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Bob Fisher

Bob Fisher

Bob Fisher began writing in the late '60s whilst still residing in his home City of Leicester for a variety of specialist fanzines like Shout, SMG and Hot Buttered Soul.

Specialising almost exclusively on Black Music, he was enrolled onto the reviewing team of Cream via Shout magazine by Charlie Gillett, who later enrolled him onto the new Let It Rock team. When NME was relaunched in the early '70s with new writers poached from magazines like Cream, Bob Woffinden invited him to freelance for the paper. Still based in Leicester he covered gigs across the Midlands and North and interviewed many touring stars.

In late 1975, he moved to London to become press officer for Motown Records at EMI. At EMI he eventually became label manager for the Fantsay/Stax group of labels and several other imprints including Salsoul, EMI International and Private Stock. In 1981 he joined the advertising agency that handled Orbis Publishing and produced the 40 double albums that accompanied the Orbis part-work The History Of Rock, as well writing several features for said publication.

In 1987 Bob joined Charly Records alongside fellow NME alumnus Cliff White and produced scores of Blues and Soul reissues. In 1989 he founded Sequel Records for Castle Communications and in 1997 joined MCI and founded the Westside and Blueside labels.

After a short stint running the Connoisseur Collection, Bob co-founded Acrobat Records, for whom he produced reissues until 2008. After the demise of Acrobat, he returned to the world of consultancy and produced several packages for labels like GVC, Jasmine and Blue.

Bob suffered a fatal heart attack in October 2021.

Music Week's obit for Bob

Bill Millar's tribute to Bob

67 articles

List of articles in the library

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Johnny Otis, The Platters, Jackie Wilson: Johnny Otis, Platters, Jackie Wilson Reissue Albums

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, February 1972

Johnny Otis: Pioneers of Rock: Vol. 2The Platters: The Best of the PlattersJackie Wilson: Greatest Hits ...

Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker and Otis Spann: Super Black Blues

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, June 1972

IT'S TAKEN Phillips a long time to get around to issuing this superb album, probably the only genuine spontaneous blues jam ever commited to wax. ...

Martin Mull: Martin Mull (Capricorn)

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, June 1972

SINGER/SONGWRITERS are thirteen to the dozen this year. Of the newcomers of the last eighteen months only a couple have managed completely successful albums, like ...

Isaac Hayes: Live At The Sahara Tahoe

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, 1973

IGNORING the Shaft soundtrack, Isaac Hayes blew it with the Black Moses double set. This followed three good and original albums, although you could still ...

Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Dr. Ross, Johnny Mars: Eddie "Guitar" Burns: Bottle Up & Go; Johnny Mars: Blues from Mars; Dr. Ross: Live at Montreux

Review by Bob Fisher, Let It Rock, February 1973

ALL THESE ALBUMS were recorded (apart from Dr. Ross) in England at the Chalk Farm studios and produced by Jim Simpson. They represent probably the ...

The Four Seasons: Ten Years And Still Hanging On

Retrospective by Bob Fisher, Let It Rock, March 1973

IN AUGUST LAST YEAR Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons celebrated ten years as one of the most successful recording groups America has ever produced. ...

Paul Butterfield's Better Days, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Bobby Charles: Paul Butterfield's Better Days: Better Days (Bearsville/Polydor)/Bobby Charles: Bobby Charles (Bearsville/Polydor)

Review by Bob Fisher, International Times, 17 May 1973

A COUPLE OF years ago an excellent little gangster movie from the States was doing the circuit, called The Grissom Gang. Now rock has come ...

Afrique, Don Covay, The Independents: Afrique: Soul Makossa; The Independents: The First Time We Met; Don Covay: Super Dude 1

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, September 1973

THERE MUST be some crap music coming out of the States, or is it me? Can't I discern between the good, the bad and the ...

Aretha Franklin: Hey Now Hey (Atlantic)

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, September 1973

IT'S BEEN HIP for mainstream rock critics to knock Miss Franklin for some time now, in much the same way the current vogue is to ...

