The Rolling Stones Fan Club It's Only Rock'n Roll

"The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote" book by Geir Hørnes is not just a book you browse through and add to your Stones library, like "just another book". I was on tour in USA this fall when I got a blueprint electronic copy of the book, it was just amazing. I needed to sit down and read the real physical book, page by page, so I had to wait until the tour was over until I could actually enjoy the book for real.

"The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote" is made out of passion and love, documenting the history of the Exile on Main St. recordings, the building they used, the history behind it, and the area. I can just imagine all the hard work behind this book. So many details, so many facts and items checked, so many interviews, references, everything made for perfection. The pictures are unique. The story is unique. This book is like a puzzle, where all the pieces are matched and put together.

The history behind Villa Nellcote is documented. Then the story how The Rolling Stones went into tax exile, arrived into France, and how they one by one ended up recording and spending time in the villa with Keith and the other residents during summer and fall of 1971. It is an amazing story, documented with unique photos, interviews, references, and made into context.

The book is printed in 1,000 numbered copies. The layout and design is great, the text and the chapters have a natural flow, and the pictures are a great and unique supplement to the stories.

Make sure you have Exile on Main St playing in the background. Listen to the songs. Read the stories. Enjoy the book and the songs.

Highly recommended!

Some details from the facts sheets:

The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote is written by award-winning Norwegian TV- and filmdirector Geir Hornes.

A unique villa with a unique history.

The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote is an exclusive 400-page book about the legendary Riviera-mansion Villa Nellcote. The Rolling Stones rented it. The wealthy and eccentric owned it. And the Nazis occupied it. But are all the rumours really true?

Produced in collaboration with the families having owned Nellcote, the book includes first-hand accounts, and exclusive, new contributions from the Rolling Stones´ entourage adding further insight about the bohemian recording of Exile on Main St. at Villa Nellcote in 1971.

Lavishly illustrated with architect drawings, personal journals and more than 250 photos from private archives, The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote is unparalleled in scope and the most authoritative document on the history of Nellcote.

“Mme Keller did not realise to whom she was renting the villa. She thought a successful young pianist would be living there and had no idea who the Rolling Stones were. When she finally mentioned the name of Keith Richards, I nearly fainted.”

The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote includes:

• A vast selection of rare and unpublished photos, maps, drawings and ephemera.
• Architect drawings of Nellcote – including the basement where The Rolling Stones recorded.
• The original Nellcote guestbook from World War I, reproduced for the first time ever.
• The never-before-seen journal from the Titanic, written by one of Nellcote´s owners.
• Exceptional images of the German soldiers in Villefranche-sur-Mer during World War II.
• Private snapshots and colour slides of Nellcote in the post-war years.
• Georgia Bergman´s personal journal from 1971, offering a rare glimpse into the real chronology of the events at Villa Nellcote during the Stones stay.
• Mick McKenna´s custom-made technical drawings of The Rolling Stones Mobile in 1971.
• Images of the 1971 Nellcote phonebook, displaying the names and numbers of the power players and celebrities visiting the villa.
• The Nellcote Chronicles offers new interviews and exclusive contributions from the 1971 Stones entourage: Marlon Richards, photographer Dominique Tarlé, author Robert Greenfield, Stones office administrator Georgia Bergman, record producer Robin Millar, artist Stanislas Klossowski de Rola, Nellcote chef Gérard Mosiniak, Rolling Stones Records´ European Label Manager Trevor Churchill, International Label Manager at WEA France Dominic Lamblin, Stage and Lighting Technician Bruce Byall, as well as the siblings Jake and Charley Weber.
• Contributing museums and art collections: Sotheby´s New York, Arts et Métiers Paris, New York Public Library, New Orleans Historical Collections, Staatsarchive Zurich, Swiss Federal Archives Bern, National Bibliothèque France, Military Archive Freiburg, Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum Jerusalem.

Official web site for details and orders:

The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote

Links

• The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote (Official web site with webshop and ordering details)
• The Curious Chronicles of Villa Nellcote - New unique book out now (IORR thread of October 2021)
• Nellcote (IORR thread of June 2020)

Book samples

If you have information, corrections, additions or comments, please send email. Thanks!

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