
David Sinclair
Musician since the 1970s and music writer since the 1980s. Pop and rock correspondent of The Times of London (1985-2015) and columnist in Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines. Contributor to Q magazine, Kerrang!, Mojo, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, et al. Formerly drummer in TV Smith’s Explorers, London Zoo, Laughing Sam’s Dice and others. Currently singer, songwriter and guitarist with the David Sinclair Four (DS4). His sixth album as bandleader, Apropos Blues, is released 2 September 2022 on Critical Discs/Proper.
Latest articles by David Sinclair

How Slash re-electrified the blues for the hard times
By David Sinclair, Richard Bienstock published
Slash released an album of blues and soul standards that no one was expecting, then took the show on the road to support community causes

The 50 Best Rock Albums of 2024
By Classic Rock Magazine published
A-listers, established artists, up-and-comers, previously unknowns and more

How Slash organised Orgy Of The Damned
By David Sinclair published
With his recent album Orgy Of The Damned – a selection of classics, each sung by a different guest singer – Slash is the latest rock superstar to take the blues road

Runnin' with the devil: The stories behind the songs on Slash's Orgy of the Damned
By David Sinclair published
From Robert Johnson to Lightning Hopkins, The Temptations to Stevie Wonder: The original versions of Slash's Orgy Of The Damned songs

Robin Trower has just played six shows to celebrate his greatest album. The next stop? America
By David Sinclair published
Robin Tower on returning to the stage, his favourite pastime, and Bridge Of Sighs

"Her hair all flying and her big man-eater teeth flashing. She ate us all for breakfast": Remembering the Queen Of Rock’N’Roll, Tina Turner
By David Sinclair published
Tina Turner: November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023

The making of David Bowie's Diamond Dogs and the tour that failed
By David Sinclair published
Diamond Dogs marked the point at which David Bowie began to shed his glam-rock skin. He then embarked on one of rock's most expensive – and dangerous – tours

The Peter Green albums you should definitely listen to
By David Sinclair published
Unequalled as a British-blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, Peter Green's best albums are studded with brilliance

Robby Krieger wrote The Doors' classic Light My Fire. But what he really wants, more than anything, is to have an instrumental hit
By David Sinclair published
Taking influences from soul, jazz, blues, psychedelia and more, Robby Krieger's new group the Soul Savages have the pop charts in their sights

"A 72-year-old rock'n'roll delinquent with a righteous touch": Walter Trout gets heavy and heartfelt on new album Broken
By David Sinclair published
Welcome to Walter Trout's world of damaged goods

The Robin Trower albums you should definitely own
By David Sinclair published
There’s much more to unsung guitar hero and songwriter Robin Trower than his outstanding 1970s power-trio albums

"Every single note he played could kill me with its beauty": Celebrating the life of a man regularly described by his peers as the greatest guitarist of them all, Jeff Beck
By David Sinclair published
A look back on the life, times and truly extraordinary music of the The Guv’nor

David Bowie: curator, mentor, nurturer, counter-intuitive collaborator, hard rock lover, surfer of the zeitgeist, Tin Machine genius
By David Sinclair published
The death of David Bowie in 2016 sent a seismic shock through the music world, but his chameleon career colours a legacy that endures far beyond his passing

The 50 best rock albums of 2023
By Fraser Lewry published
The past 12 months may go down in history as a period of tumult and turmoil, but on the positive side, rock'n'roll is very much alive and well – as the best 50 albums of 2023 reflect

“I looked out the window, the sun was coming up and I started playing the riff of Sunshine Of Your Love": how Cream made Disraeli Gears in five days and changed music forever
By David Sinclair published
The story behind one of the greatest rock albums of the 1960s

"Electric Ladyland was one of those albums that I look back on now and think 'Good grief! What the hell were we doing?'": the road to Jimi Hendrix's final studio masterpiece
By David Sinclair published
As Jimi Hendrix's landmark album Electric Ladyland celebrates its 55th anniversary, we look at what made Hendrix the first true star of a very ‘white’ scene

The Guess Who say they're ambassadors of their own catalogue, that they have a responsibility to deliver it with integrity. But they're also blown away by their own new music
By David Sinclair published
Most people might know them for just one song, but there’s a lot more to The Guess Who than just American Woman

Billy Gibbons' personal guide to every ZZ Top studio album
By David Sinclair published
Billy Gibbons looks in the rear-view mirror and gives some behind-the-scenes observations on ZZ Top’s back catalogue of studio albums

Billy F Gibbons: What Jimi Hendrix means to me
By David Sinclair published
ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons on touring with Jimi Hendrix, playing Hendrix covers, and his favourite Hendrix songs

The story of 1966, the year that built rock
By David Sinclair last updated
Before 1966, the blues was tired, worn out and unsexy. But then Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Jimi Hendrix created the modern guitar hero too

Interview: Billy Gibbons on Elwood Francis and the bright future of ZZ Top
By David Sinclair published
The death last year of bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill looked like it might be the end of ZZ Top, but with Elwood Francis now filling his shoes Billy Gibbons reveals why it’s business as usual

Kris Barras used to shout 'Hello Wembley!' at gigs for fun: now he's done it for real
By David Sinclair published
Kris Barras on new album Death Valley Paradise, getting heavier, and playing with Billy Gibbons

The life, music and legacy of ZZ Top’s enigmatic bassist and vocalist, Dusty Hill
By David Sinclair published
A look back at the career of the late Dusty Hill: ZZ Top bassist, true Texan, beer drinker, hell raiser, airport baggage handler
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