English author Dave Thompson has spent his entire working life writing biographies of other people, but is notoriously reluctant to write one for himself. Unlike the subjects of some of his best known books, he was neither raised by ferrets nor stolen from gypsies. He has never appeared on reality TV (although he did reach the semi finals of a UK pop quiz when he was sixteen), plays no musical instruments and he can’t dance, either.
However, he has written well over one hundred books in a career that is almost as old as U2’s… whom he saw in a club when they first moved to London, and memorably described as “okay, but they’ll never get any place.” Similar pronouncements published on the future prospects of Simply Red, Pearl Jam and Wang Chung (oh, and Curiosity Killed The Cat as well) probably explain why he has never been anointed a Pop Culture Nostradamus. Although the fact that he was around to pronounce gloomily on them in the first place might determine why he was recently described as “a veteran music journalist.”
Thompson was born in Bideford, Devon; raised in Hoo St Werburgh, Kent; and schooled in Bournemouth, Dorset. He gravitated to London in time to catch the last days of glam rock (and once had the trousers to prove it), and he remains convinced that “American Pie” was written by Fanny Farmer and is best played with Meatloaf. He lists his five favorite artists as old and obscure; his favorite album is whispered quietly and he would like to see Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” installed as the go-to song for the sad, sappy ending for every medical drama on TV.
Sylvain Sylvain, Kurt Cobain, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, David Bowie, John Travolta, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bob Marley, Roger Waters and the guy who sang that song in the jelly commercial are numbered among the myriad artists about whom Thompson has written books; he has contributed to the magazines Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Mojo and Melody Maker; and he was also regular guest on WXPN’s Highs in the Seventies show.
His non-musical output includes titles on The Rocky Horror Show, Robin Hood, Jack the Ripper, Doctor Who, The Twilight Zone, South Park and a number of numismatic and philatelic titles… which surprises anyone who knows him only for pop groups. In addition, a reprint of his novel To Major Tom debuted Foruli Books’ fiction line. And he once wrote a book called I Hate New Music. Because he often does.
2017 – Jack the Ripper FAQ (Applause)
2017 – Goldmine’s Essential Guide to Record Collecting (F&W Media)
2017 – The Avant-Garde Woodstock – the International Carnival of Experimental Sound, 1972 (Createspace)
2017 – The Avant-Garde Woodstock – the International Carnival of Experimental Sound, 1972 (second ed) (Lulu)
2017 – Robin Hood FAQ (Applause)
2017 – Goldmine Record Album Price Guide Ninth Edition (F&W Media)
2016 – An Accidental Musician: The Autobiography Of Judy Dyble (with Judy Dyble) (Soundcheck)
2016 – Eldritch Abbeys and Wyrd Ruins (photos) (Createspace)
2016 – What Do I Do Now?: Listening to Britpop – Twenty Years Back (Createspace)
2017 – What Do I Do Now?: Listening to Britpop – Twenty Years Back (revised ed) (Lulu)
2016 – The Rocky Horror FAQ (Applause Books)
2016 – The Freakiest Show – the Armchair Guide to David Bowie Cover Versions, 1964-2016 (Createspace)
2016 – The Freakiest Show (Revised and Updated Edition) 1964-2017 (Createspace)
2017 – The Freakiest Show (Revised and Updated Edition) 1964-2017 (Lulu)
2016 – Standard Catalog of American Records 1950-1990 Ninth Edition (F&W Media)
