David Hepworth
David Hepworth has been writing about and broadcasting about music since the 1970s. He started contributing to NME in 1975 and later wrote for Sounds. He joined Smash Hits soon after its launch in 1979 and was editor from 1980 to 1983 after which he became Editorial Director of EMAP Metro in which capacity he supervised the launches of many magazines including Q, Mojo and Empire. He was one of the presenters of BBC Television's Whistle Test in the early '80s and one of the anchors of the Corporation's coverage of Live Aid. He was one of the principals of the independent publishing company Development Hell, which published The Word and MixMag. His two books, 1971: Never A Dull Moment and Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars, were both Sunday Times bestsellers.
David Hepworth on the RBP podcast
79 articles
List of articles in the library
Bonnie Raitt: Bonnie Raitt; Give it up; Takin' My Time (Warner Bros.)
Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 19 June 1976
IT'S ALL very well Warner Bros. making magnanimous noises about re-releasing these albums, Bonnie's first three. ...
The Runaways: The Runaways (Mercury, Import)
Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 26 June 1976
Falling foul of Fowley? ...
The Modern Lovers: The rarefield talents of Jonathan Richman: The Modern Lovers
Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 10 July 1976
David Hepworth reviews the most in-demand album in London ...
Jesse Winchester: New Victoria, London
Live Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 17 July 1976
JESSE WINCHESTER certainly didn't have things easy for his British concert debut last week. For a start, the combination of heatwave and Bonnie And Clyde ...
Joan Armatrading: Joan Armatrading (A&M)
Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 7 August 1976
Joan puts on her sailin' shoes ...
Joan Armatrading, Moon: Hammersmith Odeon, London
Live Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 2 October 1976
MOON GET better weekly. Disciplined, tight, colourful but most important eager to please. They got an encore. Between their leaving the stage and Joan Armatrading ...
Tom Waits: Small Change (Asylum, Import)
Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 20 November 1976
Waits refuses to face his critics (to his lasting credit...) ...
The Mekons: Hope & Anchor, London
Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 27 January 1979
THE HOPE and Anchor is stuffed. If you're aiming to pour one more leather jacket into this crypt, you'd be wise to have remembered the ...
Eddie Money: Life For The Taking
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 3 February 1979
THE FIRST Eddie Money album was the more or less happy outcome of moderate talent breaking bread with the neat idea and contriving solid formula, ...
Ian Dury is an Xmas Cake (Relax, it's a compliment)
Profile by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 8 February 1979
1979 is still only a few weeks old, and already the No. 1 singles slot has been occupied first by a buncha camp New Yorkers ...
Elvis Costello: One Itchy trigger
Profile by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 22 February 1979
ELVIS COSTELLO likes to keep his past a mystery. This attitude has led fact-starved journalists to guess that he was once everything from an escaped ...
Generation X: Just A Pretty Buncha Posers? Or is there more to Generation X?
Profile by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 22 February 1979
MOST BANDS would waste no time in setting the dogs on you if you dared call them posers. Generation X, on the other hand, have ...
Roxy Music: Manifesto (Polydor POLH 001)***½
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 10 March 1979
HOW ABOUT a little fanfare? Not that this is a comeback. Oh no. The accompanying propaganda takes pains to point out that this is just ...
Sniff 'N' The Tears: A Change Of Art
Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 10 March 1979
SNIFF 'N' THE TEARS, not a band to be sneezed at says DAVID HEPWORTH ...
The Pretenders: Pretenders, Strangeways: the Nashville, London
Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 17 March 1979
Paralysed by expectation ...
Chic, Sister Sledge: Sister Sledge: We Are Family (Cotillion K50587)***
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 7 April 1979
THE SNAP on the front may be Janet Reger boudoir and the one on the back corn row ethnic, but such image upgrading doesn't alter ...
Japan, Reggae Regular: Japan, the Regulars: Rainbow Theatre, London
Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 28 April 1979
Hype springs eternal ...
The Roches: The Roches (Warner Bros Import BSK 3298)****½
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 9 June 1979
Dogs and married men ...
Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 30 June 1979
DAVID HEPWORTH shoots the breeze with DIRE STRAITS ...
Lowell George, Little Feat: Lowell George hangs up his sailing shoes
Obituary by David Hepworth, uncredited writer, Sounds, 7 July 1979
LOWELL GEORGE, founder and leader of Little Feat, collapsed and died in Washington DC last Friday. Thirty-four-year-old George, father of four children, had just started ...
Van Halen Makes Your Day Go Away
Report and Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 7 July 1979
DAVID HEPWORTH GOES TO HALEN BACK (NEWCASTLE, ACTUALLY) ...
Report and Interview by David Hepworth, Sounds, 21 July 1979
NEW PERSPECTIVES ON ROCK AND ROLL REVEALED TO DAVID HEPWORTH BY THE B-52s ...
Live Review by Hugh Fielder, David Hepworth, Sounds, 11 August 1979
OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY ...
