Alan Betrock
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Alan Betrock (1950  – April 9, 2000) was an American
music critic '' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of m ...
, publisher, editor, author and record producer. Initially a music critic, Betrock founded the influential '' New York Rocker'' magazine in 1976 and the publishing house Shake Books in 1979. He has written and edited several books, including the critically acclaimed ''Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound''. He produced Blondie's first demos in 1975 and launched the short-lived record label Shake Records. He has produced and/or released music by such artists as
Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...
,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Richard Hell and the Voidoids were an American punk rock band, formed in New York City in 1976 and fronted by Richard Hell, a former member of the Neon Boys, Television (band), Television and the Heartbreakers. History Kentucky-born Richard H ...
,
the dB's The dB's are an American alternative Rock music, rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album ''Stands for Decibels'' is acclaimed as one of the great "lost" pow ...
and
the Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock music, rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio lead vocals, (vocals and guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar and backing vocals, vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar and bac ...
.


Early career

A native of
Queens, New York City Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, Betrock went to Newtown High School in Queens and attended
Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an campus primarily located in Flushing. Queens College was established in 1937 and offe ...
. He founded the fanzine ''JAMZ'' as an undergrad in 1971, which led to ''Rock Marketplace'' in 1973. The magazine united
record collectors A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, re ...
nationwide in the search for obscure releases and included articles that established catalog numbers and release dates. Betrock himself was a passionate record collector with encyclopedic musical knowledge and a passion for obscure 1960s and 1970s
garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
singles. He became fascinated with rock music during the rise of the
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
and frequently travelled to England in search for rare albums and singles. "I'd hear a record on radio and try to seek it out, but it was very hard to find if it wasn't in the top 30," he said in a 1972 interview in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. During this period Betrock also wrote for a number of music magazines, such as ''
Phonograph Record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The g ...
'', ''
ZigZag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...
'' and ''
Hit Parader ''Hit Parader'' was an American music magazine that operated between 1942 and 2008. A monthly publication, it focused on rock and pop music in general until the 1970s, when its focus began turning to hard rock and heavy metal. By the early 198 ...
'', as well as local newspaper ''
SoHo Weekly News The ''SoHo Weekly News'' (SWN) was a weekly alternative newspaper founded by music publicist Michael Goldstein and published in New York City from 1973 to 1982. Positioned as a competitor to ''The Village Voice'', it struggled financially. T ...
''. From the mid-1970s onward, he compiled various
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
s for labels such as Pye and
Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
, as well as writing
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
.


Later period

Not long after its December 1973 opening, Betrock found his way to gigs at
CBGB CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in the East Village, Manhattan, East Village in Manhattan, New York City. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for ''Cou ...
in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
's East Village. Witnessing the emergence of bands like
Television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
, the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
and
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads
, he immersed himself completely in the new underground music scene. In 1975, Betrock financed and produced a demo for the then-unknown Blondie, whom he originally intended to manage. However, a combination of his other interests and lack of confidence in their musical abilities ended his involvement with the band. Betrock chose instead to manage another New York band, the Marbles. In February 1976, Betrock launched the influential '' New York Rocker'' magazine, chronicling the rising
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
scene and other musical trends in the late 1970s. According to Andy Schwartz, ''New York Rockers publisher and editor from 1978 to 1983, the magazine was a "visionary move, the product of Betrock’s realization that the music rising from a run-down
Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighbourhood, neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row (Manhattan), Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th ...
bar deserved its own magazine – one with its own style of photography and graphic design, one that would blend a fan’s enthusiasm with an educated critical eye. Through the pages of ''New York Rocker'', Alan Betrock defined the new rock and roll". A conceptualist, Betrock created
board game A board game is a type of tabletop game that involves small objects () that are placed and moved in particular ways on a specially designed patterned game board, potentially including other components, e.g. dice. The earliest known uses of the ...
centerfold The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle Folio, sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a Nudity, nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched maga ...
s ("How to Become a New York Rock Star") and imaginary 45 rpm picture sleeves for "singles we’d like to see." The magazine also collaborated with fashion designer
Anna Sui Anna Sui (; born August 4, 1955) is an American fashion designer. Her brand categories include several fashion lines, footwear, cosmetics, Perfume, fragrances, eyewear, jewelry, Fashion accessory, accessories and home goods. Sui was named one ...
, photographers
Steven Meisel Steven Meisel (born June 5, 1954) is an American fashion photographer, who obtained popularity and critical acclaim with his work in '' Vogue'' and '' Vogue Italia'' as well as his photographs of friend Madonna in her 1992 book, '' Sex''. He is ...
and
Roberta Bayley Roberta Bayley is a photographer, best known for her photographs of the New York punk scene of the 70s. Life Bayley was born in Pasadena, California and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended San Francisco State University for thre ...
, and artist Duncan Hannah, among many others. During this time he also worked as the East Coast editor for Bomp! magazine. After 11 issues, Betrock left ''New York Rocker'' in late 1977. "Alan was one of those people who plunged himself into something with tremendous enthusiasm and dedication, and when he was done with it, he was done," remembered Andy Schwartz. Meanwhile, he amassed a collection of miscellaneous American pop
memorabilia A souvenir (French language, French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memory, memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collecte ...
. The archives became the source for several books on American magazines and their history. Mostly published on his own Shake Books during the 1980s and 1990s, Betrock wrote and edited books on, among other things, teenage exploitation films, rock and scandal magazines, and the history of the pinup. His 1982 book, ''Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound,'' which spawned a documentary film in 1983, was lauded by the critic Robert Palmer in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' as "everything a rock 'n' roll genre study should be."


