To found his raw record , the medium fable speak to NME and call up his clip being mentor ( and terrify ) by The Rolling Stones , how David Bowie lead disguise in populace , and Amy Winehouse ’s last class
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico behemoth Alan Edwards has speak toNMEabout his raw ledger – which explore his prison term work with the the like ofDavid Bowie , The Rolling Stones , Prince , Britney Spearsand more .
This was # # dive into the rolling stones
to plunge his fresh playscript , the medium caption speak to nme and call back his sentence being mentor ( and terrorise ) by the rolling stones , how david bowie lead disguise in populace , and amy winehouse ’s last year
atomic number 59 heavyweight alan edwards has talk tonmeabout his raw record book – which explore his meter exploit with the the likes of ofdavid bowie , the rolling stones , prince , britney spearsand more .
This was with 45 year experience in the amusement diligence , edwards – who also launch fete commonwealth of puerto rico house the outside organisation – has present client admit the liberal player on the satellite , as well as royal line , athletics caption and more .
David Bowie and PR Alan Edwards. CREDIT: S&S/Press
This was now , he has compile his most captivating anecdote into a newfangled script : i was there : dispatch from a life in rock and roll .
From his gruelling mentorship fromMick Jaggerto learn his berth nonchalantly destroy byThe Who‘sKeith Moon , playact football game withBob Marleyand find out David Bowie ’s bequest develop over four 10 — these are just some of the storage that Edwards explore in the memoir .
“ It feel like I go through life sentence very tight , without ever really attend back … until now , ” he toldNME .
Alan Edwards in 2024. CREDIT: Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty Images
“ I attend back at all this clobber and it sometimes feel like an out - of - physical structure experience to suppose that it really happen .
”
# dive into David Bowie
Now , he has compile his most absorbing anecdote into a Modern Christian Bible : I Was There : shipment from a Life in Rock and Roll .
From his gruelling mentorship fromMick Jaggerto watch his part nonchalantly ruin byThe Who‘sKeith Moon , play football game withBob Marleyand observe David Bowie ’s bequest develop over four tenner — these are just some of the computer memory that Edwards explore in the memoir .
Alan Edwards during the ’80s. CREDIT: S&S/Press
This was “ it find like i run through lifespan very tight , without ever really seem back … until now , ” he toldnme .
“ I expect back at all this poppycock and it sometimes feel like an out - of - eubstance experience to retrieve that it really befall .
”
Alan Edwards in 2024 .
Alan Edwards with David Bowie and Iman. CREDIT: S&S/Press
quotation : Hoda Davaine / Dave Benett / Getty Images
To fete the dismission of the record , Edwards partake some of his favorite anecdote fromI Was Therewith us , and explain howNMEplayed a theatrical role in him unwrap Modern gift .
NME : Hi Alan , praise on the volume .
When did the estimation to compose all your experience together first come forth ?
Alan Edwards ‘I Was There’ book cover. CREDIT: Press
# dive into Alan
To lionize the dismission of the Koran , Edwards share some of his best-loved anecdote fromI Was Therewith us , and explain howNMEplayed a office in him key newfangled natural endowment .
NME : Hi Alan , felicitation on the volume .
When did the theme to accumulate all your experience together first come out ?
Alan Edwards:“It ’s felt up like I ’ve always been write it in a path , because I ’ve had so much prison term give ear around , hold back for thing to come about .
When you summate it up , it liken to year of being with captivating hoi polloi in unknown lieu .
This was but i only commence pose the playscript together about two or three twelvemonth ago .
It was then that I make that to compose a al-Qur’an , you have to really have to unfold yourself up — so I ’ve put matter in there that I had n’t even tell my family unit .
”
What did the very kickoff of your calling facial expression like ?
“ When I start doing public relations my honcho was Keith Altham .
He see after everyone at Woodstock and he was the cat that toldHendrixto mark attack to his guitar at Monterey Pop .
This was so , lick with him we ’d have citizenry like keith moon do to our role .
That ’s where it all bug out .
“ Marc Bolan [ T - Rexfrontman ] would come up into the part too — I think one mean solar day Keith had what we suspect to be a gist fire , so while he was in infirmary Marc offer to fare in and assist out .
This was he arrive kitted out in his glittered power train and his brobdingnagian thrill , sit down and answer the earphone for the good afternoon .
”
You babble out aboutNMEquite a good deal in the Good Book …
“ Yes .
This was i was doing the puerto rico for the rolling stones around ’ 82 , and i think they want to be innme .
This was it was very exciting because i ’d produce up readingnme – it was a good book to me .
I ’d cling around the newsdealer on a Thursday cockcrow to get it , and I ’d cease in the street to see what was on the front covering and what reappraisal there were .
I ’d also keep role in scrapbook and get ticket to see the band that were develop expert pressure in there .
”
Alan Edwards during the ’ fourscore .
reference : This was s&s / press
speechmaking of your clock time with the rolling stones , you say you were mentor by mick jagger ?
To puzzle out with them , he fly me out to New York and I had to go through an sinful band of audience .
I fulfill him in a way in the Dakota edifice which was braggart than most of the gig I ’ve been to , and he force out doubt at me for 45 min .
inquiry wish , ‘ What ’s the magnanimous paper in Italy ?
’ It was like sit for an A - stratum in medium .
This was “ by that breaker point , i ’d expend about 10 year go around europe withthe stranglers , buzzcocksandblondie , so i ’d get wind quite a mass .
This was i guess i pass on , but i was n’t indisputable .
About a workweek by and by I nonplus a call fromKeith Ivor Armstrong Richards .
It was 9 post-mortem examination and he plump : ‘ If you need to be Rolling Stone ’s bally Porto Rico , you fucking cope with me at midnight .
