Uncut (magazine)

Uncut was launched in May 1997 by IPC as "a monthly magazine aimed at 25- to 45-year-old men that focuses on music and movies", edited by Allan Jones (former editor of Melody Maker).[http://www.prweek.com/news/97848/ Media: In Brief – May day launch for IPC’s Uncut] PR Week UK, 21 March 1997 Jones has stated that "[t]he idea for Uncut came from my own disenchantment about what I was doing with Melody Maker. There was a publishing initiative to make the audience younger; I was getting older and they wanted to take the readers further away from me", specifically referring to the then dominant Britpop genre.{{cite news |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=38345§ioncode=1 |title=If you ask me: Allan Jones |date=October 1, 2007 |publisher=Press Gazette |access-date=2010-02-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517195033/http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=38345§ioncode=1 |archive-date=May 17, 2011 }}

According to IPC Media, 86% of the magazine's readers are male and their average age is 37 years.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100502035422/http://www.ipcmedia.com/brands/uncut Brand Profile: Uncut] Retrieved on 15 February 2010

Uncut's contents include lengthy features on old albums, interviews with film directors, music and film news, and reviews of all major new album, film and DVD releases. Its music features tend to focus on genres such as Americana, rock and alternative country. Each month, the magazine includes a free CD, which may include both new and older music. Special Issues have covered U2, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the Byrds, David Bowie, Demon Records, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Queen, Martin Scorsese, Motown Records, Morrissey, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, the Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, the Beatles, Elvis Costello, the Kinks, Fleetwood Mac and more.

Uncut underwent a radical redesign in May 2006, as a result of which the magazine no longer catered for books and reduced its film content.

Jones writes a regular monthly column, recounting stories from his long career in music journalism.

Uncut{{'}}s monthly circulation dropped from over 90,000 in 2007 to 47,890 in the second half of 2015.

In 2019, TI Media, successor to IPC, sold NME and Uncut to Singaporean company BandLab Technologies.{{Cite web |last=Tobitt |first=Charlotte |date=17 May 2019 |title=TI Media sells music titles NME and Uncut to music platform Bandlab |url=https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/ti-media-sells-music-titles-nme-and-uncut-to-social-music-platform-company-bandlab/ |access-date=2019-07-15 |website=Press Gazette}} BandLab Technologies became the Caldecott Music Group in 2021 and split itself into three sub-units called BandLab Technologies, Vista Musical Instruments and NME Networks, with the latter group continuing to publish Uncut. In May 2023,{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-05-26 |title=Kelsey Media announces the purchase of Uncut from NME Networks |url=https://www.kelsey.co.uk/news/kelsey-media-announces-the-purchase-of-uncut-from-nme-networks/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=KELSEY Media}}{{Cite web |date=2023-05-26 |title=After raising $25m, BandLab parent offloads UK music media brand Uncut |url=https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/after-raising-25m-bandlab-parent-offloads-uk-music-media-brand-uncut/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=Music Business Worldwide |language=en-US}} NME Networks sold Uncut's print and digital assets to Kelsey Media, publisher of car magazines like Car Mechanics,{{Cite web |title=Classic & Prestige Cars |url=https://www.kelsey.co.uk/brands/classic-prestige-cars/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=KELSEY Media}} Motorsport News{{Cite web |title=Lewis Silkin - Lewis Silkin has advised NME Networks on the sale of Uncut magazine to Kelsey Media |url=https://www.lewissilkin.com/en/news/lewis-silkin-has-advised-nme-networks-on-the-sale-of-uncut-magazine-to-kelsey-media |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=Lewis Silkin |language=EN}} and Fast Car, and farming titles like Crop Production Magazine, Practical Pigs and ''

The Smallholder.{{Cite web |title=Farming, Fisheries & Smallholding |url=https://www.kelsey.co.uk/brands/farming-fisheries-smallholding/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=KELSEY Media}} The first copy of Uncut published under Kelsey Media was the September 2023 issue (Take 317) in August, with the magazine still being sold in shops with its Now Playing compilation CD.

Uncut often produces themed spin-off titles celebrating the career of one artist. This series is now known as The Ultimate Music Guide, but was initially known as Uncut Legends. The series started in 2003 with an inaugural issue devoted to Bob Dylan, edited by Nigel Williamson (though the majority of titles that followed were produced by magazine editor Chris Hunt), followed by magazines entirely devoted to Radiohead, Kurt Cobain, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits and John Lennon (with the Lennon magazine being produced to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the death of the former member of the Beatles).[http://www.uncut.net/magazine/legends/ LENNON] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023044254/http://www.uncut.net/magazine/legends/ |date=2007-10-23}}. uncut.co.uk. Retrieved on 4 October 2007.

