Articles by Peter Makowski

Pete Makowski joined Sounds music weekly aged 15 as a messenger boy, and was soon reviewing albums. When no-one at the paper wanted to review Deep Purple's Made In Japan in December 1972, Makowski did the honours. The following week the phone rang in the Sounds office. It was Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. "Thanks for the review," said Blackmore. "How would you like to come on tour with us in Europe?"

Pete had a spell as a press officer for the likes of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Motörhead, the New York Dolls and more. When punk hit, Makowski championed the championing the Sex Pistols, Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and The Only Ones, and played guitar in the Snivelling Shits. (The band originally only lasted for two singles but re-formed in 2018, playing five gigs, including the Rebellion Festival.) He wrote for Street Life, New Music News, Kerrang!, Soundcheck, Metal Hammer and This Is Rock. When Geoff Barton became the Editor of Sounds he introduced Makowski to photographer Ross Halfin with the words, “You’ll be bad for each other,” creating a partnership that spanned three decades and filing legend-creating stories on bands like Aerosmith, Rainbow and UFO. Halfin and Makowski went on to work on dozens of stories for Classic Rock in the 00-10s, bringing back stories that crackled with humour and insight. Pete died in November 2021.

Articles by: Peter Makowski

The Pretty Things’ Phil May posing for a photograph in 1974

“Iggy ran from one side of the stage to the other and head-butted the wall. I was covered in blood, because he’d come up and danced around me”: The Pretty Things singer Phil May’s wild tales of Hendrix, Zeppelin, Iggy Pop and Judy Garland

By Peter Makowski published 10 May 25

Late Pretty Things singer Phil May was mates with Hendrix and Page, a rival of the Stones and an accidental drinking buddy of Judy Garland

Marianne Faithfull posing for a photograph in 1965

“Kenneth Anger laid a terrible curse on me. It was written out in blood. I burnt it at a crossroads”: Marianne Faithfull’s wild tales of Keith Richards, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and more

By Peter Makowski published 29 March 25

Singing with Page and Metallica, flirting with Hendrix, getting high with Clapton – the late Marianne Faithfull did it all

Jack Bruce posing for a photograph with a bass guitar in 2001

“I always thought that Pink Floyd were a band for people who don’t like music or rock’n’roll”: Jack Bruce’s wild tales of Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Leslie West and more

By Peter Makowski published 22 February 25

From Ginger Baker’s genius to Leslie West’s food roadie, former Cream man Jack Bruce saw it all

Todd Rundgren posing for a photograph in 1977

“Paul McCartney was an unusually dour person and John Lennon was drunk and inanimate”: Todd Rundgren’s wild tales of The Beatles, New York Dolls, Grand Funk Railroad and more

By Peter Makowski published 15 February 25

Todd Rundgren clashed with Lennon, told RIngo Starr how to drum and helped shape the New York Dolls

Scorpions in their 80s heyday - studio portrait

"Ted Nugent came down to the dressing room and said ‘Guys! You have to calm down!'": The turbulent story of the Scorpions

By Peter Makowski published 4 February 25

Whether it’s almost changing their name to Stalingrad or filling their biggest hit with whistling, there’s always a sting in the Scorpions' tale

Jeff Beck posing for a photograph with a guitar in 2009

“Stevie Ray Vaughan was a little worse for wear. He was eating KFC out of a box and then ate the box as well”: Jeff Beck’s wild tales of Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Frank Zappa

By Peter Makowski published 1 February 25

Sharing the stage with Page, giving Hendrix a guitar, being mistaken for Jagger – these were some of Jeff Beck‘s most memorable friendships

"The management have threatened to arrest me!": Scott Weiland on his furious final days with Velvet Revolver

By Peter Makowski published 30 January 25

In 2008, just days before he was sacked by Velvet Revolver, Scott Weiland told the uncensored story of his deteriorating relationship with the band

Stone Temple Pilots posing for a photograph in front of a wooden door in 2010

“After years of taking heroin, it becomes this black ooze that covers your heart and you can’t feel the music any more": How Stone Temple Pilots and Scott Weiland gave it one last chance with their self-titled sixth album

By Peter Makowski published 25 January 25

The story of Scott Weiland’s final Stone Temple Pilots album

Arthur Brown posing for a photograph in 2012

“I had just taken my first acid trip, and I had an African spear and a Chinese Warlord outfit”: Arthur Brown’s wild tales of Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, David Bowie and more

By Peter Makowski published 21 December 24

Jamming with Hendrix, partying with The Who, getting hit on by David Bowie’s wife – The God Of Hellfire has done it all and more

"For a time they outsold Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin": The Grand Funk Railroad albums you should definitely listen to

By Peter Makowski published 26 November 24

The hard-working, fuzzed-up Detroit rock’n’rollers who became blue-collar America’s – and Homer Simpson’s – favourite band

