What do you think?
Rate this book
Bring It On Home: Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin, and Beyond—The Story of Rock's Greatest Manager
The authorized biography of the most notorious rock manager of all time, Peter Grant, best known for his work with Led Zeppelin Peter Grant is the most famous music manager of all time. Often acknowledged as the "fifth member of Led Zeppelin," Grant's story has appeared in fragments across countless Zeppelin biographies, but none has explored who this brilliant and intuitive manager yet flawed and sometimes dangerous man truly was. No one has successfully captured the scope of his personality or his long-lasting impact on the music business. Acclaimed author and journalist Mark Blake seeks to rectify that.Bring It On Home is the first book to tell the complete uncensored story of this industry giant. With support from Grant's family interviews with Led Zeppelin's surviving band members, and access to Grant's extensive archive and scores of unpublished material, including his never-before-published final interview, Blake sheds new light on the history of Led Zeppelin and on the wider story of rock music in the 1960s and '70s. Full of new insights into Grant's early life as an actor, wrestler, and road manager for rock 'n' roll pioneers Chuck Berry and Little Richard; the formation of Led Zeppelin; his seclusion following the demise of the band; and his recovery from substance abuse, Bring It On Home reveals a man who, after the extraordinary highs and lows of a career in rock 'n' roll, found peace and happiness in a more ordinary life. It is a celebration, a cautionary tale, and a compelling human drama.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
95 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
December 10, 2021
"[Peter Grant] was a generous friend, an awesome enemy, and a staggering influence on the music industry . . . He was a man of many parts." -- from the eulogy by music producer / executive Alan Callan
Although a well-written and detailed biography, there seemed to be something missing in Bring It On Home that truly . . . brought it on home? Peter Grant is best remembered for managing heavy metal early innovators Led Zeppelin from the very beginning (when they formed out of the ashes of the blues-rock outfit The Yardbirds in 1968) to the depressing end (with the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980). At a time when band managers - with the possible exception of Brian Epstein - were a faceless bunch and/or stuck in the background the former wrestler / nightclub bouncer Grant was something different. Probably his major claim to fame was the securing - with the intensity and physical menace of an enforcer working in organized crime - of particularly heavy paydays (a split referred to in the book as a '90/10,' or the band receiving 90% of the concert earnings) when the unfortunate norm at that time was for unscrupulous promoters and/or venue owners to usually and underhandedly take a large portion of the proceeds. Grant himself admitted he did not really have any business or music acumen - he looked to Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker as an influence - but partially due to his intimidating efforts / actions he helped make Led Zeppelin one of the most successful touring acts during the 70's. For LZ fans this book was a nice piece to fit in that overall puzzle of the group's image / history, but I suspect others will find it somewhat non-essential or maybe even tedious since books like Hammer of the Gods already cover some of the same ground.
Although a well-written and detailed biography, there seemed to be something missing in Bring It On Home that truly . . . brought it on home? Peter Grant is best remembered for managing heavy metal early innovators Led Zeppelin from the very beginning (when they formed out of the ashes of the blues-rock outfit The Yardbirds in 1968) to the depressing end (with the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980). At a time when band managers - with the possible exception of Brian Epstein - were a faceless bunch and/or stuck in the background the former wrestler / nightclub bouncer Grant was something different. Probably his major claim to fame was the securing - with the intensity and physical menace of an enforcer working in organized crime - of particularly heavy paydays (a split referred to in the book as a '90/10,' or the band receiving 90% of the concert earnings) when the unfortunate norm at that time was for unscrupulous promoters and/or venue owners to usually and underhandedly take a large portion of the proceeds. Grant himself admitted he did not really have any business or music acumen - he looked to Elvis Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker as an influence - but partially due to his intimidating efforts / actions he helped make Led Zeppelin one of the most successful touring acts during the 70's. For LZ fans this book was a nice piece to fit in that overall puzzle of the group's image / history, but I suspect others will find it somewhat non-essential or maybe even tedious since books like Hammer of the Gods already cover some of the same ground.
