Level | Item |
Ref No | OHP/59 |
Title | George Melly |
Date | 16 October 2001 |
Extent | 1 minidisc, 1 cd, 1 file, 3 AIFF files (634.2 MB) |
Creator Name | Melly; Alan George Heywood (1926-2007); jazz singer, critic and film scriptwriter |
Description | Interview with George Melly, film and music critic for the Observer. Conducted by Caroline Boucher on 16 October 2001. Also includes a data sheet containg biographical details about the subject and information about the recording.
Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):
Disc 1: Track 1 00.00 Introductions
Track 2 00.00 Starting at the Observer on pop music in 1965 00.15 How he started music writing 01.00 Attending jazz parties 02.40 Asked to write pieces on jazz music 03.00 Discusses his contemporaries 06.15 Need for someone to make music writing humorous 07.45 Describes his first Observer article 'Weekend in the jazz world' 08.20 The use of images in newspaper 09.30 Visiting an abattoir for an article
10.10 Taking over a television column whilst the critic, Maurice Richardson, was absent 10.30 Discusses Richardson 12.12 Writing a pop column 13.00 Discusses the Who 14.00 Going to watch pop music programme Ready Steady Go! 14.30 Comparing pop music programmes from the period including Top of the Pops and Juke Box Jury 16.30 Meeting his second wife, Diana Dawson 17.50 His book on the world of pop 18.30 Discusses his literary career
21.20 Use of swear words in his writing 22.20 Throwing a party at his home to celebrate his book 24.00 Work as a television critic 25.30 An interesting era for television, 1967-1971. Melly gave evidence at the Oz trial 25.40 Before joining the Observer he joined a protest of the Committee of 100 and was threatened with arrest 26.30 Anecdote about author Doris Lessing 27.00 Anecdote from the early 1960s demonstration when he was arrested 27.30 Remembers playwright Shelagh Delaney at demonstration
30.00 His experience being arrested 31.00 Interacting with the Trotskyites and Socialist Workers Party 32.00 His working week 33.00 His move into film criticism in the early 1970s 34.25 Comparing music, television and film criticism 35.00 Discusses his pet dogs 35.30 Writing books, including his autobiography Scouse Mouse 37.10 Reemergence of his desire to sing
Track 3 00.45 His singing with band 02.30 Remembers Derek Taymor who worked in music public relations 03.25 Visiting Hollywood with Taymor 04.25 Performing at Ronnie Scotts parties 04.45 Remembers his time in Hollywood 08.10 Decision to go back onto the road to tour with his band 08.50 Remembers the Reading Festival 09.20 Interviewing the Beatles for the Observer
10.30 Pocket cartoons for the newspaper 11.00 Working for the Daily Mail 11.27 His resignation from the Observer. He describes David Astor's reaction 12.15 Continued to write books reviews for newspapers 12.25 Atmosphere at the Observer 13.20 Observer parties 13.55 Friendship with Clive James and others 14.45 Anecdote about bar frequented by Observer staff 16.00 His lecturing career 16.50 His art education. Had worked in an art gallery following Second World War 19.00 His early years in London 19.45 His time working in the art gallery which later closed |
Access Status | Open |
Access Conditions | Access to recording via GNM Digital Repository |
Format | Electronic record |
CD recording |
Printed document |
Minidisc recording |
Copyright | Guardian News & Media Ltd and George Melly |
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