Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

A new, definitive biography of the iconic and mysterious singer, Warhol superstar, Velvet Underground collaborator: influential solo artist Nico. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE ALONE is a new biography of Nico, the mysterious singer best known for her work with the Velvet Underground and her solo album Chelsea Girl. Her life is tangled in myth--much of it of her own invention. Rock and roll cultural historian Jennifer Bickerdike delivers a definitive book that unravels the story while making a convincing case for Nico's enduring importance. Over the course of her career, Nico was an ever-evolving myth: art film house actress, highly coveted fashion model, Dietrich of Punk, Femme Fatale, Chelsea Girl, Garbo of Goth, The Last Bohemian, Heroin Junkie. Lester Bangs described her as 'a true enigma.' At age 27, Nico became Andy Warhol's newest Superstar, featuring in his one commercial break out hit film Chelsea Girls and garnering the position of chanteuse for the Velvet Underground. It wasn't Nico's musical chops which got her the gig; it was her striking beauty. Her seeming otherworldly and unattainable presence was further amplified by her reputation for dating rock stars (Brian Jones, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, among others). She became famous for being Nico. Yet Nico's talent and her contribution to rock culture are often overlooked. She spent most of her career as a solo artist on the road, determined to make music, seemingly against all the odds, enduring empty concert halls, abusive fans, and the often perilous reality of being an ageing artist and drug addict. She created mesmerizing and unique projects that inspired a generation of artists, including Henry Rollins, Morrissey, Siousxie Sioux and the Banshees and Iggy Pop. Drawing on the archives at the Andy Warhol Museum and at Nico's record labels, various private collections, and rarely seen footage, and featuring exclusive new interviews from those who knew her best, including Iggy Pop and Danny Fields, and those inspired by her legacy, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE ALONE reveals the complicated, often compromised, self-destructive and always head strong woman behind the one-dimensional myths.

The Biography of Nico

You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone

The authorized biography of the quintessential ’80s pop band The Bangles, who scored massive hits with “Manic Monday,” Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Hazy Shade of Winter,” and more From their first meeting in 1981, the Bangles were ambitious, focused, and intentional; their hard-work and determination resulted in millions of records sold across the globe, before becoming the first all-girl band to have five “Top 10” hits. Not long after coming together, they toured the world, released #1 records, and collaborated with the biggest artists of the day. They seemed unstoppable—until tensions within the band, artistic differences, and the pressures of sudden celebrity tore them apart less than a decade later. ETERNAL FLAME is the story of those eight years: of a diverse and vibrant Los Angeles music scene, unfettered work ethics and self-belief, the dawn of MTV, the unpredictable consequences of fame, life as a touring band, and their rapid rise to global domination--then imploding at the height of success. But it’s also a story of the very real challenges faced by women attempting to follow their artistic dreams in a media and music industry ecosystem which seemed set up for their failure from the start. With unprecedented access to founding members Debbi Peterson, Susanna Hoffs, and Vicki Peterson, ETERNAL FLAME is the first authorized biography of this iconic group, featuring exclusive stories, input, and interviews from the pioneering band members themselves as well as those that knew them best. From playing the club circuit in 1980s' LA to bunking with Sting during a PR trip to the UK to topping the Billboard charts, to interludes with Prince and appearances on the definitive MTV, ETERNAL FLAME traces the band’s rise to superstardom, taking readers behind-the-scenes and sharing with them never-before-shared anecdotes and personal ephemera. As Debbi herself notes, “I think it's about time that our true story was told. People only see certain aspects of the Bangles, especially as the media has twisted the past and we have been misrepresented for a long time. Plus, certainly in the eighties, we were women making it in a man's world. I think that needs to be celebrated.” Dynamic, daring, and deliciously entertaining from start to finish, ETERNAL FLAME is a tribute to one of the greatest pop bands of the 20th century—and a long-overdue corrective that restores The Bangles to their rightful place in music history as feminist trailblazers.

The Authorized Biography of The Bangles

Eternal Flame

Media pilgrimage has become a booming business in the 21st century. Fans of television shows, rock groups and books flock to places associated with their favorite series, artist or writer, trying to embody and perhaps understand what inspired the beloved piece of work, and, more importantly, to cobble together their own personal identity, seeking meaning in an ever-more divergent and fast-paced world. At the same time, participation in organized group activities are dropping. One of the largest down turns in the US and the UK can be seen in the steep decline of attendance at traditional religious venues. This trend dovetails with the radical uptick in on-line sites dedicated to pop culture and celebrities, as well as an array of niche-focused real-time tours allowing fans to experience the spaces, places and scenery featured in their favorite entertainment medium. The Secular Religion of Fandom: Pop Culture Pilgrim examines the function of fandom, specifically the visiting of spaces which have been recently deemed worthy of sanctification and a newly elevated status of importance. It examines how such pilgrimages are used as a means for forming and maintaining a common language of culture, creating a replacement apparatus based on more traditional frameworks of religious worship and salvation, while becoming an ever more dominant mechanism for constructing individuality and finding belonging in a commodified culture. Looking at television shows such as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, bands like The Stone Roses and Joy Division, and authors like J.K. Rowling and the Brontë sisters, The Secular Religion of Fandom: Pop Culture Pilgrim delves into these issues by examining spaces, fan communities and rituals, providing a unique and provocative investigation into how technology, media and humanistic need for guidance are forming novel ways of expressing value, forging self and finding significance in an uncertain world.

Pop Culture Pilgrim

The Secular Religion of Fandom

“A wild read.” —The Guardian Part biography, part social history, Being Britney pieces together a collage of stories, interviews, legends, and fan experiences to construct a definitive portrait of one of the biggest stars in recent history. In her unique narrative, acclaimed music author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike provides a sympathetic yet objective reexamination of Britney’s trajectory from girl next door to woman trapped by fame. Being Britney is the compelling account of a talented, troubled, and much-discussed modern icon whose life, work, and individual significance will be recognized for many decades to come. “Britney is blessed to have such a talented writer and perceptive mind broaching the complexities of her story thus far.” —Shirley Manson, Garbage

Pieces of a Modern Icon

Being Britney

Kurt Cobain and Ian Curtis. Through death, they became icons. However, the lead singers have been removed from their humanity, replaced by easily replicated and distributed commodities bearing their image. This book examines how the anglicised singers provide secular guidance to the modern consumer in an ever more uncertain world.

Joy Devotion and the Second Lives of Kurt Cobain and Ian Curtis

Fandom, Image and Authenticity

Joy Devotion: The Importance of Ian Curtis and fan culture explores the lasting legacy in the fan, post-punk and dot.com economy of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, and what such dedication says about the larger issues facing us in a modern world. Essays on Curtis, exploring ideas of memory, death, technology, fandom and secular religion are complemented by photos taken at the Ian Curtis Memorial Stone. In this book, fans and artists contribute their personal insights, granting intimate access to the very people who Curtis continues to influence and inspire long past his untimely death in 1980. Foreword by Kevin Cummins. Preface by Steven Morris.

The Importance of Ian Curtis and Fan Culture

Joy Devotion

LA BIOGRAFÍA DEFINITIVA DE NICO: LA ICÓNICA Y MISTERIOSA CANTANTE, SUPERESTRELLA DE WARHOL Y MUSA DE PHILIPPE GARREL, VOCALISTA DE THE VELVET UNDERGROUND E INFLUYENTE ARTISTA EN SOLITARIO Christa Päffgen nació en Colonia (Alemania) en 1938 y padeció de niña los horrores de la guerra. Su extraordinaria belleza pronto la condujo a posar de modelo internacional para los mejores fotógrafos y revistas, momento en el que adoptó el nombre de "Nico", que la acompañaría el resto de su tormentosa vida. Su fama se disparó cuando Federico Fellini le dio un papel en la mítica La dolce vita. Poco después recaló en Nueva York, donde Andy Warhol la introdujo en el séquito de la Factory y, además de protagonizar muchas de sus películas —entre otras, Chelsea Girls— y erigirla en Superstar, la embutió un poco a la fuerza en el grupo fundado por Lou Reed y John Cale, The Velvet Underground. Con ellos grabó el que posiblemente sea uno de los mejores discos de la historia del rock, el icónico vinilo del plátano, producido por el propio Warhol: The Velvet Underground & Nico, donde la alemana cantó en "Femme Fatale", "All Tomorrow's Parties" y "I'll Be Your Mirror" con su particular voz de contralto de fuerte acento teutón. Después inició una fascinante y oscura carrera como artista en solitario, primero con el disco de versiones Chelsea Girl, al que le siguieron The Marble Index y Desertshore, que a pesar de pasar desapercibidos cuando se lanzaron, hoy son discos de culto y de una enorme influencia. Musa y pareja del cineasta maldito Philippe Garrel, con quien protagonizó, entre otras, La cicatrice intérieure, ambos empezaron a consumir heroína de forma regular. Una adicción cada vez mayor llevó a Nico a una espiral de degeneración que la minó física y psicológicamente, cosa que no impidió que tuviera una prolífica carrera como música, sobre todo en directo. Nico murió en Ibiza en extrañas circunstancias a los 49 años. Tras cuatro años de investigación y más de cien entrevistas, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike construye una fascinante y documentadísima biografía de una de las voces más carismáticas de la música popular cuya vida fue un cautivador enigma que You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone trata de desentrañar.

