omg - and to think the clock struck 7 just 6 minutes later.

i for one applaud mr. german for LIVING to tell his story

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI
Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones

He had to take? I don't think so.

Ask him why he changed his mind and betrayed the Stones.

Come On TM,if you are going to quote what l wrote,please be honest and use the whole original quote that was this."Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones organization,from jane rose all the way to Michael Cohl and Mick Jagger"
I am very specific as to whom gave him a lot of grief.... Obviously it wasn't The Stones,Both Keith and Ron were wonderfull to Bill...

"No dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock"

Bill is going to be doing a couple of west coast signings:

Thanks to everyone who attended the book signing in Brooklyn for "Under Their Thumb." The turnout was fantastic, and I really enjoyed meeting everybody. Some former Beggars Banquet subscribers came from as far away as New Hampshire and London! My next book signing will be three weeks from today, Tuesday, March 31, at Book Soup in Los Angeles. (8818 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.) Later that week, I'll be signing books on Saturday, April 4, at the San Francisco Art Exchange in San Francisco. (458 Geary Street. They're really a photo/art gallery, and they're gonna have some incredible Stones images on the walls to look at.) Both events kick off at 7 PM. Visit the "Events" page at www.billgerman.com for further contact info and for links to each location. (Also, visit the "Blog" page to learn how both of these locations figure into "Stones history.") Looking forward to seeing you! Yours,Bill German PS: Gonna be on the radio in Baltimore, Denver, Hartford, and Miami this week (among other cities). Check the bottom of the "Events" page for dates and stations.

my question would be: "how did it feel to be such a tool?"....harsh-maybe...but valid IMO....too much gushing over this guy and his moneygrab..er...book..

I was thinking of typing this very topic up a fews days ago, but feared I might sound presumptious. ...though there will be book signings; you and other journalists, DJs, etc., who might be surfing the web for ideas. I have not yet read the book, unfortunately.
Perhaps you could ask him about comparisons with Tony Sanchez.
What would he have done differently?...
What was the most bizarre thing/act he witnessed? The most unfortunate?
What thing key members of the band seriously regret, etc., and what really took place - if he was told - re Bill Wyman's departure?
What advice would he give other chaps in his (or similar) position?
Did he truly feel like a chum / good friend, or in reality always somewhat a sycophantic hanger-on?
{did I just say that?!}
Would Mick still be with Jerry were it not for Luciana's love child?
Any not so known intrigues re Anita / Marianne / Bianca?
He probably mentions this in his book: what does he see the future of the Stones as and what is he himself planning for the future?

On an aside, Chris, I've seen your writings in the Automobile Club magazines.
What are the chances of you getting a write-up on the Stones there? Perhaps you could pitch them a story on outdoor music fests...from the classic music one in Ojai to Coachella. If that doesn't work, then songs that mention vehicles.
Oh, don't begrudge me a little fun!

I haven't read the Bill German book yet. (Hope to get a signed copy in a few weeks). But comparing him to Tony Sanchez just is wrong in so many ways. That was one of the first Stones books I ever read. Which has since been ripped apart in so many ways. But this does sound interesting. I will pose the same question as hbwriter. When I go to get my book signed,is their one question I should ask Bill if I get the chance?

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

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ROPENI

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI
Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones

He had to take? I don't think so.

Ask him why he changed his mind and betrayed the Stones.

Come On TM,if you are going to quote what l wrote,please be honest and use the whole original quote that was this."Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones organization,from jane rose all the way to Michael Cohl and Mick Jagger"
I am very specific as to whom gave him a lot of grief.... Obviously it wasn't The Stones,Both Keith and Ron were wonderfull to Bill...

I wasn't trying to be dishonest, I was merely trying to keep things short. I haven't read the book, but if Keith and Ron were so wonderful to him, then I think it's an even worse betrayal. Seems like Mick was smart not to share too much with him. He didn't have to take any shit from anyone, he could of stopped hanging with them.

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI
Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones

He had to take? I don't think so.

Ask him why he changed his mind and betrayed the Stones.

Come On TM,if you are going to quote what l wrote,please be honest and use the whole original quote that was this."Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones organization,from jane rose all the way to Michael Cohl and Mick Jagger"
I am very specific as to whom gave him a lot of grief.... Obviously it wasn't The Stones,Both Keith and Ron were wonderfull to Bill...

