SOS calls caress you from market stalls

Since I bought The Smash Hits annual, I can't stop tracking down back issues of said mag. I already have man of them. I once saw a bundle of mags tied up with string at a car boot sale and bought the lot for £2.50. I thought they were back issues of The Face, seeing as that was what was face up, but actually that was the only copy. Underneath was Smash Hits from issue 1 right through to early 1981. I coudn't believe my luck.

Sadly, since then I sold of them, issue 1 included, but luckily not too many. Now I'm plugging the 81-84 gaps slowly but surely. What's fascinating is the number of bands who jolt me out of my reverie when I see their names written down. One The Juggler, The Mood, Central Line, Australian Crawl, Mathilde Santing, Allez Allez to name but a few. Where are all these bands now?

Also, the inquiries page asks questions about Eddie Chochran, Jethro Tull and Whitesnake, as well as the usual Shakataks and Haircut 100s.

But what's most interesting is that it's still a really good read. Now I read Smash Hits for the over 40s, otherwise known a The Word, with a lot of the same staffers.