La biografía de Nico

'[An] astute reckoning with modern celebrity' - The Times 'A wild read' - The Guardian 'A well-researched, measured account' - The Sun Part biography, part social history, Being Britney pieces together a collage of stories, interviews, legends and fan experiences to construct a definitive portrait of one of the biggest stars in recent history. In her unique narrative, acclaimed music author Jennifer Otter Bickerdike provides a sympathetic yet objective re-examination of Britney's trajectory from girl next door to woman trapped by fame. Being Britney is the compelling account of a talented, troubled and talked-about modern icon, whose life, work and individual significance will be recognised for many decades to come. 'After years of being framed as a victim, Britney deserves to be celebrated as the fighter, inspiration and enigma she truly is.' - Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

Joy Devotion: The Importance of Ian Curtis and fan culture explores the lasting legacy in the fan, post-punk and dot.com economy of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, and what such dedication says about the larger issues facing us in a modern world. Essays on Curtis, exploring ideas of memory, death, technology, fandom and secular religion will be complemented by photos taken at the Ian Curtis Memorial Stone every month for a year, beginning fall 2009 through 2010. Stakeholders in the Curtis legacy, from fans to artists, contribute their personal insights, allowing for intimate and never before allowed access to the very people who Curtis has continued to influence and inspire long past his untimely death in 1980.

- Vinyl is back and in a big way; this book anticipates a continuing rise in interest- In a bold declaration of love for pre-digital music technology, pop culture historian Jennifer Otter Bickerdike celebrates the vinyl revival- Features interviews with 25 stars - Fatboy Slim, Lars Ulrich from Metallica, Henry Rollins, Portia Sabine and Tim Burgess among them"It's the ritual element of it. It's running your finger down the side of the record, trying to open the plastic wrap, and then pulling it out, seeing if there is an inner sleeve, hoping for a gatefold. Nowadays, you just walk over to your computer, you click three times, and you have 140,000 songs at your fingertips. Vinyl was just a different kind of thing - and it still is." - Lars Ulrich, Metallica In 2015, vinyl sales in the US increased by 30% - a raise for the tenth year in succession - and 1.29 million vinyl albums were sold in the UK in 2014, the first time the million mark has been surpassed since 1996. Vinyl, once thought to be a dying market, is now facing a major revival. Pop culture writer and historian Jennifer Otter Bickerdike interviews some of our most iconic artists, including hip-hop stars, Indie legends, DJs, producers, album cover designers, photographers, label founders and record store owners. Each superstar and superfan talks about their own experiences of vinyl and what it means to them, and the importance of its re-emergence - seemingly against all odds - as a physical format in the era of the digital economy. Why Vinyl Matters is part history, part future forecasting, part nostalgia and all celebration. A collection of more than 25 interviews, all illustrated with photos, sidebars, quotes, album covers, outtakes and much more. This is the book for anyone who has ever gone to the store and bought music on vinyl. Includes interviews with: Fatboy Slim; Tim Burgess (Charlatans); Henry Rollins (musician, actor, writer, comedian); Gaz Coombes (Supergrass); Lars Ulrich (Metallica); Maxi Jazz (Faithless); Rob da Bank (DJ and founder of Bestival); Clint Boone (Inspiral Carpets); Mike Ness (Social Distortion); Chief Xcel (Blackalicious); Cut Chemist (Jurassic 5); Fab 5 Freddy (hip hop pioneer, visual artist); Fat Mike (NOFX); Julia Ruzicka (Future of the Left); Steve Hackett (Genesis); Nick Hornby.

Jennifer Otter Bickerdike

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