Mick Jagger: Primitive Cool

by Christopher Sandford

For all his vast and enduring fame, Mick Jagger remains enigmatic to the public eye. Decades of press reports, culminating in the publication of sensationalist biographies like last year's Jagger Unauthorized, have painted him as nothing more than a walking libido, a sex machine with little more on his mind than groupies and guitars.
Rock journalist Christopher Sandford offers as an alternative the first truly comprehensive biography of the premiere Rolling not just the mayhem and the models, but the man and the music. His insight into Jagger's English childhood - including exclusive interviews with his parents and his first musical partners - is unparalleled. His understanding of how the Stones made their music into the world's greatest rock 'n' roll - informed by rare detail contributed by Ian Stewart, the Stones's late pianist - is profound. And his portrait of this paradoxical rocker - wild, abandoned, raucous on stage; cool, shrewd, ambitious in his real life - gets past the facade to uncover the creative artist who even today retains both credibility and bite.
No punches are Besides covering the romps with Bianca and Jerry, Bardot and Trudeau, Mick Primitive Cool is the first book to contain excerpts from Jagger's FBI file, obtained by the author under the Freedom of Information Act. But Sandford's biography tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the Mick plain and simple, pure energy, primitive cool.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

319 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Christopher Sandford has published acclaimed biographies of Kurt Cobain, Steve McQueen, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, and Roman Polanski. He has worked as a film and music writer and reviewer for over 20 years and frequently contributes to newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. Rolling Stone has called him "the preeminent author in his field today."

His latest project, MASTERS OF MYSTERY (forthcoming November 2011, Palgrave Macmillan) explores Arthur Conan Doyle's and Harry Houdini's incredible friendship and fascination with Spiritualism.

Reviews

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this biography of a shrewd, self driven individual, business like and ambitious to a fault. Almost the antithesis of the “youth in revolt” image which he and his fellow Stones portrayed and exploited so successfully.

A massive book worm; is he on Goodreads I wonder? (Sandford suggests that if it came to a choice between a 'good' book and a 'bad' woman the book would win). A snob, egotist, certainly not a shrinking violet (he is credited with saying that the English had 2 people to be proud of – himself and the Queen!)

Sandford's style threw me at times – especially his long sentences - but nonetheless a good read.

[Solar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Подвеждащо заглавие. Предполага се, че авторът "рисува портрет" на Мик Джагър, но фактологията в тази книга може да бъде срещната във всяка книга за "Ролинг Стоунс" или просто из няколко статии в Интернет. В книгата не е обрисуван нито бунтар, нито рицар (въображението ми все още не ми помага да разбера това заглавие). Нищо ново не научих за личността на Мик Джагър, но по-неприятното е, че не ми беше интересно да чета всички тези факти, защото авторът е лишен от художествен усет. С описанията на събитията той звучи като коментатор на скучен мач. Няма рок из тези страници

[Chelsea Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this. This book rocked! Wait until you get to the part about Brian Jones's death, the author does an amazing job of capturing the emotions!

[Brian Haining · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books on the Stones that normally cover the initial decade of the band . This book goes through to the early 90s, concentrating on Mick Jagger, but his story is intricately linked with that of the band.
There are specifics within the story that I hadn't been aware of. The book is well written and worth a read

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfunctory rock biography. I enjoyed the anecdote about Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry threatening to kick Jagger's ass. Nothing else stood out.

[Tony Sacre]

Good read inspired my first portrait of the Rolling Stones