Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

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Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby Gatwick1946 » Fri Sep 13, 2019 6:45 am

I sometimes re-read extracts of Bruce's (quite frank) autobiography, published in February 1989.

With the aid of google maps and google earth, it is possible to trace his journey from Bognor Regis, via Chester-le-Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, to North Harrow and beyond, and to look at the places he visited.

For example, he recalls that in 1961 he paid £6000 (a fortune he comments), for 157,Headstone Lane, North Harrow and sold it for in excess of £250,000 27 years later. Must be worth over £1,000,000 nowadays?

I admire the honest tone of his book. He certainly seems to have experienced both the highs and the lows of a career in the entertainment industry.

Kindest regards,

Christopher
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby iefje » Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:10 am

I also re-read parts of Bruce's autobiography now and again. I agree that it is very honest, which very much appeals to me. Every time I read the part about John Rostill's demise, it shocks me. Even if I myself wasn't there, it's almost 46 years ago and I wasn't even born then, I can almost imagine what Bruce must have felt.
More positive highlights are Bruce's memories of meeting Jerry Lordan and of course being able to record Jerry's composition "Apache". Also, the description of the events around the Eurovision Song Contest and the chart successes of the "String Of Hits" album and related singles are great to read.
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby Twilight Ranger » Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:35 am

I didn't know Bruce had written an autobiography until 2001. I googled for it and found a paperback version for sale in an English bookshop. I contacted the shop by email and I was told the shopkeeper would be glad to send the book to me. The price was £3.50 plus 1.50 for postage to Finland. I happened to have a 10-pound note left over from a trip to London, put it in an envelope and received the book and a fiver in a few days.

I, too, like Bruce's honesty. As I was mainly interested in the Shadows, I would have preferred more stories and incidents involving them instead of lengthy accounts of the various developments in popular music. The roots of the splitting up of the Shadows seem apparent: Hank didn't tell Bruce he was emigrating to Australia, which means they certainly weren't the best of friends in 1986.
"I have travelled the world through my ability to play three chords." - Bruce Welch
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby Didier » Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:41 am

I got a copy of this book long ago, and had it signed by Bruce himself when he came to a Shadows meeting in Versailles (France) in 2003. I read it several times. There are a lot of interesting details about the story of the Shadows !

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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby drakula63 » Fri Sep 13, 2019 12:15 pm

I bought it back in '89 in hardback. I still glance through it to check things from time to time. I'd be very interested in seeing a revised and updated version... as quite a lot has happened (!) in the last 30 years. I also have to wonder now whether we shall ever see Brian's oft mooted book...
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby Pinner Fan » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:55 am

The house in Headstone Lane is still there and I recall in the early 60s it was called Wonderful Land
Heastone Lane is now a busy main road.

However the area is, how can I politely say, not what it once was and I doubt it is now worth £1m
.
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby Moderne » Mon Sep 16, 2019 10:44 am

Twilight Ranger wrote:Hank didn't tell Bruce he was emigrating to Australia, which means they certainly weren't the best of friends in 1986.


I remember waiting at the stage door of the Hammersmith Odeon (or whatever it was called then) around June 1986 and Bruce did know that Hank was emigrating. Someone asked Bruce if he was moving to Australia too and he replied, "No I'm staying here to the bitter end!" I think the problems with Hank and Bruce had been brewing for much longer and came to a head in 1990 when Brian said he was leaving the group.
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby iefje » Mon Sep 16, 2019 11:22 am

Moderne wrote:
Twilight Ranger wrote:Hank didn't tell Bruce he was emigrating to Australia, which means they certainly weren't the best of friends in 1986.


I remember waiting at the stage door of the Hammersmith Odeon (or whatever it was called then) around June 1986 and Bruce did know that Hank was emigrating. Someone asked Bruce if he was moving to Australia too and he replied, "No I'm staying here to the bitter end!" I think the problems with Hank and Bruce had been brewing for much longer and came to a head in 1990 when Brian said he was leaving the group.


Brian's decision to leave the group around 1990/1991 also had a lot to do with the fact that the group's commitments began to interfere with his work as a composer for television and film commissions.
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby Twilight Ranger » Mon Sep 16, 2019 11:51 am

Moderne wrote:
Twilight Ranger wrote:Hank didn't tell Bruce he was emigrating to Australia, which means they certainly weren't the best of friends in 1986.


I remember waiting at the stage door of the Hammersmith Odeon (or whatever it was called then) around June 1986 and Bruce did know that Hank was emigrating. Someone asked Bruce if he was moving to Australia too and he replied, "No I'm staying here to the bitter end!" I think the problems with Hank and Bruce had been brewing for much longer and came to a head in 1990 when Brian said he was leaving the group.

I stand corrected. My memory had failed me. I just had to look up what Bruce actually says about it: "Perhaps it was that tour of 1984 that inspired Hank Marvin to leave Britain and go and live in Australia, although he never discussed it in any detail with Brian and me, and the reason he left is still a bit of a mystery to us both. He just announced one day that he was going, and emigrated shortly afterwards."
"I have travelled the world through my ability to play three chords." - Bruce Welch
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Re: Bruce's 1989 Autobiography

Postby JimN » Mon Sep 16, 2019 1:27 pm

Some time before he went, there were announcements in the UK music press - particularly in the instrument-related monthly journals - that Hank was intending to emigrate to Australia. It wasn't something announced only at the last minute (though there is a lengthy putting-to-bed process for glossy magazines).

Wasn't there a publicised presentation of a post-CBS Stratocaster to Hank by the Fender distributor (can't recall whether it was still Dallas-Arbiter at the time or whether it had been changed to Fender Europe). I'm sure it was reported in a magazine of the time - possible Guitarist, which started publication that year.
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