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Backtrack: The Voice Behind Music's Greatest Stars
Backtrack is the star-studded account of Tessa Niles' 30 years of working alongside the greatest names in rock and pop; the story of a young girl's quest to discover her true voice as she charts her rise to become one of the most respected session singers in Britain. Follow Tessa as she records with superstars such as Eric Clapton, David Bowie and Robbie Williams, appears on the world's biggest stages, rubs shoulders with royalty and reveals the triumphs and heartbreak of life on the road. Backtrack is a story of driving ambition, first-hand experience and the accomplishment of a dedicated and talented musician.
- GenresMusic
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 8, 2015
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40 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 21, 2020
Disappointing....
A quick and easy read which is more of a series of factual anecdotes, a series of events, rather than a traditional autobiography. As a consequence of this lack of personality I found it somewhat cold and lacking in emotion, and difficult to to the author. I first became aware of Tessa Niles in the 80s when she sang on Gary Numan's albums The Fury and Berserker but she barely affords him a paragraph, preferring to humble brag about the superstars she's worked with. I wanted to like this book. I had respect for Tessa before I read it but was left feeling disappointment. It didn't give the insider insight of life on tour that I was hoping for.
A quick and easy read which is more of a series of factual anecdotes, a series of events, rather than a traditional autobiography. As a consequence of this lack of personality I found it somewhat cold and lacking in emotion, and difficult to to the author. I first became aware of Tessa Niles in the 80s when she sang on Gary Numan's albums The Fury and Berserker but she barely affords him a paragraph, preferring to humble brag about the superstars she's worked with. I wanted to like this book. I had respect for Tessa before I read it but was left feeling disappointment. It didn't give the insider insight of life on tour that I was hoping for.
October 1, 2020
Amazing Book! Blown Away!
The first review I saw was by Lesley-Ann Jones, so instantly having read all Lesley's incredible books, I knew it was going to be amazing! In reality it was far better than that!
Tessa is a musician who considers herself a team player but in fact has been a massive part of the glue that has kept so many of the best artists at the top for 30 years. Why do I like the book? It is written so honestly with no agenda, with modesty, respect, insight, empathy and principles by someone who has delivered reliability, flexibility and a world class voice. Do you think the artists she has worked with appreciate that? You bet: that's why they have employed her time & time again for 30 years.
Here's where I have to be totally honest though, I cheated. When I said I read it, I actually bought the audio-book & the kindle so in reality, Tessa Niles read it to me while I followed the words on kindle.for 6 hours without stopping. Cool Eh?
I love it because it's a record of musical history of some of the greatest gigs from the point of view of someone who was on stage.She could have gone for fame but wanted to be a team player and shows gratitude for many what she calls 'pinch me' moments. I also believe you could use this book as a manual for teamwork because of the way it all pans out. Also she deals with challenges honestly and never claims to be perfect but deals with things and accepts responsibility. A great book of family & the pressures of working away from home but considering parents, partners & children.
After completing the book, I went on a you-tube binge & how wonderful to see the book come to life again. I took so much from this but what was so obvious was that everyone was having such a good time, playing for each other & such high class performances with passion.
In conclusion, if life is not about learning, what is it about? This book has totally changed the way I look at music & life. Yes there are many life lessons in this book.If you want to be entertained in the best way possible just buy the book. I will be recommending it to everyone I know for Sure! May I wish you all many sublime musical experiences!!!!
The first review I saw was by Lesley-Ann Jones, so instantly having read all Lesley's incredible books, I knew it was going to be amazing! In reality it was far better than that!
Tessa is a musician who considers herself a team player but in fact has been a massive part of the glue that has kept so many of the best artists at the top for 30 years. Why do I like the book? It is written so honestly with no agenda, with modesty, respect, insight, empathy and principles by someone who has delivered reliability, flexibility and a world class voice. Do you think the artists she has worked with appreciate that? You bet: that's why they have employed her time & time again for 30 years.
Here's where I have to be totally honest though, I cheated. When I said I read it, I actually bought the audio-book & the kindle so in reality, Tessa Niles read it to me while I followed the words on kindle.for 6 hours without stopping. Cool Eh?
I love it because it's a record of musical history of some of the greatest gigs from the point of view of someone who was on stage.She could have gone for fame but wanted to be a team player and shows gratitude for many what she calls 'pinch me' moments. I also believe you could use this book as a manual for teamwork because of the way it all pans out. Also she deals with challenges honestly and never claims to be perfect but deals with things and accepts responsibility. A great book of family & the pressures of working away from home but considering parents, partners & children.
After completing the book, I went on a you-tube binge & how wonderful to see the book come to life again. I took so much from this but what was so obvious was that everyone was having such a good time, playing for each other & such high class performances with passion.
In conclusion, if life is not about learning, what is it about? This book has totally changed the way I look at music & life. Yes there are many life lessons in this book.If you want to be entertained in the best way possible just buy the book. I will be recommending it to everyone I know for Sure! May I wish you all many sublime musical experiences!!!!
July 1, 2022
This is the life I always thought I'd like to have, if only I had the talent and the drive. Singing, hanging with talented, legendary musicians, but still able to walk down the street without all the trappings of celebrity. Niles' memoir makes it clear, though, that this life comes with hard work and some trade-offs.
"Backtrack" is not a tell-all, but an industry memoir. As such, Niles has worked with the biggest names in the music world, and readers will know many of her colleagues. But don't expect salacious back-stage stories. This is more of a diary, chronicling both Niles' personal and professional lives, which sometimes overlap. Read it with YouTube queued up on your TV, because you'll want to watch Niles perform with Bowie at Live Aid, Clapton on Unplugged, and the entire Concert For George, which is what brought Niles to my attention. What a life!
"Backtrack" is not a tell-all, but an industry memoir. As such, Niles has worked with the biggest names in the music world, and readers will know many of her colleagues. But don't expect salacious back-stage stories. This is more of a diary, chronicling both Niles' personal and professional lives, which sometimes overlap. Read it with YouTube queued up on your TV, because you'll want to watch Niles perform with Bowie at Live Aid, Clapton on Unplugged, and the entire Concert For George, which is what brought Niles to my attention. What a life!
March 15, 2023
I was looking for more in-depth info generally but also on her session work especially with Trevor Horn but it was very limited to a few sentences. A significant portion of the book is about her touring with Eric Clapton which I didn't find that interesting. Only for the die-hard fans otherwise people will be disappointed. Don't think there was much of anything about Bowie even though he is on the cover.
April 6, 2025
Tessa Niles might not be a household name, but if you come from the generation of music fans that reads credits on albums or CD booklets (I assume this basically excludes anyone under about 40) then there's a good chance you'll have seen the name - and given her incredible list of credits, you will definitely have heard her. The physical book feels like it's a print-on-demand copy (I bought it on Amazon so it's possible) and I can't quite decide whether Panoma Press are a vanity publisher or not; the writing style is a bit Mills & Boon and could definitely have done with better editing in places. But that said it does come across as her genuine voice rather than a bland ghost written account - and I found it readable and enjoyable.
March 5, 2025
I stumbled upon this because I was a fan of Duran Duran. I knew who she was from Notorious and Come Undone. But, I had no idea she had worked with so many of the artists I love. This is a great story and helpful if you're interested in navigating other paths that exist in the music world
June 15, 2015
A singularly magnificent talent presented with such elegant dignity
Had to read it cover to cover. Took the day off and found a quiet corner to take it all in.
Had to read it cover to cover. Took the day off and found a quiet corner to take it all in.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews