Martin Newell (born 4 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter, poet, columnist, and author who leads the Cleaners from Venus, a guitar pop band with jangly, upbeat arrangements. He is also regarded as a significant figure in the history of cassette culture and DIY music. His most popular work is The Greatest Living Englishman (1993), produced by Andy Partridge of XTC.

Martin Newell's Box of Old Humbug.

Newell thought the descending nature of 'A Street Called Prospect's chords might bring on comparisons to Ray Davies, but the song "couldn't not be written". He's quick to point out his music is less Kinks-y than people think. Originally the album was not called The Greatest Living Englishman, it was going to be something like Martin Newell's Great New Product and we were going to make it like a soap packet. And we thought it'd be fun rather than to say 'produced by Andy Partridge', it would contain 'new & improved Andy Partridge', like an ingredient.

Martin Newell's ODDCASTE 31by. Playing tracks by. Marc Almond, The High Llamas and Gilbert O'Sullivan. Marc Almond/ Wicked Ravens/ Paul McCartney+Wings/ undeveloped Newell riff/ of Arrowe Hill, High Llamas, Gilbert O'Sullivan.

Classic Newell chord changes ring and breezily roll, their major key ride juxtaposing and meshing nicely with the more poignant tale of the lyrics as the narrator encounters himself on the street one day sporting the titular look and knows he needs to rethink his wont of missing days from chasing rainbows. A Bluebeat Kid is the darker new wave of 1979, as it happens, the year it was recorded  . We award Jumble Sale the Mercurial Girl Prize for the album most like a Martin Newell album released this year. Hurry – listen – cleaners from venus.

Published by Jardine Press and with a foreword by Germaine Greer, this is the first comprehensive collection of Martin Newell's poems. The selection was the author's own and represents the very best of twenty years work - much of it originally commissioned for publication in national newspapers. There are a few poems here which were initially aired on BBC TV and radio as well as a sprinkling of stage favourites which it was felt essential to include.