NME Magazine 22 March 1997 The Charlatans Tim Burgess Prodigy Wu-Tang Clan NP005

Original NME Magazine / New Musical Express dated 22 March 1997, with The Charlatans as the main front-cover feature and Tim Burgess prominently featured.

The striking cover centres on Tim Burgess in a boxing-style pose beneath the large headline:

“CHAMPION! THE CHARLATANS”

with the accompanying question:

“Can nothing stop the comeback kids?”

This makes the issue particularly attractive for collectors of The Charlatans, Tim Burgess, Britpop, indie music and 1990s NME memorabilia.

The top of the cover heavily promotes the electronic and rave scene with:

“HOME OF THE RAVE: THE PRODIGY, ORBITAL, THE ORB, and THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS invade America”

A photograph of Keith Flint / The Prodigy accompanies this section, giving the issue additional appeal for collectors of the major UK electronic acts of the period.

Other prominent features advertised on the cover include:

• Fun Lovin’ Criminals – New York-related feature
• The Bluetones – secret gig coverage
• Body Count
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Death In Vegas
• James
• The Aloof
• Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
• Arkarna
• Dinosaur Jr

The bottom of the cover also advertises:

“FORCE OR FARCE? The great STAR WARS debate”

adding some wider 1990s popular-culture interest beyond the music coverage.

Overall, this is a particularly strong 1997 NME issue, combining The Charlatans at centre stage with major contemporary coverage of The Prodigy, Orbital, The Orb, The Chemical Brothers and Wu-Tang Clan. It captures the point where Britpop, alternative rock, hip-hop and the UK electronic/rave scene were all prominent within mainstream British music culture.

Magazine / Item Details

• Publication: NME / New Musical Express
• Item Type: Magazine
• Full Date: 22 March 1997
• Main Cover Feature: The Charlatans
• Main Cover Name: Tim Burgess
• Main Headline: “Champion! The Charlatans”
• Other Major Features: The Prodigy, Orbital, The Orb, The Chemical Brothers
• Additional Cover Artists: Fun Lovin’ Criminals, The Bluetones, Body Count, Wu-Tang Clan, Death In Vegas, James, The Aloof, Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, Arkarna, Dinosaur Jr
• Other Feature: Star Wars debate
• Cover Price: 90p / US $3.95
• Era: 1990s
• Music Focus: Britpop, indie, alternative rock, electronic/rave and hip-hop
• SKU: NP005

Condition

Pre-owned vintage condition with visible age-related handling and storage wear.

The front cover shows general creasing, wrinkling and surface waviness, particularly through the outer borders and lower portion of the magazine.

The left-hand edge/spine area has visible handling wear and compression, including several small creases and light roughness along the fold.

The right-hand edge is noticeably uneven and slightly wavy, with some light fraying/roughness consistent with the thin newspaper-style paper stock.

The top edge shows mild waviness and storage wear, while the bottom edge has general handling wear and some light creasing.

The corners are softened, with minor bending visible from use and storage. The pale outer margins also show some age-related toning/discolouration and small handling marks.

The cover image, headlines and printed colours remain clear and readable.

No obvious major large tears, heavy staining or writing can be seen in the supplied photograph.

Condition assessment is based on the single supplied image, so the interior pages and back cover cannot be fully assessed.

Packaging & Postage

The magazine will be carefully and safely folded and packed inside a protective cardboard box for posting.

It will be packed securely to help reduce the risk of bending, crushing and general transit damage while on its way to the buyer.