DICK TRACY1975-1983 New Musical Express
This list is a summary of some of the significant and amusing stories I did during my time as a freelancer for the NME under the editorships of Nick Logan and Neil Spencer. It is drawn from a more definitive list which runs to 27 pages in all. My real name appeared as a by-line infrequently. The majority of these stories were credited to my pen name Dick Tracy.
The NME Archive also holds all the original clippings of these published stories + typewritten stories that were never published + carbon copies of many others that were + payment receipts + some amusing correspondence.
In addition there is a collection of the traditional NME double editions for Xmas + a collection of books written by NME writers + two files of key stories from the paper.
“What sets NME apart is that, leafing through its pages, one may happen across pieces on blood sports, drug laws, nuclear power, the Gay News trial, the arms race... (but) they never lose sight of the paper’s prime function, to provide accurate news about music.’
─ Tom Robinson in ‘Behind NME Lines’/Socialist Worker.
The first story I got into the NME was a short entitled ‘PLUCKING FEST (yes folks you read it right!!)’ The story appeared without a by-line, in the issue dated October 18th 1975. I remember opening the paper and, on finding my tiny story, letting out a big whoop and dancing round the room in a dodgy top floor flat a couple of doors down from Camden Town tube station. I’d made it into the NME.
That November, I followed up my initial success with a number of other short stories, some which had my real name as the by-line, others were anonymous. Then, on the 29th of that month, a story I wrote about MGM destroying old film negatives appeared with the by-line Dick Tracy.
How this came about I can’t exactly remember but the identity served me well. I certainly had to find some sort of special niche if I was to compete for space with the hot-shot music writers who were sharp high-stylists with the wind in their sails.
By and large, my home in the paper was Thrills which had a mixture of news stories, jokey oddments, curious facts and sharp reporting on a wide variety of subjects that connected with the music and the music scene. I realised what I could do was investigative journalism and write about books, films, protest movements, drugs, the music business and other topics where I largely had a free space.
So Dick Tracy seemed appropriate and amusing and, as my stories got longer and more prominent many were now accompanied by the iconic head and shoulder drawing from the Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy’ comics in the USA.
Over the years I graduated to running the film section for a while, conducting high-profile interviews including Steven Spielberg, introducing coverage of the anti-nuclear and animal liberation movements, writing a regular drugs column called ‘Inside Dope’ and much more.
To work for the NME at that time was a true privilege. The punk revolution shook everything up and was a big driver for the paper. Everything was at a fast pace and the pressure was always there to get the paper out on time. At its peak, in the mid-to late 70s, it was selling something like a 300,000 copies a week.
1975
First column on the music business called The Biz by Shares Bono.
October 18th
Thrills/Guitar Plucking Contest.
First piece that appeared in the paper.
Credit: John May
November 29th
Thrills story on MGM destroying old film negatives of ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and other movies.
First story using the name Dick Tracy
November 29th
Thrills stories.
First column on the music business called The Biz by Shares Bono. This became a regular column for a while.
[Last one I have is 20th March 1976.]
December 13th/20th?
‘Pirates Drift Into Deep Water’: Radio Caroline in court.
[Carbon copy only’.]
1976
New culture section called Sideswipe: First film review ‘The Missouri Breaks’ [Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson. Director: Arthur Penn] + ‘Gator’ with Burt Reynolds. Ran the film section.
Thrills/Pig Ahoy: Pink Floyd inflatable escapes w/Edward cartoon
January 17th
Thrills/‘Dope: The slow haul to legalisation’.
January 31st
First feature: Pirate Radio+ Reader’s letter with correction.
April 17th
Feature/ Radio Luxembourg 208: A Short History.
June 12th
Screen Dreem column [Credit: Forest Lawns]
June 19th:
New culture section called Sideswipe: First film review ‘The Missouri Breaks’ [Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson. Director: Arthur Penn] + ‘Gator’ with Burt Reynolds. Ran the film section.
July 3rd
Feature review of private eye novels by Andrew Bergman. + [Carbon copy of interview with Bergman (written 8th May) unpublished. His first screenplay was ‘Blazing Saddles’ co-scripted with Mel Brooks.
September 11th
Thrills/ ‘Tracy Triumphs Again’. Dick Tracy comic story on record piracy.
September 21st
Feature ‘CB for GB’. The battle to get CB radio in Britain.