I wasn't trying to be dishonest, I was merely trying to keep things short. I haven't read the book, but if Keith and Ron were so wonderful to him, then I think it's an even worse betrayal. Seems like Mick was smart not to share too much with him. He didn't have to take any shit from anyone, he could of stopped hanging with them.

Well TM, l guess we have to agree to disagree,anyway please read the book is far from any type of betrayal of the Stones ,actually is the opposite, a great account of a fan that got to live out his fantasies by actually hanging out with the band.Many of us would have given an arm and leg to have been in his place.
If he had wanted l am sure he could have written "Up and Down" Tony Sanches book part 2,yet Bill choose not to go that route and wrote a great account of his life with the band,Read the book and you may change your mind.

"No dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock"

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI
Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones

He had to take? I don't think so.

Ask him why he changed his mind and betrayed the Stones.

Come On TM,if you are going to quote what l wrote,please be honest and use the whole original quote that was this."Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones organization,from jane rose all the way to Michael Cohl and Mick Jagger"
I am very specific as to whom gave him a lot of grief.... Obviously it wasn't The Stones,Both Keith and Ron were wonderfull to Bill...

I wasn't trying to be dishonest, I was merely trying to keep things short. I haven't read the book, but if Keith and Ron were so wonderful to him, then I think it's an even worse betrayal. Seems like Mick was smart not to share too much with him. He didn't have to take any shit from anyone, he could of stopped hanging with them.

You havent read the book, yet you're in a position to consider it a 'betrayal' ? How come?

It'd be interesting to see how many other biographies or insider stories are owned by fans who feel outraged by Bill putting his memoirs into print. Aren't Ian McLagan or Bill Wyman's book 'betrayals', if you apply the same yardstick? If the Stones were so nervous about Bill one day putting his recollections into a book, they would have had him sign a gagging order decades ago.

Having read it, I dont see that there's anything there that would cause any member of the Stones to lose any sleep. A lot worse has been written about them, and if anything, Woody and especially Keith come out of the book quite well. Mick comes across as a distant,ruthless, money-obsessed tool at times, but in fairness Bill also illustrates some good sides to his character as well. It doesnt really change the stereotype of any of them that most of us already have. If anyone comes out of it badly, its some of the hangers-on around the band - and from what I've read and what I've seen from personal experience, many of them deserve to be.

Its an affectionately and well written account on a period of the band's history that isnt well documented in other biographies...and its written by someone who, as can be seen in the content, is clearly a bigger Stones obsessive and hardcore fan than pretty much anyone. I would imagine, if anything, there was a lot of stuff Bill could have included to make it more salacious, but chose not to. I'd recommend it to any Stones fan.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-03-11 15:24 by Gazza.

No, I haven't read it. I have just read the excerpts and what the fans have written. I think it is a betrayal, though, to write about friends and things that were considered private, whether it's insulting or complimentary.

I am a very private person and would hate to have a friend one day write a book about me, even if I had been the greatest friend to them...I would consider it a betrayal, especially if they were going to make money off it



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-03-11 15:26 by TrulyMicks.

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TrulyMicks
No, I haven't read it. I have just read the excerpts and what the fans have written. I think it is a betrayal, though, to write about friends and things that were considered private, whether it's insulting or complimentary.

Isn't that similar to judging a movie by the trailer?

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Addicted
Ya want us to do da job for ya, now???
Well: Have you ever felt like a "Kiss and tell"-bastard?

Do you honestly believe Keith will see this as your "love letter" to him?

Will you be able to look them in the eyes next time you meet, or will you just run like a coward?

How much did they - publisher - pay you to betray your old pals?

Are you aware that you've hurt people deeply?

Can you please answer the questions you posed? I'm not sure if you're joking or asking legit questions?

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Bingo

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TrulyMicks
No, I haven't read it. I have just read the excerpts and what the fans have written. I think it is a betrayal, though, to write about friends and things that were considered private, whether it's insulting or complimentary.

Isn't that similar to judging a movie by the trailer?

Sort of. But, as my post above states, I just don't like people writing about others to make a buck, whether its nice or not, unless the subject agrees to it.

The excerpts tend to be a bit out of context from the rest of the book, because thats what newspapers want to concentrate on.

