ibility and respect throughout
the industry.
It also led to close relationships
with many artists. Writers were
often trusted with secrets.
“It was a time when confidenc-
es were kept,” said Coles. “And
that all changed in the mid-70s
with the advent of punk. They
hated the establishment and
Melody Maker sort of represent-
ed that.”
The era of punk and an aging
staff started a long downward
NJ STAGE 2017 - Vol. 4 No. 8
spiral with the magazine. The
staff found themselves becom-
ing older and older than the art-
ists they covered. Some began
having families; some couldn’t
adapt to changing music styles;
and some - like Barrie - felt it was
time to leave the party.
“He had put in ten years (1965-
1975),” recalled Coles. “He’d
seen a lot of people he loved
die; people like Marc Bolan and
Jimi Hendrix. He called them
the casualties of rock and roll. I
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