Alex Ogg
Freelance Writer
Counter

Alex Ogg is an author,
freelance writer, catalogue
A&R Consultant and Project
Manager.

Member of the Society
Of Authors.
)
Books:
Dead Kennedys: The Story of
Fresh Fruit for Rotting
Vegetables (forthcoming)
Independence Days:
The History of UK independent
record labels
No More Heroes
A complete history of UK punk
1976-1980 (Cherry Red)
The Hip Hop Years
(with David Upshal)
Radiohead:
Standing At The Edge
The Men Behind Def Jam
Top Ten
(with Channel 4)
Hip Hop Lyrics: From the
Sugarhill Gang to Eminem

****************
Magazine, Newspaper, Web Articles

The Times, The Herald, Classic Rock,
Record Collector,
Vive Le Rock, The
Big Takeover (NY), Spiral Scratch,
Big Cheese,
Etapes International
(France),
Bearded. Music Mart, The
Quietus

Sleevenotes
Over 100 artist sleevenotes, often
project-managing re-releases.
Including: Skids, The Undertones,
Buzzcocks, Monochrome Set, Eater,
New York Dolls, Marine Girls, The
Ruts, The Fall, Motorhead, Ella
Fitzgerald, Pillows & Prayers Box Set
CONTRIBUTOR TO MORE THAN 50 MUSIC BOOKS AND ENCYCLOPEDIAS
CD PROJECTS

HIP HOP YEARS: 5/5 (Q) 5/5 (HEAT) 8/10 (LOADED) "All have their say, thanks to Ogg's
concise, anecdotal style . . . Wherever they go, Ogg's definitive history never flinches from
following." Alexis Petredis, Q. "Fascinating, thrilling and essential reading." Paul Croughton,
Heat.

THE MEN BEHIND DEF JAM: "He can express his reservations without sounding like your
parents. which makes this the perfect primer for anyone who doesn't know why rap is the
most important musical movement of the last 25 years . . . Naturally, it's a blast from page
one." David Hutcheon, Mojo

'Enlightening study...thoroughly readable and often highly
revealing...compelling saga' Kerrang

TOP TEN: 4/5 (HEAT). 4/5 (JOCKEY SLUT). "Superb" (Joel McIver, Record Collector).
"Fantastic. Book of the month" (BUZZ) "Alex Ogg has a detailed knowledge of the vagaries
of pop music." (John Coleman What's On In London)
CLICK HERE TO READ A SAMPLE FROM THE MEN BEHIND DEF JAM
ANOTHER RECENT SAMPLE
SOME NON-MUSIC SAMPLES

BAG A GONG!
Pillows & Prayers wins 2008
Mojo Award
for Best Catalogue Release.

TVoted by a panel of MOJO and HMV
judges to recognise the best reissue
concept and package of the last 12
months. Former winners include The Fall’s
Complete Peel Sessions; Johnny Cash –
The Legend; and the Complete Motown
Singles 1966.

Nattira Festival, Iceland June 2008

Pictures from the free festival headlined
by
Bjork and Sigur Ros, as well as the
launch for Andri Snaer Magnason's
Dreamlands book

Pictures from the waterfall areas that
will be affected by the construction of
new dams to facilitate construction of
aluminium smelters.

I'll Give You My Heart,
I'll Give You My Heart
Out now: 8-CD Box Set
***** (5/5) The Times
***** (5/5) Record Collector
***** (5/5) Metro

As is the tradition with wallowing-
based box sets like
this, the booklet is
duly stuffed with
new interviews and
old music press
clippings in those
lovely old NME and
Melody Maker early
Eighties fonts (sigh...)
There are
revelations,
hindsight and hubris, anorak tidbits,
tears, regrets, mistakes made,
and, in one case, a mistake
corrected....”
(Plan B Magazine)

Independence Days, even by the standards of author Alex Ogg’s previous
work (The Hip Hop Years, No More Heroes etc) is an exhaustive undertaking.
Collating more than 150 interviews, it traces the story of the UK
independent record label boom of the late 70s to mid-80s. While most of
the punk bands were co-opted by major labels, a new generation of
independent spirits took the baton and revolutionised popular music.

Discrete chapters cover Chiswick/Ace, Stiff, Rough Trade, Beggars
Banquet/4AD, Crass, Factory, Cherry Red and Mute. There is also extensive
coverage of Fast Product, Zoo, Clay, Small Wonder, CNT, Industrial, Good
Vibrations, Postcard and myriad others. The smaller labels and their unique
stories are also rigorously explored. From the budget DIY of Buzzcocks and
The Desperate Bicycles to the grandiose packaging of Factory and 4AD and
eventual chart dominance of Depeche Mode, the Smiths and New Order,
all the key moments are documented through painstaking research,
analysis and eyewitness accounts. Scheming and rivalries and fiscal
brinkmanship contrast with the optimism and opportunism – and incredible
diversity and quality of music - of a decade when anything seemed possible.

Interviewees include: Geoff Travis, Daniel Miller, Ivo Watts-Russell, Dave
Robinson, Ted Carroll, Bill Drummond, Roger Armstrong, Penny Rimbaud,
Richard Boon, Martin Mills, Richard Scott Iain McNay, Mike Alway, Bob Last,
Terri Hooley, Bill Gilliam, Charlie Gillett, Miles Copeland, Seymour Stein, etc
5/5 Record Collector, 4.5/5 Rolling
Stone, 9/10 Rock Sound
Click
here for full review
More reviews as we (well, I) get
'em
LINKED  FEATURES
AND INTERVIEWS

VIVE LE ROCK!
DEBUT ISSUE
(Pieces on David Bowie, Edwyn Collins, Rough
Trade Records + Ramones, Ruts, Pogues, The
Cure, Madness, Undertones, Killing Joke etc)

AVAILABLE AT SMITHS ETC