Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 338.47782421640941
EAN: 9780091880927
Edition: New edition
ISBN: 0091880920
Label: Ebury Press
Manufacturer: Ebury Press
Number Of Pages: 400
Publication Date: January 03, 2002
Publisher: Ebury Press
Studio: Ebury Press

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.co.uk Review:
The lowly third position of musical pursuits in the familiar cry of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" suggests what Simon Napier-Bell's book Black Vinyl White Powder makes all too clear: from it's mid-1950s beginnings: pop music has always been intrinsically linked not only with sex, but with all manner of illegal substances. Indeed, it is an often-repeated fact that success in the music business will frequently be accompanied by more than mere musical activity. "Drugs are sometimes as important as talent," explains Napier-Bell in this entertaining and often compelling read, and it is from this angle that he presents his gripping 50-year history of pop.

The author's previous memoir, the often-hilarious You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, detailed his career in the pop industry from his esteemed position as joint-roller for the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra to his later role as manager of huge acts such as Japan and Wham! With such a career behind him, his range of contacts and experiences result in an often breathtaking sprint through the history of pop, incorporating major icons such as Elvis and the Beatles to leading figures from numerous late 90s dance movements. In Black Vinyl he diligently notes the particular pharmaceuticals used in order to satisfy the creative and, more often, hedonistic needs of the artists in question. Fascinating anecdotes abound, from the amusing, (such as the report of keyboard player Graham Bond's frequently heard airport custom's cry, "If you want the drugs I've got them up my arse"), to the tragic, (as figures from Syd Barrett to Kurt Cobain fall by the wayside, their drug habits supported, if not actively encouraged by an industry where such behaviour is the norm).

If a fault can be aimed at this mostly enjoyable read, it is that Napier-Bell's insistence on maintaining the link between drug-taking and the music it frequently accompanies often results in a sensationalist tabloid feel which steers him away from the more revealing anecdotal style that proved so enjoyable in his earlier book. However, his droll approach is always entertaining and Black Vinyl White Powder is recommended to anyone interested in an industry where, according to one interviewee, half of those involved are left with "scrambled eggs for brains". --Steve Price




Rating: - Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear
A corny and cheesy title for a corny and cheesy book. The endorsement by Julie Burchill on the front cover should have put me off. Simon Napier-Bell has written this book based on the very flimsy theory that the whole of the British music industry revolves around a) being homosexual and b) takes drugs. Granted both exist in the business but they certainly are not the most important cogs in the rock'n'roll gearbox - but then again, maybe in Simon Napier-Bell's little world they are. Like another reviewer ... Read More

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Rating: - "Black Vinyl..Or is it Simon Napier Bell's autobiography?!."
Embossed with biased journalist quotes on both front, back and inlay, "Black Vinyl-White Powder" is most certainly not "The greatest book written about pop..." as Julie Burchill excitedly claims...

Infact, after reading the first 5 chapters (which I did find reasonably interesting and mildly helpful), I did'nt know if I was reading the "behind the scenes" history of British Pop/Rock culture or Simon Napier-Bell's own Life story!! At every opportunity, the author manages to include himself, his ... Read More

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Rating: - When more is not enough...
This book comes loaded with great raves on the cover by many well known writers and critics on UK pop music - why, is easy to see in that the book tells more of the truth by a longtime insider in a manner that none of those writers have ever approached.

Napier- Bell has a simple thesis which is that UK pop owes it all to drugs and gay culture from the 1950s to date and certainly tells enough scurrilous but amusing anecdotes to support the proposition. His own predelictions (being gay but not into ... Read More

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Rating: - An excellent guide to the British music business
I enjoyed every word of this wonderful account of the British music business. I was born in 1960 and found that this was a reminder of the soundtrack of my life, from Dusty Springfield, through the days of Marc Bolan and Ziggy Stardust to the greed of the eighties.

The way in which Napier-Bell links the sounds of each era with the most popular drug could have been a bit of a cheap gimmick, but it works beautifully and is never less than totally convincing.

Anyone who's interested in popular ... Read More

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Rating: - A Terrific Snort
Callow has a point he wants to get across in this history of British rock and pop: none of it would have happened without drugs. From amphetamines to grass to LSD to cocaine, everyone from Cliff Richard onwards was popping something to get them through the day. Should we be shocked? No chance. What's alcohol if not the biggest drug of the lot, and, as Callow states, when the Stones sang about "Mother's Little Helper", the Valium nation chose to hear but not to listen. If anything it's worse these days, but it's just ... Read More

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