Kris Needs (born 3 July 1954) is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. He became editor ofproto-punk and early punk rockZigZag magazine in August 1977 at 23 and has since written biographies of musicians and rock stars, includingPrimal Scream,Joe Strummer andKeith Richards.

In 1972, Needs became the secretary of theMott The Hoople fan club, the Sea Divers, which he ran from his home inAylesbury,Buckinghamshire.^[1] His contact details at the time appear on the sleeve of the band's sixth studio album,Mott.

In the late 1970s, he fronted a band The Vice Creems, appearing inJohn Otway's Aylesbury Market Square free concert and also recorded a single withThe Clash'sMick Jones andTopper Headon in the same studio thatThe Rolling Stones used to record their late 1960s peaks.Billy Idol contributed percussion and backing vocals for the band.

Needs started in journalism on theThame Gazette, a weekly newspaper inOxfordshire, went on toThe Bucks Advertiser and then took over editingZigZag, the UK's first monthly music mag, in 1977.^[1]

Needs and Wonder Schneider formed the band Secret Knowledge and recorded the 1992 club hit "Sugar Daddy" on Andrew Weatherall'sSabres of Paradise label. The track appeared on their 1996 electronic albumSo Hard. Kris and Wonder also recorded withLeftfield as Delta Lady.

Needs startedDJing at college in 1970, continuing at 70spunk rock events,the Batcave in London during the 1980s and for Primal Scream and Prodigy in the 90s while spinning at the world's clubs, includingIbiza's infamousManumission.

In 2014, he completed the biographical work onGeorge Clinton:George Clinton: The CosmicOdyssey of DrFunkenstein.^[2] In 2015 he wrote the authorised biography ofSuicide;Dream Baby Dream: Suicide; A New York Story.

In 2022, he was writing for various UK music magazines, includingMOJO,Record Collector,Classic Rock,Prog,Electronic Sound,Vive Le Rock andShindig!.^[1] In May 2017, he launchedNo More Big Wheels with author Helen Donlon, an online outlet for cultural essays beyond the remits of the magazines.^[3]