The Stones are big boys and have been in this game a long time. I think they're hardly going to imagine that something they say to someone will always remain private. There's no suggestion that at the time anyone involved was telling Bill something that had to remain confidential.

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ROPENI

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI

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TrulyMicks

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ROPENI
Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones

He had to take? I don't think so.

Ask him why he changed his mind and betrayed the Stones.

Come On TM,if you are going to quote what l wrote,please be honest and use the whole original quote that was this."Just tell him some of us here do appreciated all the hard times and all the bullshit he had to take from the Stones organization,from jane rose all the way to Michael Cohl and Mick Jagger"
I am very specific as to whom gave him a lot of grief.... Obviously it wasn't The Stones,Both Keith and Ron were wonderfull to Bill...

I wasn't trying to be dishonest, I was merely trying to keep things short. I haven't read the book, but if Keith and Ron were so wonderful to him, then I think it's an even worse betrayal. Seems like Mick was smart not to share too much with him. He didn't have to take any shit from anyone, he could of stopped hanging with them.

Well TM, l guess we have to agree to disagree,anyway please read the book is far from any type of betrayal of the Stones ,actually is the opposite, a great account of a fan that got to live out his fantasies by actually hanging out with the band.Many of us would have given an arm and leg to have been in his place.
If he had wanted l am sure he could have written "Up and Down" Tony Sanches book part 2,yet Bill choose not to go that route and wrote a great account of his life with the band,Read the book and you may change your mind.

Okay...that's what this board is all about...I hope...agreeing to disagree. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I cringe whenever people write about their former friends, whether it's good or bad.

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Gazza
The excerpts tend to be a bit out of context from the rest of the book, because thats what newspapers want to concentrate on.

The Stones are big boys and have been in this game a long time. I think they're hardly going to imagine that something they say to someone will always remain private. There's no suggestion that at the time anyone involved was telling Bill something that had to remain confidential.

The excerpts are out of context....well that's shocking!! lol

I know their big boys...I am just very protective of them (obviously), I've gotten a lot out of them in my life.

p.s. I knew when I wrote that I hadn't read the book yet, you'd all be on me.....tough crowd. lol



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-03-11 15:38 by TrulyMicks.

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CindyC
Can you tell him that I'm sorry my friend so rudely walked up to him and asked him for backstage passes while I was chatting him up at one of Keith's Beacon shows. He quickly excused himself, and I was completely horrified.

It still makes me cringe when I think about it.

That may have awkward, but who was more your friend? German or person who attended with you. How would you have reacted if German provided both of you with the passes?

1. Would you refuse and still be horrified?

2. Would you accept with happiness and went backstage?

Sometimes you have to realize that you don't really know that person that well and probably won't ever see them again so why not ask? Then since German was kind of a hanger on himself, it then becomes condescending of him to react the same way he probably did to an outsider.

Just my opinion Cindy but I still realize that at the moment it may have uncomfortable but fans are fans and if it worked you would be telling us all the details the next day.

I can't wait to read this.

As someone who has experienced a small glimmer of what Bill experienced, I think its a great story. Keith (and the others in the band to some degree) KNOW how some of us dig their music, and they get a kick out of letting a lucky fan or two have some access from time to time. Many who work for the band have turned this access into careers, partly because they have not allowed themselves to get the "Deer in the headlights" look when around them.

The Stones are people, and people want and need friends to hang out with. I'm sure Bill had something in his personality that appealed to the boys, and they let him hang around. It's no different than any of us allowing a person who looks up to us to hang in our presence, except they're the greatest RnR band in the world, which makes it more interesting.

I think this is a fundamental difference that has driven KR and MJ apart - to Keith its no big deal - "He's cool, I enjoy hanging with him, what's the big deal", and with Mick, he's just a more guarded person. There's nothing wrong with either approach, they're just different, and people with differences can have a tendency to grow apart when they're forced upon each other, as these guys are through their working relationship.

Fortunately, they've found a common ground to co-exist on, and for that reason, we'll see another tour and hopefully some new music.

John

i am curious,does anyone have a photo of JC, who in the book is called the stones head of security?

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The Greek
i am curious,does anyone have a photo of JC, who in the book is called the stones head of security?

[www.iorr.org]

I appreciate Gazza's thoughts on the book since he actually read it.
And I appreciate TrulyMick's feelings too.

