Toby Creswell
Encyclopedia
Toby Creswell is an Australian music journalist
and pop-culture writer. He was editor of Rolling Stone
(Australia) and a founding editor of Juice. In 1986 he co-wrote, with Martin Fabinyi, his first book Too Much Ain't Enough a biography of pub rocker
and former Cold Chisel
vocalist Jimmy Barnes
. Creswell has also written The Real Thing: Adventures in Australian Rock & Roll, 1957-now in 1999 and 1001 Australians you should know in 2006. The latter was written with his domestic partner
, fellow writer and journalist, Samantha Trenoweth.
, Roadrunner and a range of national and international magazines and newspapers. He has worked for MTV
and a variety of television programs as a writer and presenter. As a keyboard
player for seminal post-punk band, Surfside 6
, he wrote the B-side, "School's Out", to their 1980 hit single, "Cool in the Tube".
In 1985 he became editor of the Australian edition of Rolling Stone
and two years later was in a partnership which took over the franchise. He continued to edit Rolling Stone until September 1992. The following year he started, in partnership with Lesa Belle Furhagen, the publishing company Terraplane Press/Terraplanet and was editorial director of the magazines Juice, HQ, Monument, Big Hit and Australian Style.
Creswell co-authored, with Martin Fabinyi
, his first book in 1986, Too Much Ain't Enough, which is a biography of Jimmy Barnes
, former lead vocalist for pub rock
band Cold Chisel
. In 1999 his second book, also co-written with Fabinyi, was The Real Thing: Adventures in Australian Rock & Roll, which is a history of Australian rock and roll between 1957 and the late 1990s. In 2000 a disastrous share float crippled the publishing company, Terraplane Press/Terraplanet, and led to its eventual dissolution in 2002.
In 2003 he wrote Love is in the Air: Stories of Australian Pop Music, a history of Australian pop music
, to coincide with the ABC TV
series, Love is in the Air, and in 2006 published 1001 Australians you should know, which he co-authored with his domestic partner
, fellow journalist and writer, Samantha Trenoweth.
Creswell has also worked in television, producing a variety show for SBS
and as the writer for two series of documentaries, The Great Australian Albums in 2007 and 2008, each episode examined one of eight classic Australian albums over four decades. He was also the producer of The National Karaoke Challenge. His book, 1001 Songs is used by Brian Nankervis
, creator, producer and adjudicator
, of SBS program RocKwiz
as a source of information for questions.
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
and pop-culture writer. He was editor of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
(Australia) and a founding editor of Juice. In 1986 he co-wrote, with Martin Fabinyi, his first book Too Much Ain't Enough a biography of pub rocker
Pub rock (Australia)
Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Australian music today....
and former Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
vocalist Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
. Creswell has also written The Real Thing: Adventures in Australian Rock & Roll, 1957-now in 1999 and 1001 Australians you should know in 2006. The latter was written with his domestic partner
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
, fellow writer and journalist, Samantha Trenoweth.
Biography
Creswell wrote his first article on rock & roll for Nation Review in 1972. He subsequently wrote articles about all aspects of popular culture and music for RAM, BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, Roadrunner and a range of national and international magazines and newspapers. He has worked for MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and a variety of television programs as a writer and presenter. As a keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player for seminal post-punk band, Surfside 6
Surfside 6
Surfside 6 was an ABC television series which aired from 1960 to 1962. The show centered around a Miami Beach detective agency set on a houseboat and featured Troy Donahue as Sandy Winfield, II; Van Williams as Kenny Madison ; and Lee Patterson as Dave Thorne...
, he wrote the B-side, "School's Out", to their 1980 hit single, "Cool in the Tube".
In 1985 he became editor of the Australian edition of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
and two years later was in a partnership which took over the franchise. He continued to edit Rolling Stone until September 1992. The following year he started, in partnership with Lesa Belle Furhagen, the publishing company Terraplane Press/Terraplanet and was editorial director of the magazines Juice, HQ, Monument, Big Hit and Australian Style.
Creswell co-authored, with Martin Fabinyi
Martin Fabinyi
Martin Fabinyi is an Australian film and television producer and director, songwriter and screenwriter and has written books on the local rock music scene. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Mushroom Pictures from its formation in 1995 to 2009. His film projects include the features Chopper ,...
, his first book in 1986, Too Much Ain't Enough, which is a biography of Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
, former lead vocalist for pub rock
Pub rock (Australia)
Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Australian music today....
band Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
. In 1999 his second book, also co-written with Fabinyi, was The Real Thing: Adventures in Australian Rock & Roll, which is a history of Australian rock and roll between 1957 and the late 1990s. In 2000 a disastrous share float crippled the publishing company, Terraplane Press/Terraplanet, and led to its eventual dissolution in 2002.
In 2003 he wrote Love is in the Air: Stories of Australian Pop Music, a history of Australian pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, to coincide with the ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
series, Love is in the Air, and in 2006 published 1001 Australians you should know, which he co-authored with his domestic partner
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
, fellow journalist and writer, Samantha Trenoweth.
Creswell has also worked in television, producing a variety show for SBS
SBS TV
SBS One is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 24 October 1980, it is the responsibility of SBS's television division, and is available nationally...
and as the writer for two series of documentaries, The Great Australian Albums in 2007 and 2008, each episode examined one of eight classic Australian albums over four decades. He was also the producer of The National Karaoke Challenge. His book, 1001 Songs is used by Brian Nankervis
Brian Nankervis
Brian Nankervis is an Australian comedian. He was originally best known for his character of Raymond J. Bartholomeuz, an eccentric beat poet. The character was popular during the 1980s and 1990s in regular appearances on Hey Hey It's Saturday...
, creator, producer and adjudicator
Adjudicator
An adjudicator is someone who presides, judges and arbitrates during a formal dispute. The term adjudicator essentially means a judge, without invoking the legal term. An ombudsman is a type of adjudicator in local government in the United Kingdom....
, of SBS program RocKwiz
RocKwiz
RocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
as a source of information for questions.