January 17, 2019
A very good book for a man who deserved a serious biography. All of such books have so many characters it becomes a difficult read. The author did a good job of trying to keep the reader on track but it is still a jumble of back and forth to see who he is talking about. All true stories reveal the difficulty, variation, imperfection and "mixed bag" of being a human being. Those who have created great impact seem to have more impactful demons, especially when thrust into the lime light without an upbringing with some training for such brightness. It seems to me to be a history lesson for evening the playing field for all. Drugs and alcohol are such dangerous elements, feeding the fear and concomitant egos. More education and more community, enlightened by a helpful approach rather than a pedantic one are critically important, IMHO.
April 24, 2023
Random thoughts about Bring it on Home, Mark Blake's biography of Peter Grant, the legendary manager of Led Zeppelin:
- checked out from my local library.
- The subtitle of this book is Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin and Beyond - The Story of Rock's Greatest Manager, and the title is apt. Was Grant the most honest manager? No. Was he the nicest? Absolutely not? But he got the best deals for his Zeppelin, cared about them as people, and dedicated himself to making them the biggest band in the world. Judged by that criteria, Grant was the greatest.
- Another thing that made Grant a great manager for Led Zeppelin is that they were, essentially, his only client. He had other clients, notably Bad Company, but he pawned their care off to his associates. Grant dedicated himself exclusively to the band and primarily, Jimmy Page.
- Grant was clear with everyone that Zeppelin was Page's band, and everyone else were hired guns (though he also grew close with John Bonham). This was especially true of Robert Plant.
- The book is interesting but not particularly well-written. There is lots of trivia but not a lot of insight. Extra details are thrown into stories and then never explored. Lots of names put out there for no apparent reason other than to mention the names which is distracting trying to follow along with who all of the characters are.
- Page and John Paul Jones were session musicians in the U.K. and played on a ton of records with which you are probably familiar. This includes songs by the Rolling Stones and on Donovan's Sunshine Superman.
- Grant was prescient in seeing the rise of FM radio coming and with it, the importance of the rock album. Singles were on the way out and Grant realized that a band could have a cohesive vision for an album without hit singles and still be successful. This was happening as the Yardbirds were breaking up and Grant and Page were working together so Grant pushed Page in that direction.
- There are lots of stories here about the excesses of the band, but this is not so much about Led Zeppelin as it is about Grant. So the infamous shark story is here, which I will not recount but you can look it up if you want to read about alleged deviant sexual behavior. But there are other great stories as well:
= Grant, who weighed over 300 pounds, accidentally sitting on Elvis' dad backstage.
= Led Zeppelin having a fireplace on their private jet. It was non-functioning but nevertheless,
is quite a flex.
= When the band was out of drugs at a concert, Grant would send security out into the crowd,
bust concert-goers with drugs on them, and confiscate the drugs for the band.
= My favorite story of all was Zeppelin had destroyed their hotel rooms (a frequent occurrence)
and Grant went to the hotel manager to settle up the bill. The manager told him the amount
and then told Grant that he thought the band was lucky to be able to take their rage out like
that, whereas the hotel manager never could. Grant took the manager up to Grant's room and
told him to trash the place and put it on Zeppelin's bill, which the hotel manager did.
- If you are a fan of Janis Joplin or Joan Osbourne, check out Maggie Bell. She was on Zeppelin's Swan Song label, and is an amazing blues singer. Her best album is probably Suicide Sal.
- A fun read. Grant was a study in contrasts. Probably mobbed-up, a very scary individual who used intimidation to get his way, he was also devoted to his children and family. In fact, the reason he was probably so protective of Led Zeppelin is because he considered them his family as well and would do anything to protect them.
- checked out from my local library.
- The subtitle of this book is Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin and Beyond - The Story of Rock's Greatest Manager, and the title is apt. Was Grant the most honest manager? No. Was he the nicest? Absolutely not? But he got the best deals for his Zeppelin, cared about them as people, and dedicated himself to making them the biggest band in the world. Judged by that criteria, Grant was the greatest.