Talking Heads: Fear Of Music (Sire SRK 6076) *****
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 18 August 1979
Don't eat, talk ...
The Fabulous Thunderbirds: The Fabulous Thunderbirds (Takoma TAK 7068) ***
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 25 August 1979
IT WILL not have escaped your attention that America is one beast of an extensive country. As far as it concerns rock and roll music ...
The Jam: Talking 'Bout My Generation: The Jam
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 6 September 1979
IT'S AUGUST 1979 and this is The Modern World. The Who are back in action for the first time in years, their films are on ...
The Specials: Don't Call Me Ska-Face!
Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 6 September 1979
SO WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THE SPECIALS? David Hepworth is the man with the answers ...
Michael Jackson: Off The Wall (Epic FE 35745)****
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 15 September 1979
IF ANYONE was worried whether Michael Jackson could keep his act in one piece in the face of the inexorable march of the years (the ...
XTC: The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindon
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 1 November 1979
The only notes that count are the ones that come from Wilts. David Hepworth meets XTC. ...
Report by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 15 November 1979
David Hepworth goes on the road with THE UNDERTONES ...
Marianne Faithfull: As Years Go By
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 29 November 1979
David Hepworth recites the ballad of Marianne Faithfull ...
Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 29 November 1979
Dr. Hepworth dons a white coat and investigates... ...
Rachel Sweet: Dingwalls, London
Live Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 8 December 1979
THE RECENT transfiguration of Rachel Sweet into hard punchin' rock and roll chicklet series two may be causing the continent of her birth to curl ...
Kim Fowley: Snake Document Masquerade (Island ILPS 9572) **
Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 5 January 1980
A personal harem of tasty tarts is not enough ...
The Police: Police Profile: Sting
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 7 February 1980
In the first instalment of a four part close-up on the band of the moment, the man with the voice talks to David Hepworth about ...
The Ramones: Wanchewfreefor!!!
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 7 February 1980
David Hepworth catches up with Da Ramones, y'know? ...
The Police: Police Profile: More STING
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 21 February 1980
In the second instalment of our four part Police Profile, Sting talks to David Hepworth about fans, fame and the future. ...
The Police: Police Profile: Andy Summers
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 20 March 1980
Fifteen years in Rock 'n' Roll. Is it just a passing phase? David Hepworth thinks not. ...
The Police: Police Profile: Stewart Copeland
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 3 April 1980
The man who formed The Police stresses the importance of faith and gestures a lot. David Hepworth sits still and listens. ...
The Specials: Today Coventry, Tomorrow — Coventry
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 29 May 1980
Terry Hall treats David Hepworth to a short course in TwoTonics and explains how to keep out of the Rat Race. ...
The Human League: Very Ordinary People With Very Odd Tastes
Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 10 July 1980
THE HUMAN League are different. Yes, I know that's the fanfare that's trotted out to greet the arrival of every other new act these days ...
Dexys Midnight Runners: Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (Parlophone)
Review by David Hepworth, The Face, August 1980
YOU WON'T go short of excuses for snickering at Dexys Midnight Runners from behind your hand. There's the lofty self-esteem, the leather uniforms, the missionary ...
New Musik: The Appliance of Science
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 7 August 1980
Knee deep in keyboards and cables, Tony Mansfield makes New Musik. Tape Op: D. Hepworth ...
Ian Dury, Wilko Johnson: Ian Dury & Wilko Johnson: The Odd Couple
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 4 September 1980
The Class of '73 holds a reunion. David Hepworth takes the roll call. ...
The Police: The World About Us
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 16 October 1980
In today's programme, lesson one: Income = Input + Inspiration. Stewart Copeland supplies the formula. David Hepworth studies it very carefully. ...
Bruce Springsteen: The River (CBS)
Review by David Hepworth, The Face, November 1980
THEY GAVE me 350 words and Wednesday evening to account for the fact that my heart took to pumping double when this record slid out ...
The Clash: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 25 December 1980
Joe Strummer don't. Neither do The Clash. They just wanna make triple albums. David Hepworth raps (ouch!) ...
Madness: The Return of the Mad-nificent 7
Report and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 5 February 1981
Davy, Dav-ee Hepworth (King Of The Wild Frontier) watches Madness ride off into the sunset. ...
Brian Eno, Talking Heads: Byrne's Eye Vew
Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 5 March 1981
Talking Heads is TV slang for people whose legs you never see. It's also the name of one of the finest groups in the world. ...
Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 19 March 1981
DAVID GRANT, singer, songwriter, ritzy dancer and one half of the pair of young blades who spearhead Linx, has a saying. "This is show business. ...
The Cramps: Psychedelic Jungle (IRS)
Review by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 14 May 1981
FROM THE DEPTHS of the primeval rain forest they came, bathed in hideous blue light, muttering of voodoo and rotting bones and things that go ...
Earth, Wind & Fire: Earth Wind & Fire: Wembley Arena, London
Live Review by David Hepworth, Smash Hits, 1 April 1982
OVER THE TOP WITH EARTH WIND & FIRE AT WEMBLEY ARENA OUR MAN IN BLOCK E: DAVID HEPWORTH ...
