Colin Larkin Interview

Colin Larkin is probably the most revered British music historian/archivist working today. His mighty tome (some nine million words) Encyclopaedia Of Popular Music (EMP) has just been published in its fifth edition by Omnibus Press. His personal CD collections extends to over 35, 000. You can find out more about Colin at http://colinlarkin.com.

 

Can you give me a brief history of your writing career?

Although I was working as a Graphic Designer in 1967, I went on a youth club friendship exchange and I was asked by a German student magazine to write about the ‘Underground Music Scene’; what was happening in London and especially what was happening in San Francisco. The blues/rock club scene in London was just exploding in a very exciting way and I was already blown away by the likes of Moby Grape, Grateful Dead and the Airplane. John Peel was then my lifeline.

 

Your Encyclopaedia Of Popular Music is currently in its fifth edition; how long did you take you to write the first edition?

I could say it took 58 years, certainly my musical history has helped, but I started putting it together in 1989. I founded my company in January 1990 and delivered the first edition to Guinness Publishing in June 1992. Days and nights sitting in front of a tiny Mac SE30 waiting for the text to spell check is my longstanding nightmare/memory. My office was a mile from my home so near to press date I would eat, bath my kids and then go back for my second shift of the day. It was when I realised that a 200 word entry needed to be 300 words, and that of course meant more money was required.

 

In terms of the updates, how did you tackle things like conflicting release dates? There’s always going to be disputes about various facts, isn’t there?

When you think of managing factual data for over 11 million words it is remarkable how few errors there have been. We have uncovered dozens of artists who lied about their ages; some have come to light since, including Del Shannon. Many agents and managers have contacted us over the years to ‘massage’ the age of their pet artists. We have always refused, although I think we relented when Cher’s manger threatened litigation. We decided that frankly we could not be arsed if Cher wanted to shave a few years off her age, after all she has shaved just about everything else off.
All disputes have been settled by a letter or phone call, usually a misunderstanding or bad data. We were always prepared to listen and change the text if it made sense. I have taken calls from Jerry Wexler, Andy Partridge, Jack Bruce and Dave Brubeck and many others who wanted us to correct errors.  We were happy to do so because it makes our stuff first-hand and the one for others to copy!

 

How did you go about writing something of this size and depth?

Once I had decided that it was going to be done, we set about writing up a huge headword list. In those days we had only our heads and magazine references, we could not cull any master lists from the Internet because it did not exist. Pretty soon we had 30,000 names and then set about putting them into categories. With the help of Johnny Rogan, we met with many writers to ask if they wanted to be involved. It was always Pizza Express in Dean Street, and still today when I go to London; it still is the same place.

 

You are also known for having an extensive collection of records and books. Can you tell me about your collection?

Compared to other collections I know of, mine is probably not that large. Where I score is in the book and magazine department. I have just about every important music magazine since 1962, and many more odd issues before that. I kept everything since I was a child, or rather I kept everything since I came home from school one day and found out my mother had bundled my Beano’s and given them to the dustman. From that moment on I vowed to keep every comic, every music mag, and every book. So in addition to Melody Maker, NME, Record Mirror, Disc, Music Echo, I have a complete run of post 1950s Rover, Victor, Wizard, Hotspur and so on…Then I started buying Beat Monthly, Zig Zag, Rolling Stone, International Times and so on. I won’t even bother with the last 18 years because it is every copy of every mag: Blues, Kazz, Soul, Country and Folk…

 

How do you “house” all this stuff?

I live out in rural Suffolk, about 15 minutes from where John Peel lived, and you get a lot of house for your money in Suffolk, probably because nobody wants to live there. We have a large house and a very large garage.

 

I read somewhere that you also have a collection of American comic books. What’s in your collection and who are your favourite comic book writers?

I started in 1961 and was sold on DC Comics from day one. I loved most of the silver age comics, especially Flash, Green Lantern, JLA and The Atom. Prior to that I would buy the British reprints which were in black and white. When I first saw Flash in colour, drawn by Carmine Infantino I was in heaven. Over the years I loved Jim Aparo, Neal Adams, Bernie Wrightson, Frank Miller but my heart is with Infantino and Gil Kane. I really like the likes of Carlos Pacheco and Ethan Van Sciver but they owe it all to the Silver Age artists. I never liked Ditko or Kirby, I hated their simplistic tough faces, in fact, apart from Daredevil, Spidey and Iron Man I never liked Marvel. I also love the old EC stuff like Crime Suspense, especially Johnny Craig. I have a complete run of Green Lantern and Flash from Silver age onwards and they are earmarked for my sons who are also collecting.

 

What are your favourite music books?

I tend to follow writers rather than books. I have my favourite writers who I know will deliver well-researched biographies. Peter Guralnick, Ray Coleman and Phillip Norman are always to be trusted. I am bound to say Johnny Rogan because I published his first ever book Timeless Flight. His Svengalis & Starmakers is a masterpiece. Charles Shaar Murray’s John Lee Hooker, Hendrix and of course Shots From The Hip are terrific. In the Beatles world there are Ian MacDonald, Mark Lewisohn and Keith Badman. David Ritz has also written some well-researched biogs, although they tend to be authorised. My all-time favourite is Pete Frame. I loved his tone from issue one of Zig-Zag, and I have read everything he has written. I think he should be given an OBE for family trees and his most recent book The Restless Generation is outstanding, quite apart from being a joy to read. Pete laces everything with brilliant humour and there is no one to touch him in my opinion.

 

Of all the interviews you’ve done with musicians who did you enjoy speaking to the most?

Unquestionably John Sebastian. I sat in his dressing room with him prior to his 1980 gig in London for nearly two hours. While I asked him questions he cleaned, polished and re-strung his guitars. He was generous with his stories and also modest about his achievements. He was very concerned to hear my son eldest son was terminally ill, especially as his own son was the same age with the same name. He made a point at the show later that evening of playing ‘Younger Generation’ for him and mentioning his new 5-year-old friend. Other memorable encounters were Lionel Bart, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Randy California.

 

Who has given you the least pleasurable interview?

Super Furry Animals were hard work, but it was just after they were signed to Creation. Roger McGuinn was a tricky and sarcastic bugger in 1978 and my Jeff Buckley meeting was a lead balloon. I used to do a Friday afternoon slot on BBC GLR and the guest before me was Jeff Buckley. We met in the Green Room and I was introduced to him. As we shook hands I gushed, ‘I was a huge fan of your dad’. As I said it, I knew I had done a wrong ‘un. His hand died on me and the sneer I received lives with me. Jeff Buckley did not want to hear that I was a huge fan of his dad.

 

Who are your favourite artists?

You mean apart from the Beatles and Bob Dylan I presume? The list is endless but I have longstanding admiration for John Martyn, Stephen Stills, Steve Winwood, Jack Bruce, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Everly Brothers, Miles Davis, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Jerry Garcia, Dusty, Ella and Joni. In recent years John Mayer, Eels, and Teenage Fanclub.

 

What’s next for you?

Of all my books the most successful in terms of sales was my All-Time Top 1000 Albums. I did four editions and decided to rest it because Revolver always was going to be out in front. I have formed a new company with my friend and business partner and we are raising finance for 1000Greatest.com. It is an ambitious Internet project that includes music, books and films and is a way for the world to vote what really is the greatest of all-time. We have launched a really basic beta model and will launch the pucker model in February next year. I am also writing my life through music, which is another book of lists: 1000 Albums I Am Taking To The Grave. This is a chunky little tome of 600,000 words so don’t expect it until 2010.

 

Interview by Neil Daniels 2008