Tony Fletcher

This authoritative, behind-the-scenes book about The Smiths, one of the most respected and storied indie rock bands in music history, vibrantly recreates the story of four working-class kids from a northern English city who changed the music world and the lives of their fans. (This book was previously listed in Forecast.) 40,000 first printing.

The Enduring Saga of the Smiths

A Light that Never Goes Out

A biography of Keith Moon, the drummer with the Who, who died in 1978. Information was gathered from friends and family, and associates in the music industry such as Alice Cooper, Jeff Beck, and Kenny Jones, and the author suggests that Moon's substance abuse brought on schizophrenic tendencies.

The Life of Keith Moon

Dear Boy

Keith Moon was the bad boy of rock & roll, the most manic member of an aggressive and fabulously successful band, a full-throttle hedonist who lived at the center of an unending party. He was also a musical genius who inspired whole generations of artists, a generous friend to nearly everyone who crossed his path, a guileless man of immense personal charm to whom the sweetest sound on earth was surf music.A generation after his death, Moon is still revered as the greatest drummer in rock history and the single wildest personality in an age of pop excess. Here is the truth behind the legend, the result of more than three years of research in which music journalist Tony Fletcher interviewed dozens of Moon's friends, colleagues, and associates. The result is an instant classic that brilliantly illuminates both the tender and self-destructive sides of this singular personality. This is the story of one of the most outrageous rock stars ever born -- and Moon is one of the greatest rock biographies ever written.

The Life and Death of a Rock Legend

Moon

REM are the most influential, prolific and vital American group of the last quarter century. From their humble post-punk beginnings in the college town of Athens, Georgia to their current standing as a global phenomenon, REM have consistently bucked audience expectations and defied music biz rules. This new edition of Tony Fletcher's acclaimed biography brings the band's story right up to date, covering the departure of drummer Bill Berry, Michael Stipe's increasing role as a spokesman for humane causes, Peter Buck's 'air-rage' trial and the group's music right up to their 2001 Reveal album.

Remarks Remade: The Story Of REM

Formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980, R.E.M. released their first single, Radio Free Europe, in 1981. By the time the band broke up they had recorded fifteen studio albums, 63 singles, sold more than 85 million records, signed the biggest recording contract in music history, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Tony Fletcher's biography of the enigmatic quartet from Athens, Georgia, benefits not only from Tony's long association with the band but also by the co-operation of the band itself. Discussing fame, fortune and sexuality with the same keen eye he casts on the group's astonishing musical catalogue, Perfect Circle is neither blind fan worship nor jaundiced critical cynicism, but a balanced and thorough telling of one of the most compelling rock stories of our time. Drawing on dozens of interviews with friends, associates and the band members themselves, this is not just the story of one group's rise through cult status, but the story of American rock. This is edition is fully updated.

The Story of R. E. M

Perfect Circle

R.E.M., the most acclaimed American group of their generation, disbanded in September 2011 with their idealism and dignity intact. In this, the final edition of his best-selling R.E.M. biography, Tony Fletcher brings their story to a conclusion and explains what led this unique group to draw a curtain on their career. This Omnibus Enhanced digital edition of Perfect Circle includes a bonus multimedia discography charting every album and single of R.E.M’s career, presented in chronological order through audio, video and imagery. Drawing on interviews with band members, friends, associates and business partners, the book follows R.E.M.’s upward trajectory from the seminal debut Murmur in 1983 to the 1990s when their albums Out Of Time, Automatic For The People and Monster sold tens of millions, making them one of the world’s biggest groups, to their final years together. Granted access to the group throughout their career, Tony Fletcher delves beyond R.E.M.s renowned humility and social awareness, discussing fame, fortune and sexuality with the same keen eye he casts on the group’s astonishing career and musical catalogue. The result is neither blind fan worship nor jaundiced critical cynicism, but a balanced and thorough telling of one of the most compelling rock stories of our time.

Perfect Circle: The Story of R.E.M.