2016 – Goldmine Jazz Album Price Guide Third Edition (F&W Media)
2016 – Britcoms FAQ (Applause Books)
2015 – A Seance at Syd’s: An Anthology of Modern Acid-Folk-Haunt-Psych-Prog-Space-Radiophonic-Rock Etcetera Quotes (hardback) (MegaDodo)
2015 – A Seance at Syd’s: An Anthology of Modern Acid-Folk-Haunt-Psych-Prog-Space-Radiophonic-Rock Etcetera Quotes (paperback) (Createspace)
2017 A Seance at Syd’s: An Anthology of Modern Acid-Folk-Haunt-Psych-Prog-Space-Radiophonic-Rock Etcetera Quotes (revised ed) (Lulu)
2015 – Time & Some Words – the Anthology of Prog Rock Quotations 1969-1976 (Createspace)
2017 – Time & Some Words – the Anthology of Prog Rock Quotations 1969-1976 (revised ed.) (Lulu)
2015 – The Twilight Zone FAQ (Applause Books)
2015 – The Spirit Of Hawkwind 1969-1976 (with Nik Turner) (Cleopatra Books)
2015 – Haunted America FAQ (Applause Books)
2015 – Goldmine Record Album Price Guide Eighth Edition (F&W Media)
2015 – Football FAQ (Applause UK)
2015 – Soccer FAQ (Applause USA)
2015 – Death Toll (fiction: by Gareth Tudor-Rose) (Createspace)
2014 – If You Dig Cliff Richard… Here’s 100+ Albums You’ve Gotta Hear (Createspace)
2014 – South Park FAQ (Applause)
2014 – Sherlock Holmes FAQ (Applause Books)
– Sherlock Holmes FAQ (Barnes & Noble)
– (trans) Russian
2014 – Robert Plant: The Voice That Sailed the Zeppelin (Backbeat Books)
2014 – Peter Frampton – the Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2013 – Doctor Who FAQ (Applause Books)
– Doctor Who FAQ (Barnes & Noble)
2013 – The Mothers of Invention – the Ultimate Listening Guide (Part One: 200 Motels and more) (e-book)
2013 – The Clash – the Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2013 – Roger Waters: The Man Behind the Wall (Backbeat Books)
– (trans) Polish
2013 – Robyn Hitchcock – the Ultimate Listening Guide (Part One: 1976-1996) (e-book)
2013 – Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac – the Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2013 – Mike Oldfield – the Ultimate Listening Guide (Part One: Tubular Bells to Voyager) (e-book)
2013 – The Ladies of Storyville (Createspace)
2013 – June 1st 1974: Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Nico, Eno, Mike Oldfield and Robert Wyatt: The Greatest Supergroup of the Seventies (Createspace)
2017 – The Greatest Supergroup of the Seventies (revised ed) (Lulu)
2013 – John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers – the Ultimate Listening Guide (Part One: the London Years) (e-book)
2013 – Joe Meek – the Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2013 – If You Like True Blood (Limelight)
2013 – If You Like Bob Marley (Limelight)
2013 – Goldmine Record Album Price Guide Seventh Edition (F&W Media)
2013 – George Harrison – the Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2013 – Fire and Wine – An Armchair Guide to Steve Ashley (Createspace)
2016 – Fire and Wine – An Armchair Guide to Steve Ashley (updated ed) (Createspace)
2013 – Essentially Elvis – the Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2013 – Eric Clapton – Give Me Strength: the Ultimate Listening Guide (Part One: 1973-1977) (e-book)
2013 – Emerson, Lake & Palmer – the Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2012 – Welcome to My Nightmare: The Alice Cooper Story (Omnibus)
2013 – audiobook (Audible Studios)
– (trans) Portuguese (Brazil)
– (trans) Swedish
2012 – Standard Catalog of American Records Eighth Edition (F&W Media)
2012 – Music On Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Limelight)
2012 – If You Like Led Zeppelin… (Backbeat Books)
2012 – Hearts of Darkness:… the Birth of the Singer Songwriter (Backbeat Books)
2012 – A Kind of Love-In – the story of Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity (e-book)
2012 – 10cc – The Cost of Living In Dreams (Createspace)
2016 – 10cc – The Cost of Living In Dreams (revised/updated editon) (Createspace)
2017 – 10cc – The Cost of Living In Dreams (revised/updated edition) (Lulu)
2011 – Joan Jett – Bad Reputation (Backbeat Books)
2011 – Thin Lizzy – Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2012 – Thin Lizzy: The Boys Are Back – The True Story (Abstract)
2011 – Status Quo – Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2011 – Patti Smith – Dancing Barefoot (Chicago Review Press)
2016 – Patti Smith – Dancing Barefoot (updated edition) (Chicago Review Press)
2010 – Bayou Underground (ECW)
2011 – 1000 Songs That Rock Your World (F&W Media)
2010 – TV Smith – TV Times 30th Anniversary Edition (Createspace)
2010 – The Sweet – Blockbuster (Cherry Red)
2010 – Ozzy Osbourne: Wit & Wisdom (F&W Media)
– (trans) Finnish
2010 – Children of the Revolution: The Glam Rock Story (Cherry Red)
2009 – Fierce Fiction: Dickens, Ainsworth, Bulwer and Thackeray in the Shadows of Newgate Prison (Createspace)
2009 – Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell: The Dangerous Glitter of David Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop (Backbeat Books)
2013 – Dangerous Glitter (Veneta – Brazil)
2009 – Suede – Armchair Guide (Createspace)
2017 – The Next Life, First Time Around (revised edition) (Lulu)
2009 – Sparks – #1 Songs In Heaven (Cherry Red)
2009 – London’s Burning: True Adventures on the Front Line of Punk (Chicago Review Press)
2009 – John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett: Beatback (Createspace)
2017 – They Did It Otway: Otway-Barrett in the Seventies (Lulu)
2009 – Footnotes from the Archives of Oblivion (Createspace)
2009 – Official Heavy Metal Book of Lists (contributor) (Backbeat Books)
2008 – I Hate New Music: The Classic Rock Primer (Backbeat Books)
2008 – Doctor Who: Eclectic Gypsy (CGP)
2007 – Black and White and Blue: Adult Cinema from the Victorian Age to the VCR (ECW)
2007 – The Little Black Book of Music (contributor) (Cassell Illustrated)
2007 – The Who – Searching for the Young Mod Rebels (Createspace)
2006 – Bob Marley – Critical Review (Classic Rock)
2012 – Bob Marley – The Ultimate Listening Guide (e-book)
2006 – Hallo Spaceboy: The Rebirth of David Bowie (ECW)
2006 – The Jeff Beck Group – Truth (Cherry Red Books)
2006 – Marc Bolan – A Critical Review (Classic Rock)
2006 – The Rolling Stones – Critical Review (Classic Rock)
2005 – Cream – World’s First Supergroup (Virgin Books)
2010 – Cream – How Eric Clapton Took the World By Storm (revised/updated edition) (Virgin Books)
2005 – The Cure: Inbetween Days (Helter Skelter)
2016 – Forty Years of In Between Days: Listening to the Cure, 1977-2017 (Createspace)
2017 – Forty Years of In Between Days: Listening to the Cure, 1977-2017 (revised edition) (Lulu)
2005 – New Order – Armchair Guide (Helter Skelter)
2016 – A Legacy in Wax: Listening to Joy Division and New Order, 1976-2016 (Createspace)
2017 – A Legacy in Wax: Listening to Joy Division and New Order, 1976-2017 (Lulu)
2005 – Genesis: Turn It On Again (Backbeat Books)
2005 – Lost in the Grooves (contributor) (Routledge)
2004 – Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water (ECW)
– (trans) Finnish
– (trans) Italian
(trans) Polish
2004 – Wheels Out Of Gear: 2-Tone, the Specials and a World in Flame (Helter Skelter)
2011 – Wheels Out Of Gear: 2-Tone, the Specials and a World in Flame (new ed) (Soundcheck 2011)
2017 – Wheels Out of Gear (2017 edition) (Createspace)
2017 – Wheels Out of Gear (revised edition) (Lulu)
