Keith Altham
A successful rock and roll scarred author, broadcaster, and New Musical Express features editor, Keith Altham interviewed the likes of the Beatles, the Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Frank Zappa, the Small Faces, Cliff Richard, Dusty, Cilla, Scott Walker, Ray Davies, Jim Morrison and The Beach Boys on innumerable occasions. In the early ‘60s he wrote for the legendary fan magazine Fabulous from its inception. Subsequently he became England’s most successful independent rock press agent for three decades from the early ‘70s representing most of those he had previously interviewed.
On radio, Altham was a major contributor as news reader and interviewer for three years on BBC 2’s "Scene and Heard" which was "the music paper of radio" during the ‘60s and early ‘70s, More recently he contributed to BBC Radio 2’s programme on "The Changing Styles of Music Journalism" "Music Hype" and Virgin FMs "Tribute to Jimi Hendrix."
Altham is also accountable for giving Hendrix the idea of setting fire to his guitar, and is recorded as being the last person to interview him before his death; for saddling Reg Presley of the Troggs with his surname and turning Slade into skinheads for publicity purpose in the early ‘70s.
His first book The PR Strikes Back in the form of open letters to his famous clients over many years including The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Van Morrison, Sting, The Beach Boys, Status Quo, Phil Collins and The Who revealing his true feelings about them was printed by Blake Publishing and serialised in the Daily Mail in 2002.
K.A. Publicity, which he founded in 1971, represented the cream of British rock music over two decades including for several years, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Beach Boys, Police, Slade, Status Quo, The Animals, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, The Kinks, Scott Walker, Eddy Grant, Genesis, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, The Jam, The Stranglers, Marc Bolan, The Moody Blues, Steve Marriot, Carole King, Joan Armatrading, Elkie Brooks, and Manfred Mann. Altham retired his Press Agency and in 1993 BBC Radio 4 made Altham the subject of a tribute programme "The Godfather of Music PR" on which Sting, Roger Daltrey and Jagger testified to his skill.
He made early appearances on Granada’s TV series "My Generation" in the ‘90s "The Brit Girls" both in front of the camera and as a researcher. Other recent TV appearances include the Marc Bolan documentary "Dandy in the Underworld" for channel 4, a Mick Jagger feature for The Discovery Channel and a Jimi Hendrix profile for BBC I series "Reputations" plus two guest appearances for Noddy Holder’s Sky/Granada "Pop Quiz".
His latest research and on screen contributions include "Pop Panic", "Fame Set and Match" about the Rolling Stones and their old flames, a tribute documentary on Cilla Black and another on "Marc Bolan's Missing Millions", three more on Ray Davies, "The Hendrix Conspiracy" and "Mick Jagger's Women".
Keith Altham on the RBP podcast
439 articles
List of articles in the library
The Rolling Stones: France Votes for Les Stones!
Report by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 2 January 1964
It was no surprise to FAB when you voted in our own poll Mick Jagger, "Top Pop Singer of '64." And The Stones the top ...
The Beatles: The One Who Got Away
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 15 February 1964
PETE BEST is the Beatle who got away. The drummer who was replaced by Ringo Starr just before the boys hit the big time. What ...
The Beatles: Livin' Eatin' Breathin' Beatles Film!
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 7 March 1964
THE VERY LATEST INFO ON THE FAB FOUR'S FIRST FILM BY KEITH ALTHAM ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 21 March 1964
Each week millions of eager record buyers watch Juke Box Jury and they know three young girls who have a knack of picking hits, Adrienne ...
Report by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 4 April 1964
— says Fab's Keith on the road with The Rolling Stones... for kicks and pix... ...
The Beatles: Sshhh!!!!! Silence!!! Lights!!! Camera!!! Action!!! It's Those Beatles!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 16 May 1964
BEATLES HERE. Beatles there. Beatles tearing about everywhere, down at Twickenham film studios. I didn't expect any of them to have time for a chat, ...
Billy J. Kramer, Cilla Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers: Fab Gives Cilla a 21st Gig
Report by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 23 May 1964
Cilla Black's a mighty popular popster and Fab fans of hers wrote in droves asking about Cilla's birthday. Since her 21st was coming up we just had to ...
The Swinging Blue Jeans: Follow That Tent...
Report by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 1 August 1964
For "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun" read "Maddogs and Englishmen and The Swinging Blue Jeans and Keith Altham go out ...
Report by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 15 August 1964
Fab's Keith has a hard day's afternoon at Windor races with the Mojos ...
Billy J. Kramer, Gene Pitney: Our Great Mate Gene Pitney
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 22 August 1964
I LEANED BACK in my chair and regarded my empty lunch plate with a satisfied smile. ...
Peter and Gordon: 12345678910: The Top 2 With Their Top 10 – Peter & Gordon
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 26 September 1964
"WE WANT numbers, mate," I explained to Peter Asher. Peter hasn't taken a year in philosophy and dabbled in psychology for nothing. He didn't bat ...
Marianne Faithfull: Yours Faithfully
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 3 October 1964
Fab's Keith says sad and simple folk songs are Marianne Faithfull's style — the girl with a natural flair... ...
The Beatles, John Lennon: John Lennon: Happy Birthday to the Head Beatle
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 10 October 1964
Although The Beatles have never officially had a leader, John Lennon has always been regarded as Beatle-boss because of his major role in their success. ...
Cilla Black: Cilla Is Knocked Out By New Disc!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 January 1965
KEITH ALTHAM meets a sun-tanned singing star and discovers... ...
The Animals: Animals In America
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 February 1965
ERIC BURDON v. Cassius Clay might sound like an unlikely title bout but Eric informs me that it was almost reality when the Animals were ...
The Seekers: Seekers Are Goon Fans
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 February 1965
"HELLO Folks!" That Spike Milligan salutation would seem highly appropriate to open an article about Australian folk singers, The Seekers, who attribute a great deal ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Fabulous, 6 February 1965
Keith Altham with the facts on the new Lee scene ...
The Hollies: Hollies Get Into No 1 Hit Mood
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 7 February 1965
"IT'S GREAT to be Number One – you can't get much lower than that!" shouted Graham Nash, as the Hollies invaded the NME offices on ...
The Rolling Stones: Startling Stones Discovery!
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 March 1965
I DISCOVERED the secret of the Stones act last weekend at the Edmonton Regal. It is — THEY DON'T HAVE ONE! ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 March 1965
FOUR NEW TUNES IN THE ACT ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 March 1965
STRAIGHT from his long run up the North Pier, Worthing, Tom Jones arrived bleary-eyed and bewhiskered in his dressing room at Ready, Steady, Go! to ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 19 March 1965
MARIANNE FAITHTULL frightens me to death. She is cool, confident, clever and highly successful. The kind of beauty you meet at a party, regulate yourself ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 19 March 1965
BACK from a hectic five-day promotional tour of France I found Sandie Shaw and composer Chris ('Long Live Love') Andrews seated at a piano in ...
Adam Faith, Sandie Shaw: Sandie Shaw and Adam Faith
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 April 1965
ADAM GOT the Rolls out and with Sandie Shaw and I in the back we drove along Tooting Bec Broadway searching for a fish and ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 April 1965
THERE IS a touch of the "Paul McCartneys" about Peter Quaife of the Kinks. Like Paul he plays bass, and like Paul he is the ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 April 1965
MY NEW disc will be issued in mid-April! I'm being backed by Buster Meikle, Humble Garwood, Pigmy Halliday, Lem Lubin, Count Moules and Sweat Moeller. ...
Marianne Faithfull: Marianne Never Does What A Pop Star Should
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 April 1965
SHE HAS a pert, child-like face which darts out at you from a cascade of fine, fair hair. The face seems to be concentrated into ...
Dave Berry: Surfing, What's That?
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 April 1965
"SURFER" DAVE BERRY, as his publicist Andy "Wipeout" Wickham is now pleased to title him, phoned me from his home in Manchester. Needless to say, ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 16 April 1965
IT WAS THE GREATEST POP SHOW ON EARTH ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 April 1965
RAY DAVIES is the King Kink. He composed all their hits and although there is no official leader in the group, Ray is the driving ...
Donovan: I'll Quit After Two More Years
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 April 1965
GIPSY DAVE sat in Donovan's dressing room playing a strange instrument – a leg off a Queen Anne chair strung with one guitar string. ...
The Animals: Eric Burdon, Animal Trainer
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 April 1965
CLAD in a black track suit, zippered to the neck, and still wearing his carpet slippers, the chunky figure of Eric Burdon lay writhing on ...
Françoise Hardy: One Girl Music Organisation!
Profile by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 April 1965
AT TWENTY-ONE, Francoise Hardy is undoubtedly the most attractive musical organisation in the world. She is her own accompanist, agent, manager and composer. For that ...
Peter and Gordon: Peter & Gordon Are Poles Apart
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 April 1965
BEFORE THEIR trip to Japan and the Far East I lunched with Peter Asher and his sparring partner Gordon Waller, and a more unlikely combination ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 May 1965
MANFRED MANN (not to be confused with the group) is often cynical, outspoken and sometimes frank to the point of being rude. He is also ...
Marianne Faithfull: Marianne Meets Dylan And Baez
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 May 1965
THE COLOURFUL combination of Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, Joan Baez, John Mayall and "a nice fat man called Albert" (Dylan's manager) met to dispose of ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 May 1965
I CAN'T say that it came as a surprise to find that – after three cancelled appointments with Them – they were not at the ...
Peter and Gordon: Peter & Gordon Push Elvis, Everlys
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 June 1965
SQUATTING in my waste-paper basket, crunching a wafer biscuit and gulping a carton of cow juice, last Friday evening, sat the finest unpaid publicity man ...
The Yardbirds: Yardbirds Don't Like Own Hits
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 June 1965
IN THE middle of a field in Windsor sat Yardbirds' vocalist Keith Relf dressed as an Elizabethan page with plumed hat and a huge silk ...
The Kinks: Kinks Back To Abnormal
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 June 1965
FOLLOWING Dave Davies' recent cymbolic headache and the Kinks withdrawal from their tour, there's been wild speculation about their future. I met them last Friday ...
The Walker Brothers: American Walkers Love Wild Wild Fans
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 June 1965
THERE are fifteen mirrors in one bedroom; a cavalry sword on the wall; a marble bust of nobody in particular on the mantelpiece; an enormous ...
Manfred Mann, The Rolling Stones: Stones and Manfreds: Jones Boys Talk About Chart-Making EPs
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 June 1965
FOR THE first time two EPs have crashed into the NME Chart simultaneously. They are the Rolling Stones' 'Got Live If You Want It' and the Manfreds' ...
The Hollies: Hollies Get Into No. 1
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 July 1965
...and tell Keith Altham about it ...
Bob Dylan, Dana Gillespie: Bob Dylan's Not A Singer At All — Says His Friend Dana
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 July 1965
"HE'S NOT really a singer at all. He just writes poems and sings them because he thinks a narrative would bore people. Donovan's voice is ...
The Yardbirds: Yardbirds Question Time
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 July 1965
THE YARDBIRDS were in no mood for pulling punches when I called on them in their dressing room at the Ready, Steady, Go studios in ...
