Helter Skelter Publishing

Helter Skelter Publishing
Founded1995
FounderSean Body
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Headquarters locationLondon
DistributionTurnaround Publisher Services[1]
Publication typesBooks
Nonfiction topicsMusic
Official websitewww.helterskelterpublishing.com

Helter Skelter Publishing is a British publisher specialising in rock music.

Helter Skelter was founded as a bookshop by Sean Body in 1995, who specifically chose the location of 4, Denmark Street as it had previously housed Regent Sounds Studios, which had recorded early work by the Rolling Stones.[2] The shop specialised in books and fanzines covering Bob Dylan, which at one point accounted for 40% of its sales.[3] It also sold sheet music and music-related artwork.[4] Despite predictions it would not appeal to a wide market and be "a boys' anorak paradise", a report in The Independent suggested that 20% of customers were women.[5]

Although the shop was popular, it was unable to cope with a 40% rise in shop rates, and it closed at the end of 2004. Body died of leukemia in April 2008.[3] However, the name survives as a publishing company.[6]

  1. ^ "Publishers Representatives | Publishers Distributors". Turnaround Publisher Services. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. ^ "History". Regent Sounds. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b Williams, Richard (24 April 2008). "Obituary : Sean Body". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  4. ^ Brewer, Stephen (2007). The Unofficial Guide to England. John Wiley & Sons. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-470-05225-9.
  5. ^ O'Brien, Karen (2 August 1998). "Confessions of a female music anorak". The Independent. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  6. ^ Directory of Publishing 2014: United Kingdom and The Republic of Ireland. A&C Black. 2013. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-472-53744-7.