Neil Spencer is a British journalist, author, broadcaster and

astrologer Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...

who lives in north London. He edited the ''

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

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

Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

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

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'', 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 Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

'', ''

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

'' and ''

Elle ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...

'', among other publications. Spencer was assistant editor of the ''NME'' until November 1978, when he took over as editor from

Nick Logan Nick Logan (born 3 January 1947 in Lincoln, Lincolnshire) is an English journalist, editor and publisher. Logan is best known for having founded '' The Face'', the magazine which forged a new "lifestyle" sector in British publishing in the 1980s ...

. 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 leader Margaret Thatcher that relates to not just her political platform and particular policies but also her personal character and general style of manag ...

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

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

. His 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. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'', ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...

'' and ''

Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

'', 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 fo ...

''. 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, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'': "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 Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

with British musicians

Paul Weller Paul John Weller (born John William Weller; 25 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the punk rock/ new wave/mod revival band the Jam (1972–1982). He had further success with the blue-eyed soul m ...

and

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

. 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 a British musical ensemble, band formed in late 1982 by Paul Weller, the former singer, songwriter and guitarist with the punk rock/New wave music, new wave/mod revival band the Jam, and keyboardist Mick Talbot, previousl ...

the Communards The Communards were a British synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985. The duo consisted of Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles. They are most famous for their cover versions of "Don't Leave Me This Way", originally by Harold Melvin & the Blue N ...

and

Tom Robinson Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson ...

. In 2000, his 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; ed. Juliet Ash),

David Bailey David Royston Bailey (born 2 January 1938) is an English photographer and director, most widely known for his fashion photography and portraiture, and role in shaping the image of the Swinging Sixties. Early life David Bailey was born at Wh ...

's ''Rock & Roll Heroes'', and ''City Secrets London''. Among his film projects, Spencer co-wrote the screenplay for ''

Bollywood Queen ''Bollywood Queen'' is a British Indian take on the William Shakespeare play ''Romeo and Juliet'', directed by Jeremy Wooding and starring Preeya Kalidas and James McAvoy. Produced by Jeremy Wooding, the film was released in 2003. Plot Geena is ...

'' (2003), directed by

Jeremy Wooding Jeremy Wooding is a British film director, producer and writer; he also directs for television. He is best known for his work on ''Burning Men'', ''Blood Moon'' and ''Bollywood Queen''. Selected filmography * ''Bollywood Queen'' (2002) * ''Pee ...

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 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) 21st-century British screenwriters