2004 – The Psychedelic Furs – Beautiful Chaos (Helter Skelter)
2017 – The Psychedelic Furs – Beautiful Chaos (2017 Edition) (Createspace)
2017 – The Psychedelic Furs – Beautiful Chaos (revised edition) (Createspace)
2003 – Phil Spector – Wall of Pain (Sanctuary Books)
2004 – Phil Spector – Wall of Pain (Sanctuary Encore Books)
2005 – Phil Spector – Wall of Pain (updated edition) (Omnibus Books)
2003 – All Music Guide to Soul (contributor) (Backbeat Books)
2003 – The Fall – A User’s Guide (Helter Skelter)
2013 – The Fall – A User’s Guide (revised edition) (Createspace 2013)
2017 – Words of Expectation: Listening to the Fall (revised edition) (Lulu)
2002 – The Dark Reign of Gothic Rock (Helter Skelter)
2015 – The Dark Reign of Gothic Rock (revised edition) (Createspace)
2017 – In the Reptile House (revised edition) (Lulu)
2002 – The Beatles Digest Volume 2 (contributor) (Krause)
2002 – To Major Tom: Letters to David Bowie (fiction) (Sanctuary Books)
2003 – To Major Tom: Letters to David Bowie (fiction) (Sanctuary Books)
2013 – To Major Tom: Letters to David Bowie (fiction) (Foruli Books )
2002 – The Music Lover’s Guide to Record Collecting (Backbeat Books)
2002 – The Essential Listening Guide to Reggae & Caribbean Music (Third Ear/Backbeat)
2002 – AMG Guide to Rock (contributor) (Backbeat)
2001 – Funk – the Essential Listening Companion (Third Ear/Backbeat)
2001 – Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth (contributor) (Feral House)
2000 – 20th Century Rock’n’Roll: Glam Rock (CGP)
2000 – The Beatles Digest (contributor) (Krause)
2000 – Alternative Rock: The Essential Listening Guide (Third Ear/Backbeat)
2000 – 20th Century Rock’n’Roll: Punk Rock (CGP)
2000 – 20th Century Rock’n’Roll: Pop (CGP)
2000 – The Mojo Collection (contributor) (Mojo Books)
1999 – Better To Burn Out – The Cult of Death in Rock’n’Roll (Thunder’s Mouth)
1998 – The Classic Rock Digest (contributor) (Krause)
1997 – The Goldmine Price Guide to the British Invasion (with Tim Neely) (Krause Pub)
1997 – Phish – Go Phish (St Martin’s Press)
1996 – Winona (Taylor Publishing)
1996 – Travolta (Taylor Publishing)
1995 – Punk Collectors Guide (CGP)
1995 – U2: The Making of the Joshua Tree (CGP)
1995 – The Cure: The Making of Disintegration (CGP)
1995 – Perry Farrell: The Saga of a Hypester (St Martin’s Press)
1994 – Space Daze: The History & Mystery of Electronic Ambient Space Rock (Cleopatra Books)
2009 – Space Daze: The History and Mystery of Space Rock (revised edition) (Createspace)
2017 – Space Daze: The History and Mystery of Space Rock (second edition) (Lulu)
1994 – Kurt Cobain – Never Fade Away (St Martin’s Press)
– (trans) German
– (trans) Italian
– (trans) Japanese
– (trans) Dutch
– (edition) UK
1994 – Depeche Mode – Some Great Reward (St Martin’s Press)
– (edition) UK
1993 – Price Guide to Collectible Records Third Edition (contributor) (Krause)
1993 – The Red Hot Chili Peppers: True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes (Virgin Books)
2004 – The Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way (fully upd and rev ed of 1993, Virgin Books)
– (trans) Dutch
– (edition) USA
1993 – The Industrial Revolution (Cleopatra Books)
1994 – The Industrial Revolution updated/revised 2nd Edition (Cleopatra Books)
2013 – The Industrial Revolution – Twentieth Anniversary Edition (Createspace)
1993 – Rod Stewart – Vagabond Heart (ghost: Geoffrey Giuliano) (Sidgwick & Jackson)
1993 – (hardback edition)
– (edition) UK
1991 – In God We Rust – the Collectors Guide to Cull Coins (Ainsworth Press)
1991 – The Vaasa Plating Guide – stamps of the Finnish Civil War, 1918 (Ainsworth Press)
