Stoned : A Memoir of London in the 1960s [Paperback]

Andrew Loog Oldham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2002

In 1963, Andrew Loog Oldham was a precocious hustler of genius on the London scene, with a keen eye for the next look and a willingness to gamble on it. He was all of nineteen when Brian Epstein took him on to be the Beatles’ London press agent, and already regarded as someone who could make things happen. But it was when he went to hear a relatively unknown blues combo perform that Oldham found his true calling. “I met the Rollin’ Stones,” he recalls simply, “and said hello to the rest of my life.” He took on more than a band; he took on an irresistible force that, with his vision, would become the Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band of All Time.

In addition to indelible portraits of Mick Jagger and crew, Stoned regales the reader with candid memories of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Marianne Faithfull—whom Oldham also created. Joined by contemporaries such as Pete Townshend, Vidal Sassoon, Diana Vreeland, Nik Cohn, and others who counted, Oldham gives us a privileged, brilliantly clear-eyed, and unmistakably authentic view back to where, for generations of music fans, things first started rolling.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oldham is and forever will be best known as the trendy hustler from mid-1960s swinging London who discovered the Rolling Stones and molded their bad-boy tendencies in his own image. After the Stones unceremoniously dumped him as manager during the Summer of Love, Oldham more or less disappeared from the rock 'n' roll mapAproducing a few artists here and there and living off his past success. But as shown by this delightful cut-and-paste romp (interviews with Oldham spliced together with comments from other hipsters such as designer Mary Quant, the Who's Pete Townshend and writer Nik CohnAbut, curiously, no interviews with any of the Stones), Oldham's memories are not only sharp, insightful and full of gossip, but also reflect that he has probably forgotten more about the music business in his fast-paced early life than most of his peers can claim to know. The Stones don't appear until halfway through the book, but the pre-1963 material is perhaps the most intriguing part of Oldham's memoir. As he moved from posh schools to '50s lowlife to early '60s social scenes, Oldham probably met every big name and con artist who ever populated London or the south of FranceAfrom Picasso (from whom he bummed money) to infamous producers Mickie Most and Phil Spector. The wealth of information, details and larger-than-life stories about the London music scene before the Beatles and the Stones that Oldham recounts provides a valuable record of a fertile and fascinating, albeit overlooked, cultural era. At 19, he may have known "nothing about the music biz," as Pete Townshend confirms, but as a "worldly-wise" purveyor of '60s excess who may have blown his mind way back when, Oldham proves today with this hotter-than-hot-for-hard-core-fans memoir that he has never lost his sense or sensibility. 60 b&w photos.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

After watching Brian Epstein transform the Beatles from loutish toughs into charming moptops, Oldham took five well-mannered boys and turned them into every parent's nightmare: the Rolling Stones. In the first of an intended "triography," Oldham tells how he went from working for British fashion icon Mary Quant, to becoming a press agent for the Beatles, to eventually becoming the manager and record producer for the second biggest band in Britain. Despite his legendary ego, he defers to passages from friends and associates, who take the story into unwelcome tangents and leave the reader anxious for Oldham's returnAhis colorful, slang-heavy voice is a hoot. The Rolling Stones do not even appear until more than half-way through, and this installment ends abruptly with the release of their first album. An optional purchase, though Volume 2 promises to cover the band's rise to megastardom, Oldham's split with the Stones, and the launching of his Immediate record label.ALloyd Jansen, Stockton-San Joaquin Cty. P.L., CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (April 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312270941
• ISBN-13: 978-0312270940
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,313,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Andrew Loog Oldham...One in a million, May 31, 2001

By 

Bob J Asea (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stoned : A Memoir of London in the 1960s (Hardcover)

This is a GREAT book! It takes place in a time when London was producing film, fashion and music that would forever change people's lives then and now. Even as a pre-teen in those days in which the book is written about, I was very much impressed with the bands that were coming out of England.Most of all it was and still is the Rolling Stones.I have followed the Rolling Stones from the day I heard their first single here in the United States. I have studied their evolution as a band and am quite familiar who Andrew Loog Oldham is and what he did for the Stones.This book was interesting and an absolute delight to read, particulary knowing it was comming directly from Andrew Loog Oldham himself. His style of writing and describing how events occurred is so unique and clever that I found myself re-reading pages instanly for the sheer pleasure of it. Andrew didn't write this book with the intention of writing another book about the Rolling Stones. He wrote about the many interesting people and places that he experianced that shaped his life from the day of his birth to the year of 1964. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment of his triography, knowing that there are more fantastic stories to be read from a man who is one in a million!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Inside the Head of one of Rocks Most Important Pioneers, October 15, 2001

By 

Stanley M. Angel "Mike Angel" (columbia, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stoned : A Memoir of London in the 1960s (Hardcover)

This book is a "must-read" for anyone with an interest in the Stones, The Beatles, or the (r)evolution of Rock & Roll during the 60s. Oldham's writing style is superb and highly entertaining. While to some readers it might sound like the author is trying too hard to sound "cool" or "hip," the writing style is true to the man. Andrew Oldham writes in the same manner as he speaks, with a sharp wit and a good sense of humour. And, as one who knows his place in history. The book is definitely entertaining and very interesting in giving three different points of view. Oldham's influence on Rock&Roll is definitely under-appreciated. He was as important to the music and style of Rock and Roll in the 60s as Phil Spector was in a previous era. The insights he provides into the business and personal sides of the music business is very interesting. His relationship with The Beatles (Lennon in particular), and other Icons of that period is intriguing. I especially enjoyed reading about AOL's working relationship with the early Stones, before they were crafted songwriters. It is clear that if Oldham had never met the Stones, he would have made some other band a house-hold name. I really look forward to the second volume in this set.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not fade away, February 21, 2001

By 

D. Sean Brickell (gorgeous Virginia Beach, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stoned : A Memoir of London in the 1960s (Hardcover)

ALO, as he references himself through this tour of of ultra-hip England's '60s, has provided a dead-center study of the beginning and early evolution of The Rolling Stones. The momentum of the period also touches on The Bealtes and all the other acts and managers who predated and followed these twin giants of rock 'n' roll. In a word, honesty is what you come away with here. Yes, there are many great tales from the inside about the stars who are today household names. Yes, there is no pulling punches when talking about personalities and/or abuses. And, true to form, there is no shortage of ALO ego when claiming credit for his many contributions. I'm left with as many questions as answers, but along the way ALO does offer a lot of solutions, which is far more than most rock biographies can claim. It's quite an easy and enjoyable read if you're interested in the subject, scholarly but also cinematic.