Bo Diddley: The London Sessions (Chess)

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, September 1973

AFTER THE release of Golden Decade and Got Another Bag Of Tricks, which really put Bo in perspective, Chess undo all their sterling work by ...

Dale Hawkins: Oh Suzie: The Best Of Dale Hawkins

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, September 1973

YET ANOTHER priceless bargain from Phonogram. The way in which the rock and roll collectors are being catered for this year is excellent, Polydor have ...

Neil Sedaka: A Night With Neil

Report by Bob Fisher, Let It Rock, September 1973

IS NEIL SEDAKA for real? It really is hard to comprehend how such a nice guy could ever get involved in world of rock 'n' ...

The Isley Brothers: 3+3 (Epic)

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 2 February 1974

BLACK MUSIC is currently well entrenched in the process of mixing recent rock forms into the standard sound of soul, a process in which the ...

New York City: Birmingham

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 23 March 1974

'I'M DOIN' Fine Now' was a great pop soul single. 'Quick Fast In A Hurry' their current, much played, 45 is a disco and a ...

Bobby "Blue" Bland: Bobby Bland: Dreamer

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, November 1974

ONE DAY last week I tuned into Noel Edmunds and I heard it – and fell back into bed. ...

Barry White - Can't Get Enough

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 16 November 1974

THE TITLE TRACK has just left the British and American top thirty. The album itself is resting at No. 1 on the US album charts ...

The Delfonics: Developments In The Delfonic Dilemma

Profile and Interview by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 30 November 1974

MENTION THE Philly sound, and people will start thinking about The O'Jays, Billy Paul, The Intruders or The Three Degrees. ...

Barry White

Profile by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 14 December 1974

Some things turn me on...like the way you might say a word or the way you wear your hair and have a certain smile on ...

New Soul Compilation Albums

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 1 January 1975

Black is busting out all over ...

Gladys Knight: I Feel a Song

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 4 January 1975

RELUCTANTLY, ONE MUST admit that Aretha Franklin has now lost her crown as America's top female singer to Miss Knight. Gladys and her Pips have ...

The Delfonics: Alive And Kicking

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 4 January 1975

THE REAL SOUND of Philadelphia belongs to the Delfonics, who started not only the Philly sound but almost the whole black vocal-group syndrome back in ...

Soul (Style): Baggy Trousers Will Not Be Admitted

Report by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 11 January 1975

THE STYLISTIC rivalry between soul fans in the North and South of England has been well publicised. But what magazine odes to regional soul tend ...

Little Milton

Profile by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 1 February 1975

"LIFE BEGINS AT forty," they say, so 1975 maybe the year in which Little Milton finally breaks out of the Chitlin circuit – that long ...

The Ohio Players: Ohio Players: Fiery, Freaky and Funky

Profile by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 1 February 1975

CURRENTLY THE HOTTEST item on Billboard's album chart is The Ohio Players Fire (Mercury). Phonogram must have burnt their fingers in the rush get it ...

Don Covay: Hot Blood

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 8 February 1975

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE Don Covay made with this album was in making 'It's Better To Have' track one, side one. ...

Syl Johnson: Barbarella's, Birmingham

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 15 February 1975

MOST OF the soul artists who do the one-nighter round of the UK and USAF bases have some kind of hit going for them, or ...

Bobby Womack: I Can Understand It

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 22 February 1975

CALLED IN America Greatest Hits, this album simply illustrates the unsatisfactory position that Bobby Womack finds himself in in England. Hitless. ...

The Chi-Lites

Interview by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 22 February 1975

IT'S A SOMEWHAT perplexed Chi-Lites who recently embarked on their second and most extensive UK tour of Clubs and Cabaret. ...

Curtis Mayfield, The Impressions: Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions: Big Sixteen

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, March 1975

IT'S PLEASING to see Anchor pushing out this classic compilation, as it's been unavailable for several years. It was originally issued on the old HMV ...

