After completing a degree in history at the Polytechnic of North London, Neil takes a job at Marvel Comics, anglicizing spellings and indicating where over-risque woman needed to be redrawn decently. While there he interviews comic fan Marc Bolan, who politely points out that his tape recorder wasn’t working. In 1977 he works at Macdonald Educational Publishing, later moving to ITV Books. In June 1982, he joins Smash Hits.
Neil records the vocals for ‘I Get Along.’
They perform ‘Home and Dry’ on the U.K. TV special The BRITS Are Coming. This is also the first night of four consecutive sold-out shows by Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds in its entirety at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Neil is among the many British music celebrities who attend these concerts, but it’s not certain on which night.
They continue work on ‘The Dead Can Dance’ (started the day before) and also work on ‘Say It to Me.’