My family and other rock stars

by Tiffany Murray

In a small corner of a field in Wales, Tiffany Murray is hiding with Boggle the dog, dreaming of her mum's moussaka, blackberry and apple crumble, and, if she's lucky, ice-cold lemonade. A sheep bleats. The smell of hay tickles her nose. The twang of a guitar and crack of a snare carry on the breeze.

It's the late 1970s and Tiff lives with her mum, Joan, at Rockfield, the iconic recording studios. This place of legend, where some of the most famous rock albums of all time were recorded, is the background to a freewheeling, ever-changing whirlwind of a childhood. Tiff's days are spent running around the farm, making friends with local wildlife and helping out with the endless array of dishes her mum creates to keep the bands fed. She's looking for a dog, she's looking for a father; but the one constant throughout is her and Joan, building an unconventional family in the most unlikely of locations.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

400 pages, Hardcover

Published May 16, 2024

About the author

Tiffany Murray was born in South West Sussex and grew up in Wales. Her first novel Happy Accidents and her second, Diamond Star Halo were both short-listed for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Award. Tiffany's writing has appeared in The Times, The Telegraph, The Independent and The Guardian. She is Senior Lecturer at The University of Glamorgan.

Reviews

[Gareth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a joyous read this is! This is Tiff’s story of her childhood, interwoven with tales of her family, mums cooking and music, largely based around her years spent living at and associated with the legendary Rockfield recording studios. Quirky, funny and touching, I can’t think of another book I’ve read recently that gave such a warm feeling - what’s not to love about memories of Freddy Mercury cuddling your Great Dane or entertaining Motorhead’s Lemmie and the Cardiff Hells Angels Chapter! It’s the way the story is told through Tiffs eyes (and sometimes her mums!), her interactions with her mum and other important people in her life (human or animal!) that really makes this such an endearing one. Highly recommended.

[Nata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so sad it's over😭

[Eddie Hillion · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have to admit I didn't finish it. 😕 Really disappointed as it didn't grip me at all and the, for me, fleeting mention of various rock stars was not what I had hoped.

[Louise Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I loved this book. It was like a journey through my childhood, but with the rockstar heroes my parents listened to.

What's not to love, playlists, recipes and fantastic stories from the eyes of a child. No health and safety needed just fun filled childhood days.

[Roo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, I just found it a bit rambling and I wasn't keen on all the recipes.
Worth reading just for Ozxy Osborne's appearance!

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super entertaining memoir about a young girl growing up in the Seventies with a bohemian mother who just happens to be a cordon bleu cook and work at Rockfield, one of the most famous recording studios in the UK. Alongside the eccentricities of Tiffany's childhood, which would be entertaining enough on their own, we meet Ozzy Osbourne, running around a graveyard in the middle of the night, naked and howling. We meet Julian Cope singing Julie Andrews whilst prancing through the fields and David Bowie in his milk drinking years.

Each chapter starts with a cast list, a play list and a short introduction by Tiffany's mum to one of her recipes. Her attempts to get Lemmy from Motorhead to eat anything are hilarious and her constant battle to introduce mostly working class young men to fine food deserves a medal.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It got a 3 because I was interested in location and the era which was a stomping ground for my late Uncle in the 70’s and 80’s - he was Welsh and in the music business as a sound engineer and musician and so had links to Rockfield and bands that recorded there - it felt like I was stepping back in time and experiencing a little bit of what he did, so thank you for that. Otherwise, it was quite haphazard and had quite an odd arrangement so I don’t think it would appeal to those seeking in depth rock autobiographies - still, a fun outing! Am glad that the book was written & as it is from a childs eye, who was there at the time, it has an interesting perspective

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rockfield Studios, Monmouth the place where many a great album and tracks have been made, but also the place where Tiffany Murray and her mum, Joan, had many happy times. This is the story of Tiffany growing up, as she meets stars such as Queen, David Bowie, Black Sabbath etc. Joan helped feed them, so you also get access to some of her recipes. Often funny and touching. 3.5 stars

[Margaret Almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Thank you Tiffany Murray for sharing these beautiful stories reminding us that rock stars are v special but still need to eat (some of them!), sleep and breathe the same air as us. I really enjoyed it.

[Becky Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute joy

This memoir is a real gem, the story of Rockfield Studios from the unique perspective of Tiffany Murray, whose mother cooked cordon bleu meals for everyone from Queen and Bowie to Siouxsie and Simple Minds. Mum is an acerbic character who loves what she does but has restless feet. Tiff finds a father figure in Fritz, who knows everyone and instils a love of music and musicianship that forges a bond between them. It's Tiff that gives this book its heart, though - obsessed with animals and peeved by inconvenient rock stars, a naïf in a world where the everyday brutality of the Seventies' countryside is offset by the knowing glamour of the stars who pass through her home. That glamour never rubs off the family, though: Tiff has to give up her bedroom to sleep in the stables when a band books in, money is always tight and food fights knacker the mixing desk and waste her mother's ingredients. This is a warm, funny book about a girl growing up in an extraordinary household, and a joy for anyone who loves classic rock.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've wanted to read this book for ages. We meet Tiffany Murray who has lived her childhood around the iconic recording studios, Rockfield. She spent most of her childhood years rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the music industry while her mum was the Cordon Bleu chef at the studios.