- Another thing that made Grant a great manager for Led Zeppelin is that they were, essentially, his only client. He had other clients, notably Bad Company, but he pawned their care off to his associates. Grant dedicated himself exclusively to the band and primarily, Jimmy Page.
- Grant was clear with everyone that Zeppelin was Page's band, and everyone else were hired guns (though he also grew close with John Bonham). This was especially true of Robert Plant.
- The book is interesting but not particularly well-written. There is lots of trivia but not a lot of insight. Extra details are thrown into stories and then never explored. Lots of names put out there for no apparent reason other than to mention the names which is distracting trying to follow along with who all of the characters are.
- Page and John Paul Jones were session musicians in the U.K. and played on a ton of records with which you are probably familiar. This includes songs by the Rolling Stones and on Donovan's Sunshine Superman.
- Grant was prescient in seeing the rise of FM radio coming and with it, the importance of the rock album. Singles were on the way out and Grant realized that a band could have a cohesive vision for an album without hit singles and still be successful. This was happening as the Yardbirds were breaking up and Grant and Page were working together so Grant pushed Page in that direction.
- There are lots of stories here about the excesses of the band, but this is not so much about Led Zeppelin as it is about Grant. So the infamous shark story is here, which I will not recount but you can look it up if you want to read about alleged deviant sexual behavior. But there are other great stories as well:
= Grant, who weighed over 300 pounds, accidentally sitting on Elvis' dad backstage.
= Led Zeppelin having a fireplace on their private jet. It was non-functioning but nevertheless,
is quite a flex.
= When the band was out of drugs at a concert, Grant would send security out into the crowd,
bust concert-goers with drugs on them, and confiscate the drugs for the band.
= My favorite story of all was Zeppelin had destroyed their hotel rooms (a frequent occurrence)
and Grant went to the hotel manager to settle up the bill. The manager told him the amount
and then told Grant that he thought the band was lucky to be able to take their rage out like
that, whereas the hotel manager never could. Grant took the manager up to Grant's room and
told him to trash the place and put it on Zeppelin's bill, which the hotel manager did.
- If you are a fan of Janis Joplin or Joan Osbourne, check out Maggie Bell. She was on Zeppelin's Swan Song label, and is an amazing blues singer. Her best album is probably Suicide Sal.
- A fun read. Grant was a study in contrasts. Probably mobbed-up, a very scary individual who used intimidation to get his way, he was also devoted to his children and family. In fact, the reason he was probably so protective of Led Zeppelin is because he considered them his family as well and would do anything to protect them.
January 17, 2019
Pop performers and rock stars are well written about - but what of the men who shape and guide them?
Stories of music's most flamboyant managers are often more over the top, excessive and gloriously sleazy than those of the stars themselves.
Peter Grant was the man who steered Led Zeppelin to become arguably the world's biggest rock band and along the way gained a reputation almost as big as his physical stature.
But every story has two sides, particularly in rock and roll where stories and myths get more and more embellished to create legends - this book strips away the hazy music folklore to expose the real workings of the man.
Although the story of Led Zeppelin is integral to the book this isn't just another story of their career, instead it reveals several decades worth of how the music industry is run behind the scenes and how one man in particular wrote the book on how music management would would work after the emergence of stadium shows and new technology.
It also portrays how money, fame and having exposure to anything and everything that you want doesn't always equate to happiness.
If you're interested in the history of modern music then this is a book for you. Highly recommended!
Stories of music's most flamboyant managers are often more over the top, excessive and gloriously sleazy than those of the stars themselves.
Peter Grant was the man who steered Led Zeppelin to become arguably the world's biggest rock band and along the way gained a reputation almost as big as his physical stature.
But every story has two sides, particularly in rock and roll where stories and myths get more and more embellished to create legends - this book strips away the hazy music folklore to expose the real workings of the man.
Although the story of Led Zeppelin is integral to the book this isn't just another story of their career, instead it reveals several decades worth of how the music industry is run behind the scenes and how one man in particular wrote the book on how music management would would work after the emergence of stadium shows and new technology.