As one of Britain's best-loved and most successful fanzines, Jamming ran for an impressive 10 years and 36 issues, documenting the changing musical landscape between 1977 and 1986 as it developed from a 6-page school publication to a nationally distributed monthly. Fully illustrated throughout, The Best of Jamming features stand-out pieces from the zines' momentous run, from early features on The Jam, The Alarm, Adam & The Ants, and the Dead Kennedys, to surprise exclusive interviews with the likes of Paul McCartney, U2 and Pete Townshend. Personal letters from Mark E. Smith, Paul Weller and others are included along with previously unseen interview manuscripts and many of Jamming 's arts and politics features too. Editor Tony Fletcher provides an introduction to each issue, and former star contributors and now-established musicians reflect on their interviews and Jamming 's influence and impact.

The Best of Jamming!

The group that rose from cult to worldwide fame. Includes rare photos from the band's personal archives and a complete discography.

The Story of R.E.M.

Remarks

The Who’s Keith Moon was the bad boy of rock & roll. Alongside Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle, Moon was the most manic member of an aggressive and fabulously successful band, a full-throttle hedonist who lived at the center of an unending party. He was also a musical genius who inspired whole generations of artists, a generous friend to nearly everyone who crossed his path, and a guileless man of immense personal charm to whom the sweetest sound on earth was surf music. Decades after his death, Moon is still revered as the greatest drummer in rock history and the wildest personality in an age of pop excess. Venerated music journalist Tony Fletcher interviewed dozens of Moon’s friends, family, and peers—including John Entwistle, Ginger Baker, Jeff Beck, Ann-Margret, and Alice Cooper—to find the truth behind the legend. The result is one of the greatest rock biographies ever written. A brilliant portrait of both the tender and self-destructive sides of this singular personality.

Seus fãs acreditavam que eles eram a maior banda do mundo. Tendo iniciado a carreira em Manchester, Inglaterra, os Smiths são sucesso de crítica e público desde meados dos anos 1980. Por suas inesquecíveis canções e melodias, até hoje eles são considerados um dos maiores grupos do rock britânico — ao lado dos Beatles e dos Rolling Stones. Tony Fletcher compõe um retrato vívido das fascinantes personalidades do grupo: Morrissey, o irônico e inteligente vocalista, cujo comportamento solitário e letras complexas o tornaram um ícone para milhares de adolescentes que se sentem desamparados e esquecidos; seu parceiro de banda Marr, o popular guitarrista que se tornou um deus do rock para toda uma geração; e a talentosa e bela dupla formada pelo baixista Rourke e pelo baterista Joyce. Apesar do trágico fim da banda no auge de seu sucesso, The Smiths: A biografia é uma celebração: a saga de quatro garotos da classe operária de uma pequena cidade ao norte da Inglaterra que superam suas personalidades contrastantes para encontrar um vínculo musical, inspirar milhares de pessoas e deixar um legado que mudou a música — e a vida de seus fãs — para sempre. · Primeira biografia sobre a banda publicada no Brasil.

A light that never goes out, a biografia

The Smiths

New York, the early 1990s. In a city spiraling out of control, megaclub Hedonism attracts the abandoned and the abused, kids who flock to Manhattan to invent themselves anew. When DJ Skippy is shot in mysterious circumstances, his best friend Holy decides to solve the crime himself... Hedonism is a fast action trip through a hard core underworld of pounding dance music, S&M sex and mountains of illegal drugs. It's a world populated by glamorous models, body-pierced dancers and heartless villains, a world where no-one sleeps and everyone is a suspect.

Hedonism

The ultimate book on records by The Clash. An album by album, track by track, examination of every song released by The Clash, from their first single 'White Riot' to Combat Rock and beyond. Includes sections on compilations, live recordings, films, and post-Clash work by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. Features include: A chronology of key events in the story of the Clash An album by album, track by track analysis Details of reissues and the state of the current Clash catalogue 16 pages of pictures

