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I Was There

Dispatches from a Life in Rock and Roll

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I Was There

By: Alan Edwards
Narrated by: Alan Edwards
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About this listen

Alan Edwards, the godfather of British music PR, has worked with some of the most legendary artists of our time, from David Bowie to the Spice Girls via the Rolling Stones, the Stranglers, Prince and Amy Winehouse.

In I Was There, he describes getting his break in the mid-'70s as a scruffy, stoned 20-year-old just back from the hippie trail; his encounter with London's thriving punk scene, which inspired him to set up his own PR company; broadening his horizons as his work with the likes of Blondie takes him to the US and beyond; and his move into the world of pop with the Spice Girls during the tabloid-crazed '90s.

At the centre of this story sits the defining relationship of Edwards' career: his close, thirty-year collaboration with David Bowie. He guides us through a series of vivid, funny, always insightful behind-the-scenes reports, whether he's playing a spontaneous game of football with Bob Marley, listening to Prince discuss the future of civilisation in a nightclub VIP area, or being used as a pawn in the power struggle between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Above all, we're treated to Edwards' fascinating observations about the brilliant artists he has worked with and what makes them tick, as he looks back on his role in the last five decades of music and culture.

©2024 Alan Edwards (P)2024 Simon & Schuster, UK
Entertainment & Celebrities Funny Inspiring
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Critic reviews

'Entertaining and philosophical . . . [Told with] diplomacy, wit and a well-honed instinct for storytelling . . . Offers a consistently informative guide to how the publicity business has changed over the decades' (Neil McCormick)
'Hugely entertaining . . . Edwards brings out the wild, bizarre side of his working life and the book is littered with oddballs, from the egomaniac Robert Maxwell to the eccentric Prince . . . The strength of the book . . . are the quirky stories and reminiscences, few funnier than the one about Keith Moon and an office desk' (Martin Chilton)
'Incredible' (Sarah Tetteh)
'Deliciously candid . . . Extraordinary'
'A master of page-turning readability . . . an insider's view of operating inside the world of David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney and a gaggle of A+ listers' (John Aizlewood)
‘A giddy, gleeful ride through five decades of working with some of the biggest names on the planet’
‘An entertaining, gossipy memoir . . . As publicist for several of the biggest artists of the age, Edwards had a ringside seat for all manner of cultural highlights . . . His book offers a fascinating glimpse into the tricks of the trade and why smart PR can deliver success'
‘Alan wasn’t just there, he was everywhere, as immersed in the world of rock as any of the bold-face names he represented. From glam to punk, from Bowie to Jagger, from small clubs and sweaty pubs to stadiums and enormodomes, Alan saw it all… and wrote it all down. A brilliant book by a brilliant man’ (Dylan Jones)

What listeners say about I Was There

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Superb

Genuinely brilliant book by a brilliant genuine bloke. He deserves everything that happened to him in what has been an amazing life!

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LOVED IT

A great insightful look at the very top of world PR and what it takes to stay there for decades. Alan comes across as one of the good guys. Throughly enjoyed listening. I would definitely recommend for anyone who is interested in the entertainment business, it has many hidden gems.

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great memoir and stories of the music scene

loved the insight into the world of rock and pop from a time when music meant more than just making money

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The book seemed like an honest account.

I’m a bit of a music nerd so was interested to hear some behind the scenes stories.

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Fascinating insight into the music business and stars

So extraordinary the incredible life and stress load that alen has taken on in his life to constantly bubble up and be over 20 years the number one go to PR press and then management. I had a similar life journey in the Music business so it was fascinating hearing when our paws crossed all the details about the stars that characters their personalities and the way that they handle their care careers. Also, the astonishing childishness and egocentric paranoia that a lot of the stars had.
There wasn’t a single star really but alen hasn’t interacted with From punk to Clinton in the White House! With all that’s happened stress wise on alen’s plate I hope he now has put his feet up in his playing because if this was my life, I would’ve had a heart attack one now!!
What a legend alen hope to meet you one day ! Jon X crosse

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Dull

Hard to believe this guy had access to some of the most exciting people in the music industry. This is dreary, repetitious and unremarkable. It is also incredibly bad read.

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