Ron Sexsmith: Other Songs (Universal IND90123)
Review by David Hepworth, Q, July 1997
Ron Sexsmith: a case of, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. ...
Elvis Costello: Nobody talks like Elvis Costello
Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2003
On the eve of his second quarter century Elvis looks back, sideways but most of all forward. "I've started to sing from directly inside of ...
Steely Dan: Everything Must Go
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, July 2003
They used to be great... they still are ...
Neil Young: On The Beach/American Stars 'N Bars/Hawks & Doves/Re•ac•tor
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, August 2003
I SPOKE TO Neil Young in 1992, when one of his riffs was the shortcomings of digital sound. "You ever sit down with a CD ...
Randy Newman: What made Randy Newman invisible at the Oscars?
Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, September 2003
RANDY NEWMAN comes from Hollywood's leading musical family. Two of his uncles were major screen music composers and conductors. His own father was a musician ...
Emmylou Harris: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?"
Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, December 2003
For Emmylou Harris it was more than just "practice". She started out playing four shows a night six nights a week, became the "chick singer" ...
Willie Nile: Streets Of New York
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2006
MUSICIANS NEVER give up, which is more often a cause for sadness than celebration. I reviewed my last Willie Nile record in 1980. I thought ...
Guy Peellaert: The man who invented rock and roll
Comment by David Hepworth, The Word, 20 November 2008
I'VE ONLY JUST noticed that Guy Peellaert died the other day. Lots of people have never heard his name but the fact remains that, rightly ...
The Cramps: Lux Interior, 1946-2009
Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2009
SOMETIME IN THE mid-'70s, Erick Purkhiser of Stow, Ohio, exchanged his given name for words he found in an automobile catalogue. ...
The Who: Sell Out: Deluxe Edition (Polydor)
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2009
The Who Sell Out was muddled enough with all those fake ads getting in the way. It's certainly not made "deluxe" by such additions as ...
Nick Drake: Robert Kirby, 1948-2009
Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, December 2009
THE SPARSENESS of the three albums Nick Drake released in his lifetime are part of their enduring appeal. On two of those albums, string arrangements ...
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, July 2010
HEY, THIS IS a first. I'm reviewing this record on an InterCity train. I've accessed it via Spotify and been able to put it — ...
Paul Simon: So Beautiful Or So What
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2011
After a 70-year emotional odyssey, Paul Simon offloads his hard-won black humour and shrugging folk wisdom. ...
Paul Simon: How does Paul Simon deal with his compulsive side?
Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, September 2011
THE MEASURE OF Paul Simon's output first came home to me over 20 years ago when I went to see him perform at Wembley Arena. ...
Patti Smith: Outside Society – Greatest Hits
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, September 2011
Patti Smith wouldn't thank you for calling her a pop star. In fact, there's no higher praise — as this compilation attests. ...
The Coasters, The Drifters, Ben E. King, Big Mama Thornton: Jerry Leiber, 1933-2011
Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, October 2011
The man who made "15-minute radio plays" into hits. ...
Little Feat: 40 Feat – The Hot Tomato Anthology 1971-2011
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, October 2011
Five years of inspiration and another 35 of re-creation in a box of Little Feat, the band that nearly became the next big thing. ...
Profile and Interview by David Hepworth, The Word, October 2011
The moment their kids left home, Neil and Sharon Finn formed a new band. Pajama Club is their "empty-nest album". ...
Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, March 2012
JOHNNY OTIS was relaxing in his San Francisco hotel room one afternoon in 1954 when his manager called from the lobby and said he was ...
Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, April 2012
IN SEPTEMBER 2009, Whitney Houston performed in Central Park for the TV show Good Morning America. ...
T. Rex: Electric Warrior (De Luxe Edition)
Review by David Hepworth, The Word, May 2012
Marc Bolan's magical flair for a pop hook was giddy and touching — and owed as much to Chuck Berry as Roy Harper. ...
Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, June 2012
'THE NIGHT THEY drove old Dixie down' is the perfect emblem for the life and career of Levon Helm. This one song, written by Robbie ...
Obituary by David Hepworth, The Word, July 2012
AT A TIME when pop music seems to be dominated by solo female artists, it's hard to imagine that they were once a relative rarity. ...
Ed Sheeran: And another thing: Miserable songs
Comment by David Hepworth, The Word, August 2012
Writing miserable songs doesn't make you deep, boys and girls ...
Jimmy Savile: Young girls were just another victim of the rock'n'roll years
Comment by David Hepworth, The Independent, 2 October 2012
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY has always been awash with salacious rumours about the sexual tastes of its more prominent figures, particularly when they look as though ...
Why we should mourn the loss of Q magazine
Retrospective by David Hepworth, New Statesman, 22 July 2020
The music title was a thrill-ride at the front and a good shopping guide at the back. ...
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