It also portrays how money, fame and having exposure to anything and everything that you want doesn't always equate to happiness.
If you're interested in the history of modern music then this is a book for you. Highly recommended!
December 24, 2018
(2). Peter Grant was a legendary guy if you were involved in the music business in any way, shape or form in the Early 70's. His reputation always preceded him, and as this book evidences, it was well earned. Seriously bad behavior, incredible physical and emotional abuse being handed out, all in the name of making a band (Led Zeppelin) the king of them all. Problem was, as usual, too many bad decisions seriously outweighed the good ones. The lack of business acumen at certain levels, along with those old rock and roll foibles, drugs and sex, caused an empire and a golden future to be wiped out. Oh well, this description of Grant's beginnings and his journey is almost as entertaining as it is tedious and boring at times, and if you are a music nut like me, it certainly was another brick in the wall that needed to be placed. Wild and crazy stuff here.
January 10, 2019
Interesting look at the myth and legend of Peter Grant. Review is here. http://bit.do/eE4aR
January 2, 2023
Amazing book, what a life this guy had. Whilst some traits of his character weren’t perfect, he looked after his band & family with incredible loyalty
May 17, 2024
About a year ago, I asked ClassicRock subreddit on who's the best and worst manager for Rock bands. Universally, all Reddit users there praised Peter Grant as the legend who brought Led Zeppelin to what they were at the time. It sparked my curiosity since, although I've heard several of their albums, I've never read a history about the band at all. Luckily, Bring It On Home is biography book about Peter himself and what makes him great...as well as what makes him being unhirable at one point
.
From a kid that headmaster had said " ‘This man will never make anything of his life. Useless, hopeless", he later became a bouncer in nightclubs to gain money and connection in music business. After that, he bought a bus in order to get a transportation job for Rock manager Don Arden, which led to managing Gene Vincent, The Animals, and The Yardbirds. The latter band changed their name to Led Zeppelin and the rest is history. Meanwhile, he adopted several awesome buiness practises to bolster their career as well as becoming a drug addict...the latter point is one of the factor that brought him a demise, apart from the death of drummer.
.
Considering that Mark Blake is also a writer for a superb book about Pink Floyd called "Comfortably Numb" (which I highly recommend), it's full with facts and history anecdotes on his and the band's adventures throughout the seventies. The only negative thing about this book is that there are lots of characters and, usually, the writer usually using their nicknames and their surname simulteneously, which makes me a bit confused on who's who.
.
So what are the moral lessons from this book, well....
.
1) Connection is the key
.
From his days as a buncer, he tried to get to know as much people as possible in order to form business connection. This strategy proved to be effective during the hayday of Led Zeppelin since, by that time, Peter knew everyone from mafias to police to businessmen to conert promoters everywhere. This is important to create smooth journy for the band, whether it's on or off stage.
.
2) Don't compromise if you have product in high demand
.
The reason he had the balls to request for 90% share of revenue from concert promoters (which was extremely unusual) as well as artistic control from record label was because he saw several bands like The Animals or Small Faces being ripped off by promoters and band managers and realising that promoters/labels would do anything to get the most popular band. Thus, he was willing to fight for his own band and push the boundaries for music industry.
.
3) Fighting for what you believe
.
Similar to above, Peter treated the band in the best way possible to gain trust and best outcome, even though they went so far as hiring drug dealers specifically for the band or letting hotel manager wrecking Peter's room since the manager wanted to do the same as Led Zeppelin. These behavior generated surprising reaction from everyone around him and generated more awareness about him and the band easier.
.
4) The myth is sometimes bigger than the truth...and that might be good
.
Peter was well-known for his intimidating attitude as well as his insane crew who always carried weapons. This sometimes led to over-the-top story involving sex, drugs, and violence. These stories might be true or false, but it made everyone scared of him and helped him finishing the deal much easier.
.
5) Drugs are bad
.
