Phillip Frazer
Encyclopedia
Phillip Frazer, is a writer, editor and publisher. He was a founder of the teen pop
newspaper, Go-Set
in 1966 which was published weekly until 1974, introducing Australia's first national pop record charts and featuring many notable contributors. Frazer also published more explicitly counter-culture magazines, namely Revolution, High Times and The Digger. He launched the Australian edition of Rolling Stone
magazine first as a supplement in Revolution in 1970, then as a full-fledged magazine in 1972. Since July 1976, Frazer has lived in the United States where he has launched or collaborated in the launching of numerous political publications, most notably The Hightower Lowdown.
, Australia in 1946 and graduated Monash University
with an arts degree majoring in politics. He co-edited the student newspaper Lot's Wife in 1965 with future parliamentarian Peter Steedman
. Early in 1966, Frazer, fellow Monash student Tony Schauble, and local band manager Peter Raphael launched Go-Set, a teen-oriented pop music
newspaper. The magazine was soon selling more than 70,000 copies a week, with more than 25 fulltime staff in offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. With the sole exception of the accountant, all the staff were under 30. Many went on to significant careers in journalism (Greg Quill, Vince Lovegrove), creative writing (Lily Brett, Jean Bedford, Damien Broderick), photography (Colin Beard, Grant Mudford), filmmaking (David Elfick, Bob Weis), graphic art (Ian McCausland) and television (Molly Meldrum).
In 1970, Frazer used Go-Sets facilities to launch a counter-cultural monthly named Revolution, then negotiated with Rolling Stone owner and publisher Jann Wenner
for several pages of that magazine to be included as a supplement. Frazer folded Revolution into a new magazine he called High Times in August 1971, then left Go-Set when, in February 1972, the paper's chief creditor seized control. Later that year he launched the Australian Rolling Stone as a separate magazine, and then founded The Digger. (The Australian Rolling Stone continues to be published monthly.) With Frazer as the common thread,The Digger was produced by a frequently changing collective—including Bruce Hanford, Helen Garner, Ponch Hawkes, Colin Talbot, Garrie Hutchinson, and Virginia Fraser plus Hall Greenland and Michael Zerman in the Sydney office—until December 1975, when it folded under the weight of too little money and too many lawsuits—a libel suit from Builders Labourers union boss Norm Gallagher, another filed by the head of the South Australian Police, and an obscenity case brought by the State of Victoria for Helen Garner's article describing a sex-education class. Frazer left Australia for the United States in July, 1976.
In New York, Frazer became an editor of Seven Days, a U.S. alternative newsmagazine, then worked on other U.S. political magazines including The Nation, the anti-nuclear-power organization No-Nukes, and in 1981-82 edited Ralph Nader
's Multinational Monitor. In the 1990s he published the liberal Washington Spectator newsletter, and published, edited and wrote the environment newsletter News on Earth. In 1999 he founded, and has since published and co-edited the newsletter, 'The Hightower Lowdown' with Jim Hightower
. The Lowdown, with over 100,000 paying subscribers, is one of the biggest circulation political publications in the US, notable for its criticism of Bill Clinton
's, George W. Bush
's and Barack Obama
's administrations for being beholden to corporations and a corporatist ideology.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
newspaper, Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
in 1966 which was published weekly until 1974, introducing Australia's first national pop record charts and featuring many notable contributors. Frazer also published more explicitly counter-culture magazines, namely Revolution, High Times and The Digger. He launched the Australian edition of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
magazine first as a supplement in Revolution in 1970, then as a full-fledged magazine in 1972. Since July 1976, Frazer has lived in the United States where he has launched or collaborated in the launching of numerous political publications, most notably The Hightower Lowdown.
Biography
Phillip Frazer was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia in 1946 and graduated Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
with an arts degree majoring in politics. He co-edited the student newspaper Lot's Wife in 1965 with future parliamentarian Peter Steedman
Peter Steedman
Alan Peter Steedman was an Australian politician. At Melbourne University he edited Farrago, the Melbourne University Student Union paper. He also edited Lot's Wife at Monash University....
. Early in 1966, Frazer, fellow Monash student Tony Schauble, and local band manager Peter Raphael launched Go-Set, a teen-oriented pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
newspaper. The magazine was soon selling more than 70,000 copies a week, with more than 25 fulltime staff in offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. With the sole exception of the accountant, all the staff were under 30. Many went on to significant careers in journalism (Greg Quill, Vince Lovegrove), creative writing (Lily Brett, Jean Bedford, Damien Broderick), photography (Colin Beard, Grant Mudford), filmmaking (David Elfick, Bob Weis), graphic art (Ian McCausland) and television (Molly Meldrum).
In 1970, Frazer used Go-Sets facilities to launch a counter-cultural monthly named Revolution, then negotiated with Rolling Stone owner and publisher Jann Wenner
Jann Wenner
Jann Simon Wenner is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics biweekly Rolling Stone, as well as the owner of Men's Journal and Us Weekly magazines.-Childhood:...
for several pages of that magazine to be included as a supplement. Frazer folded Revolution into a new magazine he called High Times in August 1971, then left Go-Set when, in February 1972, the paper's chief creditor seized control. Later that year he launched the Australian Rolling Stone as a separate magazine, and then founded The Digger. (The Australian Rolling Stone continues to be published monthly.) With Frazer as the common thread,The Digger was produced by a frequently changing collective—including Bruce Hanford, Helen Garner, Ponch Hawkes, Colin Talbot, Garrie Hutchinson, and Virginia Fraser plus Hall Greenland and Michael Zerman in the Sydney office—until December 1975, when it folded under the weight of too little money and too many lawsuits—a libel suit from Builders Labourers union boss Norm Gallagher, another filed by the head of the South Australian Police, and an obscenity case brought by the State of Victoria for Helen Garner's article describing a sex-education class. Frazer left Australia for the United States in July, 1976.
In New York, Frazer became an editor of Seven Days, a U.S. alternative newsmagazine, then worked on other U.S. political magazines including The Nation, the anti-nuclear-power organization No-Nukes, and in 1981-82 edited Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
's Multinational Monitor. In the 1990s he published the liberal Washington Spectator newsletter, and published, edited and wrote the environment newsletter News on Earth. In 1999 he founded, and has since published and co-edited the newsletter, 'The Hightower Lowdown' with Jim Hightower
Jim Hightower
James Allen "Jim" Hightower is an American syndicated columnist, activist and author.-Life and career:Born in Denison, Texas, Hightower came from a working class background. He worked his way through college as assistant general manager of the Denton Chamber of Commerce and later landed a spot as...
. The Lowdown, with over 100,000 paying subscribers, is one of the biggest circulation political publications in the US, notable for its criticism of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's administrations for being beholden to corporations and a corporatist ideology.