Customer Reviews

Up and Down With the Rolling Stones

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

KEITH HIMSELF HAS SAID THAT EVERYTHING TONY SANCHEZ SAYS IN THIS BOOK IS TRUE. If you want to know what it may have been like to really be on the inside, to really know the Stones and what they did on a day-to-day basis, get this book. Sanchez was a crook, he admits it. He was a junkie, he broke all sorts of laws working for Keith. But that's what it was (apparently) like! For Keith to feed his drug habit he would have needed somebody like Sanchez. There are some parts of this book that aren't exactly "clean reading," but the truth is the truth. This book is a classic of a unique kind: It isn't biased by the desire to be hip or appealing.

I read this book about 25 years ago as a teenager and couldn't put it down. It provided a very unflattering portrait of Jagger and Richard, which resonated up until, and including, the present. Curious, I read it again and found just as absorbing. Perhaps some things are slightly embellished, but it does have an air of believability to it. Some of these anecdotes are so bizarre, it seems highly unlikely that they were just plucked from someone's imagination. In a way, it all makes perfect sense. The author worked for Keith Richards for many years, and as the latter grew richer and more famous, he also became more isolated from reality. Therefore, it's hardly a stretch to find out that he basically did whatever he wanted, even if it meant harming others. The tone of the book is even-tempered, not pompous or egotistical in the least. Having said all of this, there's no denying Jagger and Richards's enormous talent, but there's never been a correlation between artistic gifts and being a good person. Even if only half of the book is true, it's a pretty poor indictment of their characters. I should mention too that the book is hilarious at times and also quite entertaining.

This book was first issued in 1979.

It was a very interesting book as it included Brian Jones. As Brian was the founder of the band, it is refreshing to read about him.

It includes Mick Taylor. Very talented but not as captivating or as gifted as Brian Jones.

First of all, this book, even if stretched, is great reading! Second, the guy Brent who gave the book one star needs to get his facts straight. In the movie "Gimme Shelter", the guy "scowling so prettily when one of the Maysles sticks a light meter in his face" while in the hotel room with the Mick and Keith listening to "Brown Sugar" is not Tony Sanchez. It's another author by the the name of Stanley Booth who wrote the book "The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones" while covering the Stones' '69 tour. Try reading it.

The Stones have always attracted so much attention it should be no surprise to anyone that books about them are also controversial. Yes, Sanchez had a rep as a dealer (stories about him and Keith while living in France have been around a long time), but it's important to realize that whereas Wyman's "Stone Alone" shares Bill's memories and perspective, this book tells you how Sanchez remembers it.....you have to put them all together to get your own picture of what the Band was like (and it is fair to assume that Sanchez has made up some of the conversations to flesh out events he was connected with but probably did not hear - or was capable of remembering - the exact words).

I used to own the out-of-print paperback edition of this book. I foolishly gave it away.

Sanchez begins with his life as a young, aspiring underworld figure, emulating an older, already established relative. He worked in a casino, and also began to take up photography. (Sanchez writes that he photographed the first Moody Blues album cover.) An acquaintance, London art dealer Robert Fraser, was deeply in debt to another casino run by an underworld boss, and dramatically confided his problem to Sanchez. Sanchez nervily approached the creditor casino boss, to keep Fraser out of harm's way. Then--aware that the competing casino where he worked subtly rigged gaming against its own customers--Sanchez arranged for Fraser to win the money needed to pay off the debt. Fraser was grateful and so introduced "Spanish Tony" to his new, up-and-coming, hip young friends, the Rolling Stones.

Spanish Tony's common bond with Jones and Richards was his access to, and penchant for, hard drugs and he became a heroin addict.

This book mostly concentrates on Sanchez' close access to Jagger, Richards, and Jones, as well as Stones' exes Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, and Bianca, between the years 1966-73, which was the peak of the Stones' artistic success. Watts, Wyman, and Mick Taylor are hardly discussed, and they get just a few pages of text.

