This article originally appeared in the January 1986 issue of SPIN. Ion Tiriac, tennis’ Transylvanian terror, who claims to be related to Count Dracula, is Boris Becker‘s manager. Immediately following the 17-year-old West German’s historic Wimbledon victory, Ion was heard to tell Becker, “Your life is over. You are born again with me.” In his […]
A version of this article originally appeared in the September 1985 issue of SPIN. In honor of the announcement of Pat Benatar‘s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we’re republishing it here. Ballsy! Gutsy! Bitchy! One hard-rockin’ mama, right? The little girl with the big-big mouth. The girl who invented black tights and […]
This article originally appeared in the May 1989 issue of SPIN. I do a talk show called “TALK-BACK with Bob Larson,” syndicated in nearly 200 markets. Not just any talk show. A religious talk show that presents the Christian perspective on topics ranging from sex to suicide, racism to rock ‘n’ roll. I’m a Christian. […]
This article was originally published in the May 1985 issue of SPIN. In light of Perry’s death, we’re republishing it here. When people said to Bob Marley that his friend Lee “Scratch” Perry was mad, Marley would reply, “Him not mad, him just Scratch.” They were not always persuaded. Indeed, one of Mr. Perry’s several […]
This article originally appeared in the December 1989 issue of SPIN. Ian Stewart, 1975: The Beatles… I think they are nice lads who wrote pretty songs, but they are horribly overrated. In fact, most of the Liverpool groups were overrated, they were all musically inept completely. Some of them could sing, but they could never play […]
This article originally appeared in the October 1989 issue of SPIN. At 8:30 in the morning, the interview finally over, Terence Trent D’Arby still wants to talk. The English sun, such as it is, has begun to trickle in through the windows of his Knightsbridge townhouse, and turned the streets outside, a quiet neighborhood of “doctors and […]
A version of this story was published in the April 1986 issue of SPIN. In honor of the 35th anniversary of Eat ‘Em and Smile, we’re republishing this article here. In another life, David Lee Roth was Attila the Hun. He led a bunch of barbarians—who looked curiously like Van Halen—around the world, sacking and pillaging […]
This article originally appeared in the October 1989 issue of SPIN. He looks a lot more like his mother. He’s got Rita’s apple cheeks and dimples, and a flirtatious, almost girlish smile. No intimidating stares, no tough ras sass, no prophetic, heavy-lidded ganja nods. Still, you can’t help playing the Famous Son game, studying his […]
This article originally appeared in the November 1989 issue of SPIN. On De La Soul’s million-selling debut Three Feet High And Rising is one minute and 11 seconds of bugging out entitled “Transmitting Live From Mars.” Album filler (the Long Island hip hop trio doesn’t even rap on the cut), the song is basically nothing […]
This article originally appeared in the November 1989 issue of SPIN. In light of Shock G’s death, we’re republishing it here. “Say it loud, I’m arty and I’m proud,” because 1989 is the year of the boho homeboy. Back in the “who’s bigger and deffer” days, hip hop was fiercely competitive, more akin to sport than art; […]