The book started well and the first big name to be dropped was the band Queen - what could be a better place to start. However, after that the musings of her interactions with the stars became a fleeting couple of lines for most and instead we had tales of the animals, her mum's cooking and the author's childhood years. Now don't get me wrong, I know this is the author's memoirs, but I was expecting more of the Rock Stars she had met. I did get a little bored at times, and the inclusion of her mum's words and menus throughout confused me and didn't feel necessary.

However, the tales from that studio that she did tell were great and I loved reading about some of the artists I knew of. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was enjoyable in parts.

[Andy Matheson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read if not quite what I expected. The author has a unique lifestyle as a child in the midst of the music industry. So the book explores the characters she encounters in a remote recording studio while her mother creates wonders in the kitchen.
The book is full of anecdotes, many of which are amusing, which provide a nice insight into some of the famous faces from the 70’s and 80’s
It would have been nice to read a bit more about the bands themselves, this book was in the ‘music’ section of the bookshop. But we learn more about catering than we do about creating music.
That said, I enjoyed reading it and envy the childhood stories the author carries with her.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

sadly quite disappointing.

Had far too much vaguery of a rural idylic childhood and not enough anecdote of bands so sadly did not really "do what is says on the tin"

I realise bands may have been more willing to indulge a younger child in a game of rounders around bin lids so in her burgeoning teenage years she was likely harder to hang out with as the chef's daughter - but this really is a story that started strong and quickly limped and should have been edited to half its size.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking read. I obviously read it for the tales of the legendary Rockfield Studios and the local interest, but it more than stands on its own as a delightful account of a wonderful, if somewhat unconventional childhood from another age. Some brilliant stories about Queen, Ozzy, Priest, Rush and Lemmy, almost all revolving around food (Murray's mother was the Rockfield chef) against a backdrop of a young girl discovering music, and her remarkable relationship with her mother.

[Delphine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed this memoir. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before in the way it’s written and it’s inserted ‘set lists’, recipes and photographs. What a remarkable childhood Tiffany Murray experienced. Joan is a powerhouse of energy and dear Fritz, is a step-father like no other. Loved this book and will no doubt revisit it in years to come.

[A.M.Standing · Rating 5 out of 5]

enchanting

Beautifully written. It’s is the kind of story that you never want to end. The experience of a young girl living at the iconic Rockfield studios where her mother was the chef and she watched all the greatest bands of the seventies and. eighties come and go. Hearing Queen record Bohemian Rhapsody and myriad other bands from Motörhead to Simple Minds all seen a child’s eyes or perhaps her ears. A great read.

[Ms MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, evocative, hilarious and touching

What a delight.
Vividly evokes the 70s and early 80s in a totally original way, I could hear the music as I read.
Beautifully written, touching, funny, tragic in places but never maudlin.
So, so good - I cried.

[Rachel Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's such a fantastic book. I so enjoyed it. I loved all your memories and stories and really wanted to meet Tiffs mum, Fritz, the dogs, and her Rockfield family. I loved reading Tiffs mums recipes and reading about the bands. I recommend this book to everyone!

[Alex Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me smile more than any book has for a long time! A great depiction of a unique childhood with lots of laughter along the way, and some sadness too. I’d recommend to any music lover, or if you just like food with lots of garlic!

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed. Bits were OK, first few chapters fun , Ozzy check. QUEEN tick but rest is like lists from diaries and told in a voice that lacks emotion. I actually became bored. All the recipe things seemed like fillers for a magazine article.

[Phil Curme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this delightful book, not just for the rock and roll anecdotes - but also for the exquisitely written descriptions of a rather extraordinary childhood.

[Roger Morgan-Grenville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original and funny. Good downtime read.

[Mia Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the stories in this book, but I found it hard to read through the child's voice

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kino.

[Sally Feeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an easy pleasurable read. Loved it!

[e taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how but this managed to bore me?

[Photis K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I raced through this book like it was a thriller rather than a charming memoir that will trigger floods of memories if you’re of a certain age.

Brilliant.

[William Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perlease !!!

The best book Ivehad the pleaxure to read in a long time , I enjoyecd it so much I read it in a day , every emotion I could muster.

[Linda Warrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wished it could’ve been a longer book, I enjoyed it immensely. One of the best memoirs I’ve read.

[Edward Aydon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story of an interesting childhood. Thanks for showing us how those records were recorded from your view point! Great work Tiff!