[Carbon copy only. Unpublished]
October 16th
Double-page feature book review on Victorian freaks
October 23rd
Thrills/ The Czech Rock Purge Goes On & On [Credit Tony Parsons/Dick Tracy]
November 13th
Thrills/ ‘Who Says An Ape Can’t Win An Oscar’ King Kong.
December 11th
Thrills/Pig Ahoy: Pink Floyd inflatable escapes w/Edward cartoon
1977
Thrills/ ‘The Cannabis Conundrum’. Trial of Kevin Goodchild
‘Sideswipe’ feature ‘Clint Eastwood: The Image of Total Control’.
Cover story and 4-page pullout supplement ‘NME Consumer Guide to The Nuclear Age. Compiled by Angus Mackinnon and ‘Index of Possibilities’ writers Jon Trux, Dick Tracy, Mike Marten and John Chesterman.
January 1st
Screen Dream + Letter questioning the existence of Dick Tracy.
January 22nd
Sideswipe/Exploitation Cinema. Review of Orson Welles ‘F for Fake’ and mini-feature on season of Roger Corman films at ICA.
February 11th
Thrills lead story ‘Never Turn Blue In A Stranger’s Bathroom’ Keef [Richard] Expounds His Theory of Etiquette + Soccer USA: The Rock Stars Who Would Rather Score Goals Than Coke.
February 19th
Thrills/ ‘The Cannabis Conundrum’. Trial of Kevin Goodchild
Febuary 26th
Thrills/ ‘Something is happening.Mr Jones...’ + electronic music and the Accutrac400
April 9th
Thrills feature: Interview with Andrew Loog Oldham
April 23rd
Thrills/ ‘Stones in Mistranslation Rumble’ + ’Fabulous Fringe Freakout’, the Festival of Mind Body and Spirit + ‘Machines Take Over’, the electronic music explosion + Marlon Pushes Indian ‘Roots’
+ First appearance of ‘Inside Dope’ by Dick Tracy.
May 7th
Double page ‘Sideswipe’ feature ‘Clint Eastwood: The Image of Total Control’.
May 13
Thrills/ “Movies/ My Life?” –Martin Scorsese doc by Peter Hayden.
May 21st
Thrills/ mini-feature on Quadrophonic sound
May 28th
Thrills/ ‘Eata-Worka-Arta-Day’ about Andy Warhol,‘ +The Cape Canaveral Syndrome’ about Genesis’ massive touring sound system + film review of ‘Twilight’s Last Gleaming’ + live music review of ‘ Johnny Thunder and The Heartbreakers, Siouxsie and The Banshees and Rings at the Music Machine in Camden. [members of the Clash, the Pistols + Blondie were there].
June 11th
Cover story and 4-page pullout supplement ‘NME Consumer Guide to The Nuclear Age. Compiled by Angus Mackinnon and ‘Index of Possibilities’ writers Jon Trux, Dick Tracy, Mike Marten and John Chesterman.
August 6th
Thrills ‘Polanski Trial Fever Hots Up’
September 24th
Film reviews of Scorsese/DeNiro film ‘New York, New York’ and ‘Head’ with Jack Nicholson and The Monkees.
+
THRILLS now edited by Phil McNeill and Kate Phillips
November 5th
‘Barbarians In the UK’ about fox hunting. Feature by Julie Burchill with additional boxes by Dick Tracy.
November 12th
Thrills exclusive ‘The Underground Warfare of the Animal Liberation Front’
November 17th
Thrills/ ‘...And The Animal Liberation Front Hits USA Too.’
December 24th
Thrills story ‘Remote Control, Freedom and Hip Capitalism’ about Ken Schaffer and his wireless guitar technology
December 24th
Silver Screen Special on ‘Star Wars’. Review by Charles Shaar Murray ‘Disco for the Eyes’, ‘Waiting for the Megakill’ by Dick Tracy and ‘Where Do We Go From Here?’ by Mick Farren
1978
Cover story: ‘The International Record Industry is scared to death. Not by punk rockers but by tape and record piracy. Now NME’s DICK TRACY gets the goods on the gangs who are bringing The Biz to its knees. Exclusive investigation.’
Thrills two-page lead feature ‘The Stone With the Golden Arm’ covers Keith Richards heroin bust in Canada. Piece features court drawings sent over from Canada.
Lead two-page Thrills feature ‘Cloning Capers’ investigating claims in David Rorvik’s book ‘In His Image’ about the first human cloning, including interview with the author.
January 7th
Thrills/ ‘The Age of the Robot’
January 21st
Thrills/’Closer Encounters’ news on Spielberg film + ‘1978- The Year of the Rock Movie’ feature.+ review of ‘Wizards’ animation film by Ralph Bakshi.
