Tony Norman
Tony Norman is a UK writer and musician. He started work in the '60s as the London pop correspondent of teenage magazine Jackie, before becoming assistant editor and chief staff writer at the weekly music paper Top Pops/Music Now from 1968 to 1971. During this time he interviewed many of the world’s leading rock stars including John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger. He also covered major rock events including Stones in the Park and Dylan at the Isle of Wight in '69, then Led Zeppelin at the Bath Music Festival in 1970.
In 1972 Tony went freelance, writing for NME and supplying radio interviews, including Marc Bolan and Sandy Denny, to Radio 1's Scene & Heard. In the '80s Tony became a photographer. Photo sessions on file include: The Eurythmics; Adam Ant; The Beat; Bananarama; Kim Wild; Toyah; Bad Manners; Jools Holland; Heaven 17; Haircut 100; Helen Terry; China Crisis; Hayzee Fantayzee; The Teardrop Explodes; XTC. He also managed the Mobiles who had a UK Top Ten hit with 'Drowning In Berlin' in 1982.
Moving to the present, Tony's 2012 book, My Cool Sixties: Lennon, Jagger & The Rest, has won excellent reviews and the 2013 release, My Cool Sixties: The Album, features a collection of songs inspired by his memories of growing up in 60s London.
More on Tony Norman as a writer
17 articles
List of articles in the library
John Lennon, Yoko Ono: John and Yoko: Can YOU Afford To Laugh At Them?
Interview by Tony Norman, Top Pops, 9 August 1969
In Vietnam, young men are killing each other every day. In Biafra, young children are dying of starvation. Across the Continents of the world there ...
David Bowie Hopes To Take Over A Road...!
Interview by Tony Norman, Top Pops, 25 October 1969
DAVID BOWIE is a quietly spoken young man. His hair curls around his head and his eyes are warm. In his face, his smile, you ...
Cream, Jack Bruce: Jack Bruce: I Want To Be A Musician, Not A Pop Star
Interview by Tony Norman, Top Pops, 25 October 1969
JACK BRUCE has had a fascinating career. I first saw him in the days when he played with Graham Bond. What a band the Organisation ...
Family, Steppenwolf: Steppenwolf, Family: The Lyceum, London
Live Review by Tony Norman, Top Pops, 25 October 1969
THE SUNDAY Lyceum scene is developing very well. The show there this week featured Steppenwolf and Family. The place was packed, proving that there is ...
Mick Taylor, The Rolling Stones: Mick Taylor Interviewed
Interview by Tony Norman, Fusion, 14 November 1969
MICK TAYLOR is 20 years old and has been gifted with the ability to play fine guitar. His pale, young face is framed by a ...
Family: An Advance Hearing of A Song For Me
Report and Interview by Tony Norman, Top Pops, 24 January 1970
SOME WEEKS before Christmas I sat in on a Family recording session at the Olympic studios just south of the river. At that time new man ...
Procol Harum: An Interview with Keith Reid
Interview by Tony Norman, Music Now, 13 June 1970
KEITH REID is a member of Procol Harum; in fact, he was the founder member with Gary Brooker. He is in every publicity photograph. His ...
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 11 March 1972
I HAVE KNOWN Marc Bolan for several years now and have never thought of him as being, well, completely normal. By that I don't mean ...
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 6 May 1972
THE MUSIC MAN sits there sipping tea and talking music. Although he has always been a bit of a loner, he is certainly not an ...
Badfinger: beating a bad image
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 3 June 1972
IN AMERICA, Badfinger are respected musicians. In Britain they are nothing more than another singles-producing tin of baked beans. It's weird how wide the Atlantic ...
Peter Frampton, The Herd, Humble Pie: Frampton: the Musician Who Beat a Pretty Face
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 3 June 1972
PETE FRAMPTON has seen a lot of changes in his 22 years. There was a time when the pretty Face of '68 was showered with ...
Yes: Confessions Of a Musical Idiot
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 3 June 1972
JON ANDERSON OF YES TALKS TO TONY NORMAN ...
The Rolling Stones: Andrew Loog Oldham: Behind the Shades — The Stones, and Other Stories...
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 17 June 1972
ANDREW OLDHAM, THE MAN WHO DISCOVERED THE STONES ...
Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson: Richard Thompson: The Session Great That Nobody Knows
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 22 June 1972
THE TERM "GUITAR hero" is used with increasing regularity. Pete Townshend's splintering aggressive antics have won him the tag; Alvin "up and down the fretboard ...
The Rolling Stones: Andrew Oldham: Last Part of the Tony Norman Series
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 24 June 1972
LAST WEEK, Andrew Oldham talked about his life with the Rolling Stones. Like Brian Epstein, Oldham seemed to be more than just an ordinary manager. ...
Deep Purple: Rainbow Theatre, London
Live Review by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 8 July 1972
THE RAINBOW came back to life on Friday night with a snarl, a cheer and a smile. The near-capacity crowd had come to see Deep ...
Stevie Wonder: The New Wonder Ingredient
Interview by Tony Norman, New Musical Express, 17 February 1973
BLACK AND PROUD, MUSIC FROM THE SOUL ...
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