NME Magazine 31 January 1998 The Bluetones Morriss Radiohead Beck NP009

Original NME (New Musical Express) Magazine, dated 31 January 1998, featuring British indie rock band The Bluetones and frontman Mark Morriss as the main cover attraction.

This vintage issue captures the British indie and alternative music scene at the beginning of 1998, with prominent coverage of The Bluetones, Ian Brown, Spiritualized, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Stereolab and Deftones.

The front cover features a large, close-up colour portrait of Mark Morriss, photographed by Hamish Brown. Morriss is pictured with dark hair, light facial stubble and a serious expression, wearing a dark jacket with his hand raised near his collar.

The striking portrait is accompanied by the headline:

"Morriss major! The Bluetones' mighty return"

The large white and yellow typography against the orange, red and green cover design makes this a distinctive example of late-1990s NME music journalism.

The Bluetones – Major Cover Feature

The main attraction is a cover story celebrating the return of The Bluetones, one of the prominent British guitar bands associated with the Britpop era.

The magazine was published during the period leading up to the band's second studio album, Return to the Last Chance Saloon, released in 1998.

The headline "The Bluetones' mighty return" promotes the band's renewed activity, with Mark Morriss featured prominently on the cover.

The photograph provides an excellent period portrait of Morriss, making the issue particularly interesting for collectors of The Bluetones, Britpop and original 1990s British indie music publications.

Ian Brown – Unfinished Monkey Business Review

The upper-left section advertises:

"APE OUT OF TEN! IAN BROWN'S 'UNFINISHED MONKEY BUSINESS' REVIEWED"

This promotes a contemporary review of Ian Brown's debut solo album, Unfinished Monkey Business.

Following his time as frontman of The Stone Roses, Ian Brown was establishing his solo career during this period.

The review is an interesting inclusion for collectors of Ian Brown, The Stone Roses and Manchester music history.

NME London Shows – Live Coverage

Another prominent cover headline reads:

"SPIRITUALIZED, BENTLEYS, STEREOLAB AND THE DEFTONES LIVE AT NME'S LONDON SHOWS"

This advertises live coverage of several major alternative and experimental music acts.

The featured artists include:

• Spiritualized – British space rock and alternative rock band led by Jason Pierce.

• Bentley Rhythm Ace – British electronic music duo.

• Stereolab – Anglo-French alternative and experimental music group.

• Deftones – American alternative metal band.

This combination reflects the wide range of musical styles covered by NME in the late 1990s, from guitar-based alternative rock to electronic and experimental music.

Free Compilation Tape – Cover Promotion

The magazine prominently advertises:

"FREE TAPE WITH THIS ISSUE"

A second large headline reads:

"FREE TAPE!!"

The cover lists the following artists as featured on the advertised compilation:

• Beck

• Radiohead

• The Prodigy

• Blur

• Stereophonics

• Bentley Rhythm Ace

• Death in Vegas

• Travis

• Marilyn Manson

• The Seahorses

This is an interesting original promotion featuring a selection of prominent artists from the late-1990s alternative music scene.

Important: The complimentary tape is advertised on the cover but is not visible in the supplied photograph. Its inclusion with this particular copy has therefore not been confirmed.

The cover also states that the tape was unavailable overseas for copyright reasons.

Collector Interest

This issue is particularly appealing for its combination of The Bluetones' comeback coverage, Ian Brown's early solo career and the NME London Shows.

The advertised compilation tape also provides a snapshot of the artists dominating British alternative music coverage in early 1998.

The issue may appeal to collectors of The Bluetones, Mark Morriss, Ian Brown, Britpop, Radiohead, Blur, The Prodigy and vintage NME publications.

Magazine / Item Details

Condition

Pre-owned vintage condition with visible age-related handling and storage wear.

The following assessment is based on the single supplied front-cover photograph.

Front Cover: The main Mark Morriss photograph remains clear, with the cover headlines and printed artwork readable. There is visible surface waviness, light creasing and general handling wear, particularly around the outer margins.

Spine / Left Edge: The left-hand folded edge shows noticeable handling creases, slight compression and unevenness. The lower-left corner and surrounding spine area show some additional bending and wear.

Right Edge: The right-hand edge has visible waviness and slight curling. The pale paper margin shows minor age-related discolouration and handling marks.

Top Edge: The upper edge is slightly uneven, with light curling and handling wear. The top corners appear mildly softened.

Bottom Edge: The bottom margin shows some creasing and waviness. There is visible compression and minor bending along the lower edge, particularly towards the right-hand corner.

Corners: The lower-left corner shows noticeable softening and bending. The lower-right corner has slight compression and wear. The upper corners also show minor handling wear.

Discolouration: Age-related yellowing and toning are visible around the pale outer margins, especially along the right-hand and lower edges.

Surface Marks: Light scuffing, rubbing and small handling marks are visible. There are also minor surface creases across the printed cover, although the main photograph remains clearly presented.

Tears / Damage: No substantial tears or large missing sections are apparent on the photographed front cover. Minor paper-edge irregularities are visible.

Interior Pages: The interior pages and back cover have not been photographed, so their condition and completeness cannot be fully assessed.

Complimentary Tape: Although the magazine advertises a free compilation tape, it is not shown in the photograph and should not be assumed to be included.

Overall, this is a vintage reading and collecting copy showing age-related wear, while retaining a distinctive and attractive Bluetones cover.

Please examine the supplied photograph carefully, as it forms an important part of the condition description.

Packaging & Postage

The magazine will be carefully and safely folded and packed inside a protective cardboard box for posting.

It will be securely packed to help reduce the risk of crushing, excessive bending and further damage during transit.