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How To Never Have A Hit: The confessions of an unsuccessful singer-songwriter
The memoir of Alan Tyler.
Alan Tyler is the singer of The Rockingbirds, the chaotic, swashbuckling country-rockers who galloped haphazardly into the 90s Camden indie scene, got signed, appeared on Top Of The Pops, went head to head with Nirvana at Reading ‘92 and produced, eventually, four albums of unsurpassed Americana.
From DIY/punk beginnings, in 1980 Tyler arrived at the experimentalists’ haven of the London Musicians Collective and was soon playing swingy pop at Bernie Rhodes' Club Left, sharing the agitpop aspirations of Scritti Politti and other Rough Trade acts before being there at the dawn of Creation Records. At various times he’s been a choirboy, a fanzine writer, a Young Socialist, a tap dancer, a polytechnic philosopher, a cycle dispatch rider, a news-monitoring video pirate, an ill-suited civil servant and a Deptford Creek dwelling river poet. Long after his Heavenly Recordings heyday, Tyler remains a stalwart of London’s roots music a critically recognised singer-songwriter who has never had a single hit.
With a foreword by John Niven.
Things said about How To Never Have A Hit
By people who are in it…
“Absolutely tore through it. Brilliantly written.” Pete Astor
“This is so moving!! I loved it... One way or another this will be a beautiful thing in the world.” Sukie Smith
“It’s very funny and [a] literally revelatory story of his life and times with the Rockingbirds, before and since. You’re going to love it.” Sean Read
And by a few who aren’t…
“Alan Tyler proves just as good a story-teller over book length as song length.” Andrew Mueller
“A funny, moving and above all unique memoir from the most talented musician you only think you’ve heard of. It’s a great book.” David Quantick
“It is absolutely bloody marvellous.” John Mitchinson
Alan Tyler is the singer of The Rockingbirds, the chaotic, swashbuckling country-rockers who galloped haphazardly into the 90s Camden indie scene, got signed, appeared on Top Of The Pops, went head to head with Nirvana at Reading ‘92 and produced, eventually, four albums of unsurpassed Americana.
From DIY/punk beginnings, in 1980 Tyler arrived at the experimentalists’ haven of the London Musicians Collective and was soon playing swingy pop at Bernie Rhodes' Club Left, sharing the agitpop aspirations of Scritti Politti and other Rough Trade acts before being there at the dawn of Creation Records. At various times he’s been a choirboy, a fanzine writer, a Young Socialist, a tap dancer, a polytechnic philosopher, a cycle dispatch rider, a news-monitoring video pirate, an ill-suited civil servant and a Deptford Creek dwelling river poet. Long after his Heavenly Recordings heyday, Tyler remains a stalwart of London’s roots music a critically recognised singer-songwriter who has never had a single hit.
With a foreword by John Niven.
Things said about How To Never Have A Hit
By people who are in it…
“Absolutely tore through it. Brilliantly written.” Pete Astor
“This is so moving!! I loved it... One way or another this will be a beautiful thing in the world.” Sukie Smith
“It’s very funny and [a] literally revelatory story of his life and times with the Rockingbirds, before and since. You’re going to love it.” Sean Read
And by a few who aren’t…
“Alan Tyler proves just as good a story-teller over book length as song length.” Andrew Mueller
“A funny, moving and above all unique memoir from the most talented musician you only think you’ve heard of. It’s a great book.” David Quantick
“It is absolutely bloody marvellous.” John Mitchinson
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 24, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 9, 2025
Interesting and enjoyable memoir by an old friend who I saw an awful lot of at the beginning, lost touch with in the middle and then have had half an eye on since; occasionally we've even bumped into each other over the last 15ish years. It was fun reading about the period when I was there, from a slightly different viewpoint. I'm conscious from reading this that our perspectives both overlapped and diverged in many ways.
I was completely unaware of the Rockingbirds, Alan's main claim to (a lack of) fame, till I was stunned to see my old friend on Later With Jools in the early 90s, but didn't really connect with him again till social media made it easier a decade and a half (or more) later, so it's enlightening to find out what was going on at the time we weren't in touch.
Alan ends with a twist, a political analysis, some of which I agree with, some not - and probably for different reasons in both cases.
One of the strengths of this book is that it tells a story from the backroads of music history engagingly, providing an example of how life goes for most people in the music industry, few of whom get to be household names or wealthy from it. But beyond the story of this specific musician (and club host - sorry!), there are some interesting insights into what makes for success, how come some achieve this while others don't. The comments on trying (or not trying) to improve musically made a lot of sense in relation to my own brief musical history. That said, the book also highlights how it's often not clear from the outside whether somebody is or isn't successful, whatever that means. I'll continue to believe that Alan is a global superstar based on the fact that not only has he released loads of albums over many decades, he's now got a book out too.
I was completely unaware of the Rockingbirds, Alan's main claim to (a lack of) fame, till I was stunned to see my old friend on Later With Jools in the early 90s, but didn't really connect with him again till social media made it easier a decade and a half (or more) later, so it's enlightening to find out what was going on at the time we weren't in touch.
Alan ends with a twist, a political analysis, some of which I agree with, some not - and probably for different reasons in both cases.
One of the strengths of this book is that it tells a story from the backroads of music history engagingly, providing an example of how life goes for most people in the music industry, few of whom get to be household names or wealthy from it. But beyond the story of this specific musician (and club host - sorry!), there are some interesting insights into what makes for success, how come some achieve this while others don't. The comments on trying (or not trying) to improve musically made a lot of sense in relation to my own brief musical history. That said, the book also highlights how it's often not clear from the outside whether somebody is or isn't successful, whatever that means. I'll continue to believe that Alan is a global superstar based on the fact that not only has he released loads of albums over many decades, he's now got a book out too.
