Boy Bands
111 articles
Peter and Gordon: Peter & Gordon: Now What About A Look At Gordon (Not Peter)
Interview by Maureen Cleave, The Evening Standard, 30 May 1964
WE KNOW all about Peter of Peter and Gordon. We know he is the brother of Jane Asher who is the friend of the gifted ...
The Lettermen: Lettermen Make Team With Haircuts
Interview by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 18 September 1966
"THE WEIRD thing about us is that we're not weird. We're what you call the All-American boys. When we first started we wore our hair ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 25 September 1966
Monkees Ape Their Betters ...
Live Review by Penny Valentine, Disc and Music Echo, 8 October 1966
They're Off! Walkers, Troggs, Dave Dee ...
The Monkees — They're What's Happening Baby!
Profile by Derek Taylor, Rave, January 1967
An exclusive story by Derek Taylor ...
Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 15 January 1967
More From Four More ...
The Monkees: The Monkees (RCA)
Review by Penny Valentine, Disc and Music Echo, 21 January 1967
CATCHEE MONKEES — on their first great LP ...
The Monkees: Cow Palace, Daly City CA
Live Review by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 23 January 1967
A Gleeful Time With the Monkees Spoofing, Chatter Thrill Youngsters ...
The Monkees: Empire Pool, Wembley, London
Live Review by Peter Jones, Record Mirror, 8 July 1967
CERTAINLY THE best-produced pop-music presentation I've ever seen — that's a summary of the Monkees in concert at the massive 10,000-seater Wembley Pool. Constant changes ...
Jimi Hendrix, The Monkees: The Monkees, Jimi Hendrix Experience: Forest Hills Stadium, Queens NY
Live Review by Richard Goldstein, The Village Voice, 27 July 1967
DAVY JONES pretended to dip his microphone in a goblet of water. And Micky Dolenz admitted he had bought a Moog synthesizer ("I'm fooling around ...
The Osmonds: Madison Square Garden, New York NY
Live Review by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 5 December 1971
Don't Knock Cradle Rock ...
New York Dolls, The Osmonds: The Top of Pop: The Dolls Will Be Heard From
Column by Lillian Roxon, New York Sunday News, 3 September 1972
THREE HEROES. You pay your money and you take your choice. Which one is yours? ...
The Osmonds: They're Here! Amen — it's the Osmonds
Interview by Val Mabbs, Record Mirror, 4 November 1972
VAL MABBS REPORTS FROM HEATHROW ...
The Jackson 5: How NOT to interview the Jackson 5!
Report and Interview by Robin Katz, Record Mirror, 3 February 1973
NOW, FOR the express purpose of this article, let's assume you've already interviewed the J5 in a serious press call. Like the other journalists, you ...
The Jackson 5: Papa Joe's Family Music Plan...
Interview by Robin Katz, Record Mirror, 2 June 1973
HOW MUCH does your father influence you? How would you feel if he insisted that you spend at least four hours everyday after school learning ...
The Jackson 5: The J Five Slot: Kimonos and a tea ceremony as the Jacksons tour Japan
Report by Robin Katz, Record Mirror, 23 June 1973
SOME GROUPS cause pandemonium the moment they come on stage, but it seems that the J5 are one of pop music's few groups who cause ...
Review by Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 7 July 1973
The Os come of age ...
The Bay City Rollers: Split! Nobby and the Bay City Boys Roll Their Separate Ways
Report and Interview by Rosalind Russell, Disc, 16 March 1974
Rosalind Russell delves for the truth behind the departure of Nobby Clark from the Bay City Rollers ...
The Bay City Rollers: Rollin' with the Rollers
Interview by Colin Irwin, Melody Maker, 19 October 1974
HELLO AND welcome to the BBC Television Centre at Shepherd's Bush. There's a lot of excitement... and chaos... here today, as always when they're making ...
The Bay City Rollers: Bay City Rollers: Top of the Pops?
Profile by Wayne Robins, The Village Voice, 8 September 1975
IF YOU believe, as I do, that 'Sugar Sugar' was a brilliant record, you may like the Bay City Rollers. On the other hand, it ...
The Bay City Rollers: Can the Rollers crack America?
Report and Interview by Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 6 December 1975
CHRIS CHARLESWORTH IN NEW YORK ANSWERS THE 64,000 DOLLAR QUESTION ...
Interview by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, 17 January 1976
IT'S NOT often you come across a small group of girls lying on their stomachs on a pavement on a cold, damp day. But if ...
The Bay City Rollers: Palladium, New York NY
Live Review by Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 15 January 1977
Rollers: it's a riot ...
The Jacksons: The Jacksons (Epic/Philadelphia International); Joyful Jukebox Music (Tamla Motown)
Review by Bob Woffinden, New Musical Express, 15 January 1977
The red carpet, but no heat treatment ...
Donny Osmond, The Osmonds: In the busy world of Donny Osmond
Interview by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 2 November 1977
"YOU'RE GOING to phone Donny Osmond?" A couple of my jazzfan friends stared in disbelief. It was as if I had announced that Duke Ellington ...
Review by Danny Baker, New Musical Express, 13 January 1979
EACH YEAR, when the popularity polls roll around, way down in the best vocalist section we can find Bowie, Dylan and even Cornwall whilst my ...
New Edition: Editions Of Youth
Interview by Richard Grabel, New Musical Express, 16 April 1983
HERE'S SOMETHING that can't miss. Five young and cute boys (ages 14 and 15) who can sing and dance, including one outstanding lead singer whose ...
Interview by Paolo Hewitt, New Musical Express, 18 June 1983
A sense of humour? Clubs, parties and late nights? Five months to write 'Bad Boys'? What is with these WHAM! guys? PAOLO HEWITT steps into ...
New Edition: Candy Girl (London/Streetwise SH8553)
Review by Betty Page, Record Mirror, 20 August 1983
EDITIONS OF YOU ...
Interview by Paul Sexton, Record Mirror, 27 August 1983
We release New Edition on an unsuspecting London ...
George Michael, Wham!: Wham!: The Beach Boys
Report and Interview by Neil Tennant, Smash Hits, 24 May 1984
A sun-soaked story of sea, sand, shorts, shuttlecocks and snogging. Yes, Wham! are back. Your travel guide in Miami: Neil Tennant. ...
Report and Interview by David A. Keeps, Smash Hits, 4 April 1985
THESE BOYS ARE BUSY. TWO YEARS AGO THEY WERE NUMBER ONE WITH 'CANDY GIRL'. NOW THEY'RE BACK WITH 'MR TELEPHONE MAN' AND 'COOL IT NOW', ...
Wet Wet Wet: Stupid Sports of the World Part 112: Ten "Pin" Bowling featuring Wet Wet Wet
Report and Interview by Sylvia Patterson, Smash Hits, 20 May 1987
They used to be "punk" "rockers" with horrible hair but now they're four "nice" "lads" who love their parents and take their washing home with ...
Report and Interview by William Shaw, Smash Hits, 3 June 1987
What are Curiosity Killed The Cat, Boy George, Whitney Houston, Beastie Boys, A-ha and three squillion other pop stars doing in a little town in ...
Donny Osmond, The Osmonds: Donny Osmond: Donny!
Interview by Jon Wilde, Blitz, August 1987
Donny Osmond is set to relaunch his solo career later this year with a new album. ...
Bros: This Is What You Do To Get On The Cover Of Smash Hits...
Report and Interview by William Shaw, Smash Hits, 10 February 1988
It's not just a queston of having a massive hit (e.g. Bros' 'When Will I Be Famous?') and then standing still for thirty seconds in ...
Bros: "We're The Only Group Who Write About Our Generation"
Interview by William Shaw, Smash Hits, 6 April 1988
Matt, Luke and Craig from Bros tell William Shaw about the songs on their first-ever LP Push... ...
Bros: The Empire State Building! Shopping! Yellow Taxis! Lots of Limos!
Report and Interview by Chris Heath, Smash Hits, 20 April 1988
Gosh! Bros are getting rather excited on their first-ever visit to America. "And it's a non-stop tale of high jinks and late-night pranks!" reports Chris ...
Johnny Gill, New Edition: New Edition: New Beginnings
Interview by David Nathan, Blues & Soul, 19 July 1988
Teen idols New Edition have a new lead vocalist, Johnny Gill, and a new, mature sound for their latest album. B&S discovers how the young ...
Live Review by Geoffrey Himes, Evening Sun (Baltimore), The , 31 July 1989
5 Kids, 5,000 screamers produce A YYYEEEEEYEYEOHOOOWWWW!!! ...
New Kids On The Block: It's the New Kids on the Block!
Interview by Chris Heath, Smash Hits, 16 November 1989
IT'S THE Monday morning after their "triumphant" performance of 'You Got It (The Right Stuff)' at the Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party and New Kids ...
New Kids on the Block: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis TN
Live Review by Lloyd Bradley, The Independent, 23 February 1990
Young bloods in Memphis: the boys from next door ...
New Kids On The Block: Step by Step (CBS 466686 1)
Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 22 June 1990
CONCERNED PARENTS may be anxious to discover what exactly has precipitated the recent bouts of querulous mass hysteria among our nation's six to 12 year-olds. ...
New Kids On The Block: Step By Step (CBS)
Review by Ian Gittins, Melody Maker, 30 June 1990
WHAT IS SO odious about New Kids On The Block? Why are they so uniquely dislikeable? Is it the disturbingly cynical way they blunted rap's ...
Guy: Hammersmith Odeon, London
Live Review by David Toop, The Times, 14 September 1991
FOR MOST British music lovers, the term "new jack swing" probably suggests a piece of automobile repair equipment. But for a gifted New Yorker named ...
Live Review by David Bennun, Melody Maker, 28 August 1993
"TAKE THAT are the best group in the whole world. So there!" ...
D:Ream, Take That: Take That, D:Ream: Wembley Arena, London
Live Review by Barbara Ellen, New Musical Express, 11 December 1993
PIN-UP... AND COMING ...
Review by Amy Linden, New York Daily News, 4 September 1994
Boyz II Men: A Smooth Transition. II shows Philly quartet isn't just a passing fancy. ...
Take That: Bare cheek, but check out the talent — Take That: Wembley Arena, London
Live Review by Max Bell, The Evening Standard, 16 September 1994
Deafened by screams, but impressed by the cabaret, MAX BELL reviews Take That at Wembley Arena ...
The Flying Medallions, Stereolab, Suede, Take That, Tiny Monroe, Voodoo Queens: Take That and Indie?
Report and Interview by Siân Pattenden, Select, December 1994
What happens when a quintet of indie deities meet the locus of teen-lust that is Take That? Will they cop off? Will they agree to ...
Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 May 1995
THE TEENY horrors' recent attempts to grow up have been partially successful; the newly-acquired dreadlocks are frightening rather than alluring, but their third album is ...
Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 May 1995
Hormonesapoppin' as E17 storm the Sheffield Arena. No prisoners taken ...
Peter Andre, East 17: East 17, Peter Andre, Deuce, J-Pac: SECC, Glasgow
Live Review by Keith Cameron, New Musical Express, 3 June 1995
COCKNEY REVELS ...
Boyzone, Whigfield: Grand, London
Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 14 June 1995
Quick, nurse the screams ...
George Michael, Take That, Robbie Williams: Robbie Williams: Gain the world, lose your soul
Comment by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 28 July 1995
Why did Robbie Williams turn his back on fame, fortune and Take That? Because he had to ...
Take That split (if you say so)
Comment by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 8 September 1995
The most remarkable thing about the teen scream dreamboys is they know exactly how disposable they are. ...
Take That: 'Back For Good' (Arista)
Review by James Hunter, Rolling Stone, 2 November 1995
BEAUTIFUL LOSER ...
East 17: Royal Albert Hall, London
Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 11 December 1995
The music of merchandise ...
Oasis, Robbie Williams: No sign of peace at the Oasis
Report by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 22 December 1995
Caitlin Moran says blood will prove thicker than water between the battling Gallaghers ...
Oasis, Take That: Take That: Sex pistols will fill pretty vacancy
Comment by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 8 March 1996
Think of Take That as a magic bus — another, bigger and brasher, will be along in a minute ...
Gary Barlow, Take That, Robbie Williams: Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams: New Labour v Militant
Report by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 12 July 1996
IT IS HARD to believe, but there are children young enough not to remember last year's Blur v Oasis wars. Children who will have to ...
Bobby Brown, New Edition: New Edition: Houston? We Have No Problem
Interview by Johnny Cigarettes, New Musical Express, 7 September 1996
The Rolling Stones? Pah! The Beatles? Forget it! They're nothing compared to NEW EDITION (remember '80s classic 'Candy Girl'?). Or so founder member Bobby Brown ...
East 17: Pimply — East 17: Around The World — The Journey So Far (London 826852-2)
Review by Lucy O'Brien, Q, January 1997
East 17: becoming cooler by degrees. ...
The Monkees: Wembley Arena, London
Live Review by Max Bell, The Evening Standard, 20 March 1997
The comeback that's making monkeys out of us ...
Eternal, Human Nature: Wembley Arena, London
Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 7 April 1997
The sound of a well-oiled machine ...
