What do you think?
Rate this book
Teds, Rebels, Hepcats & Psychos: The Story of British Rockabilly 1966-1998
A history of Rockabilly music and culture in Britain from 1966 to 1998. 734 pages of interviews with the people that were there: the band members, the DJ's, the promoters, the record labels, the fans.
734 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 10, 2025
As someone who didn’t experience the rockabilly scene firsthand, I found 'Teds, Rebels, Hepcats & Psychos: The Story of British Rockabilly 1966-1998' both fascinating and invaluable. Paul Wragg has done a remarkable job preserving the stories and memories of a subculture often overshadowed by the extensive documentation afforded to punk and other movements.
I’ve loved rockabilly since my childhood in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but I didn’t even hear the term until much later—and only recently realised it remains a vibrant, living subculture. This book has helped bridge that gap for me, offering a wealth of insights into the history, fashion, psychobilly, and even the darker, criminal elements of the scene.
Physically, the book is enormous—one of the largest I’ve ever read—but its size shouldn’t intimidate potential readers. It’s perfect for dipping into specific periods or themes rather than reading cover to cover, making it accessible to enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
This is a labour of love and an incredible achievement. As a next step, a feature-length documentary could make these stories even more accessible, potentially extending the narrative to include the modern-day rockabilly scene. For now, this book is essential for anyone curious about one of Britain’s most enduring and unique subcultures.
I’ve loved rockabilly since my childhood in the late ’80s and early ’90s, but I didn’t even hear the term until much later—and only recently realised it remains a vibrant, living subculture. This book has helped bridge that gap for me, offering a wealth of insights into the history, fashion, psychobilly, and even the darker, criminal elements of the scene.
Physically, the book is enormous—one of the largest I’ve ever read—but its size shouldn’t intimidate potential readers. It’s perfect for dipping into specific periods or themes rather than reading cover to cover, making it accessible to enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
This is a labour of love and an incredible achievement. As a next step, a feature-length documentary could make these stories even more accessible, potentially extending the narrative to include the modern-day rockabilly scene. For now, this book is essential for anyone curious about one of Britain’s most enduring and unique subcultures.
January 21, 2025
‘South London Rockabilly and musician.’?
I’ve been called worse.
Three years ago, my piece for Neil Cossar and Richard Houghton’s ‘The Jam: The Day I Was There’ was used in its entirety; then in ‘21 I got a chapter all to myself in the very fabulous ‘Wired for Sound’ by Sammy Jones. Now, some excerpts from one of my old articles features in this very fine tome from Paul Wragg… ‘Teds, Rebels, Hepcats & Psychos – The Story of British Rockabilly 1966 - 1998’.
The unpublished article in question; ‘ROCKABILLY RELOADED - THE CHICK-A-BOOM ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CLUB’, was written for Vintage Milkcow magazine who had previously published a few of my book reviews. Unfortunately, the magazine went under before the article could see the light of day and remains unpublished. Of course, if anyone would like to read it, let me know and I will post it sometime.
But for now, I suggest you give ‘Teds, Rebels, Hepcats & Psychos’ a spin. It will stand as one of the ‘go to’ references for anyone who wants to know anything about one of the most subversive of British subcultures. And it will certainly answer the eternal conundrum: What’s the difference between a Ted and a Rockabilly.
I’ve been called worse.
Three years ago, my piece for Neil Cossar and Richard Houghton’s ‘The Jam: The Day I Was There’ was used in its entirety; then in ‘21 I got a chapter all to myself in the very fabulous ‘Wired for Sound’ by Sammy Jones. Now, some excerpts from one of my old articles features in this very fine tome from Paul Wragg… ‘Teds, Rebels, Hepcats & Psychos – The Story of British Rockabilly 1966 - 1998’.
The unpublished article in question; ‘ROCKABILLY RELOADED - THE CHICK-A-BOOM ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CLUB’, was written for Vintage Milkcow magazine who had previously published a few of my book reviews. Unfortunately, the magazine went under before the article could see the light of day and remains unpublished. Of course, if anyone would like to read it, let me know and I will post it sometime.
But for now, I suggest you give ‘Teds, Rebels, Hepcats & Psychos’ a spin. It will stand as one of the ‘go to’ references for anyone who wants to know anything about one of the most subversive of British subcultures. And it will certainly answer the eternal conundrum: What’s the difference between a Ted and a Rockabilly.
November 23, 2022
Most readers will end up skimming large portions of this massive text. But for anybody interested in mods and rockers or the other youth music trends in England, there is a lot to savor. By checking out the featured bands on Spotify as I read along, I've expanded my musical awareness and found some new favorites. I was interested to find out that the British youth relied heavily on films from the 50's for guidance on how to dress. And that the "drape" jackets favored by Teds had to be custom made. I still don't fully grasp what "peg" pants are. Keep Rocking!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews