Alan Betrock

Alan Betrock (1950 – April 9, 2000) was an American music critic, publisher, editor, author and record producer. Initially a music critic, Betrock founded the influential New York Rocker magazine in 1976 and the publishing house Shake Books in 1979. He has written and edited several books, including the critically acclaimed Girl Groups: The Story of a Sound. He produced Blondie's first demos in 1975 and launched the short-lived record label Shake Records. He has produced and/or released music by such artists as Marshall Crenshaw, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, the dB's and the Smithereens.

Early career A native of Queens, New York City, Betrock went to Newtown High School in Queens and attended Queens College. which led to Rock Marketplace in 1973. The magazine united record collectors nationwide in the search for obscure releases Betrock himself was a passionate record collector with encyclopedic musical knowledge and a passion for obscure 1960s and 1970s garage rock singles. as well as local newspaper SoHo Weekly News. From the mid-1970s onward, he compiled various compilation albums for labels such as Pye and Rhino, as well as writing liner notes.

Later period

Not long after its December 1973 opening, Betrock found his way to gigs at CBGB in Manhattan's East Village. Witnessing the emergence of bands like Television, the Ramones and Talking Heads, he immersed himself completely in the new underground music scene.

In February 1976, During this time he also worked as the East Coast editor for Bomp! magazine. was lauded by the critic Robert Palmer in The New York Times as "everything a rock 'n' roll genre study should be."

Death

Betrock died of cancer at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, New York City on April 9, 2000, aged 49.