Blackstreet, Brownstone: Royal Albert Hall, London
Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 24 April 1997
Street life of Riley ...
Jonny Lang: Hanson: The little brat pack
Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 May 1997
They're too young to drink at their own gigs. But Hanson are coming, and so is a new wave of pubescent poppers. Caroline Sullivan meets ...
Boyzone: Wembley Arena, London
Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 9 June 1997
One for the girls ...
Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 October 1997
You've never heard of Five. The Spice Girls' inventors will make sure you do. Caroline Sullivan reports ...
Hanson: Snowbored! Hanson: Snowed In (Mercury 11 tks/42 mins)
Review by Simon Price, Melody Maker, 22 November 1997
So, is HANSON'S second album — devoted to the spirit off Christmas — a cracker... or a whopping great turkey? ...
Backstreet Boys: And They Can Sing Too
Profile and Interview by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 4 January 1998
Two years ago, the Backstreet Boys struggled to find an audience in America for their clean-cut songs. Now, after mega-star success in Europe and Canada, ...
Gary Barlow: Hammersmith Apollo, London
Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 March 1998
Ready to Take That and party on ...
Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 June 1998
Teen hearts throb with teen music ...
Report and Interview by Barbara Ellen, The Observer, 25 October 1998
They live a rock-and-roll lifestyle but are hung-up about virginity. They act like grown-ups but keep their clothes in baskets with schoolboy name-tags on them. ...
Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 December 1998
Planet Pop to ground control: aaagh! ...
All Saints, George Michael, Robbie Williams: Robbie Williams: The Nation's Favourite
Special Feature by Chris Heath, The Face, January 1999
THE AWARD FOR THE MOST CLEAN-LIVING AND MODERATE POPULAR ENTERTAINER OF 1998 GOES TO... ...
Review by James Hunter, New York Observer, 24 May 1999
Backstreet Boys Play Coy, Robbie Williams Is a Joy ...
Jordan Knight: Jordan Knight (Interscope)
Review by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 1999
KNIGHT MAY have served his musical apprenticeship by doing the electric boogaloo in stone-washed jeans when he was a member of New Kids on the ...
Backstreet Boys: Earls Court, London
Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 18 June 1999
Good, and over here ...
Backstreet Boys: Earl's Court, London **
Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 21 June 1999
IT'S A DEPRESSING thought, but the Backstreet Boys have a strong claim to being the most popular group in the world right now. Although no ...
Gary Barlow: Stronger, Faster, Better — and Taller
Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 July 1999
Gary Barlow may have been upstaged by the success of his former Take That colleague. Then again, says Caroline Sullivan, Robbie can't fly ...
Live Review by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 1999
A Smartly Wrapped Package: All That Music & More tour's acts fly by in a format tailored to kids. ...
Bros, Five, Spice Girls: Bob Herbert 1942-1999
Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 August 1999
BOB HERBERT, who has died in a car crash aged 57, didn't invent the idea of the packaged pop group, but, as the man responsible ...
Backstreet Boys: Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim CA
Live Review by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 16 October 1999
There's a Backstreet Boy for Every Teenage Girl ...
The Bay City Rollers: My tartan heart
Retrospective by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 18 October 1999
Caroline Sullivan reflects on the life and love of a teenage Bay City Rollers fan ...
Spice Girls, Westlife: Battle of the blands: Westlife versus the Spice Girls
Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 November 2000
It was the biggest chart clash since Blur versus Oasis: Westlife versus the Spice Girls. What does that tell us about today's music business, asks ...
Profile and Interview by Tim Cooper, The Observer, 25 March 2001
He was on stage by five, on tour by eight and receiving 50,000 fan letters a week by 13. But behind his success lay loneliness, ...
Ronan Keating: Mad about the boy
Profile and Interview by Tim Cooper, The Observer, 8 April 2001
Ronan Keating is the blue-eyed blond who stole the heart of every schoolgirl in the country with Boyzone. Now, he's going it alone and is ...
Review by Ted Kessler, New Musical Express, 18 August 2001
ADIEU, BACKSTREET BOYS: your retirement awaits you. With Celebrity, NSYNC have cooked the boyband goose, and none will feel the heat more acutely than the ...
Blue (England): Blue: One Love
Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 8 November 2002
BLUE'S MELANCHOLY All Rise, probably the only hit of 2001 to feature accordion as lead instrument, was such a sterling example of what thoughtful production ...
