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Sounds(magazine)

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Sounds
Cover ofSounds(24 May 1980)
CategoriesMusic newspaper
FrequencyWeekly
First issue10 October 1970
Final issue6 April 1991
CompanyUnited Newspapers
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inLondon
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0144-5774
OCLC56364019

Soundswas a UK weeklypop/rock music newspaper,published from 10 October 1970 to 6 April 1991. It was known for giving away posters in the centre of the paper (initially black and white, then colour from late 1971) and later for coveringheavy metal(especially thenew wave of British heavy metal(NWOBHM))[1]andpunkandOi!music in its late 1970s–early 1980s heyday.[2]

History

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It was produced by Spotlight Publications (part of Morgan Grampian), which was set up by John Thompson and Jo Saul with Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who leftMelody Makerto start their own company.Soundswas their first project, a weekly paper devoted toprogressive rockand described by Hutton, to those he was attempting to recruit from his former publication, as "a leftwingMelody Maker".Soundswas intended to be a weekly rival to titles such asMelody MakerandNew Musical Express(NME).

Soundswas one of the first music papers to coverpunk.[3]Mick Middles covered theManchestermusic scene forSoundsfrom 1978 to 1982 writing about many of the up and coming bands of the time fromBuzzcocksandSlaughter & The DogstoThe FallandJoy Division.[4]John Robbjoined in 1987 and used the term "Britpop"[nb 1]to refer to bands such asthe La's,the Stone RosesandInspiral Carpets,[6]although it did not develop into the Britpop genre/movement at that time (as these acts were grouped under labels such asBaggy,Madchesterand indie-dance).

Keith Cameron wrote aboutNirvanaafter Robb carried out the first interview with them.[7]

The Obscurist Chart ran for about a year, first appearing on 5 September 1981 issue,[8]as an alternative to the main, sales-driven record charts, allowingbandsand music outside the mainstream to be recognised.[8]The chart was started by Paul Platypus, who played withMark Perryin The Reflections and compiled the first nine charts. The last chart appeared in 11 December 1982 issue.[8]

In 1987, Morgan-Grampian had been acquired by United News and Media (later to become United Business Media), first as part of the United Advertising Publications (UAP) division and later as part of the then CMP Information portfolio. A legacy ofSoundswas the creation of the heavy metal/rockmagazineKerrang!,which was originally issued as a supplement before being spun off as a separate publication.[1]

Soundswas one of the trinity of British music weeklies, along withNMEandMelody Maker,that were colloquially known as 'The Inkies'.[9]Soundsfolded in 1991 after the parent company,United Newspapers,decided to concentrate on trade papers likeMusic Weekand so sold most of their consumer magazines titles toEMAP Metro,withSoundsbeing closed at the same time as its sister music magazine, the more chart and dance music orientedRecord Mirror.

Contributors

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Contributors includedGarry Bushell,[10]Sandy Robertson,[11]Giovanni Dadomo, Mick Middles,[12]Phil Sutcliffe,[13]Geoff Barton,John Robb,Phil Bell, Mick Sinclair,[14]Caroline Coon,Antonella Gambotto,Vivien Goldman,Jonh Ingham,Alan Moore(a.k.a. "Curt Vile" ),[15]Lizo Mzimba,[16]John Peel,Barbara Charone,Edwin Pouncey (a.k.a. "Savage Pencil"),Cathi Unsworth,Jon Ronson,Jon Savage,[17]Sylvie Simmons,Penny Valentine,Marguerite Van Cook,Mary Anne Hobbs,Mat Snow,Johnny Waller,James Brown(who went on to formLoaded),Andy Ross(who wrote as "Andy Hurt" and went on to form Food Records),Steve Lamacq,Kev F. Sutherlandand Russ Carvell'sUTstrip, and photographers Michael Putland, Ian Dickson, Jill Furmanovsky, Andy Phillips, Steve Payne, Virginia Turbett, Tony Mottram, Gavin Watson,Ross HalfinandJanette Beckman.[18]

Notes

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  1. ^Journalist andBBC Radio 6 Musicradio presenterStuart Maconieis credited with first using the term Britpop in 1993 in relation to a new "Great British pop" movement which would counteract the success of alt. rock and grunge from America. The term "Britpop" arose when the media were drawing on the success of theYoung British Artists,collectively also referred to as "Britart", and applied a "Britart-esque" label to a number of new British indie musicians, coming up with "Britpop", though recounting the event in a BBC Radio 2 programme from 2020, Maconie believed "Britpop" was a term used in the 1960s, around the time of theBritish Invasion.[5]

References

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  1. ^abTucker, John (2006). "Denim and Leather – 1979".Suzie Smiles... The New Wave of British Heavy Metal.Church Stretton, Shropshire, UK: Independent Music Press. pp. 22–23.ISBN978-0-9549704-7-5.Sounds (...) produced more and more features as the editorial staff realised that metal was one of the main reasons the paper sold
  2. ^"Cockney Rejects: History and Pictures / Oi Music / Punk Rock".Punkmodpop.free.fr. Archived fromthe originalon 28 August 2009.Retrieved24 March2010.
  3. ^Bushell, Garry (2016).Sounds of Glory: The Punk and Ska Yearsreview.New Haven Publishing Limited.ISBN978-1910705469.
  4. ^Middles, Mick."Rock's Back Pages: Mick Middles".Retrieved13 January2019.
  5. ^"The Britpop Top 50 with Jo Whiley".Bbc.co.uk.Retrieved3 September2020.
  6. ^"'I had no idea they would be so big' – John Robb on Manchester music, Britpop, and being the first to interview Nirvana ".Inews.co.uk.Retrieved23 June2019.
  7. ^Robb, John(25 October 2009)."Classic Interview: Nirvana 1989".Clash.Clashmusic.Retrieved24 March2011.
  8. ^abcPlatypus, Paul (15 August 2010)."Obscurist Chart Archive".Retrieved18 September2020.
  9. ^"From weekly to weakly".TheGuardian.3 February 2002.
  10. ^"Madness: Bluebeat and Sax. By Garry Bushell: Articles, reviews and interviews from Rock's Backpages".
  11. ^"Articles, interviews and reviews from Sandy Robertson: Rock's Backpages".rocksbackpages.
  12. ^"Articles, interviews and reviews from Mick Middles: Rock's Backpages".
  13. ^"rock'sbackpageslibrary".Retrieved11 February2023.
  14. ^"The Mick Sinclair Archive".Retrieved20 March2013.
  15. ^"The Sounds Collection".The Alan Moore Store.4colorheroes. Archived fromthe originalon 7 July 2011.Retrieved24 March2011.
  16. ^Display AdAwakeningsThe Observer;17 March 1991
  17. ^"Articles, interviews and reviews from Jon Savage: Rock's Backpages".
  18. ^"ACAPULCO GOLD INTERVIEW: JANETTE BECKMAN".Archived fromthe originalon 7 January 2008.Retrieved9 January2008.
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