Adam Faith, Jackie Trent, Sandie Shaw, Val Doonican: Eve Taylor: Queen Bee Of Show Business
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 July 1965
EVELYN TAYLOR – affectionately, respectfully, jealously and irreverently known as the "Queen Bee of Show Business" – has a loud voice, grey hair and the ...
Donovan: Hollywood Not So Hot — say Donovan and Baez!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 July 1965
"I WASN'T exactly knocked out with it, man," said Donovan, having "done" Hollywood and in the process of "doing" a large plateful of ravioli in ...
P.J. Proby: I'm Still The Greatest
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 July 1965
LOOKING rather like a refugee from a Biblical nightmare, P.J. Proby – with beard and shoulder-length hair – loped down the corridor from Top Of ...
The Pretty Things: Scotland's Really Wild Report Pretty Things
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 July 1965
APART FROM being banned from swimming pools, finding their dressing-room in the middle of the girls' cloakroom, and being pulled off stage with alarming regularity, ...
The Ivy League: Ivy League Are Inspired By Life
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 July 1965
"MIDNIGHT... neon signs bursting into life and winking out... theatres with names in fire... Sammy Davis in Golden Boy... your first time walking down Broadway... the ...
Manfred Mann: Manfred plays the "Baiting" Game
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 July 1965
...AND VENTS HIS SARCASM ON REPORTER KEITH ALTHAM ...
The Dave Clark Five: Dave Clark is Plane Unlucky
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 July 1965
DAVE CLARK arrived back in Britain on Tuesday from America six hours late. His original plane had to return to Kennedy Airport with a damaged ...
The Animals: John Steel — The Forgotten Animal
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 July 1965
JOHN STEEL is a very rare Animal. Seldom seen with the pack (Messrs. Rowberry, Chandler, Burdon and Valentine) and seldom heard. He remains the background ...
Jonathan King: New to the Charts: Jonathan King No. 19
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 July 1965
THE TWENTY-one-year-old verbal machine-gun, by name Jonathan King, who entered the NME Chart at No. 19 with 'Everyone's Gone To The Moon' sat down in ...
Joan Baez, Dana Gillespie, Paul Simon: Two Views on Baez, by Paul Simon and Dana Gillespie
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 July 1965
A SMALL, dark, intense man from Greenwich Village (home of his folkship, Bob Dylan) came to my office last week and talked about Joan Baez. ...
Marianne Faithfull: Baby Halts Marianne's Plans
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 6 August 1965
"BABIES are taking over," Marianne Faithfull informed me. "My little 'third party' is going to prevent me going to the U.S. or Mexico as I ...
The Fortunes: Fortunes Have Got Their Own Troubles
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 6 August 1965
'YOU'VE GOT YOUR TROUBLES' and the Fortunes have certainly got their own as I found out when I spoke to them recently. "Our greatest problem ...
The Rolling Stones: The Stones Hit Back
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 6 August 1965
I WENT to see the big, bad Rolling Stones during their first-ever performance at the London Palladium last Sunday. ...
Sonny & Cher: Sonny Became Singer Giving Cher Courage
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 August 1965
"I NEVER intended to be a singer," confessed Sonny, when I found him squatting on the stairs in the corridors of a BBC Theatre in ...
The Animals: Eric Burdon Turns Author
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 August 1965
STAND by for Eric Burdon, author. I've just been going over some of the roughs that Eric is preparing for his first book (publisher wanted). ...
The Animals, The Beatles, Steampacket: Wild Richmond Festival — and Meeting Two Unexpected Guests
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 August 1965
FROM A STEEL tower out in the middle of Richmond Athletic Ground the anxious voice of an American cameraman crackled through a walkie-talkie set held ...
The Kinks: Kinks' Room Had Iron Gates!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 August 1965
BACK FROM a weekend trip to Germany at London Airport on Monday, I met four hungry Kinks — three pale (Dave, Ray and Pete) and ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 August 1965
Byrds' Weak Stage Act ...
Sonny & Cher Take Over Three Chart Spots! Including the Top!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 August 1965
Keith Altham spent four days with them to write this revealing article ...
The Walker Brothers: Walkers Make It Sound Easy — But It's Not!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 August 1965
TORN, TATTERED, but triumphant — the Walker Brothers have got the big hit they needed with their second record, 'Make It Easy On Yourself'. Hysterical ...
The Rolling Stones: Now They're World-Wide Stones
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 September 1965
THE NEWS OF the big Stones shake-up broke in the Ready, Steady, Go! canteen last Friday evening as Bill Wyman and I sat chatting about ...
The Animals, Manfred Mann, The Rolling Stones: Stones Take Over!
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 September 1965
ON THE TV monitor was Andrew Oldham, clad in bobcat waistcoat, miming to Cher's voice singing "I don't care if your hair's too long" and ...
Sonny & Cher: NMExclusive: Transatlantic phone call reveals... Sonny's Collapsed!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 September 1965
BUT THEY'VE BROKEN RECORDS ACROSS U.S. ...
Cher: All I Really Wanna Do (Liberty)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 September 1965
CHER'S LP — Track-by-track ...
Manfred Mann: Paul Jones says — No Smut In Latest Hit
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 September 1965
"SUGGESTlVE," "Blatant" and "Embarrassingly obvious" are just some of the harsh words being levelled at Manfred Mann's new hit 'If You Gotta Go, Go Now'. ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 22 October 1965
SONNY struck back last week! When I phoned him at his home in Los Angeles recently, I got him out of bed at five o'clock ...
The Walker Brothers: The Scott Walker Interview
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 22 October 1965
HIS MOTHER CALLS him "the madman." His manager, agent and publicist call him all kind of things when he disappears for days without telling anyone ...
The Fortunes: Fortunes Admit It: They Use Session Boys!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 29 October 1965
THE FORTUNES go on record as the first group I have met who have had the honesty to admit they use session musicians on their ...
The Rolling Stones: Stones Hit Back
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 29 October 1965
TEATIME with the Rolling Stones in the Ready, Steady, Go! canteen proved most entertaining. David Jacobs was the conversational target to start with. Keith Richard ...
Peter and Gordon: Peter & Gordon Kill Split Rumours
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 November 1965
IF PETER and Gordon look just a little untidy when they appear on your TV screens in the Lennon-McCartney Spectacular at Christmas, you can put ...
The Animals: Animals Want to Wax a 'New Tracks' EP
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 November 1965
I PICKED up Eric Burdon at the BBC Maida Vale studios at 11 last Friday morning. ...
The Animals: Hell-Raisers Of Pop
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1965
"THE HELL-RAISERS have all disappeared" mourned a leading national showbusiness reporter some months ago. All I can say is that he has obviously not met ...
The Rolling Stones: World-wide Stones
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1965
FOR THE Rolling Stones this was the year this was! This was the year that established them as international artists. This was the year that ...
Bob Dylan, Donovan, Joan Baez, The Seekers, The Silkie: The Year That Folk Moved In
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1965
BOB DYLAN – the undisputed King of Folk. He causes as much controversy personally as do his records. ...
Spencer Davis Group: New to the Charts: Spencer Davis Group Makes Stones Happy
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 December 1965
THE GROUP that every other group — from the Stones to the Animals — wanted to have a hit, that's the Spencer Davis Group, and ...
Sandie Shaw: Sandie's Set To Act!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 December 1965
"'ELLO, IS THAT you? This is me. I've been trying to get through to you for over 20 minutes. What are you — a god ...
The Who: Who Admit They're Feuding
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 December 1965
WHAT'S WRONG with the Who? Rumours that all is not well with the group have been circulating in show business circles for some weeks. ...
The Walker Brothers: Thrown Out!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 December 1965
WALKER BROTHERS GET FLAT SMELLING 'FUNKY' THEN THEY'RE THROWN OUT! ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 December 1965
WHEN I SAW Kink Ray Davies last week he was wearing a blue suit, white ankle socks and a weak smile. He was playing a ...
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 December 1965
Reports KEITH ALTHAM who previews the show ...
Cilla Black: Little Red Riding Hood, Wimbledon Theatre, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 31 December 1965
Cilla a most vital 'Red Riding Hood' ...
Spencer Davis Group: 'Keep Running' was Originally the Flip Reveals Spencer Davis
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 31 December 1965
APPARENTLY BATH was flooded on Monday morning and, following this momentous news, Spencer Davis decided he had time at last to come to the NME offices for ...
Sonny & Cher: Sonny and Cher: We're In Love, That's The Secret Of Success
Memoir by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, 1966
IT WAS ON July 31, 1965, that a stocky little man dressed after the fashion of an Eskimo bounced across the reception hall in London ...
The Walker Brothers: We're Sure Glad We Came Here, Say Walker Brothers
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1966
THEY ARRIVED in Britain in February, 1965, because they felt that to achieve success in Britain was more important than doing so in the States. ...
Gary Walker (Leeds), The Walker Brothers: Gary Walker
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 January 1966
"EVERYONE IN the Business will hate it," Gary declared. "And especially the good singers. It should sell about two million copies — at which point ...
The Kinks: Kinks Go For Spider Sound
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 January 1966
THE MYSTERIOUS Spider Korner who plays "seven" string guitar and "roams the world", is the musical influence behind the Kinks' next single, Dave Davies revealed ...
Fontella Bass: British Trip Caused Heartaches For Fontella
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 January 1966
AS A RESULT of her recent British visit I found that sensitive "soul" Fontella Bass suffering from a big back-ache and a little heartache just ...
Spencer Davis Group: Spencer Davis: He's Deep, Very Deep
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 February 1966
SPENCER David Nelson (his father was a paratrooper!) Davis soared in my estimation last Friday when he sent the Rolling Stones' chauffeur-driven Austin Princess to ...
The Rolling Stones : Neurotic Bird Song
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 February 1966
AN INTERVIEW with the Rolling Stones is something to go to with mixed feelings. The prospect of being confined in a small office off Baker ...
Spencer Davis Group: The Spencer Davis Group: Steve Winwood — Modest Wonder Boy
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 February 1966
SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Steve Winwood "the boy wonder" in the Spencer Davis group (lead vocals, guitar, piano, vibes and drums) is a modest – but "colourful" character! ...
The Walker Brothers: Walkers' Great Bodyguard!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 February 1966
IN STRODE the most enormous pair of grey jeans in the World and stood next to Scott Walker (a mere six foot) making him look ...
Spencer Davis Group: Muff Winwood: Shy Guy
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 February 1966
BASS guitarist Muff (in memory of "Muffin The Mule") Winwood is the Spencer who hides in the toilet when the photographers are about! ...
Sonny & Cher: Sonny, Cher back in the NME Chart
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1966
"TOO MANY records, too soon and too often." That was the verdict of the critics when Sonny and Cher slipped from the charts last October ...
Spencer Davis Group: Spotlight on the Spencers: Useful Pete
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1966
PETE YORK, 23-year- old drummer with Spencer Davis, is the one who quit and came back. ...
The Animals: Animals Took Liberty With Prison Song
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1966
"WE TOOK A terrible liberty with 'Inside Looking Out'," admits Eric Burdon. "It's the first number we've recorded without a tune. It originates from a ...
Jonathan King, The Mindbenders, Sandie Shaw: The Mindbenders: Danger From Clippy!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1966
AS I APPROACHED the Mindbenders' dressing room down in the vaults of the BBC-TV Centre, a young lady hurtled out of an adjacent ladies' room ...
The Mindbenders: Danger from Clippy!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1966
AS I APPROACHED the Mindbenders' dressing room down in the vaults of the BBC-TV Centre, a young lady hurtled out of an adjacent ladies' room ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 March 1966
AN INTENSE person, who is over sensitive to criticism of his work, I found Scott Engel (Walker) more than a little irked by Eric Burdon's ...
The Yardbirds: Yardbirds Split!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 March 1966
THE YARDBIRDS ARE to split – but only on disc! In the group's dressing room at Ready, Steady Go last Friday I spoke with manager ...
The Kinks: Kinks Don't Mind 'Formby Quartet' Tag
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 March 1966
IN A LARGE WHITE house in East Finchley with an orange door (which he says is "red"), in a room with orange walls and an ...
The Who: Who Are Going Around In 'Circles'
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 March 1966
FOLLOW this closely – this is the saga of the group that is running around in "Circles" – who else but the Who? ...
The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones Have Reached Peak At Home
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 March 1966
BRIAN JONES returned last week from his Australian-American exploits with innumerable albums by Ravi Shankar (an Indian citarist) and wearing his full-length Kangaroo coat. He ...
The Walker Brothers: Great To Be Alone At No. 1
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 March 1966
"IT'S GOOD to have it all to ourselves at the No. 1 spot this week," said Scott Engel when I spoke to him on Tuesday. ...
The Rolling Stones: In Paris with the Rolling Stones
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 April 1966
Keith Altham finds there's never a dull moment! ...
The Rolling Stones: Olympia, Paris
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 April 1966
IN PARIS Keith Altham (flying as Keith Richard!) reports BILL STOPS BOMB EXPLOSION! ...
The Rolling Stones: Aftermath (Decca)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 April 1966
NMExclusive track by track review of STONES NEW LP ...
The Who, The Yardbirds: With Who And 'Birds At Paris Allez-Oop!
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 April 1966
READY, Steady, Allez-oops, from the Locomotive in Paris last Friday, was largely held together by the efforts of the Who and the Yardbirds, who were ...
Spencer Davis Group: 'Somebody' Makes No. 1 — But Too Quickly For Spence!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 15 April 1966
THAT WELL-known chart topper and expectant father ("If it's a bloke I'm going to call him Gregory") and man about Potters Bar – Spencer Davis, ...
The Walker Brothers: Walker Hostility On The Wane
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 15 April 1966
BEING misunderstood is a full-time occupation for Scott Engel. As the Walker Brothers' reputation soars, so Scott manages to over-exercise his incredible talent for putting ...
Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel: Paul Simon: Now They All Want Paul Simon Songs!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 22 April 1966
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT influence in popular music today, since the emergence of that well-known Lennon-McCartney firm, seems to be the mini-sized music-maker Paul Simon, who ...
The Lovin' Spoonful: Nice, Abnormal Spoonful!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 22 April 1966
JOHN SEBASTIAN, twenty-one-year-old composer and singer of the Lovin' Spoonful's latest hit 'Daydream', which is currently No. 4 in America, arrived at the group's Pye ...
Manfred Mann: NME Chart Proves Manfreds Wrong
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 29 April 1966
DOWN AMONG the devil worshippers at the BBC Top Of The Pops studio last Thursday afternoon was Paul Jones, that disturbing combination of schoolboy charm ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 6 May 1966
THOUSANDS upon thousands of fans converging on the massive Wembley Empire Pool for the biggest pop show in the world on Sunday... the staggering, the ...
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich: Dave Dee Laughs, Too — All Way To The Bank!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 May 1966
DAVE DEE, DOZY, Beaky, Mick and Tich are a gift to mediocre comedians who fall about making "unpunny" remarks like: "Oh, yes, 'Wavy Lee, Drunken, ...
Bob Dylan: Dylan's Press Reception
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 May 1966
HAIR BRISTLING about like a Fijian suffering from a severe electrical shock, wearing a blue suede jacket and white striped trousers, Bob Dylan meandered into ...
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich: Focus on BEAKY and DOZY
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1966
BEAKY (real name John Dymond) is the gaunt-faced rhythm guitarist with the group whose sinister looks contradict his "matey" nature. He has a fund of ...
Percy Sledge: Blues Singer's Gamble Paid Off
Profile by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1966
TIME WAS when the biggest stars of show business had names like "Rock Stone" or "Lex Treason" — strong, rugged names that helped to give ...
The Small Faces: Steve Marriott: I'm A Raver, Not A Singer
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1966
THE SMALL ("ah! – aren't they cute?") Faces are doing BIG things on the pop scene. Their third big hit, self-penned and called 'Hey Girl', ...
The Animals: Animalisms (Decca) ****
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1966
ERIC RAVES ON "ANIMALS" NEW LP ...
The Beach Boys: Complex and Intricate
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1966
"THE BEACH Boys' ambassador in tennis shoes," as their publicist Derek Taylor so aptly describes new group member Bruce Johnston, surfed into the Waldorf Hotel ...
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich: Focus on MICK…and TICH
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 May 1966
MICK began his musical career banging about on biscuit tins, inspired by Bill Haley records like 'See You Later Alligator'. "I just listened to the ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 May 1966
Mick Will Be Ernie In New Film ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 June 1966
THE TROGGS, who have a monster hit with 'Wild Thing', are still new and enthusiastic enough to be excited by the glamour and attention injected ...
The Animals: Could 'Don't Bring Me Down' Be Last Animals' Disc?
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 June 1966
Out of chaos came their 'best technical' recording, but Keith Altham gets a feeling – quite unofficial – that it might be, but hopes it ...
The Kinks: Kinks Keep To Humour On Discs
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 June 1966
WHAT with the new tattooed Kink; Ray Davies sniffing aesthetically into a brown paper bag; Bongo drums, metronomes, flute pumps and golf balls being bandied ...
The Mamas and The Papas: The Mama and the Papas: The Morning after the Beatles' Night Before
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 June 1966
THE FIRST THING you discover about the Mamas and Papas is that they are not – although Papa John is married to Mama Michelle. The ...
Jonathan King, The Walker Brothers: Scott Walker: Scott Walker Hits Out Again
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 July 1966
FRANK SINATRA is back in the pop pillory, but the big surprise is that chucking the rotten eggs is not Mick "Paint Him Black" Jagger, ...
The Troggs: From Nowhere The Troggs (Fontana)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 July 1966
Troggs' first LP — Track-by-track review by Keith Altham ...
The Kinks: Kinks Calm Over No. 1 News
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 July 1966
RAY DAVIES lifted the plastic lid covering his salad and viewed the mayonnaise disgustedly. "Oh, no – I hate ketchup!" he sighed and probed disdainfully ...
Jimmy Page, The Yardbirds: The Yardbirds: Why I Left and Why I Joined
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 July 1966
"I'M A BIT TOO old at twenty-three for all those screaming kids leaping about. I don't really think I'll be missed in the group – ...
Simon & Garfunkel: Too Many Releases 'Kill' Simon And Garfunkel 'Rock' Single
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 15 July 1966
IN AUGUST, 1965, an album titled The Paul Simon Song Book was released by CBS featuring the composition 'I Am A Rock'. In September a ...
The Troggs: Troggs Have A Lot To Go Wild About
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 15 July 1966
REG PRESLEY and his band "barn" into the NME Chart this week with the highest entry — 'A Girl Like You' (No. 19) composed by ...
The Rolling Stones: Jagger Phones From America
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 22 July 1966
LAST FRIDAY Mick Jagger, the suppressed Stone, rang me at home from Missouri, where the group is in the middle of their U.S. tour. ...
The Troggs: Troggs Went Wild Over Fan Slur
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 29 July 1966
THE TROGGS are "wild things" this week and the man responsible for raising the wrath of the West Country group is singer-journalist-composer-student and good all-round ...
Alan Price: 'Lili' Is A Fun Tune
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 August 1966
HAVING proved that it takes a worried man to sing a worried song with 'I Put A Spell On You', Alan Price has accomplished a ...
Andrew Loog Oldham, The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stone Oldham: Talented, Insulting, Outrageous
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 August 1966
ROLLING STONES manager Andrew Loog Oldham is on the move and as usual with this ubiquitous personality ("The Beach Boys' new single is not dedicated ...
Paul and Barry Ryan: Ryans Feel Established
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 August 1966
I ARRIVED nearly an hour late at Harold Davison's Regent Street office for my interview with Paul and Barry Ryan due to freak monsoon weather ...
The Troggs: Double-Top Troggs In America And Britain!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 August 1966
LAST WEEK the Troggs were in the enviable position of being No. 1 in England with 'With A Girl Like You' and No. 1 in ...
Manfred Mann: New Mann d'Abo Hungry For Success
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 19 August 1966
IN SPITE OF certain visual evidence to the contrary — the differences between the new "Mann," Michael d'Abo (Cambridge University "sent down") and the old ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 26 August 1966
CLIFF BENNETT, that well-known Cockney about Uxbridge, has made a welcome return to the NME Chart, courtesy of Lennon and McCartney's 'Got To Get You ...
The Walker Brothers: Portrait (Philips)
Review and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 26 August 1966
The Brothers produce a super Portrait album ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 September 1966
Communication means everything for Sonny & Cher ...
Sonny & Cher: They're Pop's Most Lovable Couple
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 September 1966
IT'S THAT 'Little Man' again and bouncing back into the NME Chart this week at No. 18 comes popdom's most lovable couple, Mr. and Mrs. ...
The Small Faces: Steve Marriott: Everyone's 'Luv' And 'Mate'
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 September 1966
SHOULD Steve Marriott ever chance to meet royalty it would be safe to assume that within five minutes he would be calling them "luv" and ...
The Troggs: The Astonishing Troggs Do It Again!
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 September 1966
THOSE astonishing Troggs have done it again! At the little Olympic studios, concealed in a small mews off Baker Street, during an incredible session Larry ...
Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers: Cliff Bennett
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 September 1966
AS CLIFF Bennett and the Rebel Rousers rocket their way up the NME Charts courtesy of Lennon and McCartney we questioned the leader about his ...
The Small Faces: Small Face Kenny Keeps Quiet
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 September 1966
KENNY JONES is the lost Face. Like a great many group drummers he has been placed in the background and prefers to remain there. ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces: Mystery Man 'Plonk' Lane
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 September 1966
RONNIE PLONK LANE, bass guitarist and grand old man of the Small Faces at the age of 20, is the group's "Mysteryman." "Mystery" is Plonk's ...
The Rolling Stones: Stones Reveal Secrets
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 September 1966
LAST THURSDAY I went to see "Molly Richard" and "Sarah Jagger" – names Keith and Mick have been called since their famous photograph advertising the ...
The Small Faces: Mac's Flu Is Permanent!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 September 1966
"MAC"-FACE (Ian McLagan) says he was born in "Houns-low-on-mud" on May 12, 1946. of an Irish mother and a Scottish father, and he and his ...
The Walker Brothers: A Clever Singer Never Loses His Voice
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 September 1966
THE WALKER-Troggs-Dave Dee popathalon (33 dates must make it a marathon tour) starts running at East Ham Granada tomorrow (Saturday), so last Monday I taxied ...