February 11th
Thrills lead story ‘Never Turn Blue In A Stranger’s Bathroom’ Keef [Richard] Expounds His Theory of Etiquette
March 4th
Thrills lead story ‘Charting The Hypes’, an investigation into the twilight world of buying a record into the charts’ Written by Bob Woffinden with research by Dick Tracy and Amy Prosser.
+
Chart Hyping Phone Interviews: Maurice Oberstein (Man Dir CBS), Jonathan King (Independent Record Producer), Bob Mercer( MD Group Reportoire Division, EMI), Richard Ogden, Dave Crow (RAK Records), Brian Gibson (Pye Records), Al Clark (Virgin Records), [Carbon copy. Undated.]
March 11th
Thrills feature ‘The Beat Goes On’, investigation into the mass killing of seals, whales and dolphins
March 18th
Two-page feature on LSD bust Operation Julie. ‘Dick Tracy keeps tabs on the media’s coverage of one of the most important drugs cases ever and discovers a powerful police lobby pushing the Great British Public a load of junk.’
+
‘The Elvis Industry (PT2) about the boom in Elvis impersonators
April 1st
Thrills/ ‘Facing The Future In A Nuclear Garbage Dump’ trailing a week of nuclear protest in Britain and elsewhere.
April 8th
Thrills/‘The Saturday Night Fever Industry’.
April 22nd
Thrills story ‘Burger News ‘ and ‘Salt Mine Rock’ about repression of rock bands in Czechoslovakia.
May 20th
Lead two-page Thrills feature ‘Cloning Capers’ investigating claims in David Rorvik’s book ‘In His Image’ about the first human cloning, including interview with the author.
May 20th
Alien Visions’ Dick Tracy talks to Steven Spielberg about ‘Close Encounters’
June 10th
Thrills/’Inside Dope ‘Let’s Toke This Seriously Now’, report on Legalise Cannabis Conference in London
June 17th
Lead Thrills story ‘Disco Takes Over Entire Universe’
June 29th
Lead Thrills story ‘The Whale War: The Final Solution’
July 22nd
Cover story: ‘The International Record Industry is scared to death. Not by punk rockers but by tape and record piracy. Now NME’s DICK TRACY gets the goods on the gangs who are bringing The Biz to its knees. Exclusive investigation.’
August 19th
‘Midnight Express’ feature ‘The Long Road From Turkey to Hollywood’ based on interviews with Billie Hayes and Brad Davis.
August 26th
‘Bringing It All Back Home’. Feature on the plight of British prisoners in foreign jails on drug charges.
September 30th
Thrills ‘Inside Dope’ feature Fifty Year of Dope Busts Revisited’, the anniversary of cannabis prohibition and a history of musicians who have been busted.
+
‘Behind NME lines’, quotes by Tom Robinson in Socialist Worker. He says: “What sets NME apart is that, leafing through its pages, one may happen across pieces on blood sports, drug laws, nuclear power, the Gay News trial, the arms race... (but) they never lose sight of the paper’s prime function, to provide accurate news about music.’
October 7th
‘Silver Screen On Location’. Visit to Pinewood Studios
October 28th
Thrills. First of a series about the most powerful men in the music business ‘Who Really Runs Rock ‘N’ Roll.’ Profile of Bhaskar Menon, Chairman and Chief Executive of EMI Worldwide Operations.
November 4th
Thrills story ‘Global Nuke Protest’ + film story ‘Stuntman On Crash Course’ about Hal Needham, the highest paid stuntman in the world and his movie ‘Hopper’.
November 18th
Thrills two-page lead feature ‘The Stone With the Golden Arm’ covers Keith Richards heroin bust in Canada. Piece features court drawings sent over from Canada.
December 2nd
Thrills story ‘A Bit Angry About Biko’ is about the controversy over a track written by American folk singer Tom Paxton who I interviewed in London
December 16th
Animal Liberation stories leading with ‘Massacre and Protest’ about the killing of dolphins. Also showcasing first issue of ‘The Beast’ as a pull-out in International Times.
1979
Exclusive feature Quadrophenia. NME sneaks a preview of the Who’s film. Dick Tracy talks to Franc Roddam director and Phil Daniels who stars as Jimmy. {Carbon copies and transcripts.
Cover lines: ‘Anarchy For The One and Nines: a director’s eye view of The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle.’
