Just reread Bill German's book. Does anyone know what he's doing now - saw his website but it was mainly promoting the book. Just hope he's happy now, plus whether how much fallout there was from the book.....His chapter on Freddy Sessler was brilliant....

Loved that book...what a great read.

Pecman

A great fan who we really owe a debt to. He was our source to the band long before the internet age.

Bill said in April, “I am actually writing another book. But my next book will be a family memoir with occasional appearances by The Stones.”

From: [blogs.uww.edu]

Bill's doing fine,he saw the Stones in Tel Aviv this summer.

I like Bill, loved BEGGAR'S BANQUET, that awesome Stones newsletter; I subscribed for years, still have them. I want to read his books. His casual way of describing the behind the scenes happenings makes you feel like you're there.

Bill's book is a cautionary tale of what happens when a fan gets too close to the Stones. They wanted him to receive their drugs in Japan.

Quote
Bliss

They wanted him to receive their drugs in Japan.

When was that? 1990 or 1995?

great book

Kept all those newsletters

Best book I've read about the Stones bar none.

JumpingKentFlash

Quote
JumpingKentFlash
Best book I've read about the Stones bar none.

What a drag it is gettin' old

I enjoyed the book too.

I also thought that he got a bit too close to the band to not be a real employee. Seems he was all consumed by everything Stones at some points in his life. Just too wrapped up in the Stones.

The BEST book along with Phelges´.
The only "strange" thing is that he is not even mentioned in LIFE even once. He was sooo close for so many years and Keith doesn´t mention him at all. Do you think he might be angry or something ?

Quote
varilla
The BEST book along with Phelges´.
The only "strange" thing is that he is not even mentioned in LIFE even once. He was sooo close for so many years and Keith doesn´t mention him at all. Do you think he might be angry or something ?

I was thinking the same as I read them both fairly close together. All the way through Life from the relevant period I was expecting German to be discussed. Maybe it's just because to German hanging with the band and Keith was a real dream come true, whereas to Keith, German was just another hanger on lost in the haze of heroin and booze.

Quote
crumbling_mice

Quote
varilla
The BEST book along with Phelges´.
The only "strange" thing is that he is not even mentioned in LIFE even once. He was sooo close for so many years and Keith doesn´t mention him at all. Do you think he might be angry or something ?

I was thinking the same as I read them both fairly close together. All the way through Life from the relevant period I was expecting German to be discussed. Maybe it's just because to German hanging with the band and Keith was a real dream come true, whereas to Keith, German was just another hanger on lost in the haze of heroin and booze.

Most likely true. We are, after all, just fans. That's not a life.

Quote
stupidguy2

Quote
crumbling_mice

Quote
varilla
The BEST book along with Phelges´.
The only "strange" thing is that he is not even mentioned in LIFE even once. He was sooo close for so many years and Keith doesn´t mention him at all. Do you think he might be angry or something ?

I was thinking the same as I read them both fairly close together. All the way through Life from the relevant period I was expecting German to be discussed. Maybe it's just because to German hanging with the band and Keith was a real dream come true, whereas to Keith, German was just another hanger on lost in the haze of heroin and booze.

Most likely true. We are, after all, just fans. That's not a life.

In 1969 Steve Miller (still anonymous) thought Paul McCartney playing on his song My Dark Hour would make him an instant star. It didn't. Miller said he's since been on the other end of that when he's had to disabuse his opening acts of the notion that opening for him will making them instant stars. Bill hanging with Keith and Ronnie for years never lifted him above a fairly modest life. Such can be the (dubious) benefits of famous friends.

His book is great. Interesting to read something from another angle. Got the impression he is a very humble and honest man.

Quote
varilla
The BEST book along with Phelges´.
The only "strange" thing is that he is not even mentioned in LIFE even once. He was sooo close for so many years and Keith doesn´t mention him at all. Do you think he might be angry or something ?

Keith or Bill?

Quote
varilla
The BEST book along with Phelges´.
The only "strange" thing is that he is not even mentioned in LIFE even once. He was sooo close for so many years and Keith doesn´t mention him at all. Do you think he might be angry or something ?

Maybe he simply was not so close after all, at least not from Keith' perspective...

Great read!!!

Thanks Bill



John Nicholls

I bought the book a couple of years ago in an out of the way book shop.....turned out to be a signed copy.

Having read the book I emailed Bill to say how much I enjoyed the book and to see if the signature was authentic.....within the day he had replied thanking me for my comments and confirming it was his autograph.

The book is a great insight into the changing of the Stones from being a rock band to becoming a corporate entity.

If you liked Bill's book, be sure to watch this lecture he did on it.

Quote
Dreamer

Quote
varilla
The BEST book along with Phelges´.
The only "strange" thing is that he is not even mentioned in LIFE even once. He was sooo close for so many years and Keith doesn´t mention him at all. Do you think he might be angry or something ?

Keith or Bill?

Maybe Keith, because of his friend writing a book, tell all, etc
All the same, Keith comes out really good from Bill´s book. Bill seems to have Keith in great esteem.
Bill really seems to be a great and a very, very, honest guy.
The best writer of the lot (and he wrote it himself, no ghostwriter here)

i read his book and come away from it really liking him but i was struck at how naive he was.

even as he was writing his book he didnt seem to understand why jagger was mad at him for saying the rolling stones were "guilted into doing live aid"-

live aid was the entire music industry coming together to give food to people who were starving to death.it was a huge,huge deal at the time and if that quote had gotten into the hands of the media-"the rolling stones felt guilted into doing live aid"-it would have been a p.r. disaster.the band would've looked like idiots in front of the entire world.

but ol bill was clueless,just saying "well,thats how i felt so i said it"

the rolling stones were a multi-million dollar business,the 1981 tour was,at that point, the biggest, most profitable tour done by a music act and yet they had a fan with no experience in public relations acting as a de facto voice for them in public.it could've gone horribly wrong.

of course keith and ronnie were nice to him.no matter what they did to him,tell him to show up somewhere and not leave his name at the door,make him pay his own way everywhere,make him get his own tickets to a show-he was as loyal as a puppy.
i'm suprised that anyone is suprised that keith didnt mention him in his book,in keiths life bill german probably rated somewhere between a roadie he smoked a joint with on tour and a chef at redlands.

MY FAV STONES BOOK ALONG WITH TRUE ADVENTURES.

Bill is still lecturing, showing photos and telling stories about the stones. He is stories have a great humor and insight to them and I highly recommend seeing him on one of his library tours. He is approachable and happily answers questions from the audience. I really like the guy. peace

A fascinating read !

Nice "cartoon review" here : [www.iorr.org]



etc...

--------------
IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-06 13:39 by gotdablouse.

Bill's a great guy who I think is as happy as can be!!! He's got a great sense of humor, see his Beggar's Banquet issues.

Quote
crumbling_mice
Maybe it's just because to German hanging with the band and Keith was a real dream come true, whereas to Keith, German was just another hanger on lost in the haze of heroin and booze.

Quote
Boarder
Maybe he simply was not so close after all, at least not from Keith' perspective...

That's how I see it...the Stones were everything to him and he barely a footnote to the Stones.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-12 21:05 by swiss.