The Who: Drummer Moon On Zither, Double-Track Tuba, On Who LP
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 7 October 1966
IN AN Italian restaurant off London's Soho last Thursday, which boasts on the menu, "hilarious waiters and spaghetti alla vongole on Sunday" there was baby ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 October 1966
ACTION stations for Sonny and Cher. In a transatlantic phone call from his home in Encino, Sonny told me that their first film, Good Times, ...
The Rolling Stones: New Pop Generation's Revolution Is At Hand
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 October 1966
IN FLANAGAN'S bar off Kensington High Street, Keith Richard, Brian Jones and I were being watched – by two bartenders in Edwardian dress and grey ...
The Rolling Stones: Come Into Brian Jones' New Hideaway!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 October 1966
A ROLLING STONE in his own environment is a revelation. Brian's new home incorporates his liking for the dramatic with his taste for the antique. ...
The Troggs: Troggs: Trogg-Men Ridicule Song Ban
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 October 1966
FOLLOWING AUNTIE BBC's policy of giving The Troggs' new single, 'I Can't Control Myself' the cold shoulder with only restricted airplay, that land "down under" ...
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 October 1966
"THE First is last and the last is first but the first, the second and the last are the Cream," so reads the perplexing handout ...
Graham Nash, The Hollies: Hollie Graham Nash Finds His Face!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 October 1966
THE HOLLY WHO has found his face is Graham Nash. For too long the Hollies have been written about as "the faceless wonders of pop" ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 October 1966
Eric Burdon Beats The Hecklers! Geno An Earthquake ! ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 October 1966
THE TROGGS' lead guitarist, Chris Britton looks at women because he likes them — smiles at strangers as though he had known them all his ...
Chris Farlowe, Mick Jagger: Chris Farlowe: The Art Of Chris Farlowe
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 November 1966
TRACK BY TRACK OF THE ALBUM ...
Chris Farlowe, Mick Jagger: Jagger Talks About Farlowe LP
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 November 1966
MICK JAGGER'S latest line in telephone impersonations misfired last week when he rang to talk to me about the Chris Farlowe LP he has just ...
The Animals: Burdon's New Animals Not Set Yet
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 November 1966
SPEAKING this week to Eric Burdon, that well-known "Freak-about-town" (since "Freak-out" music is having a considerable influence on our Animal), he revealed to me that ...
The Troggs: Soft-hearted Reg Presley
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 November 1966
REGINALD MAURICE BALL is a soft-hearted ex-bricklayer born in Andover on June 12, 1943, who reads the Daily Mirror, is particularly sensitive to anything which ...
The Beach Boys: Beach Boys Sensational Visit
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 November 1966
MY FIRST MISTAKE was trying to escape from London airport on Sunday morning, through approximately a thousand fans, with drummer Dennis Wilson, whom I later ...
Spencer Davis Group: Feuding Spencer Davis Group
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 November 1966
LAST Thursday at Shepherd's Bush Top Of The Pops studio there was the strange case of the group who did not appear to be talking ...
The Beach Boys, Lulu: Finsbury Park Astoria, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 November 1966
SCREAMERS SILENCED! ...
The Beach Boys: Beach Boys' Crazy Last Night!
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 November 1966
AMONG those getting in each others' way in the Beach Boys' dressing room at Hammersmith Odeon on Monday night were publicist Derek Taylor (minus moustache), ...
The Troggs: He's Got A Grip On Their Money
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 November 1966
THERE IS the air of a surprised cocker spaniel about Trogg drummer Ronnie Bond who uses his hands to communicate what his conversation lacks. He ...
The Hollies: For Certain Because (Parlophone)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 26 November 1966
HOLLIES MIX MOODS ON LP ...
The Rolling Stones: Stones On The Move
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1966
IF YOU'VE EVER been sat in a cement mixer while someone turned the handle or kept awake for three days in a cell with a ...
The Easybeats: Easybeats Didn't Copy The Beatles
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 December 1966
THE EASYBEATS are new and young — all teenagers — and so are vital in a slightly sagging pop scene that was given a shot ...
The Animals: Eric Burdon Meets New Lennon And Harrison
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 December 1966
EVERYONE is talking about the new Animals. But few have spared a thought for the new Eric Burdon with "bluesynite," the wonder ingredient which enables ...
The Kinks: Kinks Have Problems
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 December 1966
CONSIDER, if you will, the disturbing fact that Ray Davies wants to be Walt Disney; Dave Davies is turning into a saxophonist; Pete Quaife is ...
The Troggs: Troggs Caged In Berlin Zoo!
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 December 1966
ERIC BURDON, who is so devoted to the birds in London's St. James's Park, would love it here on the twelfth floor of the Berlin ...
Spencer Davis Group: The Spencer Davis Group: Spencer Davis Played On Church Steps!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 December 1966
HERR SPENCER DAVIS is a top pop person in Germany, firstly because the young people like the group's earthy, exciting sound, and secondly they like ...
The Who: Who's For A Merry Xmas!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 December 1966
WHO'S FOR a merry Christmas, then – if we are to judge by their seasonal bounce up into the NME Top Twenty this week with ...
The Kinks: Future Of The Kinks
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 31 December 1966
BUSY DOING "nothing much" just prior to Christmas was Kink Mick Avory (an occupational hazard with this group at present) at his home in West ...
The Animals: Animals: Sure, We're Really Animals!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Summer Special, Summer 1966
THE TITLE 'ANIMALS' was given to the group by Radio Caroline chief Ronan O'Reilly, who felt it summed up the group's wild attitude to rhythm-and-blues ...
The Rolling Stones: This Is A Stone Age!!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Summer Special, Summer 1966
THE ROLLING STONES are a five-man revolution in the pop world. When they first appeared on the disc scene in 1962 they proceeded to defy ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Summer Special, Summer 1966
HEAVILY DISGUISED as a member of a longhaired beat group, an American balladeer has infiltrated the British beat scene and emerged victoriously among the top ...
Donovan: All Things Bright and Beautiful
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 January 1967
At new Wimbledon home DONOVAN talks about shape of things to come ...
Jimi Hendrix: New To The Charts: Wild Jimi Hendrix
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 January 1967
THE MAN for whom the words "Wild One" were invented has hit us! Jimi Hendrix, 22, from Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., courtesy of ex-Animal Chas Chandler ...
The Rolling Stones: Between The Buttons (Decca)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 January 1967
The STONES' LATEST ALBUM, reviewed track-by-track by Keith Altham with special comments by Mick Jagger ...
Scott Walker, The Walker Brothers: Scott Walker: Chaos For Scott
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 January 1967
SCOTT ENGEL, the man likely to be more miserable than most in 1967, was in the highest spirits when I found him at his apartment ...
The Troggs: Trogg-Maker Reveals Secrets
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 January 1967
LARRY – "Lawrence" to his friends – Page is the one-man organisation behind the phenomenal success of the Troggs. Lawrence is the group's business manager; ...
The Rolling Stones: Jagger Scorns Critics
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 January 1967
THOSE naughty Rolling Stones – the ones who write wicked things like 'Let's Spend The Night Together' – wouldn't go on the nice man's roundabout ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 February 1967
THIS IS THE Cream interview which got loose in London – ran wild over their publicists' office – finally plunging from the depths of Mao ...
The Rolling Stones: Our Fans Have Moved On With Us
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 February 1967
LET US consider that unique phenomenon – the Rolling Stones' public image! ...
The Troggs: Trogglodynamite (Page One)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 February 1967
Keith Altham tracks down an undiluted pop album ...
Elvis Presley, Johnny Rivers: Johnny Rivers Knows the Sporty Elvis
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 February 1967
THE MAN called "the best handled myth in the world" is once more back in the NME Top Twenty with 'Indescribably Blue' — Elvis Aaron ...
Gene Pitney, Sounds Incorporated, The Troggs: Gene Pitney, The Troggs: Finsbury Park Astoria, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1967
Gene Captures Audience Despite Sitdown! Says Keith Altham ...
The Hollies: Elvis Inspired Hollies Hit
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1967
INFLUENCES behind the latest Hollies hit, 'On A Carousel' include Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and "Doddy". At least these were some of the inspirations which ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 February 1967
DAVY JONES – the little Monkee with a big heart – arrived via Nassau last week wearing a battered black top hat, purchased from a ...
The Monkees: Monkee Davy Talks About The Beatles
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 March 1967
"GEORGEP AULJOHNRINGO," our very own pop monster, has now grown to that exalted position where it is a kind of sacred cow whom none may ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 March 1967
WHENEVER returning from interviewing Donovan these days I feel that I've been the subject of a Sunday School treat. He surrounds himself with such nice ...
The Troggs: Trogg Reg Reveals Success Secret
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 March 1967
THERE WAS a touch of the "Ready Steady Ooops" about the Troggs' new single, 'Give It To Me', after it leapt high into the NME ...
John's Children: First Of The Anti-Lust Groups
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 March 1967
JOHN'S CHILDREN, who make their chart debut this week with their own composition 'Just What You Want' (Columbia) are described by their manager Simon Napier ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 April 1967
WE WERE WELL and truly blitzed with "mini-happenings" on the Walker Brothers’ tour opening night, at Finsbury Park Astoria last Friday, when Jimi Hendrix literally ...
Jimi Hendrix: Hendrix IS Out Of This World
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 15 April 1967
EVEN HIS EX-ANIMAL MANAGER NEEDS A SPLIT PERSONALITY! ...
P.P. Arnold, The Nice: New to the Charts: Top Team Gives P.P. Her Debut
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 May 1967
P.P. ARNOLD, from Los Angeles, makes her NME Chart debut this week with 'The First Cut Is The Deepest' (Immediate), aided and abetted by a talented team ...
Jimi Hendrix: Question Time with Jimi Hendrix
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 May 1967
THE REAL JIMI HENDRIX is now beginning to emerge from behind that skilfully placed publicity screen of early days when success was too fragile to ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 13 May 1967
POLL SHOW THRILLS ALL THE WAY ...
Scott Walker, The Walker Brothers: The Walker Brothers: Why The Walker Brothers Split Up
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 May 1967
"I WANT to make it clear that it was not solely my decision to break up the Walker Brothers, but for the first time in ...
Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced (Track)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1967
Track-by-Track on Jimi Hendrix debut album ...
The Who: 'Lily' Isn't Pornographic, Say Who
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1967
THE LUGUBRIOUS looking Pete Townshend with the mincer-like mind ground up an interesting selection of subjects for attention over a lemon tea in London's Act ...
Jeff Beck Not Nearly So Wicked As He Thinks He Is!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 May 1967
JEFF BECK gets a somewhat perverse satisfaction from having a "wicked" reputation in the pop business. At his best, he is a talented, guitar-perfectionist with ...
The Beach Boys: Two Things Make Beach Boys Sad
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 May 1967
ONE OF the Beach Boys seemed very pleased about their new single when I visited their dressing room before a concert and their eventual departure ...
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich: No Beards for Dave Dee & Co!
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 June 1967
ROLLING Stone Brian Jones once described himself as "a straight Ernie." And the same might be said of Dave Dee. An "Ernie," I was assured ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 June 1967
TONY HICKS is the young Hollie (21) who has just move into a neat new little mews house of Knightsbridge. ...
