Shouting from the Hop

Tony Parsons

Tony was the other journalist employed, along with Julie Burchill, in response to the "Hip young gunslingers wanted" advert carried on the classified pages of NME in late 1976.

An Essex boy, Tony was a Spurs fan, and we spent time over a few beers in The Cumberland Stores talking football.

I first met Tony at the Patti Smith gig where my colleague Frank had introduced me to the two new NME staff writers (Tony plus Julie Burchill). We got on quite well that night, as mentioned, and always said hello to each other and had a chat whenever we got the chance.

I used to love reading Tony's singles review page; if Tony liked a record, he'd praise it but if not, he could rip a band to pieces in just a few lines - he really didn't take any prisoners! The singles reviewer changed every week at NME, and the duty was shared amongst six or seven writers with the occasional guest. It was always quite funny seeing who was doing the singles each week as, on a Thursday afternoon usually, the chosen writer would closet themselves in the sound proofed central office/room in Carnaby Street (where the record deck was situated), and generally not come out until all the reviews were written. Sometimes, this would be hours and hours later... You could quite understand why, some weeks, a few of the "main" singles got long reviews, but others (deemed not so important I guess) only warranted a few lines or even words. My theory was that the writers got bored of being shut in the room with nobody else around, playing singles that they didn't really like, and just scribbled a few words to "prove" to the record companies (and maybe the editor?) that they'd listened to it.

Tony married Julie eventually, and they had a son, Bobby, before divorcing.

Tony is the writer of several novels, some of which are semi-autobiographical, dealing with the breakdown of relationships, single parenthood and the like.

Tony now has a regular column in The Mirror (which I still read when I get the chance) and participates in the BBC arts programme, Newsnight Review. He has also written for, among other publications, The Face, Marie Claire, The Daily Mail, Arena, The Guardian, Elle, The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, The Sunday Times, GQ and Red.

Penny Reel

I don't think I ever got to know Penny's real name, but it was a clever monicker that he used. He loved reggae, and was a Rasta in truth and looks, though I'm not sure this sat very well with his Jewish family. He had long, unkept, hair, stuffed up beneath a wooly cap; his teeth were awful; and he wouldn’t have won any style or fitness competitions either!

Penny took over from me as the organiser of the annual NME Pool Competition; I'd organized the first three or four, but got a bit bored with the hassle, and handed over the reins to Penny one year (about 1986). Penny ran it well that year, but come the next year, he lost interest but retained the entry money that I and a few other staff had handed over to him! We never did get it back...

The reason for this was that Penny left NME quite suddenly.

It was no secret that he didn't get on with the new editor at the time - Ian Pye - so when some red paint graffiti appeared daubed on the outside of Commonwealth House (and on the MOD building opposite) he was the prime suspect. I don't remember exactly what the wording said, but it was along the lines of "Die Pye" or similar. I also don't know why he was suspected immediately, and when I quietly spoke to him about it he just denied doing it, but smiled knowingly... He left quite soon after that episode, and our pool tournament money went with him.

Wendy Holt/Lewis/Baker

I knew Wendy, or Wend as most people called her, for years. She was the Advert Managers secretary for a few years at Kings Reach Tower, before moving across to Carnaby Street to become the Editors secretary when Kathy Kelly moved on.

A peroxide blond, who had five older sisters and a brother, we had lots of fun together, and I cared about her a lot. She liked a few drinks every now and then, and also liked to go and see bands whenever she could - I obliged on both counts.

She married her long time boyfriend and childhood sweetheart - Kevin Lewis - but it didn't work out, and she went out with a few others before settling down with Danny Baker. They have a couple of kids - Sonny and Bonnie.

One funny story that Dan told about her was when they were in Florida on holiday (possibly honeymoon?). They were in an expensive hotel, sitting by the pool catching a few rays. Also sunbathing were Don Johnson, fanceable star of Miami Vice, a high profile TV cop show at that time, and his slightly less well-known wife, actress Melanie Griffiths - both pretty famous celebrities around this time. Apparently Wendy said to Dan "Is that Don Johnson over there?" to which Danny replied that it was. Wendy then said "So is that Melanie Griffiths with him?" Once more Dan replied in the affirmative. Wendy's response was "She ain't all that then is she?" There is no answer to that, but I always remember Wendy for thinking that whenever I see Ms Griffiths in a movie these days!

Prior to courting Danny, Wendy had a fairly hot relationship with a guy called Mark Woon. Mark's father was fairly high up at the BBC at that time, and Mark lived with his parents at their large basement flat in Hampstead - they were not a poor family! Mark worked at Phonogram Records, initially in the post room, before getting an A&R post. I used to take Mark and Wendy along to gigs whenever I could, and we saw some fine bands together on really good nights out. In return, Mark would get me an occasional Phonogram single/12"/album on (or sometimes prior to) release. I remember Mark having his 21st birthday party at The Venue, at Victoria, a place/club that opened late but had good up-and-coming bands generally. It was a terrific night; all Mark's friends were there, and the good news was that Mark didn't end up paying for anything. He had promised to pay a hire price (about £125 I think) but left before he handed over any money! Mark told me once that he had been asked to be the singer with Madness, and that Suggsy was in fact the band's second choice. I don't know if this was true, but he was certainly friends with the band. Maybe the fact he couldn't sing had some effect on the eventual decision? Unfortunately, Mark had a major problem with substance abuse, which wasn't something that Wendy condoned at all, so they eventually split up. Mark continued to dote on Wendy though, and a few times would call me to join him for a few beers so he could drown his sorrows.

Even before she went out with Mark, Wendy was fun to be around, and was always dressing up fashionably. She bought a fancy coat once, but every time she tried to get it cleaned it would come back from the dry cleaners ruined. She would then take it back to the shop and get a replacement. This happened about three times until eventually she gave up. One other time, when still working at Kings Reach Tower, on a Friday night, Wendy had said she was going over to The Wellington pub (near The Lyceum) to meet a friend. I asked if I could tag along as I was at a loose end that night and she said yes. I finished work about 6pm (we worked late on Fridays) and went upstairs to Wendy’s (open-plan) office. I was standing to one side, looking out of the 25th floor window, when Wendy came out of the ladies toilet and turned left into the apparently empty office. I heard the door go so turned, to see Wendy still pulling her boob-tube top up over her ample chest! I think I coughed, and that made her look up and blush. Another time, she'd been out window shopping and seen some shoes she wanted. She couldn't buy them as it was still a couple of days before pay-day, but she kept going on and on about how she "must have those bloooo shoes!!!".

I was pictured with Wendy on the back of the NME Ad department Christmas single (Stiff Records) but the image has been doctored so that a bottle of champagne has covered our holding hands. Funny that; there was one (empty) bottle of booze going around that evening we took the photos yet it appeared about three times in that picture! The single was recorded at Stiffs studios in North London; the song was very much ripped off from Sham 69's "Hersham Boys" single as three chords were about all our "guitarist" could manage. Actually, only three NME people played on that track (McDuff, Flavell, Rhodes), but all of the department sang (the sickly Good King Wenceslas) on the B side except me (I hummed!).

Sometimes, I think Wendy got a bit lonely with the somewhat boring company at KRT, which is maybe why eventually she transferred over to the more exciting Carnaby Street editorial office.