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Namedropper!

an unorthodox autobiography told through five decades of the music and entertainment business

Chris Phipps author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Newcastle Libraries & Information Service

Published:12th Nov '18

Should be back in stock very soon

Namedropper! cover

With a foreword by the great TV writer Ian LaFrenais (“…if Chris Phipps is dropping names, these are names really worth dropping”) this book is an entertaining romp through fifty years of celebrity encounters. It will transport you behind the cameras and microphones of radio and television to witness the real personalities, the hilarious bloopers, mistakes and accidental (as well as intended) showbiz triumphs behind the scenes! The author’s unrivalled knowledge of music and film unassumingly permeates its pages – so, as well as being entertained, you end up unwittingly a lot more clued-up about the music of this era than you were previously.

An unorthodox autobiography detailing a 50 year career in the music, entertainment and film industry.Written from an insider’s extraordinary working encounters and packed with never-seen-before pictures, this compelling and entertaining compendium of astonishing (and often hilarious) anecdotes, is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the sounds and sights of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Fascinating encounters and working relationships with over fifty global super-stars - from Madonna to Miles Davis, David Bowie, Little Richard, Ozzy Osbourne, Bryan Ferry, Malcolm Maclaren, Sting, Elton John, Jane Fonda and many more, are described with wry humour. Amongst many, there are first-hand tales of the great Miles Davis being ordered to stop playing his trumpet (“that thing”) in a Newcastle pub; Chris paying Madonna’s train fare (standard class) with cash in brown envelope; Red Hot Chilli Peppers playing on top of a giant hot dog in Hollywood, and a meeting with Grace Jones wearing a Micky Mouse hat in Birmingham Botanical Gardens. “Namedropper – an unorthodox biography” is jam-packed with similar observations and anecdotes on the rich and famous of the day and is written with huge warmth and wit by broadcaster, film maker and former producer of Channel 4’s The Tube, Chris Phipps.

A few years ago I was at a North East Film Festival of which I'm the patron. We discussed a post-screening interview with a visiting guest."Who will moderate?" I asked, and was told - Chris Phipps. ;I then asked who Chris Phipps was and was told - "Oh, he's very good." They were right, Chris is not just a very good moderator, he is exceptional, as was proved again this year when he chaired a discussion with myself, my partner Dick Clement and director David Batty following a showing of our latest film My Generation. ;He's exceptional, not just because he does his homework, which is easier these days if you plunder Wikipedia, but because he cares so much about his subject, especially if it involves film or music. ;Those twin passions are certainly the glue that fortifies our friendship. We usually end up after a couple of drinks in intense discussions, especially involving music trivia. I won't try to compete with Chris on this, he's just too clued in. ;Yes, I could name the first Kinks' single but Chris could name every track on their debut album. Yes, I know the Proclaimers were the Scottish Everly Brothers but he probably knows where their births are registered. After all he was a producer of the seminal, coolest of cool rock shows The Tube. Apart from that show he has always had a great respect and affection for North Eastern culture and heritage.; A true Northern soul - it always surprises me that he has a Brummie accent. ;Chris's book is suffused with his customary wit, wisdom and humour. ;And if Chris Phipps is dropping names, these are names really worth dropping. ;Ian La Frenais

ISBN: 9780951048894

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown