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Spoonfed: My Life with the Spoons
With a string of smash hits - Nova Heart, Tell No Lies, Old Emotions, Romantic Traffic - the Spoons redefined the musical landscape and captured the hearts of its fans everywhere.
The Spoons toured extensively, playing sold-out shows with an array of fellow icons including Talking Heads, Police, Culture Club, Simple Minds and many more, during an amazing decades-long journey-adventure that continues to this day.
The Spoons gold album Arias & Symphonies was named one of the 20 Most Influential Albums of The '80s by The Chart Magazine, and Nova Heart was recently named one of The Top 100 Canadian Singles.
Spoonfed is the compelling life story of Gord Deppe, the Spoons' driving creative force, principal songwriter, lead singer and lead guitarist, whose creative vision defined one of the most influential and original bands of the '80s and beyond.
The Spoons toured extensively, playing sold-out shows with an array of fellow icons including Talking Heads, Police, Culture Club, Simple Minds and many more, during an amazing decades-long journey-adventure that continues to this day.
The Spoons gold album Arias & Symphonies was named one of the 20 Most Influential Albums of The '80s by The Chart Magazine, and Nova Heart was recently named one of The Top 100 Canadian Singles.
Spoonfed is the compelling life story of Gord Deppe, the Spoons' driving creative force, principal songwriter, lead singer and lead guitarist, whose creative vision defined one of the most influential and original bands of the '80s and beyond.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 19, 2014
Well done dad! Xo
January 8, 2015
This book is a great read, ride and remembrance!
You’ll Be SPOONFED a Great Read
I must admit that I bought Gord Deppe’s book, SpoonFed: My Life With the Spoons, through the bookstore and then was so impressed after reading it that I bought an additional copy for my sister to read and enjoy. SpoonFed: My Life With The Spoons, is the type of book that you will enjoy so much that you will want to share the experience with friends and family- but not at the expense of giving up your only copy of the book!
I have read other music bios and autobiographies and, Gordon Deppe’s, SpoonFed is so much better than many of them- even better than those penned by reporters and journalists. Insightful, sentimental and sweet, this book is a treasure. Far more than a simple tale of a successful Canadian band from the 80's and 90’s- it's got heart.
Well written and straight forward, it captures the same feeling expressed in so many of the Spoon’s songs- honest and humble revelations, witty observations and genuine appeal. Gord Deppe takes his talent as a songwriter and uses the same skill and professionalism to craft a book that will entertain and inspire new fans, remind current fans of the talent of the Spoons- nationally and internationally- and, allow them to reminisce a bit both about the music industry and even local landmarks and experiences. Through the book, Gord takes us behind the scenes…into his life, into the music industry and into the life of one of Canada’s best loved bands.
Straight forward and easy to read, you will find yourself re-reading this book just for the pure pleasure- I know I did! And, in the interest of self revelation, I grew up with the music of the Spoons and enjoyed the band and many of the songs. This book reminded me of their power and impact- not just as a successful Canadian band but as international recording artists who made a huge impact and still do. After finishing reading the book, I found myself remembering back to the 80’s and 90’s, humming “Tell No Lies” (including percussion back beat with shoulder shimmy) and smiling broadly.
You’ll Be SPOONFED a Great Read
I must admit that I bought Gord Deppe’s book, SpoonFed: My Life With the Spoons, through the bookstore and then was so impressed after reading it that I bought an additional copy for my sister to read and enjoy. SpoonFed: My Life With The Spoons, is the type of book that you will enjoy so much that you will want to share the experience with friends and family- but not at the expense of giving up your only copy of the book!
I have read other music bios and autobiographies and, Gordon Deppe’s, SpoonFed is so much better than many of them- even better than those penned by reporters and journalists. Insightful, sentimental and sweet, this book is a treasure. Far more than a simple tale of a successful Canadian band from the 80's and 90’s- it's got heart.
Well written and straight forward, it captures the same feeling expressed in so many of the Spoon’s songs- honest and humble revelations, witty observations and genuine appeal. Gord Deppe takes his talent as a songwriter and uses the same skill and professionalism to craft a book that will entertain and inspire new fans, remind current fans of the talent of the Spoons- nationally and internationally- and, allow them to reminisce a bit both about the music industry and even local landmarks and experiences. Through the book, Gord takes us behind the scenes…into his life, into the music industry and into the life of one of Canada’s best loved bands.
Straight forward and easy to read, you will find yourself re-reading this book just for the pure pleasure- I know I did! And, in the interest of self revelation, I grew up with the music of the Spoons and enjoyed the band and many of the songs. This book reminded me of their power and impact- not just as a successful Canadian band but as international recording artists who made a huge impact and still do. After finishing reading the book, I found myself remembering back to the 80’s and 90’s, humming “Tell No Lies” (including percussion back beat with shoulder shimmy) and smiling broadly.
April 3, 2020
Rock star autobiographies are tough. Certainly they're generally intended for fans of the subjects music, but the best of those tales are ones that can appeal to anyone. Jann Arden, another Canadian musician comes to mind whose memoir, Falling Backwards is a joy to read, revealing insights into the woman behind the rock star, sharing what it's like to be in that singularly unusual career, and being entertaining and funny at the same time. She also has the odd acclaim of being a huge superstar in her native Canada, but remaining relatively unknown in the States.
Gord Deppe, author of Spoonfed, and lead vocalist/guitarist of the band Spoons, is in a somewhat similar scenario. His band broke big in Canad in the early 80's with a smash hit, Nova Heart. They had some pretty good momentum for two to three albums, but when they turned their sights on America,, adjusting their style to appeal to the perceived differences of taste in U.S. audiences, things went awry. America barely noticed, and their Canadian fanbase grew somewhat indifferent to their change in style. A couple years later, as the 80's rolled to a close and grunge took over, Spoons quietly disbanded. Not quite a one-hit wonder, but also, not really the end of their story either. They rode the wave of 80's nostalgia in the 2010's to release two more albums of original music, and their Canadian fans are still loyal, affording them a measure of renewed success.
There's an interesting story to tell in that arc, but Deppe, while an accomplished songwriter, can't fashion that compelling story in narrative form. After completing the quick read, I didn't feel I knew all that much more about the musician than I had gleaned from his songs. I still knew next to nothing about his bandmates. And while I now had a much better picture of the timeline for his band, and although I enjoyed a few anecdotes about the life of a rock 'n roll band -- most notably that Deppe didn't think all that highly of the album through which I discovered them, and quite possibly led them on the road to their first dissolution -- overall the book was pretty slight.
Now, I am in the highly unusual position of being an American fan who discovered Spoons when MTV picked them up during their, let's find success in the U.S. phase. While I vaguely remember that smash single, Nova Heart, when I went back to listen to it, for all intents and purposes, Spoons was a new band when I saw the video Bridge Over Borders. I find the disconnect, or rather, the ability for a personality to be hugely famous in Canada, and next to unknown just south of the border in the States. My 80's album collection is full of them: Luba, Chalk Circle, Neo A4, National Velvet, Crash Vegas, Gowan... you name them. And Spoons, with their earnest, poetic pop songs, cool female bass player, and admittedly, a lead singer and creative force upon whom I nursed a crush, are a band I still enjoy listening to, and have transitioned into a new, present-day career with new albums that both capture their 80's vibe and root them squarely in the present. Fortunately, despite my disappointment with his memoir, there will always be Gord's music to enjoy.
Gord Deppe, author of Spoonfed, and lead vocalist/guitarist of the band Spoons, is in a somewhat similar scenario. His band broke big in Canad in the early 80's with a smash hit, Nova Heart. They had some pretty good momentum for two to three albums, but when they turned their sights on America,, adjusting their style to appeal to the perceived differences of taste in U.S. audiences, things went awry. America barely noticed, and their Canadian fanbase grew somewhat indifferent to their change in style. A couple years later, as the 80's rolled to a close and grunge took over, Spoons quietly disbanded. Not quite a one-hit wonder, but also, not really the end of their story either. They rode the wave of 80's nostalgia in the 2010's to release two more albums of original music, and their Canadian fans are still loyal, affording them a measure of renewed success.
There's an interesting story to tell in that arc, but Deppe, while an accomplished songwriter, can't fashion that compelling story in narrative form. After completing the quick read, I didn't feel I knew all that much more about the musician than I had gleaned from his songs. I still knew next to nothing about his bandmates. And while I now had a much better picture of the timeline for his band, and although I enjoyed a few anecdotes about the life of a rock 'n roll band -- most notably that Deppe didn't think all that highly of the album through which I discovered them, and quite possibly led them on the road to their first dissolution -- overall the book was pretty slight.
