Neil Spencer is a British journalist, author, broadcaster and

astrologer Astrology is a range of Divination, divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions ...

who lives in north London. He edited the ''

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a " rock inkie", the ''NME'' would become a maga ...

'' (''NME'') from 1978 to 1985 and was a founding editor of the men's magazine ''

Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

'' and of the jazz/art magazine '' Straight No Chaser''. He writes regularly for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'', specialising in astrology, music and other aspects of popular culture. According to his website, his work has also appeared in ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', '' Mojo'', '' Uncut'' and ''

Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...

'', among other publications. Spencer was assistant editor of the ''NME'' until November 1978, when he took over as editor from Nick Logan. By the early 1980s, it was the most influential music paper in the country. Writing in ''The Observer'' in 2005, Spencer selected his tenure as editor as the magazine's "so-called Golden Age", for its positioning of music within "a wider oppositional culture in which politics, books, movies, illustration and photography all had a major role". He cited the magazine's opposition to

Thatcherism Thatcherism is a form of British conservative ideology named after Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher that relates to not just her political platform and particular policies but also her personal character a ...

and the rise of the National Front in the UK, and the US policies under

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

. Spencer's final years at the ''NME'' coincided with a period when, as with other established UK music publications such as ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...

'', ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...

'' and '' Sounds'', the magazine's popularity suffered with the emergence of the more pop-focused ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...

''. In 1983, he told ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'': "The fans of that music are, for the most part, very young ... We are a bit of a grown-up publication. And I have no interest in editing a fab-pix issue. Besides, ''Smash Hits'', quite honestly, has got that market." After leaving the ''NME'', he was the founding editor of ''

'', which launched in 1986. In November 1985, Spencer helped found Red Wedge with British musicians

Paul Weller John William Weller (born 25 May 1958), better known as Paul Weller, is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame in the late 1970s as the guitarist and principal singer and songwriter of the rock band the Jam, alongside ...

and

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, author and political activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic th ...

. The collective aimed to engage young people with politics, and the policies of the Labour Party in particular, in the lead-up to the 1987 general election. According to Bragg, Spencer's involvement was "absolutely crucial" since, further to his support of politically minded artists while at the ''NME'', "He was a child of '68 and still believed that music should say something, and that as a musician you should be able to express an alternative lifestyle to the mainstream." In early 1986, Spencer was the press officer for the Red Wedge UK tour, which featured a large cast of musicians, including Bragg, Weller's band

the Style Council The Style Council were an English pop band formed in Woking in 1982 by Paul Weller, the former lead vocalist, principal songwriter and guitarist with the rock band the Jam, and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previously a member of Dexys Midnight Ru ...

the Communards The Communards were a British synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985. They consisted of Scottish singer Jimmy Somerville and English musician Richard Coles. They are best known for their cover versions of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes fe ...

and Tom Robinson. In 2000, Spencer's book ''True As the Stars Above: Adventures in Modern Astrology'' was published in the UK by Gollancz. He has also contributed to the books ''Fatherhood'' (Gollancz; ed. Peter Howarth), ''Chic Thrills, A Fashion Reader'' ( Pandora Press; ed. Juliet Ash), David Bailey's ''Rock & Roll Heroes'', and ''City Secrets London''. Among his film projects, Spencer co-wrote the screenplay for '' Bollywood Queen'' (2003), directed by Jeremy Wooding.

Books

* Spencer, Neil. ''True As the Stars Above: Adventures in Modern Astrology''. Gollancz, 2000.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Neil Living people 20th-century astrologers 20th-century English writers 21st-century astrologers 21st-century British screenwriters 21st-century English writers English astrologers English broadcasters English magazine editors English music journalists English screenwriters New Musical Express The Observer people Year of birth missing (living people)