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Tenement Kid

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Tenement Kid

By: Bobby Gillespie
Narrated by: Bobby Gillespie
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About this listen

Born into a working-class Glaswegian family in the summer of 1961, TENEMENT KID begins in the district of Springburn, soon to be evacuated in Edward Heath's brutal slum clearances. Leaving school at 16 and going to work as a printers' apprentice, Bobby's rock n roll epiphany arrives like a bolt of lightning shining from Phil Lynott's mirrored pickguard at his first gig at the Apollo in Glasgow. Filled with 'the holy spirit of rock n roll' his destiny is sealed with the arrival of the Sex Pistols and punk rock which to Bobby, represents an iconoclastic vision of class rebellion and would ultimately lead to him becoming an artist initially in the Jesus and Mary Chain then Primal Scream.

Building like a breakbeat crescendo to the Summer of Love, Boys Own parties, and the fateful meeting with Andrew Weatherall in an East Sussex field, as the '80s bleed into the '90s and a new kind of electronic soul music starts to pulse through the nation's consciousness, TENEMENT KID closes with the release of Screamadelica, the album often credited with 'starting the '90s'. A book filled with the joy and wonder of a rock n roll apostle who would radically reshape the future sounds of fin de siècle British pop, Bobby Gillespie's memoir cuts a righteous path through a decade lost to Thatcherism and saved by acid house.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Bobby Gillespie (P)2021 Orion Publishing Group
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Critic reviews

'Gillespie is rock and roll's Oliver Twist. A punk rock fairytale, razor sharp on class struggle, music, style, and a singular view of the world resulting in one of the world's great bands. Couldn't put down' Courtney Love

What listeners say about Tenement Kid

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legendary

What a man, what a story. Were you there? Fantastic memories, brilliantly delivered. Legendary excesses of the time.

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Awesome!

Read it and revel in the full force music and rave culture. Savagely political- Bobby pulls no punches with his feelings about the establishment

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"Dead man's fall"

Loved the fact that Bobby had such a similar childhood as me! Best man falls which we called Dead man's fall was one of my favourite games coz my imagination would run riot haha! Climbing, Falling, Fighting was just the norm and the Best Days 😛
Thanx Bobby for such a great book and also a great walk doon memory lane, You are the Real Rock n Rolla xxx

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More like Dreamadelica!

Great story, well told in Bobs laconic drawl.
Love this book, love the Scream, love the JAMC.

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Rock’n’Roll Heart

A true believer in the righteous cause of Punk Rock and Acid Dreams. Thanks B

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Brilliant writing, honest with integrity

Loved every minute, an extraordinary story of rags to riches, inspiration, incredible knowledge of music and bands. I want a sound track!

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fantastico

Great to hear the book read by Bobby himself really enjoyed it awesome 👌

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Just brilliant

Love Bobby Gillespi even more after reading this...what a guy and what a story 👏 ❤ x

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Interesting. Loved the narration.

Reviewers have complained about the narration. I loved it, and Gillespie's voice defiinitely gets stronger, more confident and more nuanced as the book progresses.
Loved the story he tells where he finds that a song he's written is too high for him to actually sing at the recording session, but is unaware that you can change key, until a session player points it out to him. Beautiful.
And who doesn't miss the times when you could turn up and play a live gig to a packed venue on an instrument you'd never even touched before, no rehearsal. Those were the days.
And it's always nice to know exactly what Bobby Gillespie was wearing, and when..!
I really recommend this audio book, the narration is captivating and the story and anecdotes will interest any music/pop-rock culture nut, Primal Scream fan or otherwise.

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Great listen

Really enjoyed this book after a shaky start. I found the deliverance very slow and hard to listen to. Once I adjusted the speed I got into it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked all the little touches, talking about the fashion and influences which made me wish I'd got into Primal Scream earlier. Good insights in JAMC too.

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