David Griffiths
David Griffiths (right, with Dennis Wilson on left) began his journalistic career as cub reporter on the Hendon & Finchley Times, then joined TV Times on its launch in 1955. As a freelance during the '60s, he worked at the BBC as a writer at Radio Times and broadcaster for the Light Programme and then Radio One. He was also news editor and feature writer at Record Mirror. During the '70s he edited several specialist publications including the health monthly Prevention and the glam monthly Fiesta.
90 articles
List of articles in the library
Bobby Rydell: Twenty Years Plus Bobby
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 23 March 1963
A SIGNIFICANT thing happened to Bobby Rydell when he was five years old. His father took him to see a stage show. And another stage ...
Screaming Lord Sutch: Two Sides Of Sutch
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 23 March 1963
ROCK SINGING, horror, comedy – and now politics. Such are the interests, professional and personal, of Screamin' Lord Sutch. ...
The Beatles, Dave Berry: The Hamburg Scene: An NRM Special Report
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 6 April 1963
WHERE, WOULD you reckon, is the greatest training ground for British beat singers and groups? ...
The Big Three: "They All Copied Us," Said The Big Three To NRM's David Griffiths
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 1 June 1963
THE FIRST thing you notice about them is that they are quite normal size — three average-height lads. But when they start to play — ...
Ray Charles: What Else is Left for Ray?
Profile by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 13 July 1963
Has The Genius Any More Fields To Conquer? ...
Nat King Cole: Great Jazzman To Great Businessman
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 20 July 1963
SOFT LIGHTS, a smoke-hazed atmosphere, gentleness, smooth (and, if you're a susceptible girl, spine-tingling) singing. ...
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 17 August 1963
JOE BROWN has really put his foot in it this time. ...
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 24 August 1963
Frank Ifield had all the Star Qualities – Good Looks, Good Voice, Charm, etc., but it took him three years to hit the top, because ...
Cliff Richard: How Cliff Rose To Fame
Profile by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 7 September 1963
David Griffiths spotlights the early days of Cliff's career... ...
Trini Lopez: Pop-Folk Is Here To Stay — Like It Or Not
Profile by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 5 October 1963
SOME SAY IT'S TOO COMMERCIAL, IMPURE, PHONEY, ETC., BUT WHATEVER THEY SAY ABOUT IT... ...
Cliff Richard, The Shadows: Cliff Richard & The Shadows: Cliff's New Film and Hank's New Guitar!
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 19 October 1963
IT WAS BUSY-ness as usual for birthday boy Cliff Richard this week. On Sunday night he cut his next record (out in about three weeks) ...
Quincy Jones: One Of The Greatest!
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 26 October 1963
SITTING IN a deserted recording studio at Philips, listening to the playback of a just-completed session by the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra, Quincy Jones – trumpeter, ...
The Dave Clark Five: Do-It-Yourself Dave
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 14 December 1963
NO AGENT, no A&R man, no manager, not even professional status. ...
Helen Shapiro: Will Helen Make Her Comeback in 1964?
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 21 December 1963
From child prodigy to star of stage, screen etc. That's the career of young Helen Shapiro. She has a talent way ahead of her years. ...
The Beatles: Backstage at the London Palladium
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 21 December 1963
The Man Who Guides The Stars Behind The Scenes ...
Bert Weedon: I'm All For Contrast Says Bert Weedon
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 January 1964
IN ANY OUT-and-out pop disc show during the last year, about 10 out of a dozen records would be full of twang and beat, says ...
Eden Kane: I Thought I Was a Has-Been
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 22 February 1964
EDEN KANE TALKS TO DAVID GRIFFITHS ABOUT HIS CHART COMEBACK ...
Sammy Davis Jr.: 'Me and the Beatles'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 28 March 1964
SAMMY DAVIS TALKS TO DAVID GRIFFITHS ...
Cliff Richard: Cliff Off The Cuff
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 April 1964
ALWAYS CHARMING, always straightforward in his replies to Press questions, Cliff was chosen by the Record Mirror to be the opening interviewee of an occasional ...
Cassius Clay, Kenny Lynch: Kenny Lynch: Cassius Could Lose This Fight
Report by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 11 April 1964
NEXT TO show business, Kenny Lynch's chief interest has long been boxing. Needless to say, there's never been much connection between the two interests. Since ...
Manfred Mann: More of the Manfred Men
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 9 May 1964
ONLY 18 months ago. Mike Vickers and Manfred Mann were eking out meagre existences as scuffling would-be jazz musicians. Both were fervent modern jazz enthusiasts. ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 9 May 1964
SLOW TALKING, deep thinking Roy Orbison – our first American to be featured in Off The Cuff – made an ideal interviewee. Following is a ...
The Swinging Blue Jeans: The Blue Jeans Ordeal
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 23 May 1964
The Swinging Blue Jeans talk to R.M's David Griffiths about the R&B fanatics who spoilt their act ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 30 May 1964
WHAT'S behind the New Look Juke Box Jury? ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 6 June 1964
BILLY FURY – who's likely to be footsore and weary by the time you read this – was a worried man a few days ago. ...
John Lee Hooker, Long John Baldry: Long John meets John Lee Hooker
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 27 June 1964
THEY COULD hardly have been a bigger contrast in background and appearance: the young, very tall, bright white Englishman Long John Baldry, and the mature, ...
The Nashville Teens: We're just COMMERCIAL! Say the Nashville Teens
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 25 July 1964
HOW MUCH more room at the top is there for groups? Sooner or later the big beat bubble is bound to burst, which means that ...
Andrew Loog Oldham, The Rolling Stones: Andrew Loog Oldham: Secrets Of The Stones' Man
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 15 August 1964
The Stones are no longer a challenge... they need no pushing... the Andrew Oldham Orchestra doesn't exist ...
Chad & Jeremy: They lapped up our accents in America!
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 22 August 1964
AMERICAN VASTNESS, drive, power and commercial pop know-how: these things continue to produce varying reactions from the now-numerous British show biz stars who have toured ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 September 1964
SAYS BRIAN EPSTEIN TO DAVID GRIFFITHS IN THE FIRST OF OUR NEW 'STARMAKERS' SERIES ...
Jack Nitzsche, The Righteous Brothers: Jack Nitzsche: Disc Producer To Film Gerry...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 3 October 1964
HAVE YOU heard about Electronovision? If not, you soon will. For American composer-arranger Jack Nitzsche is in London this week lining up appearances in the ...
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 10 October 1964
Long John Baldry talks to RM's David Griffiths about the Folk-Blues Festival ...
The Shangri-Las: Shangris' Sensational Seagull Sounds
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 31 October 1964
THE LATEST gimmick in pop discs: sound effects! ...
The Searchers: Strings and Searchers!
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 26 December 1964
THERE THEY were — four Searchers in a Pye recording studio. Said Chris Curtis: "We're doing a new album, an elaborate one using strings." ...
The Animals: U.S. Violence for Animals
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 2 January 1965
ALAN PRICE huddled in an armchair, shivering despite being wrapped in a huge blanket. His fellow Animals were their usual sympathetic selves. For instance, John ...
The Shangri-Las, Twinkle, J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers: The Death Disc Race
Report by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 9 January 1965
HOW DO you feel about death? In pop music, I mean. Death is inevitable for all of us, that's certain. But there's a great deal ...
Cilla Black: Why Cilla Waited So Very Long
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 16 January 1965
WILL IT be fourth time lucky for Cilla Black? ...
The Rockin' Berries: The 'Accidental' Sound
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 30 January 1965
The Rockin' Berries explain how they found their sound to David Griffiths ...
The Bachelors: Shel Talmy: "British records lacked feeling"
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 13 February 1965
THE INTERNATIONAL boom in British pop music produced few stories as strange as that of the independent record producer Shel Talmy. He's a 26-year-old American ...
The Ivy League: Songwriting Hit-Makers
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 13 February 1965
FROM INSIDE the music publisher's office came the familiar sounds of creation, Tin Pan Alley style — tentative chords being hammered out on a piano ...
Johnny Rivers Tries His Rhythm Here
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 27 February 1965
AFTER EIGHT years in and out of show business, Johnny Rivers has finally struck gold – In USA. During the last year he's been packing ...
Unit 4+2: Unit With The Crazy Nicknames
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 27 March 1965
UNIT FOUR Plus 2. A bit cumbersome as a title? Ah, but remember the man who pioneered ball point pens in America just after World ...
Marianne Faithfull, The Nashville Teens: Marianne Faithfull: The Battle Over A Bird
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 8 April 1965
SAID MARIANNE: "The trouble with having a record called 'The Little Bird' is that I don't like birds. I'm being involved in publicity situations where ...
Burt Bacharach: 'Money Means Nothing To Me' says Bacharach
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 17 April 1965
ISN'T IT weird how people who make a living out of a particular talent often have personalities quite different from that you might expect? A ...
The Everly Brothers: The Everlys and Those Anti-Pop People
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 15 May 1965
I WAS SITTING in the hotel lobby reading some holiday travel brochures when Don Everly joined me. "Hey — where's that?" he exclaimed. "Corsica? Sure ...
Elvis Presley: David Griffiths recalls Elvis' days as the King of Western Bop
Retrospective by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 5 June 1965
PARDON US while we do a little boasting but, after all, it IS the RM's birthday and we HAVE got something to celebrate. For we ...
Cliff Richard: The Truth From Cliff
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 5 June 1965
TODAY'S POP scene is far more vibrant than it was when I came into the business about six years ago. The Shadows and I were ...
The Pretty Things: Why The Things Like Their Hair...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 17 July 1965
PRETTY THING Dick Taylor was gazing out of the window of his flat in Kensington, London, recently when a group of girls happened to look ...
Georgie Fame: After many years Georgie realises an ambition...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 14 August 1965
GEORGIE FAME'S latest hit ('Like We Used To Be') represents an important step forward in the career of this 22-year-old singer-bandleader-pianist-organist. It's his first composition. ...
The Byrds: 'That Criticism Is Fair!'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 21 August 1965
...say the Byrds to David Griffiths ...
The Honeycombs: 'I Lead A Double Life' Says Honey
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 18 September 1965
"I'M GETTING quite used to being Honey Lantree now," said Honey Lantree. For when I met this most charming of drummers a year ago she ...
Barry McGuire Talks About Protest And His War On Evil
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 30 October 1965
WE WERE talking about protest and folk music. I suggested to Barry McGuire that so many of them are fundamentally silly because they either protest ...
Zoot Money: How Zoot & Paul Cure a Cold the Easy Way...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 25 December 1965
WHAT A GHASTLY spectacle! Two broken-down men, their bodies racked with pain, their brains addled with hangovers, staggered into the bar pleading for preferential treatment. ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 12 February 1966
...BUT IT'S hard to say how much has been caused by the pop life and how much by the fact that we are three years ...
Film/DVD/TV Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 5 March 1966
James Brown arrives In England next week for a couple of concerts and to perform, with his entire troupe, throughout the March 11 Ready Steady ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 12 March 1966
WHEN A pop artiste has that certain Something to make him into a hitmaker then the most vital ingredient in his success or failure is ...
Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel: Paul Simon: 'I Thought I Was a Has-Been at 19'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 30 April 1966
PAUL SIMON is the composer of 21 songs, most of which have been put to work for him very profitably. ...
Trini Lopez: How Money Changed Trini...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 30 April 1966
TWO AND a half years ago, a catchy, singalong number of no great distinction went on sale. It was called 'If I Had A Hammer', ...
The Creation — their hit produced by the man who was responsible for hits by the Kinks and the Who.
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 18 June 1966
IF THE CREATION are going to create a big impact on the pop scene they've got a few difficulties to overcome: their first record is ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 29 October 1966
Lee Dorsey and Marshal Sehorn talk about their definition of soul… ...
The Dixie Cups: Dixie's Dream City is Manchester
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 10 December 1966
RAINY OLD Manchester may not be everybody's idea of adream town but it is the favourite British city of The Dixie Cups — at least, ...
Kathy Kirby: Kathy And The Problems Of Being A Girl Singer
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 18 March 1967
KATHY KIRBY loves her work but it happens to be one of the commercial facts of life that a highly paid entertainer sometimes gets in ...
Harry Secombe: Hearty Harry Talks Of His First Big Hit...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 1 April 1967
POOR OLD Harry Secombe! ...
Fats Domino: "I Should Have Been Here Years Ago"
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 8 April 1967
FATS DOMINO had, at last, come five thousand miles from home to visit Britain, be cheered by delirious audiences, and meet devoted fans who knew ...
AIR — The Top Men Behind The Hits...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 22 April 1967
BACK IN the old days of show business (until the early Fifties) an artiste never got to make a record unless he was already established ...
Pink Floyd: The Pink Floyd: "Even fans don't always understand what we're trying to do"...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 8 July 1967
LUNCHEON WITH two members of the Pink Floyd — Roger Waters and Nick Mason — plus their two managers (Andrew King and Peter Jenner) got ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 9 September 1967
OUR (guaranteed GENUINE) Mitch — the one who plays drums as part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience — went over to USA with the Experience ...
Roger Miller: In The Red For Eight Of His Ten Singing Years
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 2 December 1967
ROGER MILLER – both on and off record – has a quiet, relaxed, uncomplicated approach to his music and to life. Yet he's had 10 ...
Traffic: Psychedelics Out for Traffic
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 23 December 1967
Jim Capaldi talks to David Griffiths ...
