We’ve all lived through those years in our lives – those golden, razzle-dazzle years when everything seems to come at us in an exhilarating, heady rush. I had one of those years 40 years ago: 1981. To understand why, let me take you back to 1980 and my appointment as a staff writer (under the pen name Betty Page) for Sounds in June of that year. Following that momentous event, I’d quickly … [Read more...] about Why 1981 was my Year for the Ages
Betty Page
C30, C60, C90 – don’t go!
It's hard to imagine now but in the summer of 1980 what passed for disruptive technology came in a compact plastic box with a cardboard inner sleeve. Ah yes, the cassette - I remember it well. In my first year as a staff writer for the music paper Sounds, I was deluged by the little devils, as bands up and down the country sent me demo tapes after I did the first major published interviews … [Read more...] about C30, C60, C90 – don’t go!
A “spesh” time when I played fast and loose with the English language
When I was a music journalist back in the Eighties I thought nothing of casually mangling the English language. In those days it was "hip" to use in-jokes, amusing abbreviations, shorthand, wordplay and made-up words to create a vernacular of belonging for the readers. I wince when I read some of the reviews I wrote because the way in which I expressed myself was very much of its time and seems … [Read more...] about A “spesh” time when I played fast and loose with the English language
10 things Boy George taught me about self-promotion
My career in journalism began in the dying days of punk, which gave way to the dawn of the New Romantics. I played my part in the latter, being the first music journalist to persuade the then achingly cool Spandau Ballet to do an interview for Sounds which, along with Melody Maker and NME, was one of the three highly influential music weeklies of that era. The headline on my interview was The … [Read more...] about 10 things Boy George taught me about self-promotion
Living a story versus living an authentic life
[vimeo 92066732] When Claire Taylor of The Story Mill asked if I'd be interested in doing a video interview about playing a role vs being authentic, I was intrigued. It has been a long time since anyone has asked me about Being Betty Page. To explain: way back in 1979, when I was secretary to the editor of the music paper Sounds, I started to write reviews of bands. Because I was already … [Read more...] about Living a story versus living an authentic life
The day Soft Cell saved me from the dance for perfection
In the fifth extract from my memoir Hit Girl: My Bizarre Double Life in the Pop World of the Eighties, I recall my first meeting with Marc Almond and Dave Ball - otherwise known as Soft Cell - who would play a big part in my unfolding story... I first became aware of Soft Cell in 1981, when I heard their haunting track The Girl With The Patent Leather Face. My alter ego Betty Page and I were … [Read more...] about The day Soft Cell saved me from the dance for perfection