Sounds was a UK weekly pop/rock music newspaper, published from 10 October 1970 to 6 April 1991. It was known for giving away posters in the centre of the paper (initially black and white, then colour from late 1971) and later for covering heavy metal (especially the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM)), punk and Oi! music in its late 1970s–early 1980s heyday. Additionally, the magazine was responsible for coining the term "new musick", which would later become known as "post-punk".

History

Sounds was produced by Spotlight Publications (part of Morgan Grampian), which was set up by John Thompson and Jo Saul with Jack Hutton and Peter Wilkinson, who left Melody Maker to start their own company. Sounds was their first project, a weekly paper devoted to progressive rock and described by Hutton, to those he was attempting to recruit from his former publication, as "a leftwing Melody Maker". Sounds was intended to be a weekly rival to titles such as Melody Maker and New Musical Express (NME).

Sounds was one of the first music papers to cover punk. Mick Middles covered the Manchester music scene for Sounds from 1978 to 1982 writing about many of the up and coming bands of the time from Buzzcocks and Slaughter & the Dogs to the Fall and Joy Division. John Robb joined in 1987 and used the term "Britpop" to refer to bands such as the La's, the Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets, although it did not develop into the Britpop genre/movement at that time (as these acts were grouped under labels such as baggy, Madchester and indie-dance).

Keith Cameron wrote about Nirvana after Robb carried out the first interview with them in 1989. Although the magazine was already defunct, Kurt Cobain wore a white, long sleeved Sounds t-shirt for a photoshoot in London on 22 August 1991 and the next day when they played the Reading Festival for the first time.

The Obscurist Chart ran for about a year, first appearing on the 5 September 1981 issue, as an alternative to the main, sales-driven record charts, allowing bands and music outside the mainstream to be recognised. Sandy Robertson, Giovanni Dadomo, Mick Middles, Phil Sutcliffe, Geoff Barton, John Robb, Phil Bell, Mick Sinclair, Caroline Coon, Antonella Gambotto, Vivien Goldman, Jane Jackman (who wrote as "Jane Suck"), Jonh <!--(sic)--> Ingham, Alan Moore (a.k.a. "Curt Vile"), Lizo Mzimba, John Peel, Barbara Charone, Edwin Pouncey (a.k.a. "Savage Pencil"), Cathi Unsworth, Jon Ronson, Jon Savage, Sylvie Simmons, Penny Valentine, Marguerite Van Cook, Mary Anne Hobbs, Mat Snow, Johnny Waller, James Brown (who went on to form Loaded), Andy Ross (who wrote as "Andy Hurt" and went on to form Food Records), Steve Lamacq, Kev F. Sutherland and Russ Carvell's UT strip, and photographers Michael Putland, Ian Dickson, Jill Furmanovsky, Andy Phillips, Steve Payne, Virginia Turbett, Tony Mottram, Gavin Watson, Ross Halfin and Janette Beckman.

Among editorial and advertising staff were Billy Walker, editor, Alf Martin, chief sub and Len Driver, advert production.

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References

Bibliography

  • Comic strips that were published in Sounds by Alan Moore
  • Reviews and features published in Sounds by Mick Sinclair
  • Photos published in Sounds by Simon Clegg