This is an important lesson since it ruined not only Peter but also several members of the band. Their albums sucked after it and Peter's management control quality was lessen significantly since he became paranoid, more reclusive, and more difficult to contact, especially in the 80's when he couldn't do any management job anymore.
.
6) Don't control everything if you can't
.
Swan Song was the vanity label created by Peter and the band in order to achieve fully artistic control and signing new bands. Unfortunately, no one wanted to run the label and they didn't hire professional businessmen to do this job. Thus, only handful of albums sold perfectly and the label shutted down only few years, even though Heart and Iron Maiden were among bands that sent demos to Swan Song! If they had had a strong A&R, Marketing, Accounting, and management team, the label could have still floated years later even after the demise of LZ.
.
7) Thinking of long-term effect
.
Peter and the band unknowingly sold the publishing rights of their songs to Atlantic label for a good sum of money, little did they realise that the trend of reissuing old albums was about to come and, therefore, all of the money that should have been there for them were gone completely.
.
8 ) Overwhelming power always comes with paranoid
.
At the top of his game, Peter faced coup from his two co-workers to tried to take control of his empire, citing his lack of performance in management and troublesome workers. It's scary to think that success always comes with bloodbath just like in mafia movies, but it happens here in this case. Not to mention that Peter's drug habit fueled his fear even more.
.
There are more lessons to be learned and exciting adventures to laugh at, but in the end, Bring It On Home is an absolutely entertaining book for fans of LZ and people who interest in music business. It gives us perspective on how success can generate happiness and creepiness at the same time.
=======================
“Led Zeppelin was the best and worst thing that ever happened to my dad. My mum always said, ‘We were happiest when we had no money. If he hadn’t made all that money, we would have still been together.’”
.
- Helen Grant, his daughter
=======================
Score: 4.5/5
.
From a kid that headmaster had said " ‘This man will never make anything of his life. Useless, hopeless", he later became a bouncer in nightclubs to gain money and connection in music business. After that, he bought a bus in order to get a transportation job for Rock manager Don Arden, which led to managing Gene Vincent, The Animals, and The Yardbirds. The latter band changed their name to Led Zeppelin and the rest is history. Meanwhile, he adopted several awesome buiness practises to bolster their career as well as becoming a drug addict...the latter point is one of the factor that brought him a demise, apart from the death of drummer.
.
Considering that Mark Blake is also a writer for a superb book about Pink Floyd called "Comfortably Numb" (which I highly recommend), it's full with facts and history anecdotes on his and the band's adventures throughout the seventies. The only negative thing about this book is that there are lots of characters and, usually, the writer usually using their nicknames and their surname simulteneously, which makes me a bit confused on who's who.
.
So what are the moral lessons from this book, well....
.
1) Connection is the key
.
From his days as a buncer, he tried to get to know as much people as possible in order to form business connection. This strategy proved to be effective during the hayday of Led Zeppelin since, by that time, Peter knew everyone from mafias to police to businessmen to conert promoters everywhere. This is important to create smooth journy for the band, whether it's on or off stage.
.
2) Don't compromise if you have product in high demand
.
The reason he had the balls to request for 90% share of revenue from concert promoters (which was extremely unusual) as well as artistic control from record label was because he saw several bands like The Animals or Small Faces being ripped off by promoters and band managers and realising that promoters/labels would do anything to get the most popular band. Thus, he was willing to fight for his own band and push the boundaries for music industry.
.
3) Fighting for what you believe
.
Similar to above, Peter treated the band in the best way possible to gain trust and best outcome, even though they went so far as hiring drug dealers specifically for the band or letting hotel manager wrecking Peter's room since the manager wanted to do the same as Led Zeppelin. These behavior generated surprising reaction from everyone around him and generated more awareness about him and the band easier.
.
4) The myth is sometimes bigger than the truth...and that might be good
.
Peter was well-known for his intimidating attitude as well as his insane crew who always carried weapons. This sometimes led to over-the-top story involving sex, drugs, and violence. These stories might be true or false, but it made everyone scared of him and helped him finishing the deal much easier.
