Raw magazine (rock)
Encyclopedia
Raw Magazine was founded in the summer of 1988 by Dante Bonutto, Malcolm Dome
, Mark Putterford and Steve McTaggart& photographer Tony Mottram drafted in from Metal Hammer. They had come together on Metal Hammer
magazine having split from Kerrang!
, where Bonutto had been deputy-editor. The collective feeling there had been that Kerrang! was becoming too narrowly focused on Heavy Metal
and that Metal Hammer would allow them more scope to explore other areas of Rock music
. This quickly proved not to be the case and the idea for a new magazine was born, a title that would be a true Rock magazine, featuring Heavy Metal acts but not dominated by them.
To that end they teamed up with marketing man Pete Winkleman and created Raw alongside Phil Alexander, Kirk Blows, Dave Dickson, Dave Ling, Sylvie Simmons
, Maura Sutton and Paul Suter, most of whom had also worked on Kerrang!.Under the byline of `RAW` Rock Alive Worldwide.
The first issue went on sale on August 31 of that year as a fortnightly publication featuring Ozzy on the cover tattooing the RAW logo on himself, photographed by Tony Mottram. RAW steadily grew to become a serious rival to the more established Kerrang!. But within the year, EMAP publications
, having failed in their bid to take over Kerrang!, decided to acquire Raw instead. The idea, at that stage, remained that the new magazine could overcome the heavyweight Kerrang!, and that EMAP's money and publishing clout
would allow the Raw team to achieve this. In the end, though, EMAP simply bought Kerrang! wholesale.
The original Raw magazine, the staff, writers and photographers, remained largely intact until the end of 1989 when Dante Bonutto announced he was leaving. He had been poached as an A&R
man by East West Records
. The EMAP appointed publishing director, Dave Hepworth, was assigned to find a new editor. The obvious and most sensible choice would have been to appoint Bonutto's deputy, Malcolm Dome, a man who lived and breathed Hard Rock
, had been there since its inception and knew virtually everything there was to know about the magazine and the music biz.
Curiously, though, Hepworth gave the job to his old pal Dave Henderson, who knew next to nothing about Rock music and whose only previous experience in the editor's chair had ended with the closure of a magazine. The beginning of 1990 ushered in the new regime and the slow decline of Raw as a viable alternative to Kerrang!. But as soon as Kerrang! became part of the EMAP stable of publications Raw's survival no longer mattered and despite changes of editor and editorial policy, making Raw a Britpop
magazine in December 1995, it perished not long after. But I'm not bitter, honest says Mr D. Ling.
In 1993 a weekly television program
me named Raw Power was launched to accompany the magazine. It later changed its name to Noisy Mothers and was defunct in late 1995.
Malcolm Dome
Malcolm Dome has been an English writer and journalist about metal since 1979. In addition to writing books, he has been a journalist for Record Mirror, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer and Classic Rock among others. He also co-runs and DJs on the online radio station TotalRock.-Selected books:*Dome, Malcolm...
, Mark Putterford and Steve McTaggart& photographer Tony Mottram drafted in from Metal Hammer. They had come together on Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
magazine having split from Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
, where Bonutto had been deputy-editor. The collective feeling there had been that Kerrang! was becoming too narrowly focused on Heavy Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and that Metal Hammer would allow them more scope to explore other areas of Rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
. This quickly proved not to be the case and the idea for a new magazine was born, a title that would be a true Rock magazine, featuring Heavy Metal acts but not dominated by them.
To that end they teamed up with marketing man Pete Winkleman and created Raw alongside Phil Alexander, Kirk Blows, Dave Dickson, Dave Ling, Sylvie Simmons
Sylvie Simmons
Sylvie Simmons is a London-born music journalist, named as a "principal player" in Paul Gorman's book on the history of the rock music press In Their Own Write...
, Maura Sutton and Paul Suter, most of whom had also worked on Kerrang!.Under the byline of `RAW` Rock Alive Worldwide.
The first issue went on sale on August 31 of that year as a fortnightly publication featuring Ozzy on the cover tattooing the RAW logo on himself, photographed by Tony Mottram. RAW steadily grew to become a serious rival to the more established Kerrang!. But within the year, EMAP publications
EMAP
Emap Limited is a British media company, specialising in the production of business-to-business magazines, and the organisation of business events and conferences...
, having failed in their bid to take over Kerrang!, decided to acquire Raw instead. The idea, at that stage, remained that the new magazine could overcome the heavyweight Kerrang!, and that EMAP's money and publishing clout
Clout
Clout were originally a five-piece, South African million-selling all-girl rock group formed in 1977, best known for their song, "Substitute".-Career:...
would allow the Raw team to achieve this. In the end, though, EMAP simply bought Kerrang! wholesale.
The original Raw magazine, the staff, writers and photographers, remained largely intact until the end of 1989 when Dante Bonutto announced he was leaving. He had been poached as an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man by East West Records
East West Records
East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:...
. The EMAP appointed publishing director, Dave Hepworth, was assigned to find a new editor. The obvious and most sensible choice would have been to appoint Bonutto's deputy, Malcolm Dome, a man who lived and breathed Hard Rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, had been there since its inception and knew virtually everything there was to know about the magazine and the music biz.
Curiously, though, Hepworth gave the job to his old pal Dave Henderson, who knew next to nothing about Rock music and whose only previous experience in the editor's chair had ended with the closure of a magazine. The beginning of 1990 ushered in the new regime and the slow decline of Raw as a viable alternative to Kerrang!. But as soon as Kerrang! became part of the EMAP stable of publications Raw's survival no longer mattered and despite changes of editor and editorial policy, making Raw a Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
magazine in December 1995, it perished not long after. But I'm not bitter, honest says Mr D. Ling.
In 1993 a weekly television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me named Raw Power was launched to accompany the magazine. It later changed its name to Noisy Mothers and was defunct in late 1995.