Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It) [Kindle Edition]

Bill German (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For 17 years, German recorded the comings and goings of the Rolling Stones in his fanzine Beggars Banquet; in this surprisingly lifeless memoir, he documents his relationship with the band. German's fandom with the Stones began when he was 12. When he heard songs like Bitch and Sweet Virginia, he was inexplicably hooked on the band's music, and he envied the DJs who got to play their music and the journalists who covered the band. By the time he was 16, German had decided to produce a newsletter devoted to his favorite group, printing the first 100 copies of Beggars Banquet on his Brooklyn high school's mimeograph machine in 1978. Although his classmates were unenthusiastic (they were more interested in disco and Saturday Night Fever than Exile on Main Street), the Stones and their management eventually became aware of German's efforts. By 1983, the Stones wanted to make Beggars Banquet the official fanzine of their fan club and stuffed the record sleeves of their new release, Undercover, with it. When the Stones' manager reneged on his promise of payment, German learned a hard business lesson and ended the arrangement, but he never lost his affection for the band. He chronicles his close relationships with Keith Richards and Ron Woods (with whom he coauthored a book) as well as his lukewarm relationship with Mick. Richards emerges from German's memoir as a sweet and loving guy, while Jagger appears an arrogant prima donna who has little time for his band mates or his family. (Feb.)
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Review

From Rolling Stone
"The hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking tale of a fan who got too close to his heroes."
 
From the Newark Star-Ledger
"[German's] proximity to the action makes this an essential Stones book, while his casually engaging writing style will appeal to non-fanatics as well."
 
From the Montreal Gazette
"Impossible to put down. ... Under Their Thumb is filled with priceless, often laugh-out-loud anecdotes. ... [Here's] what makes the book so compelling: German is one of us. ... We identify with his every small victory ... and feel some kind of personal rejection over his setbacks. ... Under Their Thumb is a cautionary tale, but a hugely entertaining one."
 
From the New York Times
"Under Their Thumb offers some memorable details from the [Stones'] inner sanctum. … In 1978, the 16-year-old German started sneaking into the mimeograph room at his high school to print the first copies of Beggars Banquet, a newsletter devoted to the Stones. He published it for the next 17 years before finally letting go - or at least letting go enough to gain perspective and write this affable account of chasing the world's biggest rock band. … Miraculously, German retained his innocence [around the Stones] and he never once went near any of the easily available cocaine. ... Under Their Thumb is a story of retaining faith, of keeping a flame burning through bad records and band squabbles and even through discovering that your heroes aren't Golden Gods."
 
From Booklist (starred review)
"German is party to all sorts of Stones' doings, many of which are enjoyable, quite a few of which are scandalous. Great rock 'n' roll Babylon stuff."
 
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"German's anecdotes are often priceless - whether it's spilling orange juice on Mick Jagger's rug and watching the singer clean it up, or recalling when Richards stopped his limousine after a concert to give a limpi...

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2686 KB
• Publisher: Villard (February 24, 2009)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B001TGYTRE
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bill German gets his Ya-Yas out, March 11, 2009

By 

Jack Roberts (Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It) (Hardcover)

The Rolling Stones are one of the most studied and documented rock-n-roll bands in the world, second only to the Beatles. So I was a bit skeptical when I saw Bill German's book, wondering if there was anything left to write about Mick an' the Boys that hasn't already seen the light of day.
In truth, there are no earth-shaking revelations in German's book -- and that's just fine. Rolling Stones fans will still enjoy this fine account of a young super fan who -- through hard work and dedication -- found himself on the fringes of the Stones' inner circle -- close enough to smell the sulfur (literally, in one case).
And that's where the considerable charm in this book lies: Long-held beliefs about the Stones are confirmed: Mick is "a great bunch of guys." Keith is the cooly unflappable older brother we all wish we had. Ronnie seriously needs ADD medication, Bill is courtly and slightly above it all and Charlie is painfully introverted. And, as Ian Stuart points out to German, they're all at least a little bit crazy due to the insane lives they lead.
Serious Stones fans won't find much here about the creative process or inner workings of the band itself. But they will catch of glimpse of what life is like at the eye of the 40-year old storm that is the Rolling Stones. Ultimately, this book is Bill German's story -- but it's a great addition to any collection of works on the Rollilng Stones and adds a nice piece to the puzzle that is the world's greatest Rock-n-Roll band.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Under Their Thumb Gives The Finger...To Mick, April 21, 2009

By 

Jill I. Shtulman (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It) (Hardcover)

Bill German's book is a fascinating read, and not just because it's about one of my favorite all-time bands -- the Stones. It's also a great insider's view to the music industry in general and -- perhaps inadvertently -- into the life of an obsessive fan.

German began writing the Beggars Banquet when he was just a teenager; the Stones are so impressed with the 'zine that they allow him to hang out with them and gain rarefied access to their concerts and their life. The personalities become well-defined: both Ron Woods (Woody) and Keith Richards are surprisingly down-to-earth guys with solid marriages despite their zany lifestyles. Charlie Watts is an extreme brooding introvert who would rather not be bothered by anyone. And Mick? He's portrayed as a mercurial personality who is jokingly referred to as "he's a bunch of nice guys" because no one is ever sure which Mick will show up.

The business of rock and roll is unveiled in all its darkness; obscenely lucrative, merchandise-oriented tours where the original supporters are ousted and big business takes over...so much so that the Stones themselves don't have tickets to give to their own wives, let alone fans. Mick is the one politicking for these big tours, where each song is sung just the way it was recorded and no surprises or mishaps are allowed. One of the more humorous scenes is when Donald Trump "buys" the Stones for a weekend and fills his front seats with leading clients, most of whom are blue-haired and race out after the first few chords.

The insider information is priceless, but in the end, it is Bill German who is unveiled and the book REALLY becomes what it's like to be an obsessive fan. German earns less than $20K a year, lives in a roach-infested tiny apartment, foregoes dating and sex, and lives "under the thumb" of the Stones, who change plans on him at a whim. He is horrified when he discovers that the 'zine he lovingly puts out is viewed by many fans as -- gasp -- a way to access the Stones, not as a way to revere Bill's research and writing. He defines himself as -- and strives to be -- a serious journalist, but can't understand why he is not taken seriously when he covers just ONE topic (at one point, he seriously compares his "beat" to covering ONLY the White House!)

In short, it's written by a man who loses perspective and who can't imagine a life away from the Stones...and who believes that being a Stones groupie is one of the most important things in the world. That may not be the book German set out to write, but it is the one he DID write. And that's the most revealing part of all -- and well worth the read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ FOR STONES FANS!, March 9, 2009

By 

T. SLOANE "Tammy Stones Fan" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It) (Hardcover)

I purchased this book the day it came out. From the moment I picked it up to read, I couldn't put it down until I finished it.
I was nervous that Bill German might tell stories that would scar my fantasies about what the Stones were really like. But I have to say, he wrote the whole book in a very tasteful and classy way. He did not bash the Stones, and always looked for reasons people could have possibly been in a bad mood when certain incidents happened.
I will say it's obvious that he adores Keith and Ronnie. And I'm so happy for him that he was able to become so close with them. Mick is a different story. Any Stones fan realizes though that Mick can be difficult at times, and Keith is the laid back, easy going one.

I truly hope if you are a Stones fan, you will purchase this book. Not only is it a great book, but you'll love Bill German. You want this book to succeed for his sake.

AGAIN, I WILL RESTATE: THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK FOR STONES FANS! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.