- |
  |
| Music Week pays tribute to departing chart guru Alan Jones |
| Track this thread - Email this thread - Print this thread - Download this thread - Subscribe to this forum |
 Mar 2 2020, 01:16 PM
Post
#1
|
|
 BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,443 User: 366 
 
|
The chart show: Music Week pays tribute to departing chart guru Alan Jones
by Mark Sutherland Since the mid 1980s, the Official UK Charts' rules and regulations have undergone numerous revamps. Formats from vinyl to cassette to CD to downloads to streaming have ebbed and flowed. The Radio 1 Chart Show has had over a dozen different permanent hosts. Even the chart compilation company has changed. But one thing has remained constant. Alan Jones, who first started contributing regularly to Music Week in 1984 – and wrote for our sister publication Record Mirror long before that, starting his Chart File column there in January 1979 – has been the chronicler of the UK charts’ ups, downs and non-movers for as long as almost anyone in the UK biz can remember. In the process, he essentially invented the art of charts analysis as we know it today, and became a font of all knowledge on the arcane minutiae of the charts world. But, sadly, the Singles and Albums analysis featured in the new issue of Music Week, available now, will be Alan’s final ones for Music Week, after he decided to step down after 36 years of incredible service, both to this publication and chart-watchers everywhere. Jonesy being Jonesy, and never a fan of the limelight, he has requested no fanfare upon his exit, but Music Week staffers past and present couldn’t let his departure go unacknowledged. “It really does feel like the end of an era,” says Martin Talbot, former Music Week editor and now CEO of the Official Charts Company. “His length of service is both evidence of the great job he has done and the source of his incredible knowledge, as he has had access to the deepest of chart data for longer than anyone I know. He will be greatly missed, not just by those of us in the industry who have relied on his insights over these past several decades – but also by the nation’s chart obsessives, for whom Alan truly is ‘the King’.” The charts, of course, will go on, and Music Week’s plans for the post-Jones era will be announced soon. Alan himself will continue to provide his take on the Music Week Club Charts. But, in the meantime, please hasten to here and here [note: article contains link to his current chart analyses] and revel one last time in Alan Jones’ searing assessment of the UK charts. Truly, we shall not see his like again. from Music Week |
 |
 
|
|
Mar 2 2020, 04:52 PM
Post
#2
|
|
 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,812 User: 17,376
 
|
Chart guru since I was at Uni at the tender age of 21, and probably the last reason I continue to buy Music Week as the current streaming charts mean nothing to me, and they no longer publish any sales charts. For pop chart freaks like me, Alan has been the GoTo man for the facts, and Paul Gambaccini the GoTo man for the overview on the acts. Back in the day (1980) I tried to get a job at Record Mirror writing to then Editor Alf Martin, and Concerts Editor in 1981 and landed reviewing a Bad Manners gig they published but it didn't lead to anything else apart from letters of comment, sadly. The Main Man was already there, who needed substitutes!
Kudos to Alan for sticking it out over the last few years and longer than he intended, it's a different chart-world now! Over to you Suedey, there's a vacancy....! 
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2020, 04:55 PM
Post
#3
|
|
 BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,655 User: 3,272
      
|
QUOTE(Popchartfreak @ Mar 2 2020, 04:52 PM)  Chart guru since I was at Uni at the tender age of 21, and probably the last reason I continue to buy Music Week as the current streaming charts mean nothing to me, and they no longer publish any sales charts. For pop chart freaks like me, Alan has been the GoTo man for the facts, and Paul Gambaccini the GoTo man for the overview on the acts. Back in the day (1980) I tried to get a job at Record Mirror writing to then Editor Alf Martin, and Concerts Editor in 1981 and landed reviewing a Bad Manners gig they published but it didn't lead to anything else apart from letters of comment, sadly. The Main Man was already there, who needed substitutes! Kudos to Alan for sticking it out over the last few years and longer than he intended, it's a different chart-world now! Over to you Suedey, there's a vacancy....! Sadly it looks like James Masterton has got there before me 
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2020, 04:58 PM
Post
#4
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,812 User: 17,376
|
QUOTE(Suedehead2 @ Mar 2 2020, 04:55 PM) Sadly it looks like James Masterton has got there before me Who?! Bet he doesn't make quips and slag off those tracks that don't deserve to be in the charts  Ah well, it makes your rundown even more essential.... |
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2020, 10:19 PM
Post
#5
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,655 User: 3,272
|
QUOTE(Popchartfreak @ Mar 2 2020, 04:58 PM) Who?! Bet he doesn't make quips and slag off those tracks that don't deserve to be in the charts Ah well, it makes your rundown even more essential.... He's certainly not quite as blunt about songs he doesn't like
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 2 2020, 10:39 PM
Post
#6
|
|
|
Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,140 User: 5,138
 
|
I assume Mr Masterson is a BJ member?
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 3 2020, 05:21 PM
Post
#7
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,812 User: 17,376
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 3 2020, 05:48 PM
Post
#8
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,655 User: 3,272
|
That's the one.
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 3 2020, 07:13 PM
Post
#9
|
|
|
Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,140 User: 5,138
|
Yip!
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 3 2020, 07:43 PM
Post
#10
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 November 2015
Posts: 33,187 User: 22,665
 
|
I thought he was quite opinionated?
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 3 2020, 10:37 PM
Post
#11
|
|
|
BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,443 User: 366
|
QUOTE(Steve201 @ Mar 2 2020, 10:39 PM) I assume Mr Masterson is a BJ member? He's a member of Haven so it wouldn't surprise me to find he's also a member here as well... |
|
|
|
|
Mar 4 2020, 07:23 PM
Post
#12
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 18 July 2012
Posts: 22,812 User: 17,376
|
QUOTE(Robbie @ Mar 3 2020, 10:37 PM) He's a member of Haven so it wouldn't surprise me to find he's also a member here as well... Had no idea - that means he may have read my chart ramblings on Suedey-replacement-bus-service. I wonder if the "unique" style will influence his rundowns
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 5 2020, 07:30 PM
Post
#13
|
|
|
Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,140 User: 5,138
|
I'm assuming it's a well known member then I'm not aware of?
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 5 2020, 08:02 PM
Post
#14
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 7 March 2006
Posts: 22,001 User: 53
|
QUOTE(Steve201 @ Mar 5 2020, 07:30 PM) I'm assuming it's a well known member then I'm not aware of? Could be me 
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 5 2020, 11:51 PM
Post
#15
|
|
|
BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,443 User: 366
|
QUOTE(Steve201 @ Mar 5 2020, 07:30 PM) I'm assuming it's a well known member then I'm not aware of? He's only made a handful of posts at Haven in the 11 years he's been a member. A poster of the same name as he originally had at Haven is a member here at BuzzJack. That poster has never made a single post at BuzzJack despite being a member since late 2010. The poster, whoever it is, still lurks here though as the poster profile shows the poster was last online yesterday morning. I'll leave it up to JM, assuming it's him, to reveal himself.JM does give BuzzJack a namecheck on his website though. See the comment he added a couple of years back to his original chart analysis for 27 December 2003 https://chart-watch.uk/archives/2003/week-e...ember-27th-2003. It's near the end of the article. I think it's fair to say that BuzzJack is doing a bit more than just "limping on"! What's also of interest is that a moderator at UKMix revealed the other day that Alan Jones is a member at UKMix. I don't know the poster name though. Back in the day AJ did make the occasional post at Dotmusic. I'm guessing here but I assume it must be a while since he posted at UKMix. |
|
|
|
|
Mar 5 2020, 11:55 PM
Post
#16
|
|
 Alone and wounded
Pronouns: She/her
Joined: 18 January 2011 Posts: 60,113 User: 12,810 
               
|
James follows me on Twitter (we've interacted on there in the past) - I always presumed that he found me through BuzzJack!
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 6 2020, 12:30 AM
Post
#17
|
|
|
Shakin Stevens
Joined: 29 December 2007
Posts: 46,140 User: 5,138
|
QUOTE(Robbie @ Mar 5 2020, 11:51 PM) He's only made a handful of posts at Haven in the 11 years he's been a member. A poster of the same name as he originally had at Haven is a member here at BuzzJack. That poster has never made a single post at BuzzJack despite being a member since late 2010. The poster, whoever it is, still lurks here though as the poster profile shows the poster was last online yesterday morning. I'll leave it up to JM, assuming it's him, to reveal himself. JM does give BuzzJack a namecheck on his website though. See the comment he added a couple of years back to his original chart analysis for 27 December 2003 https://chart-watch.uk/archives/2003/week-e...ember-27th-2003. It's near the end of the article. I think it's fair to say that BuzzJack is doing a bit more than just "limping on"! What's also of interest is that a moderator at UKMix revealed the other day that Alan Jones is a member at UKMix. I don't know the poster name though. Back in the day AJ did make the occasional post at Dotmusic. I'm guessing here but I assume it must be a while since he posted at UKMix. 😂 Class that he mentions the forum there's no doubt him and other people from MW and OCC are bound to check out the excellent info on here. That was one of the best charts ever as well, and yes BOTH versions of Mad World are masterpieces. |
|
|
|
|
Mar 6 2020, 08:52 AM
Post
#18
|
|
|
BuzzJack Legend
Joined: 13 April 2007
Posts: 36,655 User: 3,272
|
Music Week and James Masterton have now officially confirmed that he is taking over from Alan Jones.
|
|
|
|
|
Mar 6 2020, 08:56 AM
Post
#19
|
|
|
BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,443 User: 366
|
QUOTE(Suedehead2 @ Mar 6 2020, 08:52 AM) Music Week and James Masterton have now officially confirmed that he is taking over from Alan Jones. I was beginning to think MW were just going to publish his first chart analyses columns without any advance confirmation. |
|
|
|
|
Mar 6 2020, 11:50 AM
Post
#20
|
|
|
BuzzJack Gold Member
Joined: 4 April 2006
Posts: 3,443 User: 366
|
James Masterton has published his own tribute to Alan Jones. It's well worth a read.
https://chart-watch.uk/james-blog/charts-news/long-live from the above: QUOTE Throughout this time he has remained something of an enigma. Never once taking a picture byline and seeing no public presence of his own. You will search in vain for his website or any kind of named social media presence. Alan sought no celebrity. His work merely spoke for itself. Although Alan shunned the limelight he did once appear as a guest on the Radio 1 new releases review programme "Round Table". From comments made at a dance music blog this would have been around December 1990 as one of the records featured was 'I Can't Take The Power' by Off-Shore. His fellow guest was the lovely Kim Wilde. This post has been edited by Robbie: Mar 6 2020, 11:53 AM |
|
|
|
|
| Time is now: 19th April 2024 - 10:12 PM |
Copyright © 2006 - 2024 BuzzJack.com
About | Contact | Advertise | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
