Ian Ravendale

Ian Ravendale

Ian Ravendale began working for BBC's Radio Newcastle's Bedrock show in the 1970s and soon after started writing for local and national music magazines. He's written for Sounds, Classic Rock, AOR, Record Collector, The Word, American Songwriter, Classic Pop, Vive Le Rock, Iron Fist, The Beat, Vintage Rock and Fireworks, and worked with Tyne Tees Television and Border TV.

Articles by: Ian Ravendale

Diane Warren posing for a photograph at a piano

“I remember sitting on the piano next to Steven Tyler while he was learning the song. Hearing that voice was one of those moments I’ll never forget”: The epic career of Diane Warren, the songwriting genius behind some of rock’s greatest hits

By Ian Ravendale published

Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, The Cult and Starship have all benefitted from Diane Warren’s midas touch

Robert Plant and Jimmy Page - The New Yardbirds (to become Led Zeppelin )., Copenhagen, Sep. 7, 1968

"I stood right at the front and watched. There was hardly anyone there": Behind the scenes at Led Zeppelin's first UK show, told by the people who saw it

By Ian Ravendale published

When people turned up to a Newcastle ballroom, they expected to see The New Yardbirds. Instead, they saw the future of rock'n'roll

Black Widow onstage on German TV show Beat Club

"He reckoned we could conjure a demon. We tried it every night on stage, but it never worked": the story of Black Widow, rock's original pretend Satanists

By Ian Ravendale published

Need a bit of controversy? Try black magic and on-stage naked sacrifices

A portrait of Klaatu

Aliens, Carpenters and The Beatles: The curious case of Klaatu

By Ian Ravendale published

They were The Beatles – or so a million record buyers thought in ’77. Forty years later, Klaatu come clean on what was quite a trip