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You Can't Always Get What You Want: My Life with the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead and Other Wonderful Reprobates

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"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a gripping rock 'n' roll saga which should appeal to anyone who is intrigued by authentic 'I was there' memoirs. Sam Cutler's book is not your usual press clippings cut and paste job from a rock journalist, aged groupie or a sycophantic fan. It's the Real Thing, lucidly and well written from a Napoleon styled tour manager's point of view.

Cutler's tome doesn't solely focus on his role of tour manager, but starts prior to his career in rock 'n' roll, when he was illegitimately born in a stately home in Hertfordshire during World War 11. He was consequently placed in an orphanage and was adopted when he was three, but didn't discover his true parentage until he was fifteen. His natural mother was Irish from a gypsy family who had been abandoned by his father, a Jewish mathematician who then died on active service in the Royal Air Force.

'In the blood of my veins, I was Irish, Gypsy, and Jew!' Cutler exclaims, thankful he wasn't English but was a mixture of 'three persecuted races', and not of pure English stock like the Cutlers, his adoptive protestant parents who renamed him Sam (his birth name was Brendan Lyons).

`All I could think was how grateful I was that I wasn't English and named Cyril, ' Cutler quips which illustrates what a droll writer he is.

His adoptive Communistic parents always had music in the house and Sam was raised on 'union songs and paeans to Stalin and the Red Army.`

'One would reasonably think that after countless acid trips and the experiences of the drug-fuelled sixties, the words of obscure political songs would fade from my mind, but to this day they remain eerie reminders of that distant country which is my past,' Cutler reminisces.

Sam Cutler's disabled father died when he was eight and when his mother remarried, he was re-located to their new home in the suburbs where in was his own words, he became a 'typical teenager', listened to music and dreamt of going to California. Instead, he became a teacher, ran a folk club and played the guitar.

'I wasn't interested so much in being a performer as in organising shows. Production is a bit like being a general - if you're going to attack Russia, you need a decent plan!'

After he stopped teaching and emigrated to London, he quickly became involved in the city's psychedelic music scene. After working on the Pink Floyd's and Blind Faith's free concerts in Hyde Park, the Rolling Stones asked him to be their tour manager after their Brian Jones' 'memorial' concert in the park, and according to Cutler, 'the largest free concert in England.'


Fortunately for the reader, Sam Cutler remembers details of events in his life, as well as verbatim conversations with his R.I.P. friends like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia.

After Cutler was anointed the Stones' new tour manager, he went to Los Angeles with the band.

'It's a massive responsibility, looking after people like the Rolling Stones. There are people out there who want to get in bed with them and give them the proverbial cuddle, but there are also people out there who may want to hurt them. So there are security issues, plus making a nice home base in a foreign country.'


When Sam got on stage at the LA concert, and famously introduced them as "the greatest rock and roll band in the world", he was using reverse psychology, trying to goad them into actually believing it. After that, Sam used that intro for the rest of the tour, and they are the first words heard in "Gimme Shelter".


Sam Cutler is a humorous writer and manages to consistently portray himself as an un-egotistical, selfless and a fair-minded character, unfazed by the antics of the legendary musicians, whose touring lives he looked after twenty four hours a day.


While the Stones took their roles of cosseted rock stars for granted, Cutler's tough job consisted of him having had to deal with the tour that involved riot police, the groupies, drug dealers, mobsters and the usual flotsam and jetsam of hanger-ons. If that wasn't heavy enough for him to contend with, Sam even bought a gun to protect himself while he was forced to deal with the FBI, the CIA and Mafia figures all on three hours sleep a night.

After the disastrous Altamont concert, the Stones escaped in a helicopter leaving Cutler to be the scapegoat. There has never been an official investigation into what actually happened at Altamont but Cutler records for posterity the political build up to the free concert and the concert's aftermath, which is the core of "You Can't Always Get What You Want".

What is also fascinating about Cutler's exemplary 'rock noir' autobiography is that after the Stones dumped him, he effortlessly slid into working with the Northern California's domiciled Grateful Dead.

Incredibly, when the Dead asked Cutler to act as their tour manager, they were in such deep debt, their dire financial situation threatened to end the band. Cutler ended up with a bleeding stomach ulcer caused by the stress and hard work supervising their tours twenty-four hours a day. And when (according to Cutler) Jerry Garcia didn't appreciate him heroically working on the Dead's behalf, even though he had helped them become rich and internationally famous, he wished them 'Good luck,' and walked out of their lives.

This entertaining book illustrates how self-centered musicians can be in spite of their hippy credentials. Despite this, the selfless Sam Cutler who's a fascinating raconteur about a revolutionary slice of rock culture doesn't seek revenge via his compelling prose, but tells "You Can't Always Get What You Want" as It really was. He was there!

Could not put this down. Could not do another thing until I finished it. Thank you Sam Cutler for a rollicking, rousing, racy and romantic, repartee of your adventures with the Stones and the Dead. You have done a handsome and gracious job of reporting the truths about the music, the times, the people and the total trip that it truly was. Thank you for writing - for all the world to read at last - the story of what really happened at Altamont. Thank you for revealing the politics, the power plays, the Fed/Mafia sabotage. No-one else would do it, or could do it; you have the guts and the data. You're the man, Sam. So glad to know you a little better and very much looking forward to another tome from you.
Highly recommended reading to whomever would like to know the truth of the times and the politics that "killed rock and roll" that gruesome December night in 1969.

Sam Cutler was tour manager for the Rolling Stones for the 1968 tour that ended with the free show at Altamont where a man was stabbed to death right in front of the stage. This clearly has been the albatross that has hung around his neck throughout his life. As he says in the first chapter this book was written to set the record straight about what happened at Altamont. The first 185 pages of this 325 page book lead to Altamont, but there is more to this book.

Throughout the book you hear tales of Cutler's friendship not just with the Stones and The Dead, but with Jimi Hendrix, Syd Barrett and Janis Joplin. You hear tales of his job sometimes as just a glorified baby sitter to a bunch of high rock-stars as he helps them through the land-mines of groupies, drug dealers and mobsters.

The book reads as if you are talking to Sam Cutler as the events happened. Although with so many tales of his own drug use, I kind of wonder how he could remember any of it. You will read wonderful stories about his wrestling match with promoter Bill Graham or the acid laced birthday cake for Janis Joplin that was shared with the off duty police that were working security.

Before reading this book I didn't know if it would have much appeal to me. I like the Stones okay, but my musical taste seems to skip the period of time he is talking about. I was happy to find a book that discussed this era in such a conversational manner written by someone who while he regrets some of the things that happened (see Altamont) you can still tell was having the time of his life. I really learned a lot about this middle period in rock history and am glad I read it.

I was informally introduced to Sam Cutler many, many years ago when I was in the process of wearing out my vinyl copy of the Rolling Stone's live album "Get Your Ya Yas Out" ... he's the guy that introduces the Stones as "the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World" prior to the distinguishable opening chords of "Jumping Jack Flash". I never thought much about the actual person making that proclamation until I saw the movie "Gimme Shelter" and realized the subtle, but prominent, role the man played during that remarkable 1969 Rolling Stones Tour and more importantly, the Altamont concert. It was seeing the footage of the Altamont concert that Sam Cutler made a lasting impression on me as the sole voice of reason and rational calmness in a raging sea of violence. My desire to read more about that dreadful Altamont concert has been unsatisfied for years, until I stumbled upon Cutler's book. Finally, the scoop on Altamont from someone stuck in the middle of it. Although my reason for purchasing "You Can't Always Get What You Want ..." was centered on Altamont, I received more than I bargained for as Cutler brought me along for a guided tour of the inner circle and workings of two totally divergent bands that serve as icons of the 1960s and rock music: the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. Sam Cutler definitely has a story to tell ... and it is interesting.

While the bulk of "You Can't Always Get What You Want ... " focuses on Cutler's years with the Stones and the Dead, he starts off by detailing his chaotic, dysfunctional and depressing upbringing in post-war England. We follow Cutler as he weaves himself into the fabric of the British rock scene where he makes a name for himself as a competent manager. It is during this time that Cutler also delves into the world of casual drug use that manifests into becoming a major aspect of his life. The opportunity to manage the Rolling Stones on their 1969 tour of America is where Cutler's story begins to kick into full gear and it becomes hard to put his book down. What becomes apparent is that Cutler has no interest in protecting the image of the Rolling Stones as he immediately characterizes the band as being morally corrupt (later in the book, he paints the Grateful Dead as being totally inept from a business standpoint). To highlight this opinion, Cutler thoughtfully injects a brief chapter solely about Mick Taylor, describing the young and talented guitarist as naïve to the decadent, persuasive and destructive power of the Rolling Stones' lifestyle ... something that eventually will break Taylor.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Cutler's memoir is his recollection of the utter chaos that led up to and eventually defined the ill-fated Altamont free concert at the end of the Stone's American tour. We get a sneak peek into the general indifference of the Stones themselves and a much clearer look at the seedier side of the rock and roll business machine operated by a hodge-podge of dark, shadowy characters. From the disturbingly peculiar high-profile lawyer Melvin Belli to the mysterious and shady John Jaymes, whose unverified claim as a representative of the Chrysler Corporation somehow gave him the access and power to manipulate the (dis)organization of the free concert. Cutler gives us the full "Altamont experience" as he takes us back to the frenetic, drug-and-alcohol drenched event that marked the end of the peace-loving hippy movement with plenty of detail. While Cutler reveals a deeper analysis of a concert that will haunt him for years to come, much of what he reveals is verified by the movie that documents the entire Stones' tour, "Gimme Shelter". Understandably, Cutler displays a degree of bitterness when he is left behind by the Stones in order to handle the fallout of Altamont, which included dealing with a highly agitated Hells Angels motorcycle club ... and no pay.

