Sick of Being Me is the alternately exhilarating and harrowing story of guitarist Paul Hazelwood, from his childhood on a London council estate, where he nurtures his dreams of stardom, to his agonising realisation on the cusp of his thirties that talent doesn't necessarily bring success. Egan spurns sensationalism to portray the reality of the life of a struggling musician. Similar authenticity informs the drug scenes, which reveal the touching pain that can be hidden beneath an unpleasant junkie exterior. Vulnerable, truthful, moving and beautiful, Sick of Being Me is one of the great coming-of-age novels of our time. Reviews of Sick of Being Me "Sean Egan has taken a clichéd formula (a coming-of-age story with a rock 'n' roll backdrop and a heroin-fuelled sting in the tale) and turned it into something of a quiet masterpiece.” ~ Melissa Blease, 'Venue' "...compelling but painful reading. The story of a talented guitarist’s quest for stardom is told with an at times shocking candour… " ~ Colin Irwin, ITV Teletext “…an excellent first novel that is both well-crafted and authentic ... There's something of Roddy Doyle's gritty realism in the dialogue, and his harrowing descriptions of junkiedom rival Irving Welsh ... A snorting good read.” ~ Nigel Williamson, ‘Uncut’ "This is pop-fiction with a difference; insightful and affecting - and one of the best books of its genre out there.” ~ Joy Fillingham, What's On UK “I found myself gripped by the life, experiences and feelings of Hazelwood ... In a nutshell, Egan writes his ass off in a fine effort. ~ John Koenig, ‘Discoveries’ “Sick of Being Me finally gives rock ‘n’ roll the work of fiction it has always deserved ... His in-depth knowledge of the music industry has worked brilliantly with his eye for gritty, urban detail.” ~ Simon Netherwood, alive.co.uk “…a harrowing tale, grippingly told. Descriptions of the junkie’s lot are graphic, while the struggling muso backdrop is, by and large, spot-on.” ~ Neville Marten, ‘Ink’ “…succeeds in evoking the spirit of rock and the belief that it can save lives ... a fun read for those yet to live the dream.” ~ Jason Draper, ‘Record Collector’ "…a shockingly real ride through the dirtiness of addiction and denial and egotism told with the sure-eyed realism of a practicing journalist." ~ John Aiello, The Electric Review “A positively uncomfortable, but totally essential and ultimately satisfying read, it will challenge your perceptions on many levels. Recommended without reservation.” ~ Mark Hoaksey, ‘Powerplay’ “…more gut-level believable than many real-life rock bios ... consistently engaging… ~ Mike Stax, ‘Ugly Things’

Sick of Being Me

Literature & Fiction

EGAN, Sean

Literary

Askill Publishing

Leiber &amp; Stoller. Mann &amp; Weil. Greenwich &amp; Barry. Bobby Hart. Chip Taylor. Holland-Dozier-Holland. Tony Macaulay. Stock, Aitken &amp; Waterman. Few would recognise them in the street but their melodies and lyrics are embedded in the minds of music lovers worldwide. With the aid of lengthy and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the history of rock and pop songwriting, Sean Egan's The Guys Who Wrote 'em seeks to put right the lack of recognition for compositional geniuses who have chosen to use their musical skills to help not themselves but others achieve stardom. The result is a recounting of the story of post-Elvis popular music from an intriguing and delightful lateral angle. Amongst those to whom respected music journalist Egan has been granted access are Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Eddie and Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Bobby Hart, Joey Levine, Graham Gouldman, Chip Taylor, Tony Macaulay, Nicky Chinn, Mike Stock and Matt Aitken. Their anecdotes feature Elvis Presley, Phil Spector, Eric Clapton, The Shangri-Las, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix and a host of other iconic figures. The Guys Who Wrote 'em is both the most comprehensive book ever written about the 'bespoke songwriter' and the fascinating, untold story of popular music.

The Guys Who Wrote 'em: Songwriting Geniuses of Rock and Pop

Arts & Photography

Music

THE DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF CORONATION STREET NOW IN PAPERBACK. Coronation Street was reluctantly commissioned in 1960 as a twice-weekly stop-gap until a new programme could be found to fill its airtime. Half a century later, the gritty working class serial broadcasts five times per week and remains one of the television schedules' biggest ratings-pullers. Sean Egan has been granted access to the show's creators, producers, directors, writers and actors. With their aid, he has constructed a fascinating account of how Coronation Street became the most successful drama in the history of UK television. Acclaim for 50 Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial Story. “There are … lots of books about Coronation Street, but I found Sean Egan, Fifty Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial History (2010) to be the most informative…“ - Dominic Sandbrook, The Great British Dream Factory: The Strange History of Our National Imagination. "An invaluable guide to the making of a television classic" - Michael Cox, former Coronation Street director and producer. "It rings very true, and there are some fascinating quotes from many old colleagues. A remarkable piece of work" - John Finch, former Coronation Street scriptwriter and producer. "Diligent and astonishingly detailed research has led to an absorbing narrative" - Stan Barstow, author of A Kind of Loving, former Coronation Street consultant. "Extremely accurate in its detail" - coronationstreet.wikia.com. "Lively unofficial history" - Financial Times. Sean Egan has contributed to, among others, Billboard, Book Collector, Classic Rock, Record Collector, Tennis World, Total Film, Uncut and RollingStone.com. He has written or edited books on The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Manchester United, Tarzan and James Bond. His critically acclaimed novel Sick of Being Me was published in 2003, while his 2008 collection of short stories Don't Mess with the Best carried cover endorsements from Booker Prize winners Stanley Middleton and David Storey.

50 Years of Coronation Street: The (Very) Unofficial Story

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

The story of Eric Burdon and The Animals is the story of the Sixties. The original Animals were part of the British rhythm 'n' blues movement in the early years of that momentous decade - a movement whose love of a musical genre almost forgotten in its native America succeeded in "Bringing It All Back Home". Blessed in Eric Burdon with the most authentic white blues vocalist of their generation and a collective and astonishing capacity to reinvigorate old forms - most notably in transatlantic chart topper 'The House of the Rising Sun' - The Animals overcame bitter internecine rivalry to produce a string of truly classic singles that put them briefly on a par with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. They also gained a reputation for remarkable live shows that showcased Burdon's almost frightening commitment to their material. By 1967, though, both music and society were changing. A trip to love-infused, LSD-drenched San Francisco convinced Burdon that R&B was redundant. His new line-up of The Animals espoused the philosophy of Flower Power and made the shift to writing their own material. Their hits 'San Franciscan Nights' and 'Sky Pilot', as well as being brilliant records, fascinatingly freeze for posterity the concerns and issues of a particular time and place. However, the 'new' Animals' affi nity for peace-and-love was not reflected by relations within the band. After personnel upheavals and a terrifying tour of Japan in 1968, the group collapsed. Animal Tracks tells the story of both versions of The Animals. Additionally, it reveals the astonishing behind-the-scenes rancour that marked the ill-fated reunions of the original band. In this UPDATED AND EXPANDED version of his definitive Animals biography, Sean Egan draws on hours of interviews with surviving Animals, both original (Eric Burdon, John Steel, Hilton Valentine, Dave Rowberry, Barry Jenkins) and 'new' (Vic Briggs, John Weider, Zoot Money, Andy Summers) to produce a compelling portrait of a truly remarkable band. Egan has also been granted unprecedented access to band member journals and archives, enabling him to reveal the story behind the recording of each and every Animal Track.

Animal Tracks - Updated and Expanded: The Story of the Animals, Newcastle's Rising Sons

Some albums are so extraordinary that they influence generations of aspiring artists and even redefine entire genres. Such a description applies to Are You Experienced. In this revelatory book, now UPDATED AND EXPANDED, Sean Egan tells the story of the making of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's classic 1967 debut. His interviews with key figures and access to diary entries help create the definitive study of one of the most important, groundbreaking and exciting albums ever made. "...proffers a wealth of dedicated detail. Utilising scores of new interviews, he offers a keen sense of Hendrix's impact on the London scene..." - Q "...with copious facts for the boffin seeking tape reduction info or the beginner pondering how these imperishable sounds were fashioned, [this] is an accessible, informative read"- Record Collector "...his judgements on this album are sound and lovingly eloquent..." - Uncut "An original contribution to the enormous body of Hendrix literature" - Library Journal

Jimi Hendrix and the Making of Are You Experienced: Updated and Expanded

Humor & Entertainment

In 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs created Tarzan, an orphaned English lord given a simian upbringing in the African jungle. The ’ape-man’ has been an iconic character ever since. Tarzan: The Biography traces his history in prose, film, comic strips, comic books, radio, stage, television, video games and merchandise. It contains exclusive interviews with Burroughs family and associates, and with actors, directors, writers and artists who have brought the character to the public. Originally published as Ape-Man, this improved publication has been fully updated and augmented by over 100 images. This is the definitive word on the Lord of the Jungle. Interviewees include: • Danton Burroughs, grandson of Edgar Rice Burroughs • Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, Tarzan comics writers • Gary Goddard, co-screenwriter of Tarzan the Ape Man (Bo Derek version) • Hugh Hudson, director of Greystoke • Joe Kubert, Tarzan comics artist • Christopher Lambert, star of Greystoke • Denny Miller, Tarzan actor • Michael Moorcock, author and Tarzan expert • R A Salvatore, Tarzan author • David Yates, director of The Legend of Tarzan “…excellent book … Egan writes … with a winning mixture of affection, cattiness and awe-inspiring erudition" - Starburst

Tarzan: The Biography

Performing Arts

THEY STORMED HEAVEN – AND RETREATED EVERY TIME. They had songs, soul and a sky-scraping confidence. At their heart, Richard Ashcroft, a rake-thin singer in the Morrison/Jagger mould who held the stage like a man on a mission, while his colleague Nick McCabe coaxed ethereal flights of wonder from his guitar. But The Verve could never stop crashing and burning. They always claimed they would be massive, but the road from hometown Wigan was far from easy. Cancelled gigs, physical breakdowns, name changes – The Verve survived them all with a wilful sense of their own destiny. Then, having released the classic single History and poised on the brink of greatness, they split up. It couldn't end like that. Their reformation a year later produced the anthemic singles Bitter Sweet Symphony and The Drugs Don't Work, and one of the biggest-selling UK albums of all time, Urban Hymns. Yet they then self-destructed again: the volatile internal chemistry that had made The Verve genuine rock'n'roll mavericks was the very thing that rendered them unable to work together. They tried one last time a decade later. Their new album topped the UK chart and they wowed Glastonbury and Coachella. It seemed, though, that everybody was happy they were back except them. With internecine warfare once more raging, The Verve finally called it quits. First published in 1998, Star Sail has been updated to encompass The Verve's full twisting, turning, tumultuous story.

The Verve: Star Sail (Updated)

THE JAM WERE THE RUNTS WHO BECAME KINGS. Initially derided by New Wavers for being uncool suburbanites, Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler unexpectedly proceeded to fulfil every promise ever made by punk as they took social protest and cultural authenticity to the top of the charts. The three-piece from Woking, Surrey racked up 18 hits, among them the timeless likes of In the City, Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, Going Underground and Town Called Malice. Their classic albums included Setting Sons and Sound Affects. Yet their musical excellence was only the half of it: they prided themselves on remaining accessible to their fans, disdaining Americanisation and spurning commercial compromise. Although it was a blow to their army of followers, their split at the end of 1982 was hailed as the perfect illustration of their integrity: a bowing out at the top, regardless of financial temptation. Their story, though, was more complicated and sometimes less honourable than how it appeared from the outside, with the group’s vaunted values contrasted by private recrimination and duplicity. Sean Egan has spoken to a raft of insiders to provide the definitive Jam biography. Via access to recording producers, music label staff and all three members of the Jam, he has uncovered the full truth about a remarkable band. “… Sean Egan has written the most definitive telling of the story to date ... the book perfectly captures the era and ardent fanaticism that The Jam evoked during their reign while also offering insightful commentary on the music” —Classic Pop

Love With a Passion Called Hate: The Inside Story of The Jam

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