Description
In the vein of Sound Man and The Soundtrack of My Life a lyrical memoir from the founder of one of the greatest music labels of all time Island Records about his astonishing life and career helping to bring reggae music to the world stage and working with Bob Marley U2 Grace Jones Cat Stevens and many other icons
Since its founding in 1959 Island Records has been home to legendary artists representing wildly divergent musical styles yet who share the same maverick outsider spirit of its founder Chris Blackwell Time and again Blackwell and his Island cohorts identified and nurtured musicians overlooked by other labels including Bob Marley U2 Cat Stevens Grace Jones Roxy Music Traffic Nick Drake Tom Waits Robert Palmer Free the B52s John Martyn and Jimmy Cliff
Like these artists Blackwell never took the conventional route After a privileged early childhood in Jamaicacrossing paths with Ian Fleming Nol Coward and Errol Flynnhe was expelled from the elite British school Harrow for rebellious behavior at age seventeen Within five years he had moved back to Jamaica and founded Island
Intertwined with the story of Island is that of Bob Marley and the Wailers After an impromptu meeting with the band in 1972 Blackwell produced the groundbreaking album Catch a Fire formed a deep bond of mutual trust and friendship with Marley and became known for helping to bring reggae music to the world stage He also opened the first Jamaican boutique hotel on the property of Ian Flemings former home GoldenEye where all the James Bond books were written
This engaging memoir from one of the great raconteurs of the late 20th century makes for a giddy ride through some of that eras most cuttingedge enduring music As Bono says Blackwell is an adventurer an entrepreneur a buccaneer a visionary and a gentleman
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