Now, I am in the highly unusual position of being an American fan who discovered Spoons when MTV picked them up during their, let's find success in the U.S. phase. While I vaguely remember that smash single, Nova Heart, when I went back to listen to it, for all intents and purposes, Spoons was a new band when I saw the video Bridge Over Borders. I find the disconnect, or rather, the ability for a personality to be hugely famous in Canada, and next to unknown just south of the border in the States. My 80's album collection is full of them: Luba, Chalk Circle, Neo A4, National Velvet, Crash Vegas, Gowan... you name them. And Spoons, with their earnest, poetic pop songs, cool female bass player, and admittedly, a lead singer and creative force upon whom I nursed a crush, are a band I still enjoy listening to, and have transitioned into a new, present-day career with new albums that both capture their 80's vibe and root them squarely in the present. Fortunately, despite my disappointment with his memoir, there will always be Gord's music to enjoy.
January 10, 2015
Spoons are my favourite band so I loved this behind the scenes look at Gord's life with the band. After reading the book I have a new layer of appreciation for the music. My only complaint was that I was left wanting more! I think there is enough material for a second volume.
December 30, 2020
As a fan and a musician I thoroughly enjoyed reading this effortless read over the Holiday! It was a gift from my daughter that I couldn’t put down. It really captures the trials and tribulations of being part of a band and a student of life. No mention of playing in the Police cover band and with Mike Score and AFOS.... perhaps the next chapter? It has me playing my old vinyl Spoons records as well!
August 23, 2016
My only complaint about this book.... not long enough!!!! I was sad when it ended and could have kept reading. I was fascinated by all the details I thought I knew but turned out ... not so much.
I loved reading every minute of this. It transported me back to a time that seems long ago.
I had seen the Spoons about 20 times in concert, (yes I was at the show where we were actually allowed to stand on the spinning Forum floor, forgot we were allowed to do that). I was in heaven when they signed the Thrifty's deal so I would have posters on my wall. Waited in line for hours at Scarborough Town Center to meet them. I still have a drumstick and signed drum skin from a concert at the Forum. Stood outside in the rain and cold in October at Wonderland for about 14 hours for a free show. What fun memories!
Hearing some of the old place names like Twilight" and the "Forum" brought a smile to my face. I had long forgotten about the all night dance club in the big city.
It is always interesting to know what was really going on and why things happened the way they did. At the time some of the things the Spoons were doing seemed odd and made no sense but this book puts it all into perspective.
AWESOME READ!!!
I loved reading every minute of this. It transported me back to a time that seems long ago.
I had seen the Spoons about 20 times in concert, (yes I was at the show where we were actually allowed to stand on the spinning Forum floor, forgot we were allowed to do that). I was in heaven when they signed the Thrifty's deal so I would have posters on my wall. Waited in line for hours at Scarborough Town Center to meet them. I still have a drumstick and signed drum skin from a concert at the Forum. Stood outside in the rain and cold in October at Wonderland for about 14 hours for a free show. What fun memories!
Hearing some of the old place names like Twilight" and the "Forum" brought a smile to my face. I had long forgotten about the all night dance club in the big city.
It is always interesting to know what was really going on and why things happened the way they did. At the time some of the things the Spoons were doing seemed odd and made no sense but this book puts it all into perspective.
AWESOME READ!!!
August 6, 2016
A little unsatisfying as Gord wisely glosses over the relationship between himself and his erstwhile musical and former romantic partner, Sandy Horne. What he doesn't reveal says a lot about his character. Great tales of a musical scene that continues to have influence today. I was a little irked at the number of spelling mistakes (Orchestral "Manouvers" in the Dark was particularly grating) but a good read overall and well worth the time if you're a lover of Canadian music of the 80s and 90s.
June 15, 2015
I felt totally engaged and found myself turning to Google to search for photos of the places mentioned in the book. What does the top on the CN Tower look like where the Nova Heart cover was shot? Were there any photos online of the old Forum? I had fun just using this book as a map guiding be back through the places of my younger days.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews