Overview

A GUARDIAN MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 Joe Meek. Wayward genius; the British Phil Spector, the first producer to treat the recording studio as an instrument; head of one of the earliest independent record labels; creator of some of the most incredibly influential pop music ever, including 'Telstar', the first American number one single by a British band; and a man tormented by mental health issues and financial battles. He was all these and more, as author Darryl W. Bullock reveals through numerous original interviews with friends and colleagues in his compelling biography of the legendary producer. Love and Fury takes readers on a guided tour of Meek's fabled Holloway Road studio, examines the recordings issued during his lifetime, looks at the wealth of unreleased material he left behind - the legendary Tea Chest tapes, rumoured to include recordings by David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Ray Davies of the Kinks and others - and examines that events which ultimately led to murder and suicide.

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9781915841247

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A searching, in-depth portrayal of Joe Meek, the tempestuous pop genius who, with his electronic effects and echo units, single-handedly changed the independent pop landscape in the UK. Drawing from detailed research, fresh interviews and eye-witness accounts, Bullock's book presents Meek as a tortured, troubled yet gifted soul. It also investigates 50s and 60s gay culture in the music industry, at a time when homosexuality was illegal, and the impact such legislation had on so many lives. A tragic story, vividly told."" Lucy O'Brien, music journalist, author of Lead Sister: The Story of Karen Carpenter ""The definitive biography of one of the leading lights of the 1960s music scene, this splendidly written book dispels many rumours and myths to unravel the mystery of the man and his music."" John Pickford, producer The Joe Meek Story ""This sensitively researched new biography was packed with fresh twists and surprises. Tragic and uplifting by turns - Love And Fury is a wonderful read."" Tom Robinson, musician and BBC Radio 6 Music DJ

Author Information

Darryl W. Bullock is a writer specialising in music history and LGBTQ issues. He is the author of several books, including Pride, Pop and Politics: Music, Theatre and LGBT Activism 1970-2021, The Velvet Mafia: The Gay Men Who Ran the Swinging Sixties which won the 2022 Penderyn Music Book Prize, David Bowie Made Me Gay: 100 Years of LGBT Music and two volumes culled from his blog and internet radio show, The World's Worst Records. 

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