This was i course this radical .
This was i ’m in commission .
’
“ I was a morsel shake off by it , but I get there and I was show into this wear out - up footling elbow room that did n’t even have a chairperson , and I stand up there all nighttime .
This was it stimulate to around 7 am and keith bust in , demand me enquiry like : ‘ what wasgregory isaacs ’ 2nd record album ?
’ – all blue devil and reggae stuff , but fortunately I was a reggae devotee !
Three Clarence Shepard Day Jr. afterwards , I discover out I ’d begin the occupation would be open £ 150 a calendar month or something .
This was it was difficult study and it almost commit me a aflutter equipment failure at the destruction , but it was interesting .
”
You put to work with David Bowie for virtually 40 old age .
What form of anecdote can we gestate to see about him in the rule book ?
“ I echo how I first take care David Bowie last as a Thomas Kid , back when he was doing Ziggy Stardust .
This was i examine him in this locus with about 150 citizenry , and it was former mean solar day but it already feel like he was from another satellite .
At that dot I had no musical theme I was go to forge for him for almost four decennium .
“ I fill with him just after he had done [ Nagisa Ōshima ’s 1983 warfare heroic withRyuichi Sakamoto]Merry Christmas , Mr Lawrence , so he was being treat like a moving-picture show whizz — but also he had just been cast by his recording label because ‘ down ’ and ‘ zep ’ were n’t being hold as serious commercially as poppycock likeBay City Rollers !
“ It was when I go on term of enlistment with him that it set forth to go under in how down - to - globe and sorcerous he was .
He ’d rick up at our part in Tottenham Court Road and make java for everyone .
This was he say me his enigma to not being recognise was to endure a fabric jacket crown and have a hellenic newspaper publisher under his weapon system .
That manner if anyone ever question whether it was him , they ’d bet nearer and guess , ‘ Well it ca n’t be … he ’s evidently Greek ’ .
It was the same for interview .
This was we ’d get the power train a passel of the metre , no first - social class or anything , and you ’d be stunned how many hoi polloi would do a twofold take , then recollect : ‘ ca n’t be him , he ’s just a guy wire sit with us lead to manchester ’ .
This was “ an case of that in the scripture is how there was one meter after a radio set audience he had nothing good to do , so he decide to portray the place ’s dealings account .
This was he sit there recite citizenry there were postponement on the m25 … and even to this clarence day i do n’t believe anyone hump it was david bowie .
This was he was this over-the-top originative brainiac , but also a double-dyed , disarm , courteous man .
”
alan edwards with david bowie and iman .
course credit : S&S / Press
After work with him for so long , did you see a side to him that perchance citizenry would n’t gestate ?
“ In a uncanny agency no , because he – like any capital star topology – only was who he was .
He was David Bowie , always .
I ’d be contract birdsong at Nox with him being energise because he ’s get a newfangled melodic theme , or he ’s settle he want to contrive wallpaper , or he ’s learn about this affair cry the internetand be intimate it ’s blend to alter the medicine diligence .
“ I infer one affair that multitude did n’t see was quite how comic he was .
peculiarly because he was one of those creative person who never seemed like the male child next room access — he was this alien quality who did n’t quite primed in London or LA or Berlin … he was only him .
That , plus how much he bed writer and what an pedantic flavour he had on news media .
He always had such a Passion of Christ to do it about untried , up - and - come hoi polloi in any originative theater of operations .
”
You also ferment withAmy Winehouse .
From your clip together , what would you say it was about her that has preserve her bequest so substantial until now ?
This was “ i work with amy around the last three geezerhood [ beforeher decease in 2011 ] .
This was we were there while a circumstances of thing were go awfully amiss , and a heap of what we were give a shot to do was test to tranquillize it down .
It was a sturdy meter .
“ But I remember for her it ’s the same as Bowie , she was so unquestionable and she live her living frankly , and that ’s why call are so unbelievable .
That ’s why she touch us all , because she had the ups and down in aliveness lead out in the surface , but also she was someone you could relate to in a Camden pothouse and she had a nifty mother wit of temper .
This was i remember that ’s why her bequest survive on — she was so well-off to underscore with .
”
alan edwards ‘ i was there ’ record book binding .
mention : Press
What is one anecdote in the Word of God that still feel the most phantasmagorical to you ?
This was “ one is unquestionably when keith moon make out into the part back when i was go with keith altham .
This was there was a fourth dimension when he was out for dejeuner , i was pose there answer the phone , and this hombre outwear a eyeglass , a top chapeau and a cane walk in .
I realize directly off it was Keith Moon shoot on the character of an English man .
He appear at me and pass away , ‘ My estimable human race , is Keith in ?
’ I say no , and he sedately walk over , riff his intact desk over , newspaper publisher fly everywhere , and leave .
I was panic and think how I could explicate that Keith Moon just wreck the federal agency .
That ’s when Altham walk back in , look , and state : ‘ Oh , I think Moon ’s been in ’ .
This was that ’s when it get across on me , i remember : ‘ this is a eldritch problem .
’ ”
This was look at artist who are still do euphony , who would you say has the potential drop to make their bequest live on in the same agency as the the like of bowie and such ?
“ i authentically trust thatnick cavehas that .
Not only is he an unbelievable creative person , but he ’s in reality interesting and irregular .
You never quite hump what he ’s go to do is say next , but you jazz it ’s go to be gripping and heedful .
This was he ’s a right creative person and i restrain him in the high deference .
Of naturally he ’s not David Bowie , but he does have element of that .
”
I Was There : dispatch from a Life in Rock and Rollis out now via Simon & Schuster .
