02/10/2025
Welcome to the November 2025 issue of Record Collector (576) - in shops now or available here: shop.recordcollectormag.com
On the cover of the latest issue is one Jarvis Cocker, and inside the magazine he is photographed in his home – like John Lydon earlier this year, Jarvis this month kindly invites us to chez Cocker in London where he shows us the contents of his record boxes and shelves and talks us through his most treasured vinyl. It serves as an intimate portrait, and alternative history, of one of Britain’s best-loved musicians, from his days rifling through jumble and charity shops for desirable soundtrack albums to scouring the arcane recesses of London’s vinyl emporia in search of stuff to DJ. (Pulp)
There are genuine pop deities in RC this month, not least The Saints (geddit?), the Australian band who arguably pioneered punk well before their US and UK counterparts. Then there’s Todd Rundgren, the American polymath who has been worshipped by his following for more than half a century. He reflects on his mercurial career, from his power pop / garage punk 60s band The Nazz through his landmark 70s solo albums and output with prog outfit Utopia up to today’s pop scene and its AI challenges.
Elsewhere there is a “lost interview” with the recently departed Terry Reid, queen of folk-rock Maddy Prior gets in touch, we hear the story of Ace Records, and Lois Wilson picks the best ever singles from Brighton.
In NEWS we write about the fast-approaching National Album Day, with its distinct rock emphasis this year. The Collector this month is veteran rock lighting guru Paul Turner, showing off some of his vinyl favourites. In Value Added Facts (VAF) we write about the Ninandy label and Spyro Gyra rarities are assessed. In Diggin’ For Gold Many we explore the many faces of Abba’s Greatest Hits, plus we meet label Jazz Is Dead. Most Wanted, our memorabilia outpost, features vintage posters galore, meanwhile Bob Stanley declares his love of Brenda Lee and we spend 33 1/3 minutes in the company of Samantha Fox.
Over in reviews we take a listen to box sets by Buckingham Nicks, Genesis and Waylon Jennings. New Albums include David Gilmour, The Last Dinner Party and Mozart Estate. In Books there’s a new Ringo Starr biography and a great Pink Floyd oral history. Singles includes short-form thrills by Blixa Bargeld and Burial and more.
Shop Of The Month is Sound Records in Stroud. There’s our famed listings pages followed by our Gig Guide featuring a Q&A with Justin Hayward. There is an opportunity, on the Competitions page, to win grunge, psych and Nina Simone goodies. We go into the Engine Room with Vassar Clements and Under The Radar with Johnny Gustafson. Birth! School! Work! Death! features Tom McGuinness of Manfred Mann and McGuiness Flint on his formative records and we nominate 10 Of The Best songs by Soft Machine. Finally, in Not Forgotten, we say goodbye to Supertramp’s Rick Davies, Dave Cousins of Strawbs, Mark Volman of The Turtles, Ray Mayhew of Sigue Sigue Sputnik and too many others…
We’re already hard at work on RC 577, with its lead feature on 1980, a brilliant year for music, and interviews with Yes/ASIA legend Steve Howe, former Fine Young Cannibal Roland Gift, Virgin Prunes and Monochrome Set and articles on Detroit 45s and shoegaze giants My Bloody Valentine. There will also be reviews of new albums from Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy, Mavis Staples, Midlake, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, oh, and The Beatles.
Don’t forget to tune into Needlepoint, the new podcast from RC’s Paul Lester and Record Collector’s Rare Record Price Guide editor, Daryl Easlea.
Record Collector Presents special editions on Gary Numan and Stones (In The 70s), are out now, and note that our Marc Bolan & T-Rex special is on its way next week.
Keep collecting and many thanks for your continued support of Record Collector.
