Rock and roll stories, PR legends, and a touch of Isle of Wight history came together as Alan Edwards launched his new book at Dimbola Museum and Galleries earlier this week (Wednesday).
While welcoming guests to a book launch at Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Dr. Brian Hinton, MBE Chair of Trustees, said a number of thank-yous were in order.
Jo Macaulay had arranged the event and Isle of Wight Festival guru John Giddings had been instrumental in ensuring Alan Edwards’ participation. Staff and volunteers at Dimbola were also thanked along with Tom Stroud, with Mermaid Gin sponsoring the drinks.
Alan Edwards’ book ‘I Was There- Dispatches from a Life in Rock and Roll’ had its UK launch at Dimbola and Alan was thrilled to be present at what the author described as the spiritual home of pioneering photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Earlier in the day, he had been given a private viewing of Dimbola by Brian.
Although Alan had not witnessed the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival at Afton, ‘something never likely to be repeated’, he recalled an Island holiday in 1965 as a 10 year old.
He went on to reveal that he did witness a David Bowie performance when Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were the support act.
Today his roster of clients past and present, reads like a who’s who of entertainment – and yes, it does include The Who. In fact, 10 years ago when he changed his mobile phone he realised he had some 10,000 contacts.
Starting off as a music journalist, Alan went on to form his own PR company. He emphasised the fact that as a PR man, you live day-to-day, but you have to know everything about your clients in order to handle any problem – they must be honest with you, he insisted.
Some musicians antics were well known in the trade and he recalled his first meeting with Keith Moon ‘Moon the Loon’- when he turned upside down the desk of his superior Alan was somewhat worried. On his return the boss took one look at the room and said, ‘Moon’s been in has he?’.
Some of his stable became firm friends and he regularly goes to football matches with Sir Roger Daltrey – a well deserved knighthood, he observed. One day, David Bowie, who he represented for some 4 decades, suddenly twigged why he could not contact Alan on Saturdays between 3:00 and 5:00.
With John Giddings in the audience, he recalled one of their joint pranks, whereby they put out a tentative story ‘Could Bowie play Glastonbury?’ It evolved into ‘Bowie to Headline Glastonbury’ leaving Michael Eavis in a dilemma.
Alan touched on the subject of hiring and firing. After a Blondie concert, he tentatively knocked on their dressing room door and found himself in conversation with Chris Stein seeking to be their PR man. Chris said to Debbie Harry, ‘This guy wants to be our PR man’. Having looked him up and down, ‘He’ll do’ she drawled. Years later, the couple told him he’d only been appointed because he looked like Marc Bolan.
In one bizarre episode, he worked with the dancer Michael Flatley who subsequently fired him. Later, he found his way back into a meeting with the Irishman, only for his eyes to fall on Alan ‘Didn’t I once fire you?’ which he admitted, with the retort ‘Well, you’re fired again’.
This book is filled with dozens of such anecdotes.
“John Giddings pictured for first time EVER without his black leather jacket on”
Why is this not on the front page of every tabloid in the country? This should be breaking news across all news channels and networks!