Tavares: Hard Core Poetry

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 8 March 1975

LOVE THAT title, Hard Core Poetry. Unfortunately the album does not move me as much. ...

The Mighty Clouds of Joy: Hey You, Get Onto The Mighty Clouds Of Joy…

Comment by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 29 March 1975

...and discover the undiluted gospel fervour and emotional commitment you thought black music had lost. ...

James Brown: Reality and Breakin' Bread

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 5 April 1975

A WORD OF advice. Never attempt to review James Brown product whilst the records are actually playing. It's impossible either to write or type when ...

Ben E. King, The Jimmy Castor Bunch, Sister Sledge, The Spinners: Sister Sledge; Jimmy Castor; Ben E. King; The Spinners: Return of the Soul Package

Report and Interview by Bob Fisher, Roger St. Pierre, New Musical Express, 19 April 1975

From the great lost soul label of Atlantic it came, writhing with synchronized funk, its many black heads chanting and wailing. Nothing like it had ...

Al Green: Eaten Something Funny Al?

Interview by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 26 April 1975

"L.O.V.E. SPELLS LOVE," says Al Green on his current NME chart rider of the same name, while according to Jimmy Witherspoon's current US hit, it's ...

J. J. Barnes: The Groovesville Masters

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 26 April 1975

DESPITE A couple of very successful tours of the Midlands and the North, JJ seems dogged by bad luck. ...

Syl Johnson: A Whole Lot Of Whiplashes And Scars…

Interview by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 26 April 1975

NOT MANY artists hot on the US Soul charts have had the apprenticeship of Syl Johnson. ...

Chairmen of the Board

Interview by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 3 May 1975

IT WAS THE Chairmen of the Board's umpteenth tour of the UK, but this time round, the venues were a little classier, with week long ...

Ben E. King: Supernatural

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 17 May 1975

'SUPERNATURAL Thing Pt. 1' marks the first occasion on which Ben E. King has hit the American Top twenty since 'Don't Play That Song' in ...

Earth, Wind & Fire: Earth, Wind and Fire: 'Turn on the funk motor'

Profile by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 17 May 1975

...ordered Godfather James Brown, and the welter of street-funk bands has been unstoppable. EARTH WIND AND FIRE are this month's chart faves. BOB FISHER examines ...

Barry White: Villa Park, Birmingham

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 24 May 1975

THERE'S BEEN some controversy about the prices on Barry White's English gigs – £5 was the top price at Birmingham. ...

Smokey Robinson: Smokey's Backatcha

Profile and Interview by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 15 June 1975

MOTOWN announced the retirement of William "Smokey" Robinson in January 1972. ...

Jackie Wilson said... 'Reet Petite'. And the mothers of Harlem said 'No'

Retrospective and Interview by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 21 June 1975

BOB FISHER traces the sometimes controversial career of 'Mr. Excitement,' currently stomping his way across Britain. ...

Elvin Bishop: Juke Joint Jump

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, July 1975

ELVIN BISHOP'S place in the scheme of post-Beatles US Rock has been pretty much undervalued over the years. This is probably owing to his uncanny ...

Duane Eddy: Bailey's, Leicester

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, September 1975

YET ANOTHER rock 'n' roll legend is stalking the stages of the club circuit and on July 14 he trod the stage of Bailey's, Leicester. ...

The Fatback Band: Yum Yum

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, September 1975

"MY NAME is Yum Yum, Gimme some!" ...

Hamilton Bohannon: Leicester

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 13 September 1975

WHY IS it that audiences will dance all night to records, but stand round and drum their fingers to the real thing even when it ...

Natalie Cole: Meet Nat Queen Cole

Profile by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 13 September 1975

WITH 1975 almost certain to establish itself as a most uneventful year for soul, it's refreshing to come across a 45 by a newish singer ...

Earth, Wind & Fire, Santana: Santana, Earth Wind and Fire: Hippodrome, Birmingham

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 13 September 1975

Lift-off on schedule for Santana tour ...