The transition from the craziness of the Rolling Stones to the laziness of the Grateful Dead is a 180-degree turn. While he portrays the Dead as a band of gypsies that just want to play music, Cutler sees that the band is fiscally unsound and on a course to barely survive financially. As with the handling of Rolling Stones affairs, Cutler's tone is often a bit self-aggrandizing when it comes to "straightening out" the Dead and their issues ... almost to a point in which his anoints himself as being the only rational and competent personal able to fix things. In reality, Cutler's account with the Dead is more a case of being the only stoned and/or drunk adult that could function well-enough while inebriated to make a sound decision or two. Regardless, while he clearly states his unwavering respect for both bands, it is obvious that he cared deeply for the Dead and its members. What makes his journey with the Grateful Dead so enjoyable is that it is so much more relaxing than the hyper-nature of the Rolling Stones. Throughout this segment of the book, Cutler recounts many relaxing and intimate moments with people that would just "hang around" the Dead ... like Janis Joplin.

I believe Sam Cutler has penned an interesting and revealing portrait of two bands he worked so closely with and admired. While Cutler may have a penchant for remembering himself as being the only intelligent, sane and stable individual capable of "handling" bands like the Rolling Stones and Grateful Dead; he has quite an experience to tell and his account of the Altamont concert is worthy in and of itself.

The sixties were both an idyllic and turbulent time. For Sam Cutler, the last year of that decade certainly seemed to have started out as idyllic with him landing what appeared to be the uber sweet gig as road manager for the Rolling Stones' U.S. tour. However, as with society, Cutler's decade ended with a turbulence that would haunt him to this day.

This curse - this albatross, as it were, was a disaster called "Altamont".

Much has been written and speculated about the horrific concert. A film, Gimme Shelter, was even made of the tragic events on December 6, 1969. And, while lawsuits and trials resulted, a full official investigation into what happened at the northern California festival has never been conducted.

For the first time, Sam Cutler tells what he knows, and what he suspects, surrounding the events leading up to, through and after that fateful day. If what he says is even half accurate, the implications can be quite frightening.

I'm not going to tell you the story otherwise why bother to purchase the book?

As incredible and compelling of a story the whole Altamont event, and Cutler's insight into it, are, Sam has much, much more to share. The book reads like a who's who of rock and roll royalty. You'll also gain incredible insight into the unique world of the Grateful Dead, whom Cutler went to work for after the Stones literally abandoned him immediately after Altamont.

For business geeks like me, you'll be mesmerized by the multiple stories of the rough and tumble world of road management in a rock and roll circus. It's tough, it's scary and it's not for the faint of heart.

Sam Cutler tells it like it is. The sex. The drugs. The rock and roll. It's all there in all of its glory. So are the stories of our favorite rock icons. Did you know that they're actually human?

Who woulda thunk it?

If you love classic rock and have a fond appreciation of the sixties and seventies, the Sam Cutler's You Can't Always Get What You Want is a must have for your library. Seriously.

You can also track Sam via his website at [...]. He's a guy who still has quite a lot to say.

Randy Patterson
Boomerocity.com

what a wonderful and highly readable history of the Stones and Dead in 1969 to 1970. Couldnt put it down and a great twist at the end. Buy it. Thank you Mr Cutler Sir!

A compelling and fun read. Finally a book that actually reflects the significance of r&r to cultures on both sides of the Atlantic in the '60's and '70's. Bringing joy to the gloomy masses, and all.

After Altamont, Cutler investigated why things went so terribly and massively wrong. What he found is something of a shocker, although in retrospect it makes perfect sense.

If you like the Rolling Stones and/or the Grateful Dead, this is a must.

If your knowledge of the popular music industry is more recent, then this is a record of a time when musicians had some control over a new form of music, before the money- and power-hungry goons stepped in and made it something else.

Would reccomend this book for any fan of the Rolling Stones and/or Grateful Dead, or any knowledge of the people/author/music of this time period.

I enjoyed Sam Cutler's first book and am looking forward to his second. He writes intelligently about the crazy world of Rock and Roll as seen through the eyes of an orphan who attended Cambridge and later took off with The Rolling Stones for America where he fell into the laps of The Grateful Dead after a disastrous concert at Altamont. Sam drops all the right names and tell the lowdown on them all!

Really enjoyed this, well done Sam. A great story , well written. See the Let It Bleed book or watch Gimme Shelter before you read this to jog your memory. Wish the stones part had been longer. Really funny to see the differences in touring and the ideology of the sixties vs. now. A band go out and play music to make money ? Oh gee , that would be horrible. Why would you want to make money, man ? LOL.