.
5) Drugs are bad
.
This is an important lesson since it ruined not only Peter but also several members of the band. Their albums sucked after it and Peter's management control quality was lessen significantly since he became paranoid, more reclusive, and more difficult to contact, especially in the 80's when he couldn't do any management job anymore.
.
6) Don't control everything if you can't
.
Swan Song was the vanity label created by Peter and the band in order to achieve fully artistic control and signing new bands. Unfortunately, no one wanted to run the label and they didn't hire professional businessmen to do this job. Thus, only handful of albums sold perfectly and the label shutted down only few years, even though Heart and Iron Maiden were among bands that sent demos to Swan Song! If they had had a strong A&R, Marketing, Accounting, and management team, the label could have still floated years later even after the demise of LZ.
.
7) Thinking of long-term effect
.
Peter and the band unknowingly sold the publishing rights of their songs to Atlantic label for a good sum of money, little did they realise that the trend of reissuing old albums was about to come and, therefore, all of the money that should have been there for them were gone completely.
.
8 ) Overwhelming power always comes with paranoid
.
At the top of his game, Peter faced coup from his two co-workers to tried to take control of his empire, citing his lack of performance in management and troublesome workers. It's scary to think that success always comes with bloodbath just like in mafia movies, but it happens here in this case. Not to mention that Peter's drug habit fueled his fear even more.
.
There are more lessons to be learned and exciting adventures to laugh at, but in the end, Bring It On Home is an absolutely entertaining book for fans of LZ and people who interest in music business. It gives us perspective on how success can generate happiness and creepiness at the same time.
=======================
“Led Zeppelin was the best and worst thing that ever happened to my dad. My mum always said, ‘We were happiest when we had no money. If he hadn’t made all that money, we would have still been together.’”
.
- Helen Grant, his daughter
=======================
Score: 4.5/5
June 17, 2024
Un gegant baix de l'escenari o darrere les cortines. Un home que estrangula - de manera financiera- als promotors dels concerts. Un mafiós despiadat que arrasa i aconsegueix el que vol a qualsevol preu. Un senyor que es preocupa pels seus músics. El millor mànager de la història.
Com es diu a la portada, és un llibre de Peter Grant i de Led Zeppelin. Ara bé, la faceta zeppeliniana es toca més pels fets i les relacions per a donar context i no es desenvolupa quasi musicalment. De totes maneres, recórrer tota la travessia, des del 68 fins al 80, ha sigut un plaer.
Tot i que sempre m'interesse per les biografies, reconec que l'autor s'ha documentat de manera extensíssima i amb unes fonts tan properes al protagonista que faciliten la seua coneixença en profunditat.
La història de Grant és meravellosa. Tenia les expectatives altes, però m'ha enganxat des d'un principi. Des de la seua pobra i trista infància, el seu desenvolupament per diferents professions, cuidar les espatlles de Little Richard, the Animals o Gene Vincent, el cim de Zeppelin i la caiguda al no-res en els anys 80. Drogues, bogeries i humor, no en falten. A més a més, apareixen una quantitat immensa de personatges relacionats amb l'escena musical dels 50, 60, 70 i 80. Tots amb alguna relació amb Grant i de manera sorprenent, la majoria parlant bé d'ell.
Les narratives que es conten, tot i tindre part de realitat i altra de mite, són dignes d'un personatge d'aquesta talla. Inclús aquells moments més decadents i nostàlgics et fan empatitzar amb un personatge com aquest. M'he sentit com tornar a conéixer a Tony Soprano.
Però, pense que Grant ha sigut una millor persona i es remarca durant tot el llibre. La seua aparença de bèstia no oculta -almenys a la lectura- les seues pors i inseguretats i el seu convenciment a fer tot el possible pels seus músics, fets que l'honren i molt. El 90% de l'èxit de Zeppelin és seu, ja que gràcies a ell, els artistes tingueren la llibertat necessària per a conquerir el món.