"Lemmy was a creature of habit; he'd have a huge line of speed and then a big fry-up for breakfast": Topper Headon's wild tales of Johnny Thunders, Keith Moon, Keith Richards and more

By Peter Makowski published 12 November 24

Living with Lemmy, Sharing a tour bus with Bo Diddley, refusing to get out of bed for Martin Scorsese – these are the stories of Topper Headon, legendary drummer with The Clash

From grunge whipping boy to one of rock'n'roll's most charismatic if troubled stars: The Scott Weiland albums you should definitely listen to

By Peter Makowski published 5 November 24

With Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, Scott Weiland fronted some of the best hard rock albums of the early 21st century

Meat Loaf posing for a photograph in 1987

“The Grateful Dead? Man, they were abysmal. After 20 minutes half the audience had gone”: Meat Loaf’s wild tales of Iggy Pop, the MC5, The Who and more

By Peter Makowski published 12 October 24

Iggy, Joe Cocker, Jerry Garcia, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – Meat Loaf crossed paths with them all

Gary Moore posing for a photograph against a red backdrop

“Ozzy put a pint glass over his mouth and sucked it until he burst all the blood vessels around his face. Then he turned into a character from Planet Of The Apes”: Gary Moore’s wild tales of Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Lynott and Led Zeppelin

By Peter Makowski published 5 October 24

Ozzy, Robert Planet, Rory Gallagher, Peter Green, Ginger Baker – late, great guitarist Gary Moore crossed paths with them all

“Nothing’s worse than hearing someone say, ‘Deep Purple? They’re just like Black Sabbath, knocking out riffs’”: the birth of Deep Purple Mk II and the transformation that changed rock

By Peter Makowski published 9 June 24

How Deep Purple went from one-hit-wonders to become one of the greatest rock bands in history

"Walking up to the hotel front desk with a chainsaw usually got a lot accomplished": Joe Walsh on rock'n'roll excess and running for President

By Peter Makowski published 23 May 24

Life’s been good to Eagle Joe Walsh

“This is the best record I’ve ever done in my life. Montrose and Van Halen led up to this”: the story of Sammy Hagar’s Chickenfoot, the greatest rock supergroup of the 21st century

By Peter Makowski published 13 April 24

How members of Van Halen, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a bona fide guitar hero joined forces to bring the good times back with Chickenfoot

Lars Ulrich and Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple

“Metallica would jam on their stuff in rehearsals, songs like Black Night and Highway Star”: Lars Ulrich on his lifelong love of Deep Purple and the genius of the Machine Head album

By Peter Makowski published 13 April 24

Lars Ulrich is a lifelong Deep Purple fan – and here’s why

"Shirley Bassey arrived, took off her coat and went straight into the studio. She sang and then just collapsed on the floor": an epic Jimmy Page interview

By Peter Makowski published 9 January 24

As Led Zeppelin prepared for their 2007 reunion show, Jimmy Page sat down with Classic Rock for an extensive interview. And now, for the first time, we're publishing it online in full

Lemmy's golden rules of songwriting, and the three songs he loved the most

By Peter Makowski published 29 June 23

Late Motörhead mainman Lemmy on the genius of Abba, what he shares with Jimi Hendrix, the best lyric he ever wrote, and the greatest songs ever written

Silverhead could have been huge: instead they imploded from a mix of class-A chemicals and "mad, decadent sex"

By Peter Makowski published 3 May 23

British glam rockers Silverhead provided the musical template for Hanoi Rocks, Mötley Crüe and Poison, and in frontman Michael Des Barres they gave Hollywood a star

Lynyrd Skynyrd pose by their trailer backstage at an outdoor concert in October, 1976 in California

On the road with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Atlanta Rhythm Section: a story of guns and homicidal bass players

By Peter Makowski published 26 October 22

Terrifying tales from the road as a 20-year-old British writer tours the American south with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Atlanta Rhythm Section

Dave Edmunds: my stories of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon and more

By Peter Makowski last updated 1 September 22

Dave Edmunds travelled on Led Zeppelin's private jet and spent an afternoon with George Harrison playing Beatles dress-up. These are his stories

Rory Gallagher: the remarkable story of a blues brother's hot streak

By Peter Makowski last updated 2 May 22

Between 1971 and 1974, Rory Gallagher made six incendiary albums that sealed his reputation as the People’s guitar hero. This is the story

Sylvain Sylvain looking pensive in New York, 1980

Sylvain Sylvain: My stories of Mick Jagger, Brigitte Bardot, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more

By Peter Makowski published 22 March 22

New York Dolls guitarist Sylvain Sylvain flashed a leg for John Lennon, nearly joined the Sex Pistols, and had a problem with Kiss. These are just a few of his stories

Peter Makowski

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