Black Vinyl White Powder
The Real Story of the British Music Industry
Black Vinyl White Powder is the definitive story of five decades of British Pop — now in paperback
Whether penning hits for Dusty Springfield, discovering Marc Bolan or managing a series of stellar acts ranging from the Yardbirds to Wham! — Simon Napier-Bell draws on his wealth of contacts and personal experience to give an enthralling account of a business that became like no other.
From the debauchery of rock megastars like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin to the ecstasy culture that shaped dance music in the 1980s, Napier-Bell charts the growth of a world in which bad behaviour is not only tolerated but encouraged; where drugs are as important as talent; and where artists are pushed to their mental and physical limits in the name of profit and ego.
Filled with the voices of artists, producers, managers and record company execs, Black Vinyl White Powder is a raucous, entertaining and revealing history of British pop.
'Bitchy, glib, fun and shrewd.' — Daily Telegraph
Simon Napier-Bell has been a film composer, songwriter, record producer, and author, but he is best known for having managed such artists as The Yardbirds, Marc Bolan, Japan and Wham!. Under his management, Wham! became the first Western pop group ever to play in Communist China. He is the author of three other books about the music industry: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, Black Vinyl White Powder and The Business, as well as the forthcoming memoir Sour Mouth, Sweet Bottom. He is CEO of the Pierbel Entertainment Group, and continues to consult, write and broadcast on the music industry. @SimonNapierBell
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