Record Collector - May 2023

I denne utgaven

544 May In this issue: Talking Heads speak!; Nick Heyward on Haircut 100’s reunion; Manc record-breakers Courteeners; Eddie Piller’s mod life; “lost” US band The Smithereens found… Steve Mason: Beta male; Wishbone Ash, Pretty Things and Sparks reviewed; and much more

The cost of collecting crisis

Do the rising prices of records, CDs and memorabilia threaten cutbacks by collectors? Joe Geesin reads the runes

7 mins

TAPE HUNTERS

Former RRPG Editor Ian Shirley put out dozens of LPs for RC’s Rare Record Club. Here he spills the beans on the mastertapes behind some archive releases

7 mins

IT HAPPENED WHEN?

Peter Baker, of cult synth project Electronic Ensemble, tells Ian Shirley about the track that became an airplay hit in Europe

6 mins

33 1/3 minutes with... Harvey Lisberg

Music entrepreneur Harvey Lisberg managed Manchester’s most commercially successful bands of the 60s and 70s (Herman’s Hermits and 10cc, respectively). He was also a partner in  Strawberry Studios which provided a springboard for the region’s next generation of musicians, including Joy Division. He guided the careers of numerous prominent musical figures, then in the 70s and 80s, he managed snooker’s glimmer twins – Alex Higgins and Jimmy White – while also looking after the likes of Sad Café and Barclay James Harvest. These days, he looks after his publishing interests from his Palm Springs home.

4 mins

"I didn't know how to deal with being a frontman"

In 1981, Haircut 100 came bursting out of Beckenham, all Argyle sweaters and sou’westers, purveying a new kind of jangly, poppy Britfunk, equal parts Monkees and Earth, Wind & Fire. Face and NME darlings, they soon matched critical respect with the screams of teenage fans, but already by summer ’82 the wheels had come off, singer and songwriter Nick Heyward was suffering a nervous breakdown and he left the band in acrimonious circumstances. In the 90s he enjoyed a period of solo success, with hits in the States and a period of late affirmation when he signed to the Creation label. Now, though, all hatchets have been buried and the Haircuts have reunited, with live dates and talk of a new album. “Till death us do part,” Heyward tells Adrian Thrills

10+ mins

Hey Jude

Courteeners seemed to rise without trace – stadium fillers, particularly in the north, yet barely visible press-wise. They have just scored their first-ever UK No 1 album with their 2008 debut, the recently reissued St Jude, breaking Official Chart records for the LP with the longest time between release and charting at pole position, a feat matched only by The Beatles and the Stones with their recent reissues. And yet mainman Liam Fray remains modest to a fault, despite his “gobshite” reputation. Mapping the rendezvous: John Earls.

10 mins

FIFE STAR

Twenty-five years in showbusiness? Hardly believable for such a perennially innovative artist as Steve Mason. But that milestone, along with the release of his fifth solo album, Brothers & Sisters, seems a good occasion for Mason to look back, album by album - in reverse order - over his recorded output under various guises since The Beta Band made their debut in 1998. Soul brother: Daryl Easlea

10+ mins

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

As melodic and lyrically masterful as ever, Ron Sexsmith mines the past on a potent new album, The Vivian Line, inspired by leaving the big city for more humble surroundings. But is he, as longtime cheerleader Elvis Costello once suggested, still “cursed” by being born out of time? Terry Staunton takes a road trip to find out.

9 mins

MOD ALMIGHTY

Eddie Piller – DJ, radio show host, founder of Acid Jazz Records and all-round mod acolyte – has a new book out, Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances – A Life In Mod. “The publisher asked me to write about my early life,” he explains. “He was shocked when he saw the manuscript. People don’t realise how violent it was back in 1979.

3 mins

Lost and Found

In the 80s, the UK had The Smiths – America had The Smithereens: an emblematic fourpiece 60s-referencing college radio/alt-indie band combining elements of girl group pop and beat-era rock; melodic with hints of mayhem. And, as Bill Kopp reports, New Jersey’s forgotten heroes are still out there, doing it…

10+ mins

Talking Heads – 'We thought "down with Arena Rock"'

With the Remain in Love Tour about to happen and a reissue of stop making sense imminent, people are talking about talking heads again. Not that they ever really stopped. With their adventures in psychedelicised funk and dub-spacious art disco, they essayed a new form of anti-'rockist' music, all polyrhythmic colourmotion helmed by Brian Eno, effecting a clean break with tradition. A once in a lifetime proposition, in terms of songwriting and Studio Sonics, they made leaps between - especially albums the first four - matched only by The Beatles. Come into the blue again as David interviews the stubbs greatest rhythm section of the post-punk period, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, about the band, their out-of-this-world music and their eventual, inevitable split, while Terry Staunton tracks their lightspeed evolution on LP and Daryl Easlea gets discographical. Take a look!

10+ mins

THE ENGINE ROOM

The unsung heroes who helped forge modern music | This month: Vicki Wickham

4 mins

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Record Collector Magazine Description:

Record Collector Magazine is a monthly magazine dedicated to all aspects of record collecting, from the latest releases to rare and vintage vinyl. It is published by Metropolis Group The magazine covers a wide range of topics, including:

* New releases: Record Collector Magazine reviews new albums from all genres, including rock, pop, jazz, blues, and classical music.
* Reissues: The magazine also reviews reissues of classic albums, as well as box sets and compilations.
* Rare and vintage vinyl: Record Collector Magazine features articles on rare and vintage vinyl, including profiles of record labels, artists, and producers.
* Collecting tips: The magazine provides tips on how to start collecting records, how to care for your collection, and how to find the best deals.
* Record collector interviews: Record Collector Magazine interviews record collectors from all walks of life, from celebrities to everyday people.

Record Collector Magazine is known for its high-quality journalism, its informative and engaging articles, and its commitment to providing its readers with the latest news and information about the record collecting world.