Disco-Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes, Susan Cadogan: Leicester

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 20 September 1975

APART FROM the flash of inspiration provided by the Birmingham band Muscles, the evening ranked as one of the most musically boring I have ever ...

B.T. Express: Non-Stop (EMI International)

Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 27 September 1975

SIX MONTHS ago, with an album called Do It — Till You're Satisfied, The B.T. Express produced the major work to emerge from the ongoing ...

The Four Seasons: Valli's Evergreens

Retrospective by Bob Fisher, The History of Rock, 1982

Why the Four Seasons were perennial chart-toppers ...

Alexis Korner: Blues For Mr Korner

Obituary by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 14 January 1984

BOB FISHER, who worked with Alexis Komer on a TV history of rock, pays tribute to the man who was the chief architect of British ...

Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino: Dave Bartholomew

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, August 2010

AUTHOR'S NOTE: In 2010, I put together a 4-CD box set for JSP Records which was never actually released. Year later, I produced a new ...

Dave Bartholomew

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, August 2010

ON CHRISTMAS EVE 2016, Dave Bartholomew celebrated his 98th birthday and over 65 years as a professional musician. ...

The Sequence: Funk You Up – The Complete Sugarhill Recordings

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, 2014

SUGARHILL RECORDS was formed in 1979 by Joe and Sylvia Robinson and by early 1980 had presented the world with a "new" music – rap. ...

Bobby Womack: Save The Children (Solar)

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, June 2014

WHEN BOBBY WOMACK died on June 27th, 2014, at the age of 70, he was one of the last links to the world of '60s ...

The Whispers: The Complete Solar Hit Singles Collection

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, PIAS Records, June 2014

DESPITE ITS TITLE, this collection of all the charted singles released by the Whispers actually includes material recorded for labels they were signed to before ...

Shalamar: The Complete Solar Hit Singles Collection

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, Sanctuary Records, July 2014

Dick Griffey and Solar Records ...

Candi Staton: Nitelites

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, Sequel Records, November 2014

"As the president of Sugarhill Records Ltd, I have never given my opinion in writing on an album cover. I have often wondered why Candi ...

Linda Jones: The Complete Turbo Recordings

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, January 2015

"We used to stand backstage and watch that lady sing; even though she didn't have star charisma on stage, she would just stand there and ...

The Moments: All The Hits And More – The Complete Singles As and Bs 1968-1978

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, February 2015

THE MOMENTS WERE the star act at All Platinum Records for over 10 years. Thanks to their European distributor Phonogram Records the label and indeed ...

Brother To Brother: In The Bottle – The Complete Album Collection

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, March 2015

IF THE GROUP, Brother to Brother is remembered for anything, it's their hit interpretation of Gil Scott-Heron's classic 'The Bottle'. The song was written as ...

Shirley & Company: The Shame, Shame, Shame Story

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, March 2015

'SHAME, SHAME, SHAME' was one of the earliest disco hits to break out international eventually selling several million copies around the world. It topped Billboard's ...

"Brother" Jack McDuff: Brother Jack McDuff: Kisses/Having A Good Time/Live It Up (Sugarhill)

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, June 2015

ALL PLATINUM RECORDS, based in New Jersey, was a remarkably powerful force in Black music during the early 1970s and prided itself on being a ...

The Whatnauts: On The Rocks – The Complete Collection

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, June 2015

THE WHATNAUTS, a group revered by collectors of "sweet soul" vocal groups of the '60s and '70s, are yet another act with membership of that ...

Crown Heights Affair: Dreaming A Dream (The Best of Crown Heights Affair)

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, Sanctuary Records, July 2015

'DREAMING A DREAM' was a game-changer in the world of dance music in 1975, and its impact cannot be overestimated. In 1975 the funk revolution ...

The Sugarhill Gang: Jump On It ! – Complete Sugarhill Recordings

Sleeve notes by Bob Fisher, unpublished, July 2015

"All the other rappers didn't consider the Sugar Hill Gang to be real rappers. They just got lucky. They hadn't lived the life they hadn't ...

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