Music production

His short-lived Shake Records (1979–1981) was the first to release recordings by
the dB's The dB's are an American alternative Rock music, rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album ''Stands for Decibels'' is acclaimed as one of the great "lost" pow ...
, the Cosmopolitans and
Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...
. Later non-Shake Betrock productions included
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Richard Hell and the Voidoids were an American punk rock band, formed in New York City in 1976 and fronted by Richard Hell, a former member of the Neon Boys, Television (band), Television and the Heartbreakers. History Kentucky-born Richard H ...
’ '' Destiny Street'' (1982) and
the Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock music, rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio lead vocals, (vocals and guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar and backing vocals, vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar and bac ...
’ '' Beauty and Sadness'' EP (1983). In 1989, Betrock began working on a recording project with
Ronnie Spector Veronica Yvette Greenfield (, formerly Spector; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022) was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group the Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll". ...
. A planned album never materialized, but five tracks were eventually released on the EP ''Something's Gonna Happen'' in 2003.


Death

Betrock died of cancer at Calvary Hospital in
the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
, New York City on April 9, 2000, aged 49. He was diagnosed less than two months before his death. Lenny Kaye, longtime guitarist with
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album '' Horses'' made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fu ...
, told
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
: "A good man, and a record/pop culture collector of the highest order. I always admired his thoroughness, in whatever field he touched." In 2013,
Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...
told Songfacts: "He launched my career, and I badly regret that he and I didn't do more stuff together. That was one of my bad blunders."


Bibliography

* ''Rock 'N' Roll Movie Posters'' (Shake Books, 1979) * ''Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound'' (Delilah Books, 1982) * ''The I Was a Teenage Juvenile Delinquent Rock'N'Roll Horror Beach Party Movie Book: A Complete Guide to the Teen Exploitation Film, 1954–1969'' (
St. Martin's Press St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in Manhattan in New York City. It is headquartered in the Equitable Building (New York City), Equitable Building. St. Martin's Press is considered one of the largest English-language publishe ...
, 1986) * ''The Personality Index to Hollywood Scandal Magazines, 1952–1966'' (Shake Books, 1988) * ''The Best of James Dean in the "Scandal Magazines" 1955–1958'' (Shake Books, 1988) * ''Cult Exploitation Movie Posters, 1940–1973'' (Shake Books, 1989) * ''The Tabloid Poster Book, 1959–'69 – The Wildest Wallpaper You've Ever Seen'' (Shake Books, 1989) * ''Unseen America: The Greatest Cult Exploitation Magazines, 1950–1966'' (Shake Books, 1990) * ''Hitsville: The 100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Magazines, 1954–1968'' (Shake Books, 1991) * ''From Exploitation to Sexploitation: Four Decades of Adult Film Posters, 1930s–1960s'' (Shake Books, 1992) * ''Jayne Mansfield Vs. Mamie Van Doren: Battle of the Blondes: A Pictorial History'' (Shake Books, 1993) * ''Pin-Up Mania: The Golden Age of Men's Magazines, 1950–1967'' (Shake Books, 1993) * ''The Illustrated Price Guide to Cult Magazines, 1945 to 1969: 25 Years of Exploitation'' (Shake Books, 1994) * ''The Illustrated Price Guide to Scandal Magazines, 1952–1966'' (Shake Books, 1994) * ''I Was a 1950's Pin-Up Model! From the Collection of Mark Rotenberg'' (Shake Books, 1995) * ''Sleazy Business: A Pictorial History of Exploitation Tabloids'' (Shake Books, 1996) * ''Bikinis & Lingerie: A Pictorial Guide to Pin-Up Magazines, 1945–1960'' (Shake Books, 1998) * ''Cult Magazine Checklist Guide: Issue by Issue Listings for the Most Collectible Cult Magazines, 1945–1973'' (Shake Books, 2000)


As producer

* Blondie: "Out in the Streets", "Platinum Blonde", "The Thin Line", "Puerto Rico", "Once I Had a Love (The Disco Song)" (1975 demos) *Sneakers: ''In the Red'' (1978) (co-produced with Mitch Easter and Chris Stamey) * Chris Stamey and
the dB's The dB's are an American alternative Rock music, rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s. Their debut album ''Stands for Decibels'' is acclaimed as one of the great "lost" pow ...
: "(I Thought) You Wanted To Know" (1978, single) (co-produced with Richard Lloyd and Chris Stamey) *
Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...
: "Something's Gonna Happen", (1981, single) (co-produced with Marshall Crenshaw) *The dB's: ''
Stands for Decibels ''Stands for Decibels'' is the debut studio album by American power pop band the dB's, released January 15, 1981 by Albion Records. The album was commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed. At the time of its release, the dB's consisted ...
'' (1981) (co-produced with The dB's) *
Richard Hell and the Voidoids Richard Hell and the Voidoids were an American punk rock band, formed in New York City in 1976 and fronted by Richard Hell, a former member of the Neon Boys, Television (band), Television and the Heartbreakers. History Kentucky-born Richard H ...
: '' Destiny Street'' (1982) *
The Smithereens The Smithereens are an American rock music, rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio lead vocals, (vocals and guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar and backing vocals, vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass guitar and bac ...
: '' Beauty and Sadness'' (1983, EP) *
Ronnie Spector Veronica Yvette Greenfield (, formerly Spector; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022) was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group the Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll". ...
: ''Something's Gonna Happen'' (2003, EP) (produced four of five tracks) ''Alan Betrock on Discogs – Production''
Discogs.com. Retrieved on February 19, 2019.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Betrock, Alan 1950 births 2000 deaths American magazine founders American magazine publishers (people) American book publishers (people) American music critics Record producers from New York (state) 20th-century American male writers SoHo Weekly News people