As a collector of books about popular culture, I must admit at being irritated by those critics who automatically dismiss any books with an academic focus and overlook publications like TEENSET. It is both an unfair and unwise approach to the study of books of that nature. One should attempt to avoid labels and inferences when reading any academic-based title exploring popular culture.
Many music fans over the years made certain specific assumptions (often inaccurate ones) by just reading the titles of magazines that were seemingly attempting to appeal to a teenage audience or demographic.
I recently was watching a Teaflix program with Angie and Ruth McCartney and they were interviewing author and academic, Professor Allison Bumsted, about her book “TeenSet, Teen Fan Magazines, and Rock Journalism: Don’t Let the Name Fool You!” The book she wrote had a detailed discussion of the assumptions described above and the book’s premise appealed to my imagination and brought back many memories to me of what I thinking when I bought my first copy of Teenset magazine even prior to my teenage years…
Teenset Magazine had a brief 5 year history but its contributions to pop culture were significant!
A little background on Judith Sims, the editor of Teenset magazine:
Judith Sims (c. 1939 – March 25, 1996) was an American journalist, music critic, and magazine editor. She was the editor of the Magazine Teenset in the 1960s. Later, she would become the Los Angeles bureau chief for Rolling Stone magazine. She conducted several interviews in the sixties with the Beatles and obviously had a great sensitivity to the impact the group was having on the culture of the time.
Judith was acutely aware of the Teenset magazine’s title as not being precise enough, not only because of the wider range of the audience age demographic being reached by the magazine, but the magazine was also dealing with topics of a more mature nature with a scope that went far beyond the typical teenage magazine of the day. In essence, Teenset was experiencing its own identity crisis as would be evidenced in a coming-of-age story. See the Teenset ad below presented by Sims herself in an issue of Rolling Stone back in 1968. This photograph of the Teenset ad appears on page 195 of the Allison Bumsted book:
The subject of Professor Bumsted’s book is a great analysis of a magazine that I loved as a first-generation Beatles fan specifically because of its more mature adult approach to the subject matter. I believe that may be one of the primary reasons for part of Allison’s book title. “Don’t Let the Name Fool You”. Just because the title said Teenset did not mean the subject being dealt with was limited to strictly a teenage audience demographic or teenage perspective.
Would like to lay the groundwork of informing you of Professor Bumsted’s impressive background:
Allison Bumsted’s academic credentials:
Humanities Adjunct Associate Professor -Austin Community College
PhD of Cultural Studies, MA The Beatles, Popular Music, and Society–to have a Master’s Degree in Beatles studies. Quite the achievement, Allison!!! BA History and Political Science
To illustrate the main issues explored by Allison in her wonderful new book I would like to present the book’s Table of Contents as a partial template about the details of a magazine that was around for less than 6 years. Now that story has been beautifully chronicled by Dr. Allison Bumsted!
Introduction: Age, Genre, and Journalism in Popular Music
The Introduction deals with gender perceptions and possible misperceptions of what were considered as traditional gender differences between the consumers of pop culture and what type of writing helps to give the most accurate description of what constitutes rock journalism.
Chapter One. A Capitol Idea!
The Origins of Teen Fan Magazines and TeenSet-discusses the origins of Teen Fan Magazines and specifically the origins of Teenset
Chapter Two. It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll Journalism
The Absence of TeenSet Within a History Shaped by Critics- is an analysis to demonstrate that the magazine has not received the recognition it deserves in rock criticism circles
Chapter Three. Show Me TeenSet!
TeenSet as a Valuable Source in Popular Music
Allison discusses the contributions of Teenset to the study of pop music
Chapter Four. Taking Popular Music Seriously
Judith Sims and the Women on the Scene
Allison demonstrates her keen awareness of the great contributions of women in the literary world as it deals with the appreciation, the study and creation of popular music. Her respect and admiration for Judith Sims contributions to Teenset magazine are clearly evident and are a main focus of this chapter.
Chapter Five. “A Nifty Music Magazine with a Misleading Name”
TeenSet’s Duality, Representation of and Interaction with an Evolving Musical and Cultural
Landscape – I love this chapter specifically because it highlights the dilemma of “appearance vs. reality” when one makes an assumption of a magazines contents solely based on the title. When I bought my first issue of the magazine in the sixties, I, too, was to be thoroughly and pleasantly surprised as the magazine was much better than my initial impressions or expectations.
Conclusion. “ETC. ETC.”
Reconsidering the Popular Music Journalism Historical Discourse
A great summary to this wonderful and scholarly book!
Some background of the author by the publisher: Published in 2024 by University Press of Mississippi
A Teaflix program link with the author being interviewed by Ruth and Angie McCartney on YouTube is offered here for your enjoyment!
TeaFlix Interview with Professor Allison Bumsted – YouTube
A partial description of the now discontinued Liverpool University Master’s program sent to me by Allison Bumsted:
And to answer any skeptics that may be viewing this, the Beatles are just as valid an academic study as ANY other historical or cultural phenomenon…especially in regards to the enormous impact that they had on so many millions of people!!!
Even though Teenset was not solely a magazine of interest to Beatles fans, I have to admit, my obsession with the band promoted my primary interest in the magazine. If you watch the video of Allison with Ruth and Angie McCartney provided in this post, you will see she has the same Beatles cover issues of the magazine in her own personal collection that I have in mine. Apparently, we are kindred spirits in our common interest….
