Mods – The New Religion! book by Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson – cover art and new release date

by Modculture 14 March, 2013

Mods – The New Religion! book by Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson

We have been looking forward to the arrival of Mods – The New Religion! by Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson, as there’s every chance that it could be the definitive book on the 1960s mod scene. However, we have some good news and bad news.

The good news, as you can see above and at the bottom of the page, is that we now have the cover art for the book, which is released by Omnibus Press. But the bad news is the release date. The February date came and went and according to Smiler, the new date is now October 2013. As the author points out, it has taken many years to research and two years to write, so a delay of months isn’t the end of the world.  All good things come to those who wait and as we said earlier, this is likely to be a very, very good thing.

The official write-up says: Mod may have been born in the ballrooms and nightclubs around London but it soon rampaged throughout the country. Young kids soon found a passion for sharp clothes, music and dancing, but for some it was pills, thrills and violence. The original Mod generation tell it exactly how it was, in their very own words. First hand accounts of the times from the people who were actually on the scene.

Top faces, scooterboys, DJs, promoters and musicians build up a vivid, exciting snapshot of what it was really like to be with the in-crowd. Packed with rare pictures, ephemera, art and graphics of the era. Featuring interviews with Eddie Floyd, Martha Reeves, Ian McLagan, Chris Farlowe and many more.

Approximately 304 pages and 122,000 words in length, it contains interviews with Mods from all over Britain on how they saw the fashions and music change in their local clubs. It also claims to be the first book on the subject to include how Mod developed in the provinces as well as the major cities.

According to Paul: ‘their stories are compelling, startling and often humorous, but told with an attention to detail second to none. As well as the regular Mods, my five years of research led me to key movers and shakers in the world of music, including legendary American soul singers such as Martha Reeves (Tamla Motown) and Eddie Floyd (Stax). Members of many bands have shared with me previously untold stories of groups such as The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Small Faces, as well as music icons such as Marc Bolan, Rod Stewart and Eric Clapton.’

‘From the fashion side, I have memories of people such as Lynne Franks (Founder of London Fashion Week and the person who set up the British Fashion Awards) and Mike McGras (PR to John Stephen, the man who created Carnaby Street).’

The book will also feature some of the rarest ephemera in the world, including ultra rare record labels, club membership cards, posters and handbills. Photos that have never been published before include images of Rod Stewart, The Small Faces, Steve Ellis, Sonny Boy Williamson, David Bowie, The Eyes, The Creation, The Muleskinners and many others.

As we said, you’ll have to wait until October to get it, but you can pre-order now at Amazon. Just ignore Amazon’s shelf date though, it’s not yet been updated.

Mods – The New Religion! book by Paul ‘Smiler’ Anderson

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