Sanchez acknowledges the shallowness of his friendship with and access to the Stones as being based on his connections and ability to discreetly obtain large quantities of drugs in England and the south of France. He was Keith Richards' (who spent the most on drugs) liaison to the underworld. Sanchez severed his relationship with the Stones and went into rehab. There can be no question of Sanchez' close relationship with three of the Stones, from the unique candid photos he publishes here.

Anyone who wasn't present for the events which shaped the book can't know for sure, but to a fan of insider celebrity bios, this book is presented with sufficient insight and clarity to convince that it is principally a true story.

Keith Richards said that a lot of the stories in this book start out true, but then change to "Grimm's Ferry Tales" where the stories become made-up. And he said, "I know why Tony changed the stories...because people would have ended up in jail...including himself!" When Keith next saw Sanchez after this book was out, he took out a gun, and dragged the barrel across Sanchez's face, pretending to "show" the gun to Sanchez, but also to intimidate him. Sanchez left very nervous. BUT, Keith has been known to fabricate stories of his own life (like saying his mother took him for a walk in his pram during WW II, and when they returned to their house, it was bombed flat by the Germans. ACTUALLY, a piece of brick from a bombing flew through Keith's window, and landed on his bed. The house itself wasn't harmed.) So, when you are faced with two fabricators, who to believe? I don't know myself. I do know that I've read passages from UP AND DOWN WITH THE ROLLING STONES, countless times, and whether the stories are true or not, they do make for very gripping reading for huge Stones fans like myself.

This book, written by Tony(I score drugs for the rolling stones) Sanchez gives his perception of the Stones. Although it is an entertaining book, it doesn't give the real behind the scenes look at the stones as does the book Stone Alone written by Bill Wyman. It has a few funny stories and clever comments, but in no way compares with the book written by Bill, or the Autobiography written by Keith and Victor Bockris.

IF YOU LIKE EXCITEMENT- SEX- DRUGS-INTRIGUE AND OH YEAH- ROCK AND ROLL- THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. I DONT KNOW HOW TRUE IT IS BUT IT SURE IS WILD!!!!

I used to own the out-of-print paperback edition of this book. I foolishly gave it away.

Sanchez begins with his life as a young, aspiring, underworld figure, emulating an older, already established relative. He worked in a casino, and also began to take up photography. (By his own account, Sanchez was commissioned to photograph the cover of the first Moody Blues album.) An acquaintance, London art dealer Robert Fraser, was deeply in debt to another casino run by an underworld boss, and dramatically confided his problem to Sanchez. Sanchez nervily approached the casino boss, to keep Fraser out of harm's way. Then -- aware that his own casino subtly rigged gaming against its customers -- Sanchez arranged for Fraser to win money from Sanchez's gaming table needed to pay off the debt. Fraser was profoundly grateful and so introduced "Spanish Tony" to his new, up-and-coming, hip young friends, the Rolling Stones.

Spanish Tony's common bond with the Stones was his access to, and penchant for, hard drugs. Ultimately, he would become a heroin addict.

This book mostly concentrates on Sanchez' close access to Jagger, Richards, and Jones, as well as Stones' ex'es Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, and Bianca, between the years 1966-73, which was the peak of the Stones' artistic success. Watts, Wyman, and Mick Taylor are hardly discussed, and receive less than 2 pages each.

Sanchez acknowledges the shallowness of his friendship with and access to the Stones as being based on his connections and ability to discreetly obtain large quantities of drugs in both England and the south of France. He simultaneously served as Keith Richards' (who spent the most on drugs) connection to and insulation from the underworld. Ultimately, Sanchez severed his relationship with the Stones and went into rehab. There can be no question of Sanchez' close relationship with three of the Stones, if the exclusive candid photos in his book are any indication.

Anyone who wasn't present for the events which shaped the book can't know for sure, but, as a aficionado of insider celebrity bios, this book is presented with sufficient insight and clarity to convince that it is principally a true story.