Document and Eyewitness
An Intimate History of Rough Trade
Published on 19. February 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
480 pages
978-1-3996-3471-7 (ISBN)
Description
UPDATED WITH NEW MATERIAL FOR 2026
'An essential purchase . . . Taylor's book is a joy' INDEPENDENT
'The type of reader that buys rock biographies will crave the detailed information that spans the late 1970s to 1991 - and they will not be disappointed' RECORD COLLECTOR
Rough Trade is practically a byword for the history of independent music over the last fifty years. Document And Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade tells the story from the inside of a phenomenally influential record label, through the voices of Geoff Travis, Jarvis Cocker, Robert Wyatt, Green Gartside and many more.
From the early records of Cabaret Voltaire, Kleenex and the Swell Maps, through to groundbreaking releases by The Fall, The Smiths and Scritti Pollitti, on through the collapse of the independent collective and the rebirth of Rough Trade at the turn of the century, this is the definitive, essential account for any serious music fan. This 2026 edition features brand new material by the author.
'An essential purchase . . . Taylor's book is a joy' INDEPENDENT
'The type of reader that buys rock biographies will crave the detailed information that spans the late 1970s to 1991 - and they will not be disappointed' RECORD COLLECTOR
Rough Trade is practically a byword for the history of independent music over the last fifty years. Document And Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade tells the story from the inside of a phenomenally influential record label, through the voices of Geoff Travis, Jarvis Cocker, Robert Wyatt, Green Gartside and many more.
From the early records of Cabaret Voltaire, Kleenex and the Swell Maps, through to groundbreaking releases by The Fall, The Smiths and Scritti Pollitti, on through the collapse of the independent collective and the rebirth of Rough Trade at the turn of the century, this is the definitive, essential account for any serious music fan. This 2026 edition features brand new material by the author.
Reviews / Votes
An essential purchase for anyone who was involved in or influenced by the punk maelstrom of 1976, a riveting evocation of a period in musical history that becomes more important the further we get away from it ... Taylor's book is a joy * INDEPENDENT * Long overdue...The type of reader that buys rock biographies will crave the detailed information that spans the late 1970s to 1991 - and they will not be disappointed * RECORD COLLECTOR * DOCUMENT AND EYEWITNESS' treatment of its main players is affectionate-going-hagiographical, but the implication of that end-point is inescapable. The journey from the mid-1970s to now denotes the arrival of an altogether duller world: music that tends to be reverential rather than iconoclastic * GUARDIAN *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 215 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 38 mm
Weight
460 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-3471-7 (9781399634717)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2026
White Rabbit
€12.99
Available for download
Person
Neil Taylor worked for the NME during the mid-1980s and has more recently worked in publishing. He is a dedicated regionalist and now lives in Winchester.