Does anybody know if "Spanish Tony" is still alive, and did he only write one book about the Stones..and is it reliable?

According to Wiki-Answers, "Spanish" Tony died "peacefully" in 2000. Up and Down with the Rolling Stones (later retitled "I was the rolling stones drug dealer' ) was the only book he wrote. Keith claimed the book was ghostwritten by some Fleet Street hack because Tony "could hardly write his own name."

Tony's book is highly entertaining though very sensationalistic. It is accurate in the parts when he was actually there, but many of the details were embellished. Keith tried to laugh it off but I think a lot of it was true.

Some parts, especially the part about Brian buying the $500 sack of various drugs and eating them all like candy, then later crying in a tangle of reel-to-reel tapes on the floor, suggesting there was great music on those tapes, I found to be far-fetched. A definite must-read, with grains of salt on hand.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-09-18 18:50 by Zack.

No he's not alive - i think he died around 2000, not sure of how he died.

People say it is not reliable, but I still enjoy that book for the most part.

The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

Seems like I read in some interview Keith gave that he laughed and said its kinda exagerrated but most of it was true. Wish I could remember where I read it.

that's about how i recall Keith's opinion too: something like most of the incidents happened,
if you ignore most of the adjectives and all of the exaggerations.

there are a few cool photos in the book. there are miles of way-better-written Stones books for sure.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-09-18 19:22 by with sssoul.

i just found the book "I was the rolling stones or keith Richards drug dealer (can't rememeber which cause i'm at work) in a used book store. I must read it after i'm finished the Ronnie book

Keith's quote in the ads was "He was there".

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Silver Dagger
The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

John Blake ?

Some of the main elements are true, but most of the detail is made up. he's deader than a doornail.

Although Sanchez came into the Stones orbit late 60's I was amazed that he hadn't been made to sign a "gagging" order as part of his contract of employment.Even then, it was not uncommon. Can't imagine any of the current crop of Stones employees- permanent or fixed term -could come out with a similar tome.
Unless it was fully vetted of course by the groups legal team.
Shame, reallly.
I have a feeling Sanchez wife died of a drugs overdose, or something equally grissly. Not absolutely sure, though.

>> I have a feeling Sanchez's wife died of a drug overdose <<

he writes about it in the book. maybe it's one of the episodes that's not overexaggerated.

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Stone601

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Silver Dagger
The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

John Blake ?

Yes, that's the guy. There's a great story about him dissing Jimmy Page in a review and then running into him in an Indian restaurant in the mid 80s near Barnes, south London, and Page made him kneel down and apologise.

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Silver Dagger

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Stone601

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Silver Dagger
The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

John Blake ?

Yes, that's the guy. There's a great story about him dissing Jimmy Page in a review and then running into him in an Indian restaurant in the mid 80s near Barnes, south London, and Page made him kneel down and apologise.

I did not know this story, Jimmi Page is a great !!!!

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Silver Dagger

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Stone601

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Silver Dagger
The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

John Blake ?

Yes, that's the guy. There's a great story about him dissing Jimmy Page in a review and then running into him in an Indian restaurant in the mid 80s near Barnes, south London, and Page made him kneel down and apologise.

cute. Reminds why I never listen to Led Zeppelin.

the sanchez book is worthless. JC has been threatening to write a book for a while-that would be worth a read.

OLDKR

I listen to Zep all the time, cc, if that is your real name. To each his own.

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cc

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Silver Dagger

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Stone601

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Silver Dagger
The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

John Blake ?

Yes, that's the guy. There's a great story about him dissing Jimmy Page in a review and then running into him in an Indian restaurant in the mid 80s near Barnes, south London, and Page made him kneel down and apologise.

cute. Reminds why I never listen to Led Zeppelin.

Yeah, I doubt Jimmy Page used his sorcerous powers to make that guy kneel down. If the dude knelt, it's because he wanted to.

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jlowe
Although Sanchez came into the Stones orbit late 60's I was amazed that he hadn't been made to sign a "gagging" order as part of his contract of employment.Even then, it was not uncommon. Can't imagine any of the current crop of Stones employees- permanent or fixed term -could come out with a similar tome.
Unless it was fully vetted of course by the groups legal team.

Even these days I'm pretty sure bands don't sign their drug dealers to an employment contract, although I could be wrong.

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oldkr
the sanchez book is worthless. JC has been threatening to write a book for a while-that would be worth a read.

OLDKR

Who is JC?

>> Who is JC? <<

he was the head security guy for many years
(someone else currently has the job)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-09-19 00:47 by with sssoul.

Check this out!!!
"Spanish Tony Sanchez" is a guy that performs Stones and Clash songs in Madrid. Sala Sol venue organize the AK nights (AntiKaraoke) and STS usually is on stage. In YOUTUBE there are several "performances"
His logo STS means S inff kei T h S niff

In fact, I think Tony's book is about as close as you can get to the Stones in those days, as is Stanley Booth's book. Of course, it is written badly, but the events described are not invented by him, they most probably actually happened. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Mathijs

I always liked the beginning of the book!
Talking of the 60's, Brian and Beatles/Stones . .

And if you know about those times (late 60's/ early-mid 70's) and drug life surroundings you'll have a shure feeling that he gave a more realistic insight in a dark but moving episode than many others.

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cc

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Silver Dagger

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Stone601

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Silver Dagger
The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

John Blake ?

Yes, that's the guy. There's a great story about him dissing Jimmy Page in a review and then running into him in an Indian restaurant in the mid 80s near Barnes, south London, and Page made him kneel down and apologise.

cute. Reminds why I never listen to Led Zeppelin.

Well even if it's true. It's not any worse then Jagger breaking the glasses of a local reporter in a restauarant in San Francisco years ago. True story.

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

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Lukester
I listen to Zep all the time, cc, if that is your real name. To each his own.

... what? I don't see you mentioned in my post, Lukester. And what does my screenname have to do with anything?

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sweetcharmedlife

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cc

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Silver Dagger

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Stone601

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Silver Dagger
The book was ghost written by the the pop columnist who worked on London's Evening Standard in the 80s. Forgot his name but apparently he's very rich now and owns a yacht.

John Blake ?

Yes, that's the guy. There's a great story about him dissing Jimmy Page in a review and then running into him in an Indian restaurant in the mid 80s near Barnes, south London, and Page made him kneel down and apologise.

cute. Reminds why I never listen to Led Zeppelin.

Well even if it's true. It's not any worse then Jagger breaking the glasses of a local reporter in a restauarant in San Francisco years ago. True story.

I'd actually say it's worse, though I'm not familiar with the jagger anecdote. I'll take conceited rage over forced sycophancy.

tony is dead, no doubt about it and his wife is still alive,, i get a christmas an birthday card from her every year as shes my nan and hes my grandad and i got all the pictures of the stones an beatles to prove it,

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dominguez14
tony is dead, no doubt about it and his wife is still alive,, i get a christmas an birthday card from her every year as shes my nan and hes my grandad and i got all the pictures of the stones an beatles to prove it,

Well, watcha waiting for, post em!

also, if any one wants to buy some probly unseen photos or them, email me i
have some of the stones beetles and the wemon of the stones such as marianne i think her name is
also have the originals

siik_kiid@hotmail.co.uk

im being deadly serios,, dont let the email mistake you !