formerly known as Steel City: Sheffield. Close to the (Nether) Edge: Jeremy Allen
Finished Symphonies
In the late 80s, Shelleyan Orphan made rarefied, ravishing, precious (both meanings) baroque pop, all chamber quartet accompaniment and literary reference points, like an 18th century Cocteau Twins.
"BLACK BRITISH PEOPLE HAD SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT"
Breaking new ground for black music in Britain from his teenage years in Matumbi in the early 70s, Dennis Bovell went on to become one of reggae's most highly regarded producers, helping popularise lovers rock. He also played a pivotal role in post-punk's experimental incorporation of dub influences on records like The Slits' Cut and The Pop Group's Y. As new compilation, Sufferer Sounds, reaches back to his early days to compile some of his best early dub plates, Lois Wilson gets the full backstory from one of British music's most enduring forces.
FRENZY REUNITED
Swindon's finest musical export, XTC were also one of the most quietly influential British bands, setting a template for Britpop while pioneering a brand of left-field guitar pop – from herky-jerky invention to consummate craftsmanship – that has spawned many imitators.
Paperback Blighters - The books every record collector should read.
The books every record collector should read. Vinyl, you may have heard, has made a big comeback. In 2022, sales of vinyl albums surpassed compact discs (CDs) for the first time in more than three decades in terms of global revenue, racking up more than $1.2bn.
"Beware the Savage Lure/of 1984..." - David Bowie is one of the most venerated musicians ever. But even he had his bad periods.
David Bowie is one of the most venerated musicians ever. But even he had his bad periods. For many, 1984 remains the nadir of his Phil Collins” phase; an artistic/sartonial/tonsorial disaster area. But was it really that awful? Forty years on, Matt Phillips explores Bowie's so-called annus horribilis.
