Colin McClelland
Encyclopedia
Colin McClelland is a retired journalist
, born in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
.
He worked briefly as a library
assistant and shipping clerk before taking up a full-time job with a rock club, The Marquee in Belfast
, in 1968.
He became a pop columnist for various magazines, including New Musical Express, around 1970. Colin later managed a Northern Ireland pop group called Chips. He went on to enter mainstream journalism
as a reporter and feature writer with the Belfast Sunday News, during the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He was later promoted to Chief Sub-Editor
of that newspaper, where he also wrote a weekly column.
In 1977 Colin entered into correspondence with a singer and guitar player called Jake Burns
, who was trying to promote his band Stiff Little Fingers
.
Colin later took his friend and fellow journalist Gordon Ogilvie to see the band perform live, and afterwards the two became first publicists, then managers, of SLF. The band and Ogilvie and McClelland set up a company called Rigid Digits, based at Colin's home in Sharman Road, Stranmillis
, Belfast, to promote and manage the band.
Through his contacts in the recording business in Ireland
, Colin set up facilities for the recording and pressing of the band's first single "Suspect Device
", and with Ogilvie, dealt with the promotion and distribution of the single. They also handled live gigs for the band
, where major record label A&R
men were invited to see them play.
After the release of the first album, Inflammable Material
, and the negotiations with Chrysalis
for the band's first major recording contract, Colin sold his sixth share in Rigid Digits to the other partners. He had already moved to Dublin with his family, and there went on to further his career in journalism, becoming the editor and director of Ireland's Sunday World
newspaper
. He retired from newspapers in 1994, at the age of 50, and now runs a media
management company.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, born in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
He worked briefly as a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
assistant and shipping clerk before taking up a full-time job with a rock club, The Marquee in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, in 1968.
He became a pop columnist for various magazines, including New Musical Express, around 1970. Colin later managed a Northern Ireland pop group called Chips. He went on to enter mainstream journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
as a reporter and feature writer with the Belfast Sunday News, during the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He was later promoted to Chief Sub-Editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of that newspaper, where he also wrote a weekly column.
In 1977 Colin entered into correspondence with a singer and guitar player called Jake Burns
Jake Burns
Jake Burns is a singer and guitarist, and is best known as the frontman of Stiff Little Fingers.-Career:...
, who was trying to promote his band Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers
Stiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
.
Colin later took his friend and fellow journalist Gordon Ogilvie to see the band perform live, and afterwards the two became first publicists, then managers, of SLF. The band and Ogilvie and McClelland set up a company called Rigid Digits, based at Colin's home in Sharman Road, Stranmillis
Stranmillis
Stranmillis is an area in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is also an electoral ward for Belfast City Council, part of the Laganbank district electoral area. As part of the Queen's Quarter, it is the location for prominent attractions such as the Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens and is popular...
, Belfast, to promote and manage the band.
Through his contacts in the recording business in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Colin set up facilities for the recording and pressing of the band's first single "Suspect Device
Suspect Device
Suspect Device may refer to* Suspect Device from the album Inflammable Material* Suspect Device...
", and with Ogilvie, dealt with the promotion and distribution of the single. They also handled live gigs for the band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, where major record label A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
men were invited to see them play.
After the release of the first album, Inflammable Material
Inflammable Material
Inflammable Material is the 1979 debut album by the Northern Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Jake Burns and Gordon Ogilvie; except where indicated#"Suspect Device" – 2:36#"State of Emergency" – 2:29...
, and the negotiations with Chrysalis
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
for the band's first major recording contract, Colin sold his sixth share in Rigid Digits to the other partners. He had already moved to Dublin with his family, and there went on to further his career in journalism, becoming the editor and director of Ireland's Sunday World
Sunday World
The Sunday World is an Irish newspaper published by Sunday Newspapers Limited, a division of Independent News and Media. It is the largest selling "popular" newspaper in the Republic of Ireland and is also sold in Northern Ireland .-Origins:The Sunday World was Ireland's first tabloid newspaper...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. He retired from newspapers in 1994, at the age of 50, and now runs a media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
management company.