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 June 1967
WE DROVE to London Airport in Animal manager Mike Jeffery's Rolls-Royce while he dictated a few last minute instructions to assistant Tony Garland — "Ring ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 July 1967
"SOMEONE has just shot our gardener – I can't speak to you just now. Come up tomorrow," invited a harassed John Phillips, of the Mamas ...
Scott Walker: Scott Keeps One Step Ahead
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 July 1967
AND SO THE moving singer, having moved — moves on. Scott Walker is still one jump ahead of the fans in his pursuit of privacy. ...
The Beach Boys: Beach Boys 'Heroes' leaps in at No. 16 and Bruce's trip pays off!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, August 1967
WELL, THAT was Bruce Johnston, that was! The Beach Boys' all-purpose, all-weather, swing-winged auxiliary and unpaid publicist promoting 'Heroes And Villains' in England last week. ...
Donovan: "I Remember Donovan... And It Makes Me Feel Good!"
Interview by Keith Altham, Flip, August 1967
DONOVAN HAS achieved something that at one time I would have thought impossible — he has emerged from 'The Scream Age' into 'The Ear Age' ...
Scott McKenzie: I'm No Professional Flower Child
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 August 1967
"I AM NOT A professional flower child," stressed Scott McKenzie over the transatlantic phone wire. "I'd rather carry a flower than a gun. But I ...
Dave Davies: Kink Dave Embarrassed by 'Clown' Hit
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 August 1967
WITH THE solo success of 'Death Of A Clown' times are a changing for Dave Davies. He is both delighted and nervous over the success ...
The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones: Interviews with Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 August 1967
THE NEW MUSICAL Express versus Michael Philip Jagger – Friday, August 4,1967 in his managers' chambers of high appeal – New Oxford Street, London, – ...
The Rolling Stones: 'We Love You'
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 August 1967
MICK JAGGER gave me the preview of the new Stones single, 'We Love You'/'Dandelion' last Friday in manager Andrew Oldham's office and looked enquiringly across ...
Alan Price: 'Jack' a Now or Never Hit
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 19 August 1967
"IT WAS really a question of now or never," was how Alan Price referred to his composition 'The House That Jack Built', over lunch in ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces: Youth has saved Faces
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 26 August 1967
IT HAS been an Immediate success story for the Small Faces this year — at No. 15 in the NME Chart with 'Itchycoo Park' — ...
Jimi Hendrix: Hendrix Admits Lamp Is A Bit Smoky
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 September 1967
TIME TO TUCK the tiny tots up and put them safely abed with a nice Monkees' record! Why? Because "the electric bogeyman" is back in ...
Traffic: Uncontrollable Traffic
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 September 1967
KEITH ALTHAM pins down a highly elusive group... ...
Marianne Faithfull, The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones Starting To Mellow
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 September 1967
THE TIMES THEY have a-changed, as Bob Dylan predicted – and with them – the Rolling Stones. There was a time when one approached a ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces Fun World
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 September 1967
A FUNNY THING happened to me on the way through Chiswick Park recently to meet the Small Faces. For "starters" there were printed placards pinned ...
Scott Walker Hides Away In A Gloom-World
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 September 1967
BIG LOUIE is the first person you meet when calling at the secluded terrace house, off London's Regent's Park — the latest home of Scott ...
The Animals: Question Time With....Eric Burdon
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 September 1967
IT SHOULD, OF course, be Eric Burdon and the "anything but the Animals," because this new group has about as much connection with the original ...
Traffic's British Stage Debut Was Well Worth Waiting For
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 September 1967
TRAFFIC HAVE been a long time getting it all together but last Sunday's debut at the London Saville proved that it has been well worth ...
Traffic's Dave Mason — Pop Face Of 1967
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 7 October 1967
REMEMBER the teenage idol – all liquid eyes, milk teeth, Cupid's bow and simply oozing with the wonder ingredient, sex appeal? Eyes right and you ...
The Move Don't Care About Top Billing
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 October 1967
THANK goodness for Carl Wayne of the Move! It is a long time since I have found anyone new to the scene so pleasant, co-operative ...
The Small Faces: Travel is A Nightmare
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 October 1967
THE SMALL FACES – most often through no fault of their own – find great difficulty in getting from place to place, i.e. interviews, photographic ...
The Mamas and The Papas: The Big Mamas And Papas Mystery
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 October 1967
NOW YOU see them – now you don't! The Mamas and Papas have cancelled their projected concert at the Royal Albert Hall on October 30. ...
The Herd Take Over As Screamers' New Idols
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 October 1967
MY CONTENDER as the man "most likely to get ripped to pieces by hysterical females" in 1967 is Peter Frampton, the seventeen-year-old vocal-guitarist with the ...
The Who: Who Ready To Hit You With New Ideas
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 28 October 1967
AFTER six weeks with "the last Schmaltz" it is good to find the Who back in the charts with a new single, 'I Can See ...
The Kinks, Ray Davies: Ray Davies
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 November 1967
THERE is something of the smoking volcano about Ray Davies. Six foot of suppressed quietly spoken, quietly smiling and quietly watching! It is what some ...
Sandie Shaw: Her Anatomical Assets
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 November 1967
PROVING quite conclusively that she has legs right up to her shoulders, Sandie Shaw wearing her self-designed string mini dress (or was it a vest?) ...
The Herd, Traffic, The Who: Traffic, The Who, The Herd: Danger: Who At Work!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 November 1967
THE WHO-TRAFFIC-Herd-Tremeloe tour, while proving to be a sell-out attraction, has caused a certain amount of anxiety among those people whose job it is to ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 November 1967
HERE COMES the pop phoenix again! Arising from what so many cynics thought were their own ashes, the Troggs now have their sixth smash hit ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 November 1967
I WENT several rounds with Eve Taylor and Sandie Shaw over dinner last Friday, where among other things we discussed her performance at last week's ...
Jimi Hendrix: The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Axis: Bold As Love (Track)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 November 1967
UFO COULD BE JIMI! ...
The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 December 1967
KINDLY RAISE YOUR hands in the air. Empty your mind on to the desk and your brains into the ash-tray. Now let us see what ...
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 December 1967
TRAFFIC IN the City may have come to a stand-still due to the recent rail dispute, but Traffic in the charts is still moving full ...
The Beach Boys: 1968 Will See Better Things From The Beach Boys
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 December 1967
DESPITE THE fact that the Beach Boys new single, 'Wild Honey' is having a sticky time in the charts, the group is still able to ...
The Beach Boys: Wild Honey (Capitol)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 December 1967
THE BEACH Boys new album, Wild Honey (Capitol), to be released in late January, is the antidote for all those who were confused and a ...
The Beatles: Hope You Do Enjoy The Show
Interview by Keith Altham, Hit Parader Yearbook, Winter 1967
DESPITE THEIR flamboyant appearance, the Beatles are still the same, sane, straightforward people they were four years ago. Their opinions and beliefs are the same, ...
The Rolling Stones: The Banned Stones Cover
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1968
It is ‘We’ against ‘Them-and They’ time again in the Rolling Stones’ life, as they run head-on into another fracas with the ‘oldies’. This time ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces star Steve Marriott Declares 'Tin Soldier' The Real Us
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 6 January 1968
ONCE MORE unto Andrew Oldham's inner sanctum off Oxford Street to interview his group — the Small Faces — and discuss the fate of 'Tin ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 January 1968
TRAFFIC is now on the move again but as a trio. So it was that I scaled the eight flights to drummer Jim Capaldi's Earl's ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 January 1968
A ROLLING STONE, having rolled, has come to rest in a magnificent, centuries old manor house, just outside Lewes in Sussex, which was reputedly used ...
Plastic Penny: Put Scratch On Record
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 January 1968
A PLASTIC penny for your thoughts then, or to be more precise, tuppence-worth in the shape of vocalist Brian Keith and organist Paul Raymond who ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces Shatter Old Image
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 January 1968
THAT'S my body you're laughing at!" said Ronnie Lane indignantly, having removed his shirt to reveal a torso which could have given Charles Atlas a ...
The Moody Blues: Moody Blues Deserve Much Greater Success
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 February 1968
AT A TIME when the charts do not testify to any great composing originality — except for Lennon-McCartney — there is one disc staggering about ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 February 1968
THERE ARE few people in pop who deserve as much respect as that truculent Geordie with the big baby face, who speaks through his nose ...
Mike D'Abo, Manfred Mann: Manfred Mann's Mike d'Abo
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 February 1968
MICHAEL D'ABO is anxiously searching for Michael d'Abo. At his London home he and I looked everywhere for him with the assistance of a beautiful ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces Sink Australia
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 February 1968
THE ABOVE head-line was sarcastically suggested by Ronnie Lane, who declared after the group's recent trip down under –"they would even have accused us of ...
The Rolling Stones: Stones Are On The Rampage Once More
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 March 1968
NME's Keith Altham finds to his cost! ...
The Beach Boys: Beach Boys Meet Elvis
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 March 1968
THE BEACH Boys meet Elvis! Beach Boys tour with London Philharmonic Orchestra? Bruce Johnston sings Lennon and McCartney! Beach Boys to do rock 'n' roll ...
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich: Dave Dee: Dave Dee Whips Up Fans
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 March 1968
ALL this "Marquis de Sade" and "Kiss of the Whip" bit is somewhat wasted on Dave Dee! He's about as kinky as a pint of ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, Richard Green, New Musical Express, 6 April 1968
Concert review by Keith Altham ...
The Beach Boys, The Beatles: Maharishi links Beatles and Beach Boys
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 6 April 1968
NME helps find World Peace venue ...
The Small Faces: At Home With Face Steve...What An Experience!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 April 1968
TO VISIT the Thameside abode of Small Face Steve Marriott is something of an experience — to put it mildly! Come with me and you'll ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces Thought ‘Sunday’ Too Much Of A Joke
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 4 May 1968
ONCE more unto the magic cave – better described as Andrew Oldham’s emporium from whence all things Immediate happen – and the office where I ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 May 1968
ONE-HIT-WONDER groups have been coming and going ever since pop music began but one group likely to stay the pace are the four Londoners called ...
The Small Faces: Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, June 1968
The Small Faces new album Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake (Immediate), apart from being encased in the first circular sleeve I have ever seen, is a ...
The Animals, Zoot Money: Eric Burdon & The Animals with Zoot Money: The Revolution, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 June 1968
POWERFUL ERIC ...
The Rolling Stones: The Stones In-Session
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 June 1968
OUTSIDE THE recording studio there were two little teeny-boppers from a by-gone age, sheltering from the rain in a shop doorway in the hope of ...
The Rolling Stones: Stones Set Studio On Fire!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 June 1968
First film gets off to a blazing start ...
The Herd, Scott Walker: Scott Walker, The Herd: The Dome, Brighton
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 29 June 1968
GREAT SCOTT! That's my immediate reaction after seeing and hearing Scott Walker break through the scream barrier last Friday evening at the Brighton Dome. The ...
Dusty Springfield: Dusty Says 'I Want To Hit Back'
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 6 July 1968
DUSTY SPRINGFIELD would, I was informed, like to "hit back!" Now this did not sound like the fun-loving lass I knew of old. A skilfully ...
The Monkees: Question Time With Monkee Davy
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 6 July 1968
BEFORE Davy Jones completed his famous disappearing trick and returned to America, I joined the hordes of reporters and photographers waiting to see "Mighty-Monkee" at ...
Jimmy Webb, Richard Harris: Richard Harris Talks About Jim Webb
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 July 1968
On transatlantic phone to NME's Keith Altham ...
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich: Nine Hits In A Row
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 July 1968
WHEN I arrived at the Lime Grove TV studios it was to find that Tich, Mick, Beaky, Dozy and Dave Dee (how about that for ...
Jimmy Webb, Richard Harris: Richard Harris: A Tramp Shining (Dunhill)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 July 1968
RICHARD HARRIS-JIM WEBB LP MUST BE BEST SELLER ...
The Small Faces: Small Faces: We're Getting Better Ideas
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 July 1968
HAVING nipped smartly into the No. 1 best selling album slot with Ogdens Nut Gone Flake, the Small Faces are now deservedly considered big wheels ...
Jimi Hendrix: Jimi Brings Manager's New Club Roof Down!
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 July 1968
JIMI HENDRIX literally brought the roof down on the opening night at his manager's club, Sergeant Peppers in Majorca by the simple expedient of ramming ...
The Small Faces: Faces Shatter Country Calm
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 August 1968
...in their Bucks hideaway invaded by Keith Altham ...
Live Review by Keith Altham, Richard Green, New Musical Express, 17 August 1968
STARS, SUNSHINE and a SHAMBLES ...
The Kinks: The One-up Kink: Raymond Douglas Davies
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 31 August 1968
RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES, as he now insists on being referred to, is one who excels in the unexpected and the slightly bizarre. He is probably ...
The Bee Gees: My Adventures With The Bee Gees!
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Flip, September 1968
THE FIRST TIME I met the Bee Gees they were surrounded by huge clouds of smoke, manufactured by an "ice-machine" in an enormous TV studio ...
Johnny Nash: Rock-Steady is Coming
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 7 September 1968
JOHNNY NASH arrived in London on Tuesday for six days to promote his hit single, 'Hold Me Tight', with the message that Rock-Steady is on ...
Amen Corner: Amen Andy Is New Teen Idol
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 September 1968
JUST as everyone was beginning to think that the day of the teenage idol was over, another young 'god' has come quietly and modestly upon ...
The Rolling Stones: The Banned Stones' LP Cover...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 September 1968
Mick Jagger protests against 'Dylan offensive' charge ...
The Rolling Stones: Our Live Shows More Subversive Than 'Street Fightin' Man'! admits Keith Richard
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 September 1968
Part two of the Jagger-fights-on story. ...
The Kinks: The Village Green Preservation Society (Pye)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 September 1968
KINKS REMINISCING ON THE VILLAGE GREEN ...
The Herd: After Big Split Herd Out Of Exile
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 October 1968
YOU MAY NOT have seen much of the Herd recently since their self-imposed retreat following a dispute with managers Howard and Blaikley, but I have ...
Joe Cocker: John And Paul Send Their Thanks To Joe
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 October 1968
"WITH A Little Help From Our Friends" Lennon and McCartney, 23-year-old Sheffield born, Joe Cocker makes a welcome appearance in our charts this week with ...
Joe Cocker: I'm Not A Pop Pin-Up... I'm Gruesome
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 26 October 1968
NME's Keith Altham quizzes a happy JOE COCKER who this week leaps to No 6. ...
Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones: I Miss Mick's Bath Scene
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 9 November 1968
...moans KEITH ALTHAM but catches up with Jagger later ...
The Rolling Stones: One Plus One (Dir. Jean Luc Godard)
Film/DVD/TV Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 November 1968
COMING NOT-too-shortly, I hope (the official London premiere is at the National Film Theatre on November 25) — the Rolling Stones in One Plus One ...
The Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet (Decca)
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 23 November 1968
I KEEP changing my mind about Beggars Banquet which is the Rolling Stones new album in the sleeve which has now been passed fit for ...
The Beach Boys: Beach Boys Pulled Out Of Doldrums
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1968
WITHER The Beach Boys in 1969? The group that produced 'Good Vibrations' and 'God Only Knows' have never quite recaptured the magic of those halcyon ...
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich: Dave Dee's Happy To Make Instant Hits
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1968
GROUPS come and go but Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich, it seems, go on for ever. And the secret of their success? According ...
Jimmy Webb Writes For The Lonely
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1968
IT IS VERY difficult for me to be objective about Jim Webb because there are some composers or artists who hit a chord of sympathy ...
The Rolling Stones: Rolling Stones: Year Of The Stones' New Heart
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Annual, December 1968
THIS WAS THE year of the "heart" transplant for the Rolling Stones at a stage when it was feared the patient was fading away. The ...
The Beach Boys, Barry Ryan: Palladium, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 7 December 1968
Beach Boys' magic ...
Eric Clapton, John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, The Who: Rolling Stones: The Greatest Show On Earth
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 December 1968
THE ROLLING STONES put in some overtime last Wednesday when they spent 17 hours working on their telethon production of The Rock and Roll Circus ...
Donovan: 'I Put Myself Into My Music'
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express Summer Special, Summer 1968
Donovan is the gentle giant in the pop world. He is largely responsible for shattering the conventional image of the folk singer satirized so beautifully ...
Simon & Garfunkel: Film Graduation For Simon, Garfunkel
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1969
"THE Graduate, the film which features ‘Mrs. Robinson,’ has given Simon and Garfunkel the kind of status in America that the Beatles have now," their ...
Scott Walker: Scott His Own Worst Enemy
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1969
SCOTT WALKER is a super talent who will probably never become a Super-Star because he will defeat himself or maybe more simply he will deliberately ...
Donovan: The Wind Rises And The Tide Goes Out
Interview by Keith Altham, Hit Parader, January 1969
AT THE OFFICE, off Berkeley Square, of "international" Beatles press officer Tony Barrow, they were organizing "instant" interviews with Donovan. Like most writers I have ...
The Rolling Stones: Jagger In 3-D (part 1): The First Dimension – The Present
Interview by Keith Altham, Melody Maker, 15 March 1969
KEITH ALTHAM begins his three-part series on Mick Jagger by attempting to assess where he is now, the most controversial and greatest Anti-Hero of our ...
The Rolling Stones: Jagger In 3-D (part 2): Second Dimension — Jagger On Stage
Interview by Keith Altham, Melody Maker, 22 March 1969
KEITH ALTHAM looks into the past for the SECOND DIMENSION in his series on Mick Jagger to discover the strengths and weaknesses in the Rolling ...
The Rolling Stones: Jagger In 3-D (part 3): Third Dimension — The Future
Interview by Keith Altham, Melody Maker, 29 March 1969
"BUT HE can't go an being a Rolling Stone for ever, can he?" asked Joe Public spitefully. ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Rave, May 1969
Can you tell us exactly why you decided to leave the Small Faces? ...
Humble Pie, The Small Faces: The Rave Interview — Steve Marriott
Interview by Keith Altham, Rave, May 1969
Subject: Steve MarriottInterviewer: Keith AlthamSituation: Marriott's cottage in Essex ...
Keith Moon, The Who: Keith Moon
Interview by Keith Altham, Rave, July 1969
CONDUCTING an interview with Keith Moon is rather like running a mental obstacle course with a megalomaniac (his manager's reference, not mine), with imminent danger ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Rave, August 1969
THE MANFRED MANN group are no more. And now Michael D'Abo is out on his own as a solo talent. ...
The Bee Gees: Was Robin The Key Figure In The Bee Gees' Success?
Interview by Keith Altham, Top Pops, August 1969
WITH ROBIN GIBB hurtling up the charts with his first solo single, 'Saved by the Bell', it would appear that the answer to the question, ...
Robin Gibb: Was Robin the Key Figure in the Bee Gees' Success?
Interview by Keith Altham, Top Pops, 9 August 1969
WITH ROBIN Gibb hurtling up the charts with his first solo single, 'Saved by the Bell', it would appear that the answer to the question, ...
The Beach Boys, Charles Manson, Dennis Wilson: Dennis Wilson
Interview by Keith Altham, Rave, September 1969
DENNIS WILSON is the walking contradiction in the Beach Boys, who provides the motor for the group with his powerhouse percussion and unlimited energy. Dennis ...
Led Zeppelin Are Not Prefabricated
Interview by Keith Altham, Top Pops, 13 September 1969
WHEN is a hit single unnecessary? Apparently when it is a group like Led Zeppelin who have never released a single but have reached super ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, Fall 1969
THE MOVE are a sometimes thing. In the past three years the group have given us precisely one album and seven singles which can hardly ...
Donovan: Meditation Is Like A Miracle Cure
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 3 January 1970
IT IS A FAR CRY from 'Catch The Wind' to songs like 'Winking Blinking and Nod' or 'A Poke At The Pope' but then Donovan ...
Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Band: 'We Were Unsexual, Unattractive And Musically Unexciting'
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 10 January 1970
VIV STANSHALL TALKS TO KEITH ALTHAM ABOUT THE BONZO BREAK-UP ...
The Dave Clark Five: The Dave Clark 5's Mike Smith
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 10 January 1970
NOT UNLIKE 'old man river' the Dave Clark Five keep rolling along and just when the critics are about to re-write their obituaries – missing ...
Blind Faith, Eric Clapton: Eric Clapton: Another Crossroad
Interview by Keith Altham, Fusion, 6 February 1970
MANY PEOPLE THINK that Eric Clapton is the best guitarist in the world. A veteran of the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Cream, all that ...
Led Zeppelin: Jimmy Page: Superstar
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 21 February 1970
JIMMY PAGE is the phoenix who has arisen from the ashes of the Yardbirds to emerge amongst the electric guitarist gods, through the meteoric success ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Fusion, 6 March 1970
The Nice are perhaps one of the most controversial groups on the pop music scene today. Praised by many for relieving us from the excesses ...
The Moody Blues: When Is A Single Not A Single?
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 23 May 1970
WHEN IS a single not a single? Apparently when it is the Moody Blues. The Moodies have broken into the Seventies with every indication of ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 11 September 1970
In the last interview Hendrix did, a week before his death, he talks poignantly about his plans for the future, and looks back at his past.
File format: mp3 File size: 28.6mb Interview length: 31 minutes 17 seconds Sound quality: ****
Jimi Hendrix: The Final Interview
Interview by Keith Altham, interview transcript, 11 September 1970
On the evening of Friday, September 11th, 1970, Jimi gave what was to be his final interview at his Cumberland hotel suite. The interview was ...
Deep Purple: Rock Is Where We're At
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 3 October 1970
ORGANIST JON Lord asserts triumphantly that with Deep Purple In Rock the group have finally found their true musical identities following their early 'success' as ...
The Monkees, Michael Nesmith: Mike Nesmith: No Monkee Business
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 3 October 1970
EX-MONKEE Mike Nesmith has withdrawn from the bubble gum stakes to regain his country and western identity with the First National Band. ...
Eric Burdon, Jimi Hendrix, War: The last Hendrix interview
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 3 October 1970
RECORD MIRROR EXCLUSIVE BY KEITH ALTHAM ...
The Moody Blues: Why Do People Get Moody About The Moodies?
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 10 October 1970
THE MOODY BLUES – trick or treat? Their talent and ability to produce their unique sounds on live appearances is undeniable but a hard core ...
Eric Burdon, War: Eric Burdon & War: U.S. campaign to "Curb the Clap!"