February 5, 2025
I’ve got a lot of time for The Rockingbirds. I come from the same place as three of them and in the 90s I’d adopted them as a local band even though they weren’t at all. Alan Tyler isn’t one of those Norfolk boys but he’s written a great 220 pages on fleeting fame and life on the margins as an almost nearly man of alt country music, which for the most part is an engaging and fun read.
Trouble is this book is 240 pages long and he’s somehow then blown up all that goodwill with a series of ‘old man yells at cloud’ proclamations on Trump, Covid and gender ideology, among other hot topics that have nothing at all to do with the central premise of being an ‘unsuccessful singer-songwriter.’
“Dismiss my wild musings as the forgivable eccentricities of one over-excited contrarian, and stay with my little history to its end, for it is a tale of our times, whether you agree with my observations or not. I have given you abundant evidence of my foolishness in the past, to make it all the easier to laugh off my version of events in the present”.
Four stars, 20 pages too long, but I’ll never forget that he’s been on Top Of The Pops more than I have.
Trouble is this book is 240 pages long and he’s somehow then blown up all that goodwill with a series of ‘old man yells at cloud’ proclamations on Trump, Covid and gender ideology, among other hot topics that have nothing at all to do with the central premise of being an ‘unsuccessful singer-songwriter.’
“Dismiss my wild musings as the forgivable eccentricities of one over-excited contrarian, and stay with my little history to its end, for it is a tale of our times, whether you agree with my observations or not. I have given you abundant evidence of my foolishness in the past, to make it all the easier to laugh off my version of events in the present”.
Four stars, 20 pages too long, but I’ll never forget that he’s been on Top Of The Pops more than I have.
June 9, 2025
How To Never Have A Hit: The confessions of an unsuccessful singer-songwriter is Alan Tyler's enjoyble memoir. Alan who? He's primarily known as the frontman of The Rockingbirds, a country-rock band from the 90s.
Despite making music since the 1980s he's another artist who subsists on the margins and needed a job in the Civil Service to help make ends meet. Failure is often more interesting than success. And that should be failure in inverted commas because Alan's had a fascinating life and has many great stories to share, and has made much fine music.
His early experiences are particularly interesting as he moved from fanzine writer to musician and performer. Then again, his whole life provides interesting material and insights. This is really well written too, witty and engaging throughout. It's probably of most interest to those who like his music, or just like books about the music industry but I'd wager that many people would find plenty to enjoy in this book about a singer-songwriter who, despite some critical recognition never achieved a the Holy Grail of a hit record, or anything that came close.
4/5
The memoir of Alan Tyler.
Alan Tyler is the singer of The Rockingbirds, the chaotic, swashbuckling country-rockers who galloped haphazardly into the 90s Camden indie scene, got signed, appeared on Top Of The Pops, went head to head with Nirvana at Reading ‘92 and produced, eventually, four albums of unsurpassed Americana.
From DIY/punk beginnings, in 1980 Tyler arrived at the experimentalists’ haven of the London Musicians Collective and was soon playing swingy pop at Bernie Rhodes' Club Left, sharing the agitpop aspirations of Scritti Politti and other Rough Trade acts before being there at the dawn of Creation Records. At various times he’s been a choirboy, a fanzine writer, a Young Socialist, a tap dancer, a polytechnic philosopher, a cycle dispatch rider, a news-monitoring video pirate, an ill-suited civil servant and a Deptford Creek dwelling river poet. Long after his Heavenly Recordings heyday, Tyler remains a stalwart of London’s roots music a critically recognised singer-songwriter who has never had a single hit.
With a foreword by John Niven.
Despite making music since the 1980s he's another artist who subsists on the margins and needed a job in the Civil Service to help make ends meet. Failure is often more interesting than success. And that should be failure in inverted commas because Alan's had a fascinating life and has many great stories to share, and has made much fine music.
His early experiences are particularly interesting as he moved from fanzine writer to musician and performer. Then again, his whole life provides interesting material and insights. This is really well written too, witty and engaging throughout. It's probably of most interest to those who like his music, or just like books about the music industry but I'd wager that many people would find plenty to enjoy in this book about a singer-songwriter who, despite some critical recognition never achieved a the Holy Grail of a hit record, or anything that came close.
4/5
The memoir of Alan Tyler.
Alan Tyler is the singer of The Rockingbirds, the chaotic, swashbuckling country-rockers who galloped haphazardly into the 90s Camden indie scene, got signed, appeared on Top Of The Pops, went head to head with Nirvana at Reading ‘92 and produced, eventually, four albums of unsurpassed Americana.
From DIY/punk beginnings, in 1980 Tyler arrived at the experimentalists’ haven of the London Musicians Collective and was soon playing swingy pop at Bernie Rhodes' Club Left, sharing the agitpop aspirations of Scritti Politti and other Rough Trade acts before being there at the dawn of Creation Records. At various times he’s been a choirboy, a fanzine writer, a Young Socialist, a tap dancer, a polytechnic philosopher, a cycle dispatch rider, a news-monitoring video pirate, an ill-suited civil servant and a Deptford Creek dwelling river poet. Long after his Heavenly Recordings heyday, Tyler remains a stalwart of London’s roots music a critically recognised singer-songwriter who has never had a single hit.
With a foreword by John Niven.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews