Early 80's Smash Hits - was it any good?

The coverage was probably quite shallow, but that's OK. It was also very exciting. For me. But then, I was little.

Also possibly foxtrel.

Dame David Bowie of course was theirs.

Grrr, there are more on the tip of my brain.

Should I start a "IS RADIOHEAD DOWN THE DUMPER????" thread on ILM?

80s Smash Hits was pretty good. They even managed to include a little article about me in an oddly homoerotic feature about album covers inspired by classical art. I think it read: 'Momus explains that the naked male body could be an erotic subject for painters of the renaissance. Spook!'

Ian 'Jocky' Cranna was, at one point, Orange Juice's manager, which explains the focus on the Postcard groups (Edwyn even had a cover once). I used to hang out at the office on Carnaby Street late at night and watch them selecting the trannies (yes, slides of Dead or Alive) because I was dating the art editor.

Kipper Williams was good too. He does the cartoons on the financial pages of the Evening Bastard now doesn't he?

'Herbacious borders' was always a favourite.

putting 'puh-lease' at the end of sentences (started by the boy tennant, and the title of psb's 1st album), referring to rock as 'rawk' and heavy metal types as 'muthas', calling billy idol and cliff Sir William of Idol and Sir Cliffard of Richard, saying 'fancy that!' all the time, calling pop divas 'songstress' and the like, putting 'ver' at the start of bands' names (as an alternative to 'the', but originated by a shortenening of the 'vanilla' bit in 'vanilla fudge') referring to the comeback of pop types as them coming 'back! back!! back!!!' etc.

All the 80's writers (chris heath, mat snow, Hibbert, Mark Ellen Dave Cavannagh, etc.) all write for the papers and 'proper' rawk mags and the like. oh puh-lease.

Also Lord Freddie of Mercurydom

Remember some amusing picture story about winsurfing the "Paul Young way" tho.... and those year end editions with the calendar spreads incl. spoofy rainy day craft projects.

Didn't they also have a near unhealthy obsession with the Beastie Boys for a few years there? Always seemed to be a photo of them overturning a car in Montreaux or some such. Could just be me.

Wooh Yeah! (Repeat x32)

Tricky Disco!

Wooh Yeah! (Repeat x16)

first UK interview with Madonna!

Before he worked at Smash Hits, he also edited 'The Unigate Bumper Book of Household Hints for Housewives'*.

* May not be actual title.

It's not Smash Hits' fault the stuff around now is not as vibrant/visible.

EMAP published a paperback anthology Best of Smash Hits in the late 80s. Includes classic NT interviews with Kajagoogoo, The Police and more. Also features the work of Dave Rimmer, Tom Hibbert, etc.

Feel free to flash back and judge for yourself.

Wow! Thanx a lot for the link, Ned! I could only find these sporadically in the States and those were well after the Tennant years.

Every copy of Smash Hits (apparently) -

http://likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.com/

good lord

WS early 80s Terry Hall

"calling billy idol and cliff Sir William of Idol and Sir Cliffard of Richard"
Also Lord Freddie of Mercurydom

also Freddie Mercury = Lord Lucan

oh wow

I have a couple books that have lots of Smash Hits covers and articles in them but this is sort of incredible.

Following on from that earlier blog link, the whole 1983 yearbook

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51106326@N00/sets/72157632080126607/

omg I had that book

surprisingly little colour.

here's a look back at the v early days of Smash Hits' US "cousin" (or stepchild) Star Hits. much more to come!

https://markwrite57.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/new-pop-prelude/