Busted: A Present for Everyone
Review by Craig McLean, Observer Music Monthly, November 2003
Jock-rocking boy band make stocking filler ...
Son Of Dork: Welcome To Loserville
Review by Ian Watson, Yahoo! Music, November 2005
Dear Shareholders, FOLLOWING THE concerns raised (see minutes passim) about the discontinuation of the Busted product and the underperformance of the Fightstar spinoff, we’re delighted to ...
Johnny Jenkins, Otis Redding: Johnny Jenkins, 1939-2006
Obituary by Ken Hunt, The Guardian, 16 September 2006
Flamboyant musician who influenced Hendrix and Otis Redding ...
Scouting for Girls: 100 Club, London
Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 August 2007
IF SCOUTING FOR GIRLS turn out to be notable for nothing else, they have at least saved the name Roy from extinction. But Roy Stride, ...
Live Review by Lisa Verrico, The Times, 31 May 2008
Slick vocals, old moves from original ballad boys ...
Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 11 November 2008
REMEMBER THE days when boy bands were 10 a penny and schoolgirls would wage war over whether Take That or East 17 were more luscious? ...
Review by Pete Paphides, The Times, 24 July 2010
WHEN ASKED WHAT he does for a living, Simon Cowell says his job is to "guess what's going to be popular". In fact, the strange ...
The Walker Brothers: John Walker, 1943-2011
Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 9 May 2011
Singer with the Walker Brothers, one of the most popular bands of the 1960s ...
Davy Jones, The Monkees: Davy Jones, 1945-2012
Obituary by Dave Laing, The Guardian, 29 February 2012
Former child actor who became a star with the '60s pop group the Monkees. ...
Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 25 March 2012
WHO COULD HAVE predicted not one but two X Factor boybands would exceed their allotted 15 minutes? The onus is now on JLS to out-dazzle ...
Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 10 April 2012
MCFLY HAVE never paid much attention to the traditional boyband script. It is eight years since their first single, '5 Colours in Her Hair', reached ...
Backstreet Boys, One Direction: Just me and the boybands…
Retrospective by Mark Kemp, Creative Loafing, 21 June 2012
IT WAS BEGINNING to get very surreal. For months we'd been broadcasting live out of a brand-new studio overlooking Times Square, first as MTV Live, ...
Justin Timberlake: Roundhouse, London
Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 29 September 2013
His ex-boyband DNA compels him to give the footwork as much prominence as the songs ...
Interview by Pip Williams, Rock's Backpages audio, 15 October 2015
One Direction's Harry Styles and Niall Horan on their new album, Made In The A.M.; it's release clashing with Justin Bieber's; will the All Blacks win the Rugby World Cup; why they don't behave like most rockers; their responsibilities towards their fans; why Ireland didn't beat Poland in the Euro qualifiers, and their fondness for Sweden.
File format: mp3; file size: 14.6mb, interview length: 15' 11" sound quality: *****
One Direction's Harry Styles and Niall Horan On Their New Album, Made In The A.M.
Interview by Pip Williams, Coup De Main, 18 October 2015
IT'S BEEN A wild year for One Direction. Five years down the line from their original formation as one of Simon Cowell's amalgamations of solo ...
George Michael: Why George Michael was the greatest pop star of the MTV era
Comment by Maura Johnston, The Guardian, 26 December 2016
Jackson had the moves, Madonna had the moxie, Prince had the sex – but George Michael had the voice … and thrilling songs like spinning ...
Busted: Hammersmith Apollo, London — all grown up and not so much fun
Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 5 February 2017
Wall-to-wall screaming greets the trio's return, but 13 years on their infectiously exuberant punk-pop has been replaced by cloying, synth-heavy soft rock. ...
Harry Styles: teen star turned serious player?
Profile by Jude Rogers, The Observer, 14 May 2017
He was boyband One Direction's most high-profile pin-up. But as his debut solo album proves, behind the marketing lies a smart young man ...
Live Review by Stephen Dalton, The Times, 21 August 2017
NOSTALGIA IS A powerful drug. One of the joys of witnessing former teen-pop idols re-form in middle age is the extra emotional depth, knowing hindsight ...
Review by Geoffrey Himes, The Washington Post, 29 September 2017
HARRY STYLES has gone back to the future. Sooner or later, this short, wiry singer with the tousled hair and giddy tenor had to leave ...
Live Review by Rick Pearson, The Evening Standard, 1 April 2019
When the apocalypse comes, all that will remain is cockroaches and Busted. ...
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