Ritchie Yorke

Ritchie Yorke
Ritchie Yorke
Born	12 January 1944 Brisbane, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Citizenship	Australian
Occupation(s)	Author, broadcaster, historian, journalist.
Website	ritchieyorke.com

Ritchie Yorke is an Australian-born author, broadcaster, historian and music journalist.

Biography

Australia: 1962–1966

Yorke began writing a weekly music column called Teen Tioucs for the Queensland edition of TV Week magazine in July 1962. From then till February 1964 he also worked as cadet journalist in BTQ Channel 7 news department. After 6 months he was in charge of the weekend news bulletin, becoming special promotions director at the TV station. The lead to Yorke co-hosting and co-producing a top rating teen music show called Teen Tops with songwriter Nat Kipner. From March 1964 to March 1965 he continued writing articles, relocating to work as a publicity and news reader at a radio station in Tamworth. He then returned to Brisbane to act as Public Relations director at 4KQ in Brisbane.

United Kingdom: 1966–1967

In 1966 he left Australia and moved to London, England. From May to November of 1966, Ivan Daymon appointed Yorke the International Operations Direcor of Sunshine Records. It was his job to prepare record deals for Australia pop star Normie Rowe before he arrived in England, in addition managing Rowe. In December of 1966 Yorke for Island Records as International Promotion manager for The Spencer Davis Group. While employed by Island it was his task to promote the band outside of England in support of their record Gimme Some Lovin'. At this time published his first book 'Lowdown on the English Pop Scene', forward by Spencer Davis. A few months later Stevie Winwood left The Spencer Davis Group and formed a new band called Traffic. Chris Blackwell offered Yorke the opportunity of managing Traffic, which he declined, instead embarking on a Continental tour.

Canada: 1967–1973

Yorke arrived in Canada in 1967, settling in Toronto. He found work with the Toronto Telegram before being appointed the first full-time rock writer for Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail. At this time he was also the Canadian editor of Billboard magazine and Canadian correspondent for Rolling Stone. In addition to feature writing for those publications, he also contributed features to NME. In late 1969 he assisted with the coordination and execution of John Lennon and Yoko Onos War Is Over If You Want It peace campaign. In addition to being one of the thousands of volunteers who plastered the streets of Toronto with “War Is Over!” posters, rock musician Ronnie Hawkins and Yorke carried the posters around the world in 1970 in a “52,000 mile world tour” as the Lennons' official peace envoy. The five week tour even had them displaying placard messages at the Chinese border (25 miles from Hong Kong), where "they were stopped by Red Guards and warned they would be shot if they didn't leave".

Yorke is partly responsible for the introduction of the Canadian Content legislation that was instated in 1971. Yorke acted "as the major advocate of the policy from a music industry point of view, testifying both to the adequacy of the supply of Canadian music, as well as to the necessity of radio support to create a viable Canadian music industry."

In 1972 he published the book Axes Chops & Hot Licks, the first book to cover Canadian music culture and the development of the Canadian Content laws. It is also the first published rock history devoted entirely to a music scene outside of the United States and England. In the same year he was named Canadian Journalist of the Year at the second Juno Awards in Toronto. .

London, Canada: 1973–1986

In 1973, Yorke cut back on his assorted journalism and broadcasting activities to concentrate on the book field. He moved back to London to work with members and friends of Led Zepplin on their first official biography. He returned to Tornoto in Late 1974 after serving on the Committee of Honour at the 8th Montreux International Jazz and Blues Festival.

Early in 1977, Yorke published the widely-acclaimed book "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" (Methuen Publications) to coincide with the international airing of the rockumentary. He also went to Los Angeles to assist Van Morrison in the release of his "A Period of Transition" album.

After the death of John Lennon in New York, he was also a key contributor to the Rolling Stone book, "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (1982), and was appointed media spokesman for Lennon's Bag One lithograph exhibition tour across the U.S. the following year.

Australia: 1986–Current Day

In 1986 Yorke returned to his home town Brisbane to resume a broadcasting and journalism. He worked as an announcer and producer for ABC Radio from 1987-1989. At this time he continued writing, now for Brisbane's Sunday Mail until 2007.

Publications

Yorke has contributed to many news publications and magazines across the world. They include TV Week Australia Big Night Out, Brisbane Times, The Courier-Mail, Go-Set, Juke Magazine, Pix, Strangelove, The Sunday Mail (Brisbane) and Time Off. In the U.S. he regularly contributed or was syndicated in Billboard, the Boston Globe, Chicago Daily News, Detroit Free Press, Hit Parader, Houston Post, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Free Press, Rolling Stone, Washington Post and Zoo World. In the U.K. he has had his worked published in Melody Maker, Mojo, New Musical Express, Nineteen Magazine, Petticoat Magazine and Rhythms. In Canada he was published in the Globe and Mail, the Montreal Star, Chatelaine, the Ottawa Journal, RPM, Sound Canada, the StarPhoenix, the Toronto Telegram and Winnipeg Free Press. Other publications he was involved with include Music Life from Japan and Music Maker from Hong Kong. Yorke acted as Billboard's Canadian foreign correspondent and was also the managing editor of magazines Grapevine and Rainbow.

Film

Throughout his career Yorke has made a number of and television appearances in addition to contributing to documentary films. In 1986 he wrote the documentary The Real Patsy Cline. He features prominently in the documentary John & Yoko's Year of Peace, giving a first hand account of the events of late 1969 in Canada alongside others who were involved in the peace mission. In 2010 he appeared as a guest panellist on music quiz show Spicks and Specks. He was also interviewed for the 2011 documentary, Yonge Street: Toronto Rock & Roll Stories on Toronto's burgeoning music scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Music

In 1965 Yorke discovered the Brisbane band The Reverbs. They released one single, "Crazy ‘Bout You"/"I’m As Blue As Blue Can Be" on the Los Angeles-based Arlen label. In addition to managing the group, Yorke produced the single and wrote both songs. In 1966 Yorke contributed lyrics to Normie Rowe's song "Mary, Mary", the b-side to "It's Not Easy", and consequently shares writing credits for the song. In 1970 he produced Edward Bear's first album Bearings under the pseudonym "Tuft". He also appears on the Bad Manors album by Crowbar, credited with playing the anvil on "Prince Of Peace" and tambourine on their 1971 hit "Oh What A Feeling". Yorke flew to Madrid to assist in the 1973 production of Miguel Rios' "(A Song For The) New World", a rock-oriented version of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. He also wrote the English-language lyrics for the song.

Bibliography

Books by Ritchie Yorke

• Lowdown On The English Pop Scene, Horwitz, 1967.
• Axes Chops & Hot Licks (The Canadian Rock Music Scene), Hurtig Publishers, 1972.
• Into The Music: The Van Morrison Biography, Charisma Books, 1975. (ISBN 085947013X)
• The Led Zeppelin Biography, Methuen Publications, 1976.
• The History Of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Methuen Publications, 1976. (ISBN 0-8467-0186-3).
• Led Zeppelin: The Definitive Biography, Virgin Books, 1991. (ISBN 0863697445)

Contributions by Ritchie Yorke

• Montreux Jazz, Editions de la Tour, Lausanne SA, 1976. (ISBN 2851089765).
• Rock Critics' Choice: The Top 200 Albums, compiled by Paul Gambaccini, Omnibuss Press, 1978. (ISBN 0-86001-494-0).
• The Ballad Of John And Yoko, M. Joseph/Rolling Stone Publishers, 1982. (ISBN 0718122089)
• A Little Bull Goes A Long Way, Pennon Publishing, 2001. (ISBN 1-877029-01-7)
• Memories Of John, Harper Collins, 2005.(ISBN 0060594551).
• Hendrix On Hendrix, Chicago Review Press, 2012. (ISBN 9781613743249).
• Rock Country, Hardie Grant Books, 2013. (ISBN 978-174270521-7).
• Led Zeppelin On Led Zeppelin: Interviews And Encounters, Chicago Review Press, 2014. (ISBN 1613747578).

Liner Notes

3

Awards and Accolades

• 1972 – Juno Awards - "Canadian Journalist of the Year"

External links

• Official website