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 2 January 1971
THAT WELL known Transatlantic commuter Eric Victor Burdon was in town last week with the news that a little light is entering the heavy world ...
McGuinness Flint: McGunness Flint: My Goodness, McGuinness!
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 16 January 1971
TOM McGUINNESS has been upon us now for many, many years, peering through little circular windows in a kindly and benign manner at the journalese ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 16 January 1971
'GI-NORMOUS' is the only word to describe the Moody Blues present status in America. They have reached the kind of heights there which are only ...
The Moody Blues: Now I Know How McCartney Felt…
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 16 January 1971
FLAUTIST RAY Thomas is now ensconced in the Moody Blues new "Threshold" HQ in Surrey after the group's pre-Christmas run across the States, shattering attendance ...
Black Sabbath: Nobody But The Public Digs Sabbath
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 30 January 1971
THERE WOULD seem to be a lot of unnecessary resentment over Black Sabbath's success in this business. And even outside it by those bastions of ...
Grand Funk Railroad: Grand Funk — Or Bunk?
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 6 February 1971
RESENTMENT from the critics is something that Grand Funk Railroad are having to live with in the United States, but the pill is made the ...
Pete Townshend, The Who: Pete Townshend
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 13 February 1971
WHITHER the Who? you might ask, for despite their Live At Leeds album and Pete Townshend's recently announced plans for "musically computerised character analysis" we ...
Led Zeppelin: Jimmy Page: Zep Come To The People
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 27 February 1971
"WHAT DO YOU want if you don't want Money?" was the lyrical question once put but never answered by a certain Adam Faith nee Terence ...
Emerson Lake And Palmer: ELP Is On The Way…
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 27 March 1971
DESPITE PROTESTATIONS to the contrary, there is no such thing as an instant group – super or otherwise – and ELP are a testimony to ...
Jethro Tull: God Is Alive and Starring On…
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 27 March 1971
AQUALUNG is undoubtedly Jethro Tull's most significant album to date and although comparisons are often odious to the artist concerned, the highest compliment I feel ...
Marc Bolan, T. Rex: Marc Bolan: Energy Is What It's All About
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 17 April 1971
MARC BOLAN is ready to take on the world following his incredible success with two maxi singles, 'Ride A White Swan' almost indecently closely followed ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 1 May 1971
THE CRY most likely from the touchline as Deep Purple rocket on from standing ovation to standing ovation in the next few weeks is "bring ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 8 May 1971
FAMILY ARE something else, that is they are not immediately classifiable into a particular bag – blues, rock, folk or progressive. ...
Rory Gallagher: Fresh Taste For Rory
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 8 May 1971
WHAT WERE the real reasons for the break-up of the late lamented Taste at a time when it appeared they were THE live band and ...
James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix: James Taylor: On The Road With Sweet Baby James
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 15 May 1971
AMONG THE very few road managers who have put their heads, hearts, hands and feet into their work is Super-Scot Eric Barrett who hit the ...
The Groundhogs: The Hogs Kept Clean And Still Made It
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 15 May 1971
IF IT had not been for a clever piece of intuition on the part of Liberty Record's knowledgeable young A&R director Andrew Lauder the Groundhogs ...
Van Der Graaf Generator: The Generator Are Staying Very Content On The Continent
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 29 May 1971
PERHAPS THE most obvious band of our times are Van der Graaf Generator who without any publicity hype – hit single or ballyhoo – have ...
Cat Stevens: The Honest Way For It To Happen
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 5 June 1971
MR STEVENS is, one might suppose of a young man who has survived the horrors of being initially conceived as a teen idol at 18 ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 19 June 1971
THE BYRDS have flown leaving behind them a few thousand satisfied customers and a liberal sprinkling of Her Majesty's Musical Trade Press impressed with their ...
Deep Purple: "The Stones Are Out Of Date" — Ian
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 10 July 1971
DEEP PURPLE are the band who made it in spite of the critics, the press and most of the mass media and, for that alone, ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 31 July 1971
AMONGST THOSE still waiting for D'Abo I count myself still waiting for the real man to stand up and declare himself. ...
Mott The Hoople: Mott — Give The People Rock
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 7 August 1971
MOTT THE Hoople have never had a single or an album in the charts but they rank in the top five of Britain's best paid ...
Carly Simon Quits The Family Commune
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 4 September 1971
IT SEEMS ENTIRELY possible that Carly Simon (with one highly successful album high in the American charts, following a top ten single) might well be ...
Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson Is No Rock Hitler
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 18 September 1971
THAT BEARDED prankster Ian Anderson is amongst us once more with his reshuffled ensemble now featuring Barrie-More Barlow on percussion in place of Clive Bunker ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 18 September 1971
HAVE YOU HEARD the one about the Englishman, the Irish Protestant and the Irish Catholic in a pub at lunch time? And – the first ...
The Who: Keith Moon: Pitch And Bowl For A Pig!
Report by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 25 September 1971
THERE WAS a Moon landing in Lyne, Surrey last week when the Who's very own 'lunar-tick' did his bit for his new community by putting ...
Marc Bolan, T. Rex: T. Rex's Marc Bolan (1971)
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, October 1971
Marc talks about the latest T. Rex album Electric Warrior: how it's not as simple as it sounds, its reception, and how it relates to Tyrannosaurus Rex. He goes on to discuss his change as a performer, and the new way he presents himself; being accused of selling out; 'Hot Love', 'Get It On', 'Ride A White Swan' and the three minute single, and writing musical science fiction.
File format: mp3; file size: 15.5mb, interview length: 16' 11" sound quality: ***½
T. Rex: Marc Bolan: I Am The Cosmic Dancer
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 9 October 1971
I DO BELIEVE I am in grave danger of becoming a pleb! For example, in the opinion of a number of eminent musical critics Marc ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 16 October 1971
THEIR MUSIC is both uncompromising and aggressive but like most musical hard men they have their other side and their latest album Fearless is likely ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 23 October 1971
'THE FASTEST Guitar in the West', 'The Elvis Presley of the Woodstock Generation', 'King Guitar' (Bert Weedon would dispute that – rock on Bert) – ...
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, Petticoat, 23 October 1971
AS OPPOSED to coming on strong in the time honoured tradition of super-stars – James Taylor comes on weak! He is the first and the ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 4 December 1971
JEFF BECK has called him 'The greatest living guitarist in the World' and whatever you think of the American band Mountain there is no ignoring ...
Mott The Hoople: Mott — An Enigma
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 4 December 1971
"THE PLOT thickens" as they used to say in all the best detective stories and the mystery as to why Mott the Hoople cannot break ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 1972
The grits and granola boy-band on the Crosby, Stills & Nash copyists issue, playing live and sharing accommodation
File format: mp3; file size: 14.8mb; Interview length: 16' 11"; sound quality: ****
Frank Zappa: Rude, Pompous…And Frank
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 1 January 1972
EVERY ONE has a right to an opinion but there are some who believe he has no right to express it in public. There are ...
Lindisfarne: Selling Newcastle
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 22 January 1972
LONG AGO AND far away when Hyde park was just a flower pot and underground meant the Bakerloo line to me I was given to ...
Frank Zappa: Zappa On Rock, Porn And Blues
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 February 1972
HE LOOKS a bit like an identi-kit picture of our own most infamous anarchist Guy Fawkes, this much-vaunted, often-maligned rock guitarist who more than anyone ...
Curved Air: A Little Rift In Curved Air?
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 12 February 1972
IT WAS SCOTT Fitzgerald who held to the theory that the test of a first rate intelligence was to hold two opposed ideas in the ...
Frank Zappa on Death, Rock Writers, Money
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 12 February 1972
ZAPPA IS NOT renowned for his appreciation of rock writers and their work, and he makes his point quite forcibly on the subject. ...
Chelsea F.C.: Chelsea FC: Singing With The Feet
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 11 March 1972
"LET'S HOPE in Europe they think they are just a new group called Chelsea and I might get an international hit," said Penny Farthing's label ...
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 11 March 1972
DEFINING Lindisfarne's success is rather like pulling the wings off a butterfly at present but there seems little doubt after having seen them on stage ...
Randy Newman: Royal Festival Hall, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 11 March 1972
ANYONE WHO considers sarcasm the lowest form of wit has not heard the heights to which Randy Newman has raised the art during a live ...
Seals and Crofts: Faith The Music
Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 18 March 1972
NICE PEOPLE – Jim Seals and Dash Crofts. A couple of less unlikely Texans I have yet to meet, currently residing somewhat ironically in the ...
Harry Nilsson: Come Out, Harry, The Time Is Right
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 March 1972
NILSSON filled Trident studios with old people to help record 'I'd Rather Be Dead' for his album. The song is a "lively, up-tempo number about ...
Colin Blunstone: For Sale: A Singer
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 April 1972
Despite his talent, there was a suspicion of hype in the air, writes Keith Altham ...
Deep Purple: Victims Of Their Own Fame
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 April 1972
DEEP PURPLE'S new album Machine Head comes to you courtesy of the Rolling Stones' redoubtable studio manager Ian Stewart who saved their famous mobile recording ...
Joe Cocker: The Joe Cocker Ritual Sacrifice
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 May 1972
WE APOLOGISE for the slight reduction in Cocker-power but it now looks as though normal service has been resumed following the one year strike (respite) ...
Dr. John: Dr John: The Mind And Music Of A Delta Voodoo Rocker
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 May 1972
ACCORDING to Dr. John almost everything started in New Orleans, from rock and rail to rhythm and blues to himself. ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 May 1972
PERHAPS MORE than anything else the recent appearances of the Grateful Dead in this country at Wembley and Bickershaw and more currently the Lyceum, have ...
The Osmonds: They're Enough To Make You Scream…
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 May 1972
LAST FRIDAY at High Noon it was 'teen time' at London's Churchill Hotel, where those Beetle-haired Monkee-faced and indecently wholesome Osmond Brothers (You have probably ...
Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage: Lyceum, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 June 1972
I SAW the first night of the Dead's four concerts at the London Lyceum last Thursday. where they were ever so good for ever so ...
The Beach Boys: Royal Festival Hall, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 3 June 1972
I AM, it should be emphasised, a Beach Boys freak from way back, to 'Wendy' and 'Surfin' U.S.A.', through Pet Sounds to Surfs Up, and ...
Electric Light Orchestra, The Move: Move Over For The ELO
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 June 1972
THE FIRST love in Roy Wood's life is obviously his new 10-piece mini-orchestra, the ELO, but meanwhile the Move are apparently still alive and very ...
The Beach Boys: With Love And Good Vibes part 1
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 June 1972
THE BEACH BOYS are the most successful and oldest working rock and roll band on the road today and this is a crucial year in ...
The Beach Boys: With Love And Good Vibes part 2
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 June 1972
THE FINAL part of Keith Altham's interview with Beach Boy Mike Love. Last week Love talked about the group's involvement with transcendental meditation. Now he ...
American Spring: Mrs Brian Wilson
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 June 1972
MARILYN WILSON and her sister Diana Rovell, are American Spring, and their first album is very much a family affair, because her famous husband Brian ...
Cliff Richard: The Peter Pan of Pop
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 June 1972
POOR OLD Cliff is still a bit too good to be true for most people – the Peter Pan of pop, and a Christian to ...