Since the series was rebranded as The Ultimate Music Guide, artists such as Kraftwerk, Wilco, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Fall and Talking Heads{{Cite web |title=Uncut Ultimate Music Guide | Single Issues |url=https://magazines.bandlabtechnologies.com/all-products/ultimate-music-guide/single-issues.htm |website=NME Networks magazines}} have been featured, with updated and expanded versions of earlier guides also released as Deluxe Editions (for example Lennon: 80th Birthday Edition{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=John |date=October 6, 2020 |title=Introducing the Deluxe Ultimate Music Guide to John Lennon |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/blogs/introducing-the-deluxe-ultimate-music-guide-to-john-lennon-128211/ |website=UNCUT}} or PJ Harvey's guide which came out again as a '30th Anniversary Edition' in June 2021).{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2021 |title=PJ Harvey – Deluxe Ultimate Music Guide |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/publications/special-issues/pj-harvey-deluxe-ultimate-music-guide-131104/ |website=UNCUT}}

In 2021, Uncut launched more spin-offs including The Complete Bob Dylan{{Cite web |date=May 19, 2021 |title=The Complete Bob Dylan |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/publications/special-issues/the-complete-bob-dylan-130544/ |website=UNCUT}} and The Beatles – Miscellany & Atlas, the latter being a publication typeset in the style of Schott's Miscellany.{{Cite web |date=June 16, 2021 |title=The Beatles – Miscellany & Atlas |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/publications/special-issues/the-beatles-miscellany-and-atlas-131228/ |website=UNCUT}}

In 2015, The History of Rock (using a title previously used for an Orbis Publishing partwork) was launched as a spin-off from Uncut. The new magazine would cover the key events in rock history by year, starting in 1965 and continuing to the present day (though the series was never completed).{{Cite web |last=Mulvey |first=John |date=July 7, 2015 |title=Introducing… The History Of Rock |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/news/introducing-the-history-of-rock-69550/ |website=UNCUT}}{{cite web|url=https://www.timeincuk.com/about/news/press-release/uncut-introduces-new-monthly-magazine-to-portfolio-the-history-of-rock/ |title=Uncut Introduces New Monthly Magazine to Portfolio – The History of Rock|publisher=Time Inc. UK|access-date=17 April 2018}} The History of Rock reproduced contemporary articles that had originally appeared in the music publications of IPC Magazines, with articles from Melody Maker and the NME (used for the period 1965 to 1990) joined by articles from Vox and Uncut in later issues.{{cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/history-of-rock |title=History of Rock|publisher=uncut.co.uk|access-date=17 April 2018}}

Another spin-off to Bandlab's Ultimate Music Guide is the Ultimate Genre Guide, which takes an in depth look at a particular music style. Magazines in this series include 2021's Ultimate Genre Guide to Shoegaze{{Cite web|url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/publications/special-issues/shoegaze-ultimate-genre-guide-133725/|title = Shoegaze – Ultimate Genre Guide|date = 15 September 2021}} which features articles about The Jesus and Mary Chain, Lush and My Bloody Valentine, as well as issues devoted to Punk, Glam and Soul{{Cite web|url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/publications/ultimate-genre-guide-singer-songwriters-109296/|title=Ultimate Genre Guide: Singer-Songwriters|date=12 February 2019}} In July 2023, the latest Ultimate Genre Guide was published, a title devoted to Goth which featured articles on the Cure, Nick Cave and cover star Siouxsie.{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=John |date=2023-07-18 |title=Ultimate Genre Guide - Goth |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/publications/ultimate-genre-guide-goth-143238/ |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=UNCUT |language=en-GB}}

In late 2005, editor Allan Jones and publishing director Andrew Sumner launched a spin-off of the main movies and music magazine, that focused its attention on DVD releases of classic movies. Billed as "the only great movie magazine", Uncut DVD was designed to compete with such established titles as Ultimate DVD, DVD Review and DVD Monthly. Despite strong reviews in the UK trade press, Uncut DVD folded after three quarterly issues.

In 2008, Uncut launched its inaugural Uncut Music Award; this is described as "a quest to find the most inspiring and rewarding musical experience of the past year". A list of 25 nominees is selected by a panel of 10 judges, who are all musicians or music industry professionals, and they come together to decide a winner.[https://archive.today/20120907033710/http://www.ipcmedia.com/press/uncut_music_award_2009_launched_-_judging_panel_announced_press_289647.html UNCUT MUSIC AWARD 2009 LAUNCHED – JUDGING PANEL ANNOUNCED]. IPC Media Past winners have included Fleet Foxes (2008), Tinariwen (2009), Paul Weller (2010) and P.J. Harvey (2011).

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Category:1997 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:DVD magazines

Category:Former Time Warner subsidiaries

Category:Magazines established in 1997

Category:Magazines published in London

Category:Music magazines published in the United Kingdom

Category:Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom

Category:Periodicals with audio content