1991 – The Standard Catalog of Foreign Coins used in the United States (Ainsworth Press)
1991 – The 1991 US Soccer Yearbook – a statistical guide to the US international team until 1990 (private)
1991 – Philately at War – a catalog of wartime stamps and postal issues (Ainsworth Press)
1990 – The Mystery of the Kushans (Ainsworth Press)
1990 – A Century of Struggle – a numismatic history of the Irish “troubles” (Ainsworth Press)
1990 – The Most Beautiful Coin In The World – the story of the Maria Theresa taler (Ainsworth Press)
1990 – Monsters in the Mail – a catalog of philatelic dinosaurs (Ainsworth Press)
1990 – Those We Have Loved Volume Three (private)
1989 – Beyond the Velvet Underground (Omnibus Books)
– (trans) Japanese
1989 – Newport County: The Team That Died of Neglect (private)
1989 – Bono – In His Own Words (Omnibus Books)
– (trans) German
– (trans) Serbian
1989 – A View of the Medway (private)
1988 – Those We Have Loved Volume Two (private)
1988 – Those We Have Loved Volume One (private)
2017 – Those We Have Loved: Casualties and Catastrophes of the Football League, 1888-1988 (Fully Revised Edition) (paperback) (Createspace)
2017 – Those We Have Loved: Casualties and Catastrophes of the Football League, 1888-1988 (Fully Revised Hardback Edition) (Lulu)
1988 – The Pogues (Babylon Books)
1988 – The Dire Straits Collectors Guide (Babylon Books)
1988 – The Cure Visual Documentary (Omnibus Books)
1993 – The Cure Visual Documentary (updated ed) (Omnibus Books)
– (trans) Czech
– (trans) German
– (trans) Italian
– (trans) Polish
– (trans) Slovak
1988 – T’Pau (Babylon Books)
1988 – Kiss – Still On Fire (Caroline Books)
(trans) Swedish
1988 – Johnny Rotten In His Own Words (Omnibus Books)
– (trans) Czech
– (trans) Slovak
1988 – Babes in Arms – Manchester United and the Munich Air Disaster 1958 (private)
1987 – The Sixties – Hits & Pics (Telstar Books)
1987 – The Duran Duran Scrapbook Volume 8 (Babylon Books)
1987 – The Beastie Boys Scrapbook (Babylon Books)
1987 – Spandau Ballet Hits and Pics (Telstar Books)
1987 – Mel and Kim: Hits and Pics (Telstar Books)
1987 – Half Time: Football and the Cigarette Card (Murray Books)
1987 – Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Hits and Pics (Telstar Books)
1987 – Five Star: Hits and Pics (Telstar Books)
1987 – Feargal Sharkey (Bobcat Books)
1987 – David Bowie – Moonage Daydream (Plexus Publishing)
1987 – Chris DeBurgh: From a Spark to a Flame (Omnibus Books)
1987 – Children of the Revolution (private)
2013 – Hey!: The Story of Gum into Glam, 1964-1987 (revised ed) (Createspace)
2017 – Hey!: The Story of Gum into Glam, 1964-1987 (revised ed) (Lulu)
1987 – Callan – Episode Guide (private)
1987 – Bananarama: Hits and Pics (Telstar Books)
1986 – TV Smith – Life & Times (private)
2009 –TV Smith – Your Ticket Out Of Here (revised ed) Createspace)
1986 – Paul Young (Bobcat Books)
1986 – Echo and the Bunnymen (Proteus Books)
1986 – Depeche Mode (Bobcat Books)
1986 – Billy Idol (Bobcat Books)
1985 – ZZ Top – Elimination (Omnibus Books)
1985 – Tears For Fears (Bobcat Books)
1985 – Simple Minds – Glittering Prize (Omnibus Books)
1985 – Dead Or Alive (Bobcat Books)
1985 – David Lee Roth (Proteus Books)
1984 – U2 – Stories For Boys (Proteus Books)
1986 – U2 – Stories For Boys (Bobcat Books)
1987 – U2 – Stories For Boys updated edition (Omnibus Books)
1982 – John’s Children: Growing Up With (private)
1988 – John’s Children (condensed/revised ed) (Babylon Books)
2013 – John’s Children: A Midsummer Night’s Scene and Other Stories (revised ed) (Createspace)
2017 – John’s Children: A Midsummer Night’s Scene and Other Stories (revised ed) (Lulu)
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