Nico, Songs They Never Play on the Radio

(Paperback)

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_______________ 'A coolly literary masterpiece' - Greil Marcus, Esquire 'Sad, funny, brilliant' - The Daily Telegraph 'In classic fish-out-of-water fashion Young writes with wry amusement alongside a fair bit of affection for his icy boss' - The Times _______________ Fully updated with a new introduction, this is the story of Nico, former model, film actress, singer with the Velvet Underground and darling of Andy Warhol's factory, when the world had all but forgotten her. In 1982 Nico was living in Manchester, interested mainly in feeding her heroin habit. Local promoter Alan Wise (Dr Demetrius) hired musicians, rented a van and set off with the band on a tour of Italy. James Young played keyboards for Nico throughout this period. Over six years, until her death in 1988, Nico toured the world, encountering poets, artists, gangsters, losers and drifters. Fellow-spirits including John Cale, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and John Cooper Clarke are among those who appear in this classic memoir of Nico the last bohemian. _______________ 'Stunning ... Nico is so HERE in this wonderful narrative; I recognized her right away. James Young was the keyboard player in Nico's very insane bande part on the last tours of her life and is a spectacular writer; let him be your perfect witness from the nomadic court of the once and future goddess of the musical underground' - Danny Fields, friend of Nico, and manager of The Ramones, Iggy Pop and The Stooges

Reviews

A coolly literary masterpiece * Greil Marcus, Esquire *
Stunning! May be the best rock and roll road story ever! Nico is so HERE in this wonderful narrative; I recognized her right away. James Young was the keyboard player in Nico's very insane bande part on the last tours of her life and is a spectacular writer; let him be your perfect witness from the nomadic court of the once and future goddess of the musical underground * Danny Fields: friend of Nico, manager of The Ramones, Iggy Pop and The Stooges *
Sad, funny, brilliant * The Daily Telegraph *
Songs They Never Play On The Radio really encapsulates for me Manchester at that period of time (1980s). It was very dark and industrial but with a thriving artistic scene. James Youngs memoir is very funny, its very dark, its very beautiful, its very romantic in the darkness of evoking that era * Maxine Peake *
In classic fish-out-of-water fashion Young writes with wry amusement alongside a fair bit of affection for his icy boss * The Times *
A very funny book about my favourite singer * John Waters director: Hairspray, Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble *

Author Bio

James Young was born in Oldham. He has tried his hand at a number of careers, including working in a cotton mill and as a car park attendant. In the early 80s he abandoned a promising academic future at Oxford to become Nico's piano player, after which he wrote Nico, Songs They Never Play on the Radio - a biographical account of the eight years he spent with the doomed Warhol chanteuse. He lives in Oxford.