The Clash: The Music That Matters

Eddie Floyd

Known for the classics "Knock on Wood," "634-5789," "Raise Your Hand," "Big Bird," and "I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)," among others, Eddie Floyd's career as a soul legend spans over sixty years. His professional singing career began in Detroit in the 1950s as a founding member of the Falcons, considered "The First Soul Group." A solo artist and songwriter for Memphis's famed Stax Records from 1966 until 1975, Floyd has subsequently been the singer for the Blues Brothers Band and for Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, while continuing to perform and record solo. In Knock! Knock! Knock! On Wood, Floyd recounts how a three-year stint in an Alabama reform school shaped his young life; recalls the early years of R&B in Detroit alongside future Motown and Stax legends; discusses the songwriting sessions with Steve Cropper and Booker T. Jones that produced his biggest hits; addresses his complicated life-long relationship with the often-unpredictable Wilson Pickett; shares his memories of friend Otis Redding; reveals his unlikely involvement in the rise of southern rock darlings Lynyrd Skynyrd; and offers an insider perspective on the tragic downfall of Stax Records. With input from Bruce Springsteen, Bill Wyman, Paul Young, William Bell, Steve Cropper, and others, Knock! Knock! Knock! On Wood captures Eddie's tireless work ethic and warm personality for an engrossing first-hand account of one of the last true soul survivors.

My Life in Soul

Knock! Knock! Knock! On Wood

The updated edition brings the band's story right up to date, covering the departure of drummer Bill Berry, and the group's music right up to their Reveal album. Includes a comprehensive discography.

Remarks Remade

R.E.M. ist die wohl einflussreichste, produktivste und bedeutendste amerikanische Rockband der vergangenen 25 Jahre. Von ihren bescheidenen Postpunk-Anfängen in der Universitätsstadt Athens in Georgia bis zu ihrem gegenwärtigen Status als weltweites Phänomen, haben sich R.E.M. stets gegen die landläufigen Erwartungen des Publikums aufgelehnt und die Regeln des Musikbusiness mit Eifer untergraben. Auf diesem Weg produzierten sie mehr als ein Dutzend grandioser Alben, einschließlich ihrer Klassiker, dem 1983er Debüt Murmur, dem Automatic For The People aus dem Jahr 1992 und dem Chartstürmer Reveal von 2001.Sie haben sich als ein überaus kreatives, künstlerisches Bollwerk, als Meister des phantasievollen Rockvideos und als Lieferanten von vielen zeitlosen Singles wie Everybody Hurts, Losing My Religion und The One I Love erwiesen. Tony Fletchers Biographie aus dem Jahr 1989 war das erste Buch, das über R.E.M. geschrieben wurde. Nun hat sich Fletcher diesem Thema erneut gewidmet und es mit neuen Interviewaufzeichnungen der Bandmitglieder und Freunde R.E.M.s um zehn weitere Kapitel ergänzt. Mit einem aktuellen Nachwort von Gerrit Bartels, der sich mit dem Album Around The Sun und der Aufnahme der Band in die Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame im Jahr 2007 kritisch auseinandersetzt. Gerrit Bartels ist Kulturredakteur des Tagesspiegels in Berlin. Dieses Buch ist eine solide und sehr gut recherchierte klassische Rockbiographie.

Remarks Remade: The Story of REM

Heureusement pour lui, il était rapidement devenu célèbre, car simple quidam, on l'aurait fait enfermer. Incapable de devenir adulte, lunatique incandescent, il a révolutionné l'art de la batterie rock avec une totale désinvolture : les conventions, la technique, il s'en fichait. Il cognait comme un phénomène de foire. Mais c'est aussi comme un phénomène de foire qu'il a vécu, et l'a payé. Non sans humour d'ailleurs : ultime pied de nez à la société bien pensante, il est mort, à 32 ans, d'avoir voulu guérir de sa dépendance à l'alcool. Il avait mené sa vie tambour battant. En devenant le batteur des Who, Keith avait donné un sens à sa vie : lorsqu'il ne battait pas l'immesure derrière Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey et John Entwistle, il n'existait plus. Alors, pour passer le temps, il se suicidait à petit feu. L'alcool tue lentement, dit-on. Mais combiné à la drogue et aux médocs, ça va rudement plus vite. Bienvenue dans la vie dingue de Keith Moon.