Teenset’s origins also had a common link with Capitol Records which was to become the Beatles record label mainstay in 1964. A Capitol executive, Brown Meggs, was to sign the Beatles to their first distribution contract in the United States according to a an article written by Allan Kozinn in the October 16, 1997 of the New York Times. Meggs also got the ball rolling by starting Teenset magazine for Capitol Records in 1964. Though Capitol’s interest in the magazine was to fade. The magazine was to feature the Beatles several times on the cover in it’s brief 5 year history.
A few Teenset issues with the Beatles or a Beatle on the cover which I acquired for my personal collection over the years.
In support of one of author Allison Bumsted’s contentions, Teenset took a much more mature approach to the subject of “rock culture” and its impact on society than most music-centered magazines of the time that tried to appeal to merely adolescent-themed topics. The first issue shown below was from Feb. 1968, the same month the Beatles recorded the fabulous song, “Across the Universe.” As a first generation fan, I remember purchasing this magazine in a local pharmacy’s magazine section and loving the changes the Beatles were going through with their music and the colorful presentation of the entire counter-cultural movements that were also occurring in society at this time. Maybe I was in the minority but I preferred magazines like Teenset that were more information-based rather than the more hero-worship coming of age type of magazines like 16 and Tiger Beat.
SAMPLE ISSUES OF THE BEATLES ON THE COVER OF TEENSET
A few samples of Teenset covers featuring the Beatles or a Beatle. Like Allison I have copies of these issues in my own personal magazine collection!
This cover was the inspiration for Allison’s Teenset book. You can see the similarities of the book cover at the beginning of this post:
A special Teenset Yellow Submarine issue from 1968:
Paul’s consistent fascination with drumming is exhibited with this cover of Teenset from August of 1967:
Allison Bumsted has pointed out in her interview with Ruth and Angie that John and Yoko were reading this issue of Teenset in the Peter Jackson Get Back film. This was probably the last Beatles-related cover of the magazine that was issued:
The July 1968 issue of Teenset featuring RIngo on the cover:
The November 1967 issue of Teenset. Features a photo from the “All You Need is Love” Our World program photo session, one of the first satellite broadcasts in the world. In another post on this blog, I have posted a beautiful signed and inscribed photo from photographer David Magnus who was the photographer that the Beatles hired for this special event.
Paul on the cover from the May 1968 issue. There is also an article on Scaffold in this issue. Paul’s brother Mike was in Scaffold:
Paul also appeared on the cover of the April 1968 issue:
TEENSET-A SPECIAL SEARS EDITION ISSUE FROM 1967:
This was a very difficult issue of the magazine for me to find for my collection from December 1967:
January 1967 issue of Teenset. Ironically, the issue was from Jan. of 1967 and the Beatles retired from touring in August of 1966:
From Dec 1966-one of the earliest Beatles Teenset covers!
Another magazine with a Beatles connection that appears in Allison’s book:
In her analysis of other music based magazines of the time, Allison Bumsted attempts to compare the impact of various competing magazines of a corresponding time frame to understand their differing approaches to convey what was occurring in the culture of the time.
The evolution of Teenset:
Teenset was one of the most popular U.S. music magazines of the 60’s and by 1967 it had grown and evolved into a publication with a recipe of idealism and the anti-establishment feel of the flower power crowd, yet also maintaining the exuberance and enthusiasm of early teen fan magazines. Teenset, the magazine with the puzzling or misleading name changed it’s primary focus and name to AUM (America’s Underthirty Magazine) in April 1969.
This magazine cover appears in Dr. Bumsted’s Teenset book and is an issue of the magazine after the name transition. It is a Henry Diltz photograph of an AUM magazine cover from July 1969. The photograph in the Teenset book was used with the permission of Scholastic Inc in Allison Bumsted’s book. It features an article about “The Fool”, the Dutch based group of artists who were well known for their painting of the Apple Clothing Boutique on Baker Street in London. They were also being considered to be the designers of the inside cover fold-out of Sgt Pepper. Later the Beatles changed their mind and used a group photo in the Pepper fold-out instead. I believe the Diltz photo is of an original Fool painting design. These type of magazines were now dealing with significantly more adult topics than what were previously considered as typical teenage fare.
Copies of Allison’s book are readily available for purchase on Amazon and many other booksellers such as Barnes and Noble, and such book search services such as Abe Books. The direct link to the publisher-the University Press of Mississippi is provided below:
In my opinion you will enjoy this title very much!
“TeenSet, Teen Fan Magazines, and Rock Journalism: Don’t Let the Name Fool You!” By Allison Bumsted
Published by: University Press of Mississippi
TeenSet, Teen Fan Magazines, and Rock Journalism | University Press of Mississippi
FEEDBACK?
Would like to hear your comments concerning your knowledge or awareness of the important contributions of women to the magazines that helped to document and chronicle popular culture over the years. In your opinion is there a gender specific difference in the way male authors and writers approach the study of popular culture as compared with a female perspective of the same subject matter?
Would love to hear your opinions or perspectives….
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
Art & Craft
Original art and craft related to Liverpool and the Beatles
