Author:Alan Edwards
Subtitled Dispatches From A Life In Rock and Roll, this memoir is the work of the founder of one of the UK’s biggest PR agencies, the Outside Organisation. This very readable book follows the author’s life from his early days writing for Sounds and getting involved in the burgeoning London punk scene, through to setting up his own business, and managing to secure PR duties for the likes of Blondie. From then on it’s a bit of a whirlwind, including taking care of the acts as diverse as The Rolling Stones and The Spice Girls, among many others. The cornerstone of the book though is his thirty odd year relationship with David Bowie, which manages to survive a number of ups and downs along the way but ultimately lasts until Bowie’s untimely death. While he doesn’t reveal any great secrets or break any confidences, the book does give an insight into the behind the scenes work that goes on and the personal relationships that sometimes form as he flits from one continent and one client to another, a journey that perhaps inevitably eventually takes its toll on his personal life. This insider’s view of working in the world of rock and pop certainly holds your attention and keeps the pages turning, and overall it’s a very engaging and enjoyable read from someone who’s spent over five decades in the business, has been there and done it, and has accumulated plenty of vivid recollections, interesting insights and amusing anecdotes along the way.
Length of Read:Medium
Might appeal to people who enjoyed…
Rock n roll war stories, a peek behind the scenes at life in the world of the A Listers.
One thing you’ve learned
His four daughters sang backing vocals on Bowie’s The Heart’s Filthy Lesson.
Nice review – I read a few excerpts of this in various newspapers last week. Safe to say that Mick Jagger comes across as a bit of a cock, but I suspect that’s already pretty widely known.
He was entertaining on a recent Word podcast. Having heard that, I don’t really need to read the book.
Yes it’s a good watch