German was given a great opportunity. He did not make or break The Rolling Stones career with his fanzine. Before he published the book he could have written Keith a little note and said, "Hey I'm writing this book about my adventures with the Stones. Is there anything you want to clarify with the passage of time....etc."

I tend to feel that living people have a right to know if someone wants to write a book about them. Legally, it's very difficult to deny them the right to do so and showing a little grace and respect never hurt anyone. I have little respect for authors who use their writing as revenge on anyone who wasn't personally nice to them.

There has been so much baloney about how Keith and Mick really feel about each other. Their families know better than anyone and it is the families who bear the brunt of all the the misstatements and misconceptions.

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The Sicilian
How would you have reacted if German provided both of you with the passes?

1. Would you refuse and still be horrified?

2. Would you accept with happiness and went backstage?

Just my opinion Cindy but I still realize that at the moment it may have uncomfortable but fans are fans and if it worked you would be telling us all the details the next day.

Hi Sicilian. I probably wouldn't have refused, but I still would have been embarrassed. I don't like to ask for favors - EVER!

It was just sort of weird because I had actually had passes the night before and was talking to him then, he remembered me from being a long-time subscriber (that was the night I got my photo taken with Keith, which is buried in IORR somewhere). I'm sure I would have loved to have gotten them again, but not at the expense of having to ask someone for it.

You're right about him being a fan though, it's not as though he's a celebrity himself. He probably would have done the same thing, I'm just not really comfortable with doing that.

Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well.

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stonesrule
I appreciate Gazza's thoughts on the book since he actually read it.
And I appreciate TrulyMick's feelings too.

German was given a great opportunity. He did not make or break The Rolling Stones career with his fanzine. Before he published the book he could have written Keith a little note and said, "Hey I'm writing this book about my adventures with the Stones. Is there anything you want to clarify with the passage of time....etc."

I tend to feel that living people have a right to know if someone wants to write a book about them. Legally, it's very difficult to deny them the right to do so and showing a little grace and respect never hurt anyone. I have little respect for authors who use their writing as revenge on anyone who wasn't personally nice to them.

There has been so much baloney about how Keith and Mick really feel about each other. Their families know better than anyone and it is the families who bear the brunt of all the the misstatements and misconceptions.

Thanks. I appreciate you and everyone's elses posts also.
What is German's relationship to Keith/Ron now? Did they have a falling out?

Maybe Mick was distant towards him because he was hanging with Keith, and Mick suspected that they were talking about him (making fun of him) behind his back. How would you all react. I may be wrong, but I think that have something to do with it.

Regarding JC, that guy was on a huge power trip!

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erikjjf

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The Greek
i am curious,does anyone have a photo of JC, who in the book is called the stones head of security?

[www.iorr.org]

thank you for your help !

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TrulyMicks

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stonesrule
I appreciate Gazza's thoughts on the book since he actually read it.
And I appreciate TrulyMick's feelings too.

German was given a great opportunity. He did not make or break The Rolling Stones career with his fanzine. Before he published the book he could have written Keith a little note and said, "Hey I'm writing this book about my adventures with the Stones. Is there anything you want to clarify with the passage of time....etc."

I tend to feel that living people have a right to know if someone wants to write a book about them. Legally, it's very difficult to deny them the right to do so and showing a little grace and respect never hurt anyone. I have little respect for authors who use their writing as revenge on anyone who wasn't personally nice to them.

There has been so much baloney about how Keith and Mick really feel about each other. Their families know better than anyone and it is the families who bear the brunt of all the the misstatements and misconceptions.

Thanks. I appreciate you and everyone's elses posts also.
What is German's relationship to Keith/Ron now? Did they have a falling out?

Maybe Mick was distant towards him because he was hanging with Keith, and Mick suspected that they were talking about him (making fun of him) behind his back. How would you all react. I may be wrong, but I think that have something to do with it.

Regarding JC, that guy was on a huge power trip!

can you tell more about JC? please

There's nothing to tell really. I just remember him yelling and overreacting to some fans, and really thinking he was almighty powerful..

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TrulyMicks
Regarding JC, that guy was on a huge power trip!

Piss off! JC is great, and I still chat with him from time to time. He hooked up many with seats for so many gigs. He was royally screwed by Michael Cohl.

Same to you.
I know he has been great to some fans and has helped a lot out, but he acted like an arse.

JC is a great great guy! He took care of me a zillion times. What are you talking about?!!