Alexis Korner: Kornering The Market
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 15 July 1972
ALEXIS KORNER has been for so long at the heart of rhythm and blues in Britain, and touched off so many groups who have gone ...
Emerson Lake And Palmer, Free: ELP Plus Tull in Dirty Raincoats, and How Free May Drop the Name
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 August 1972
WATCHING EMERSON, LAKE and Palmer play a concert with Free in the middle of a raging typhoon in Tokyo with Carl Palmer performing an incredible ...
T. Rex: Marc Bolan: On Love, Hate and the Press
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 19 August 1972
MARC BOLAN may not be one step ahead of the shoe-shine, but he has certainly been slandered, libelled, heard words you've never heard in the ...
Lindisfarne: Suffering from a Surfeit of Kindness
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 September 1972
IF IT WERE ever possible to kill a group with kindness then Lindisfarne might be the first victims of their own success. Their new album ...
Leo Sayer: Who's like Dylan, Cocker, Rodgers And Rod? Leo Sayer
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 16 September 1972
LEO SAYER is Patches — Patches is Leo Sayer — described by his mentor as "the Huckleberry Finn of Rock", but fortunately he is good ...
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 September 1972
HAWKWIND ARE ONE of the very few "Underground" bands to make the big time almost entirely on their own terms, without any real concessions to ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 30 September 1972
PUTTING MARC Bolan into perspective is no easy matter because he refuses to fit into any recognisable category. On the surface it could seem that ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 7 October 1972
JUST WHEN IT seemed that all the excitement, glamour and sparkle were going out of rock – along with the anger, vulgarity and vitality which ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 October 1972
JUST BEFORE THEY left for their current U.S. tour, NME took the three founder members of Family on a nostalgia-tinged trip back to their Leicester ...
Review by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 October 1972
I'M STILL TRYING to unscrew my head after listening to Santana's new album, Caravanserai (CBS). One side features sheer technical brilliance. The other side, wow... ...
Emerson Lake And Palmer: Super-Group Of The Seventies!
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, Petticoat, 4 November 1972
EMERSON LAKE and Palmer may not be three names which are immediately known to you but to millions of progressive rock music fans across the ...
Joe Cocker: They Put Me In The Same Cell As A Bank Robber And A Murder Suspect
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 18 November 1972
IT SEEMS that life is still intent on batting Joe Cocker about the head with all the subtlety of a navvy driving a tin-tack into ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 25 November 1972
IT SEEMS THAT, despite a few "huns in the sun", that good old heavier-than-air machine Led Zeppelin is still flying high. And with their first ...
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi (1973)
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 1973
From collapsing at the Hollywood Bowl to Geezer Butler's gallstones, via the making of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and enjoying a nice game of Monopoly at home, the Riff King chats with Keith Altham.
File format: mp3; File size: 32.6meg, interview length: 35' 34" sound quality: ***
Blue Mink: Out of Preaching Bag
Profile and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 January 1973
UNTIL THE advent of Blue Mink and hits like the current 'Stay With Me' and 'Melting Pot' — which established them a couple of years ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 27 January 1973
LYNSEY DE PAUL is a Gemini, which she thinks explains a lot. ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 February 1973
FOR THOSE who have ears as well as eyes, the current British tour by Genesis, which opened at London's Rainbow theatre on Sunday, should prove ...
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 24 February 1973
HE COMES ON stage with Slade like an over-decorated, perambulating Christmas tree – smothered in silver-stars, gold and glitter from head to toe – but ...
Thin Lizzy: And Now A Drop Of The Real Hard Stuff
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 10 March 1973
THIN LIZZY would like it known that while they're delighted with ther hit single 'Whisky In The Jar' it shouldn't be confused with the 100 ...
Deep Purple: Who Do Purple Think They Are?
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 17 March 1973
IN CONTEXT, WE'RE AS VALID AS ANYTHING BY BEETHOVEN. ...
The Faces, Rod Stewart: Rod Stewart: Oo La La
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 31 March 1973
I AM DEATH. Huddled in my anorak. Alone and palely loitering in the stalls of the empty Rainbow Theatre. I am miserable with cold in ...
Black Sabbath: To Knock OR Not To Knock The Rock
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 14 April 1973
WHEN IT COMES to obvious targets for critical assassinations, then Black Sabbath are sitting ducks – very loud, very basic, very brash. And now at ...
Speedy Keen: Speedy Words and Speedy Keen
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 5 May 1973
JOHN 'SPEEDY' KEEN is the rock and roll war-horse who wrote 'Something In The Air' for Thunderclap Newman. He's recovered from that – scarred of ...
Alice Cooper: Alice, Nixon and Batman at LA Party
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 19 May 1973
ALICE COOPER was introduced by a fake President of the United States at a reception at the Coconut Grove to mark the group's appearance at ...
Eric Burdon: Back On Stage… The Charlton Heston of Rock
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 June 1973
Eric Burdon has been absent from the rock scene — but never gone. He’s made more comebacks than Jesus... and now he’s making another. And ...
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 2 June 1973
Will Slade break America or will America break Slade – that was the question being resolved by the Noddy Holder Experience as they ...
War: The Battle Against 'Unlove'
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 21 July 1973
THIS IS the story of war declared but not yet unilaterally. Approximately two years ago, when the American 'jazz-rock-blues-soul' band appeared in the U.K. with ...
The Rolling Stones: AUDIO: Mick Jagger (1973)
Audio transcript of interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 26 July 1973
This is a transcription of Keith's interview with the Stones mainmain. Listen to the audio of this interview. ...
Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger (1973)
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 26 July 1973
Ol' Rubber Lips on the reception afforded to Exile, the making of latest album Goat's Head Soup, what current music is or isn't turning him on, and the Stones' place in the scheme of things
File format: mp3 File size: 29.5mb Interview length: 32 minutes 13 seconds Sound quality: **
Black Sabbath: Sabbath Days Of Rest
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 1 September 1973
Forget witchcraft, forget heavy metal – Tony Iommi is laying back in his luxury pad, listening to the Carpenters and Sinatra ...
Alan Price: That Lucky Old Price
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 22 September 1973
THERE'S still much of the flat cap rocker about Alan Price. At his best he's a kind of cross between Randy Newman and Jackie Charlton ...
Report by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 22 September 1973
Keith Altham gets a sneak preview at the next original Slade Album ...
Lindisfarne: How Wee Wee Music Went Down The Drain
Report and Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 October 1973
LAST WEEK I heard the new Lindisfarne album, provisionally titled Don't Rip It...I'll Take It By The Yard with sleeve complete and scheduled for release ...
Rory Gallagher: Full Blooded Gallagher
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 13 October 1973
DURING A RECENT trip to America I was able to watch Rory Gallagher work at that musical pit of iniquity known as 'The Whisky A ...
The Moody Blues: Moody Blues: Saints Or Sinners?
Interview by Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 20 October 1973
SO THE Moody Blues have just finished then cathedral-rock tour of Europe and Britain – their first British dates for over a year. As usual ...
Suzi Quatro: A Nice Pair — Pop's Top
Interview by Keith Altham, Music Scene, September 1974
Keith Altham asked Suzi Quatro, a ballsy woman with a bass guitar and Britain’s first lady of rock, a series of questions about her life ...
Marc Bolan, T. Rex: Marc Bolan (1975)
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 1975
Marc on life on the road, rock'n'roll literature, his image and clothes, guitars, "chicks", Elvis and a whole lot more
File format: mp3; file size: 57mb; length: 59' 19" sound quality: ****
Keith Moon, The Who: The Who's Pete Townshend on Keith Moon (1980)
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 1980
Townshend describes first meeting Keith Moon, and his immediate impact on the band; Moon's conflict with Roger Daltrey, mostly over women, and the changing personal dynamics in the band; the musical intuition between Townshend, Entwistle and Moon; his eccentricities and lunacy; gear smashing, women, drugs and drink, and the inevitable fist fights.
File format: mp3; file size: 25.7mb, interview length: 26' 44" sound quality: ****
The Beatles: Gypsy Dave on the Beatles (1981)
Interview by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages Audio, 1981
Travel with Donovan-acolyte Gypsy Dave to the ashram at Rishikesh to witness The Beatles meeting the Maharishi. Gypsy Dave is the cynic in the camp, and makes his escape with Ringo and Maureen.
File format: mp3; file size: 19.8mb; Interview length: 21' 38"; sound quality: **
Mick Jagger: My old mate…Mick the Monster
Memoir by Keith Altham, Daily Mirror, 23 July 1993
KEITH ALTHAM'S unique association with Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones has been established over 30 years. As a journalist and broadcaster he completed more ...
Retrospective by Keith Altham, Gold, June 1994
PUTTING MARC BOLAN into any kind of historical perspective is still no easy matter, even though 17 years have passed since his death on Friday, ...
Jimi Hendrix Burns His Guitar For The First Time
Essay by Keith Altham, Q, July 1994
Date: March 31, 1967 Location: Astoria Theatre, LondonTHE BRIGHT LITTLE pyromaniac who told Jimi Hendrix to set fire to his guitar? Yup, that’s me. Thirty-three ...
The Animals: Obituary: Chas Chandler
Obituary by Keith Altham, MOJO, September 1996
Eric Burdon had the temerity to scribble the new loggia he’d designed for the Animals all over my virginal blotter. Bass player Chas caught my ...
Peter Green: Ronnie Scott's Club, London
Live Review by Keith Altham, MOJO, June 1998
THE FIRST time I ever reviewed Peter Green in concert, he was with Fleetwood Mac at the Albert Hall in the '60s; a lean, bearded ...
John Entwistle, The Who: Thunderfingers' Last Stand: Remembering John Entwistle
Memoir by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages, 5 July 2002
THE NEWS OF John Entwistle's death reached me by email from LA via Pete Townshend's PA Nicola Joss in Las Vegas on Thursday night. ...
Obituary by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages, March 2003
Keith Altham remembers his good friend – not to mention his teen idol – Adam Faith. ...
Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding: The Angels Did Sing: Noel Redding 1945-2003
Memoir by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages, May 2003
MY FIRST TRIP to the U.S. for the New Musical Express was with The Jimi Hendrix Experience for the Monterey Festival. So the sad death ...
Dusty Springfield: The Real Dusty Springfield
Memoir by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages, July 2007
THE DUSTY I knew as a music journalist for the NME in the Sixties and interviewed a dozen times was a wondrously talented loveable mess ...
Retrospective by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages, April 2008
MY FIRST experience of trying to interview Keith Moon in June '65 as a music journalist should have alerted me to the problems yet to ...
Jimi Hendrix: Mitch Mitchell, 1947-2008
Obituary by Keith Altham, Uncut, January 2009
Jimi's mercurial drummer, remembered by his friend and publicist Keith Altham. ...
The Yardbirds and the Cereal Killer
Memoir by Keith Altham, unpublished, Summer 2009
THE YARDBIRDS were a '60s band that never quite found a fit and kept losing their shape as dissatisfied members came and went and the ...
Marty Wilde and the Wilde Cats: Epsom Playhouse
Live Review by Keith Altham, Rock's Backpages, March 2017
AN AVALANCHE of white hair and bald heads enthusiastically greeted the burly, bewigged figure of the genial Marty Wilde when he lumbered on stage at ...
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