‘The stalls are alive with the sound of chaos’. 3-page exclusive interview with Julian Temple while he was still editing the film. Credited to John May.
January 6th
Thrills/ ‘Inside Dope’ column + feature ‘High Times Publisher’s Suicide and Punk Movie Legacy’ about Tom Forcade.+ Dope Movies + Marijuana Fungus.
Feb 17th: Feature: ‘Who Really Runs Rock ’N’ Roll’ features Walter Yetnikoff, President of CBS Records.
April 21st
Cover ‘The Harrisburg Fallout’ Lead story in Thrills. ‘Nuclear News: We All Live in Pennsylvania’ The Three Mile Island nuclear accident
April 28th
‘Nuclear News: Nazi nukes?’ Interview with anti-nuclear activist Robert Jungk about his book ‘The Nuclear State’. ( Carbon copy and interview transcript)
May 12th
Exclusive feature Quadrophenia. NME sneaks a preview of the Who’s film. Dick Tracy talks to Franc Roddam director and Phil Daniels who stars as Jimmy. {Carbon copies and transcripts. [See 29th Sept]
June 16th
Thrills story ‘Gonna Make You A Hit, Man – And You Can’t Refuse’. Involvement of the Mafia in the record business + Book review: ‘The Dragons of Eden’ by Carl Sagan.
July 7th
Thrills/‘Mac Extract The Digit’. Fleetwood Mac and other major bands get the first taste of digital recording.
THE NEW PROTEST MUSIC
Bob Geldof speak at Whale Rally in Trafalgar square.
July 28th
Feature. ‘Hippies In Hollywood; Or has Milos Forman flown right into the Cuckoo’s Nest’. Article on the film of ‘Hair’ with interview.
August 31
‘Inside Dope’ Lead story links White House and cocaine.
October 13th
‘Oh My TVC15’ A state of the art survey of the video era.[Carbon copy]
October 20th
‘The Fabulous Furry Gilbert Shelton’ Interview transcript (13.9.79) and carbon copy of article.
October 27th
Cover lines: ‘Anarchy For The One and Nines: a director’s eye view of The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle.’
+
Feature:
‘The stalls are alive with the sound of chaos’. 3-page exclusive interview with Julian Temple while he was still editing the film. Credited to John May.
1980
Feature/’Where Have All The Flower People Gone? Or Whatever Happened to Richard Neville’. Talks about ‘Bad Blood’, a book he co-wrote with Julie Clarke about a serial murderer Charles Sobhraj who preyed on travellers on the Hippie Trail.
January 5th
Two shorts for Thrills. ‘Yippies in ‘Help We’re Being Repressed’ Shock’ and ‘More Zappa Nonsense’.
February 23rd
’Inside Dope Special Feature: Dick Tracy reports from Amsterdam on the First International Cannabis Legalisation Conference’, [with two versions of the original copy+ reader’s letters re Paul McCartney bust and written notes]
February 23rd
NME Masthead/ ‘Contributors’ my name is there just below Lester Bangs.
April 19th: Inside Dope/’Looks Good, smells good, by golly it does you good’ [Medical marijuana]
April 26th
Thrills story ‘A Very Secret Place’. Porton Down and ‘the use of thousands of live animals to perfect methods of mass slaughter’.
September 6th
Thrills story ‘Bohemian Raps’ a potted history of the Czech band the Plastic People of the Universe’.
October 11th
Feature/’Where Have All The Flower People Gone? Or Whatever Happened to Richard Neville’. Talks about ‘Bad Blood’, a book he co-wrote with Julie Clarke about a serial murderer Charles Sobhraj who preyed on travellers on the Hippie Trail.
December 13th
PRINT ‘What The Other Papers say: Dick Tracy looks at a section of the Alternative Press+ review of ‘Protest and Survive’ by E.P.Thompson.
November 21st:
Masthead. Both Lester Bangs and I have been dropped.
1982
Caption
October 2nd
Feature/ ‘The Manic Depressive’s Guide to Space Travel And How to Be A Successful Writer’ Interview with Douglas Adams. Credit: John May. [+ Carbon copy of article. Copy written 24th August]
1983
Caption
February 5th
Book review/’’A Series of Shock Slogans And Mindless Token Tantrums’ by Crass. Credit: John May.
December 17th
Cover story and 3pp article ‘Dumbstruck And Doomed Down on Animal Farm’ Special reports by Paolo Hewitt. Introductory piece ‘A New Way of Looking At Ourselves’ by John May.