The Beach Boys, The Beatles: Records of the Year: The Beatles, The Beach Boys
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 6 January 1968
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band THIS ONE has historical value as a milestone in pop music, and in the art of recording, so ...
Tony Bennett: 'Paul McCartney Has a Spirit That Moves Me'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 6 April 1968
THOUGH THE MUSICAL approach of Tony Bennett – and the bands he works with, such as Buddy Rich – is not usually treated with adulation ...
Madeline Bell: "America is Behind the Times"
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 20 April 1968
Leather-miniskirted Madeline Bell talks to Record Mirror ...
Bobbie Gentry: 'I'll Never Tire Of Billy Joe'
Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 8 June 1968
STANDING around, waiting to meet Bobbie Gentry, I glanced through the two press handouts about her. ...
Report by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 22 June 1968
the dear sweet ageless hippy... ...
Esther and Abi Ofarim: The Dance That Lasted A Hundred Years...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 29 June 1968
RM's MULTI-LINGUAL DAVID GRIFFITHS TALKS TO ESTHER AND ABI OFARIM ABOUT THEIR NEW SINGLE ...
The Doors: Jim Morrison's Presley Scene
Report and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 21 September 1968
IT WAS worrying enough to be asked to go along and interview Jim Morrison of the Doors. Worrying because stars who make a speciality of ...
Cream, Yes: Goodbye To The Cream
Live Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 7 December 1968
THE CREAM delivered all that was expected of them, and a little more, at their final, farewell-type Albert Hall concert last week. Of course, the ...
The Beach Boys, Charles Manson, Dennis Wilson: Dennis Wilson: 'I Live With 17 Girls'
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 21 December 1968
SAID DENNIS WILSON, a bemused frown on his face: "I don't know why I'm telling you all this..." Well, whatever Dennis's reasons (if any), the ...
Bonzo Dog Band: The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse (Liberty)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 January 1969
ONLY JUST received this one, so can't claim much familiarity, but I like it well enough already to want to include it anyway. ...
Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band: Strictly Personal (Liberty)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 January 1969
APTLY TITLED. The unique Beefheart outfit have thoroughly fulfilled the promise of their first album. ...
The Beatles: The Beatles (White Album) (Apple PCS 7067 & 8)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 January 1969
LAST YEAR'S obvious standout LP was Sergeant Pepper and now we have its unbelievable, impossible, out-of-sight successor. It's no feat of critical perception to pick ...
The Moody Blues: In Search Of The Lost Chord (Deram)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 January 1969
THERE ARE some sumptuous sounds on this LP, all of them made by just the five Moodies. No session musicians, simply (?!) the group's instrumental ...
Dusty Springfield: I Fell Flat On My Face — Dusty
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 18 January 1969
WHEN AN artiste of her stature confesses "I fell flat on my face" it sounds like a major catastrophe. But I'm here to report that ...
Fat Mattress, Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding: It's Getting Boring Says Noel The Red
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 18 January 1969
A SLIGHTLY haggard Noel Redding staggered into the tavern and eased himself into a chair. Of course, it immediately crossed my mind that the poor ...
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 8 March 1969
'I'm So Glad'; 'Politician'; 'Sitting On Top Of The World'; 'Badge'; 'Doing That Scrapyard Thing'; 'What A Bringdown' – Polydor Stereo 583 053. ...
Max Romeo: This Is The Record That Will Give The BBC Troubles — If It Reaches The Top...
Report by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 21 June 1969
HOVERING AROUND the lower end of the charts is a record that has had no plugs, and certainly no air plays – nor is it ...
Bobbie Gentry Explains The Trouser Suit Scene
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 5 July 1969
BOBBIE GENTRY has written so many songs she's lost count. Maybe around two hundred. Since she's constantly travelling to various countries (as well as moving ...
Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 5 July 1969
MORE THAN twenty years ago, when he was 19, Vic Damone was one of the top hitmakers. He had four or five massive sellers in ...
The Moody Blues: To Our Children's Children's Children (Threshold THS 1)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 1 November 1969
A PORTENTOUSLY voyagistic 2001-style opening, with whooshing sound effects, leads into a "Heavenly choir", then solid beat music and a bit of narrative with strong ...
Janis Joplin: I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again, Mama (CBS Stereo 63546)
Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 3 January 1970
'Try'; 'Maybe'; 'One Good Man'; 'As Good As You've Been To This World'; 'To Love Somebody'; 'Kozmic Blues'; 'Little Girl Blue'; 'Work Me, Lord' ...
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