Hi, it's The Word; we'd like to put you on next month's cover. Hello? Hello?
An update to this post... 07 01 08; Hmmm, and Morrissey makes 3. Hope he's looking over his shoulder and checking his post... Go on Word, surprise me - how about someone, dare I say it, 'new'?
A quick non-scientific survey of the 59 covers of Word/The Word to date reveals;
Approx. 12% of the artists were dead at the time of the honour.
Approx. 19% were members of either defunct bands or had gone on to solo careers of varying success.
50% of Pink Floyd, The Clash and the Smiths have been represented.
Only a handful are on the cheap side of their 30's and/or represent 'going concern' artists, those I would consider to be in the first phase of their careers; Amy Winehouse, The Killers, White Stripes, KT Tunstall, Dido and Pete Doherty, Franz Ferdinand etc.
Springsteen takes the crown with 3 covers.
Dylan, Morrissey, Waits, Cohen, Cave, Mitchell and Weller have had 2.
A very particular demographic then? It's not one of those sportsman's bets is it, to see if you can guess which major musical icon will shuffle off their mortal coil in the next 12 months?
Any ideas for 2008?
Separate subject - Weller; post-Jam prat? Discuss.
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Cover Artists
according to a long ago shed-cast putting a female artiste on the cover is the marketing equivilant of "nailing the magazine to the news stand"
I think you must have misheard
Joni Mitchell (sixty-ish, black and white, smoking a fag) was one of the most popular covers in the magazine's life.
Dido on the other hand....
"Nailed AND GLUED "
"Nailed AND GLUED " if I remember Mr. Ellen's comment. How were sales with Rufus Wainright on the cover? I must confess my hand gravitated towards Uncut that month, though they probably had John Lennon on the cover which saved the day. Or was it Mojo?
I note there are...
...three women on the cover of this month's issue.
Len tops
For what it's worth, I still think the most striking cover for ages was the Leonard Cohen black & white shot of June 2006. Fantastic pic. Click the 'magazine' tab above for the covers. (I still think that recent Van Morrison one looks like an aged baby with glasses and a hat on). Must be a bugger to try and second guess punter reactions to a cover.
please avoid / more please
Hi. I'm a regular reader of The Word and, admittedly, a couple of you rivals (shhh..). However, all too often I find the same familiar faces staring back at me from the shelves of "all good newsagents." So...
Please Avoid:
- John Lennon / The Beatles*
- Jimi Hendrix
- The Doors
or in fact anyone long-dead or who split-up many years passed. Let's face it, beyond a story in one of your excellent HORA's (the podcast is a always a pleasure), most interested parties will already be familiar with the bulk of an in-depth article on one of these. And even if not, enough has been written about them. There are plenty of books and back-issues of various publications to keep even the keenest fact-fan happy.
- Bob Dylan
- David Bowie
- The Rolling Stones
unless they have a new project coming. Career overviews are obviously a no, for the reasons above.
- Van Morrison
- The Eagles
would leave a large section of my copy "uncreased".
Yet...
More Please:
- Neil Young
- *Paul McCartney
who always have something new to tell you about.
- Rufus Wainwright
- Tom Waits
- Noel Gallagher
- Leonard Cohen
were particularly good and always give a good interview.
- David Gedge
- Gruff Rhys
- Ryan Adams
- Ian Brown
- Ben Folds
- Jarvis Cocker
- Joanna Newsom
- Robert Smith
- The Flaming Lips
- Josh's Rouse & Ritter
- Roger McGuinn
are always welcome at mine for a cup of fair-trade tea.
Also, any chance of an article on Teenage Fanclub?
Cheers,
KidP