One has to admire – the smiling, head-shaking, befuddled and bemused kind of admiration – the sheer chutzpah that leads an author to promise that by following the instructions in his book, you will be guaranteed to release a number one hit song on the UK charts. These guys have managed to actually do that twice, so their hubris has some reality pumping it up. They are the Justified Ancients of Mumu, the KLF, the Timelords, the K Foundation that famously burned a million quid, and here is their famous or infamous, long out of print guide to doing the same in a new reissue. It includes Jon Savage’s new introduction and Bill Drummond’s new afterward. It takes you step by step to all you need for guaranteed success, and smacks the UK music business about on the way.
A number one hit in the UK music biz, guaranteed
Hardly uncritical devotees of the industry they made a killing in, Cauty and Drummond don’t go easy on it in this expose-avec-how-to. While the non-essential details may have revolved a bit since the book was first published in 1988, nonetheless the ways and means of producing and promoting a hit are essentially the same and if you care to follow in their footsteps the advice should still be good. Even if you don’t have any interest in making your way through the maze of music hitdom, the book is still a fun whirl. The writing style is edgy and vibrant, you won’t want to put it down, and honestly, who could say no to guys who once famously nailed a hundred thousand pounds to a piece of wood and sold it for fifty thousand? And made money on the publicity doing it. An offer you can’t refuse, and a chance to be the kind of crazy necessary to have a hit record. Take a shot of Drummond’s optimism and enjoy the book.
2 comments
Dave says:
Jun 24, 2012
Actually those fellas rule. I’m a big KLF fan and think it was one of the best acts of it’s area.
tuvia shesker says:
Nov 20, 2012
One of the best books on music industry i have ever read, period.