La bombe humaine du rock

Keith Moon

The author of highly acclaimed Keith Moon and Smiths biographies now tells his own story of a life in love with music, pre- and post-punk London, via a Top 50 countdown I was no longer fitting in at school. I was unsure of my friends, and they were increasingly unsure of me. I wanted to be a rock star. But while all around, voices were starting to break, acne beginning to appear, facial hair sprouting, I remained all flabby flesh and innate scruff, with a high-pitched whine and not a muscle to my name. I was the runt of the class and rarely allowed to forget it. I had no father at home to help me out, and could hardly talk to my mum. So I took solace in The Jam. As a boy, Tony Fletcher frequently felt out of place, yet somehow he secured a ringside seat for one of the most creative periods in British cultural history. This is the story of his formative years in the pre- and post-punk music scenes of London, told via a Top 50 countdown: attendance at seminal gigs and encounters with musical heroes; schoolboy projects that became national success stories; the style culture of punks, mods, and skinheads and the tribal violence that enveloped them; life as a latchkey kid in a single-parent household; weekends on the football terraces in a quest for street credibility; and the teenage boy's unending obsession with losing his virginity. Featuring a vibrant cast of supporting characters from school friends to rock stars, and built up from notebooks, diaries, interviews, letters, and issues of his now legendary fanzine Jamming!, this is an evocative, bittersweet, amusing, and wholly original account of growing up and coming of age in the glory days of the 1970s.

Boy about Town

Heureusement pour lui, il était rapidement devenu célèbre, car simple quidam, on l’aurait fait enfermer. Incapable de devenir adulte, lunatique incandescent, il a révolutionné l’art de la batterie rock avec une totale désinvolture : les conventions, la technique, il s’en fichait. Il cognait comme un phénomène de foire. Mais c’est aussi comme un phénomène de foire qu’il a vécu, et l’a payé. Non sans humour d’ailleurs : ultime pied de nez à la société bien pensante, il est mort, à 32 ans, d’avoir voulu guérir de sa dépendance à l’alcool. Il avait mené sa vie tambour battant. En devenant le batteur des Who, Keith avait donné un sens à sa vie : lorsqu’il ne battait pas l’immesure derrière Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey et John Entwistle, il n’existait plus. Alors, pour passer le temps, il se suicidait à petit feu. L’alcool tue lentement, dit-on. Mais combiné à la drogue et aux médocs, ça va rudement plus vite. Bienvenue dans la vie dingue de Keith Moon !

KEITH MOON La bombe humaine du rock

CAMION BLANC

RECORD COLLECTOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 1998: The Epic biography of rock's wildest superstar. Keith Moon was more than just rock's greatest drummer, he was also its greatest character...and wildest party animal. Fuelled by vast quantities of drink, drugs, insecurities and confusion, Moon destroyed everything with gleeful abandon: drum kits, houses, cars, hotels, relationships and, finally, himself. In Dear Boy, Tony Fletcher has captured lightning in a bottle - the essence of a totally incorrigible yet uniquely generous boy who never grew up, and who changed the lives of all who knew him. From a life distorted by myths of debauchery and comic anarchy, Fletcher has created a searingly personal portrait of Keith Moon. From over 100 first-hand interviews, he traces with deadly accuracy Moon's remarkable journey from his working-class Northwest London childhood, through the Who's glory years to the California high-life and a sad, premature death. Here too are fascinating insights into the history of the Who and the emergent British pop culture revolution of post-war years. Keith Moon was one of the shock troops of that revolution: the world's greatest rock drummer, a phenomenal character and an extravagant hell-raiser who - in a final, uncharacteristic act of grace - actually did die before he got old. Illustrated with many photos from personal and Who archives. This is the 2005 Updated version with a new and extended afterword.

Keith Moon: Dear Boy

Keith Moon was more than just rock's greatest drummer, he was also its greatest character and wildest party animal. Fuelled by vast quantities of drink, drugs, insecurities and confusion, Moon destroyed everything with gleeful abandon: drum kits, houses, cars, hotels, relationships and, finally, himself. In Dear Boy, Tony Fletcher has captured lightning in a bottle – the essence of a totally incorrigible yet uniquely generous boy who never grew up, and who changed the lives of all who knew him. From a life distorted by myths of debauchery and comic anarchy, Fletcher has created a searingly personal portrait of the rock legend. From over 100 first-hand interviews, he traces with deadly accuracy Moon's remarkable journey from his working-class Northwest London childhood, through the Who's glory years to the California high-life and a terrible, premature death. Here too are fascinating insights into the history of the Who and the emergent British pop culture revolution of post-war years. Keith Moon was one of the shock troops of that revolution: the world's greatest rock drummer, a phenomenal character and an extravagant hell-raiser who – in a final, uncharacteristic act of grace – actually did die before he got old.

Tony Fletcher

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