Both of us were involved in the launch of Mojo 30 years ago in the autumn of 1993 and we dug out our copies of the first issue. As editor Paul Du Noyer said on page 3, it was “our confirmed intention to pitch a wang-dang-doodle – all night long, if necessary.” The cover story was about a sequence from Eat The Document, the film by DA Pennebaker of Bob Dylan’s ’66 tour that was never released and could only be seen on bootleg VHS cassettes. And this bit was so rare and controversial it had even been deleted from most of the bootlegs - none more niche! – and featured Dylan and John Lennon’s stoned ramblings in a black cab after Bob had played the Albert Hall in May ‘66. The piece by Richard Williams also focused on 10 days in the life of Dylan and the Beatles at the time, the kind of specific, deep-end trawl that helped start a whole new wing of rock book publishing. You can see the seeds of the emerging ‘heritage rock’ in that first edition too. Mojo have a wonderful 30th anniversary issue out now, by the way.

Further logs on this week’s conversational fire include …

.. why people buy ‘vinyls’ when they don’t own a record player.

… David’s story about the HMV security guard who built a shrine to James Last.

… the brilliant – and fiercely competitive - mixtapes made and played in music magazines offices.

... the dreadful allegations about Russell Brand and the media rush to cut ties with him.

… the band t-shirt favoured by well-heeled businessmen to signify they were once a ‘wild card’.

… the Clones Roses, A Band Called Malice … the Dutiful South?

… mentioned in despatches: Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys.

… and birthday guest Steve Way on the avenues of discovery encouraged by his love of Paul Weller (including the ruinous pursuit of being a Blue Note completist).

Ps Dizzying pop facts: go back 30 years from the launch of Mojo and it’s ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. There are copies of that first issue on eBay for £44.99 amazingly.

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