Author:Paul Rappaport
Subtitled Airships, Airplay and the Art of Rock Promotion, this book is written by a man who was at the heart of the US music industry during arguably its most exciting era. For over thirty years from the late 60s all the way through to the 90s he worked in the promotions department at Columbia Records, starting when he was still at college and playing guitar in an LA punk band and ascending through the ranks to eventually reach the dizzy heights of Senior Vice President of rock promotion. From a student who couldn’t believe he suddenly had access to as many free albums and concert tickets as he wanted to meeting and working with some of the biggest names in rock, this insider’s account of adventures in the golden age of rock n roll is a really enjoyable and entertaining read. Along the way, he encounters such luminaries as Dylan, Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd to cherry pick just a few choice names. There’s many a tale of life on the road, including a particularly eventful tour with the New Barbarians, and there’s a plethora of eccentric characters, including not just the artists themselves, but managers, promoters and disc jockeys. Whether you want to learn about how he came up with the idea of the Pink Floyd airship, how he duelled with Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson or how he had a guitar lesson from Keith Richards, there are plenty of extraordinary and sometimes bizarre adventures here to entertain the reader. If you like a good old rock anecdote from back in the day, then this is the book for you and I’d certainly heartily recommend it!
Length of Read:Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Taking a peek behind the curtains of the glory days of the rock world.
One thing you’ve learned
It’s not everyone who gets the chance to play guitar on Run Like Hell with Pink Floyd at Earls Court!
Bump and a bump
Great review. I’ll certainly keep an eye open for it.
The artists you mention were all trailblazers in the field of major stadium gigs, learning as they went along.
It must be much easier today with so many very experienced, competent road crews available.
There was an interview with him last week and reading that and this means I must get a copy.