HERE’S A GEM FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF MY WRITING CAREER.  IT’S A COVER STORY IN THE MARCH 1988 ISSUE OF EQ MAGAZINE ON SELF-DECLARED “NON-MUSICIAN” JJ JECZALIK, WHO WAS A MEMBER OF THE ART OF NOISE AND PROGRAMMED THE FAIRLIGHT CMI SAMPLER ON MANY BIG 1980’S HITS, BY YES, ABC, AND MOST NOTABLY ON FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD’S “RELAX.” THE HILARIOUS STORY EPITOMIZES THE HEADY DAYS OF THE 1980S, AND HOW EMERGING MUSIC TECHNOLOGY WAS ALREADY ROCKING THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. SMALL WONDER, GIVEN JJ’S BAD-TEMPERED STATE OF MIND AT THE TIME, THAT HE EVENTUALLY (RE-)TIRED FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND WENT ON TO TEACH IT AT OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL.

The glossy pics were taken by Barry Marsden, and presumably commanded a hefty fee. Those were heady days for music mags as well!