Com es diu a la portada, és un llibre de Peter Grant i de Led Zeppelin. Ara bé, la faceta zeppeliniana es toca més pels fets i les relacions per a donar context i no es desenvolupa quasi musicalment. De totes maneres, recórrer tota la travessia, des del 68 fins al 80, ha sigut un plaer.
Tot i que sempre m'interesse per les biografies, reconec que l'autor s'ha documentat de manera extensíssima i amb unes fonts tan properes al protagonista que faciliten la seua coneixença en profunditat.
La història de Grant és meravellosa. Tenia les expectatives altes, però m'ha enganxat des d'un principi. Des de la seua pobra i trista infància, el seu desenvolupament per diferents professions, cuidar les espatlles de Little Richard, the Animals o Gene Vincent, el cim de Zeppelin i la caiguda al no-res en els anys 80. Drogues, bogeries i humor, no en falten. A més a més, apareixen una quantitat immensa de personatges relacionats amb l'escena musical dels 50, 60, 70 i 80. Tots amb alguna relació amb Grant i de manera sorprenent, la majoria parlant bé d'ell.
Les narratives que es conten, tot i tindre part de realitat i altra de mite, són dignes d'un personatge d'aquesta talla. Inclús aquells moments més decadents i nostàlgics et fan empatitzar amb un personatge com aquest. M'he sentit com tornar a conéixer a Tony Soprano.
Però, pense que Grant ha sigut una millor persona i es remarca durant tot el llibre. La seua aparença de bèstia no oculta -almenys a la lectura- les seues pors i inseguretats i el seu convenciment a fer tot el possible pels seus músics, fets que l'honren i molt. El 90% de l'èxit de Zeppelin és seu, ja que gràcies a ell, els artistes tingueren la llibertat necessària per a conquerir el món.
February 15, 2019
Missed out
Here's a story my company ran the merchandise for LZ over Europe the last tour
During the tour i had to go back to the UK for a couple of days .Lying in bed the
Phone rang at three in the morning .who in the he'll is calling at that time of night a nasal voice in the other end ,where in the duck are you .I want to see you tomorrow in Hamburg tomorrow ,What s the problem i said the phone went dead .My wife was shouting tell him to piss off ,my response if Grant wants me i am going .I knew that because it was a day off there is no chance I would see Peter till midnight the earliest .so I arrived at the hotel about midday.All the crew stood around ,he is mad ,angry and threatening .What s the problem i said ,silence
.So at about midnight the phone rings ,where in the duck are you come up stairs now .
I arrive in the Penthouse suite PG sitting on the throne chair in his dressing gown the band all our of it, laying on the floor a glass table covered in sugar or floor like substance a few females in attendance .
Peter Grant says to me where have you been and shoves a piece of paper under my nose ,why in the duck didn't you tell me,you could have ducking saved us a lot of ducking trouble .
The telex read Martin Goldsmith of North London arrested at Heathrow for smuggling cocaine sown into knitted hats imported from Peru
That's not me I replied ,you are MG said PG but it's not me I shouted back
By this time the band were missing themselves with laughter .
The story was a man named Martin Goldsmith was the drug smuggler caught at Heathrow but it wasn't me Grant and his cronies decided to have a joke at my expense .
What could i do but go to bed whilst LZ had a laugh at my expense
Was it worth it if course I lived to tell the tale and made lots of money on merc H sales .
Here's a story my company ran the merchandise for LZ over Europe the last tour
During the tour i had to go back to the UK for a couple of days .Lying in bed the
Phone rang at three in the morning .who in the he'll is calling at that time of night a nasal voice in the other end ,where in the duck are you .I want to see you tomorrow in Hamburg tomorrow ,What s the problem i said the phone went dead .My wife was shouting tell him to piss off ,my response if Grant wants me i am going .I knew that because it was a day off there is no chance I would see Peter till midnight the earliest .so I arrived at the hotel about midday.All the crew stood around ,he is mad ,angry and threatening .What s the problem i said ,silence
.So at about midnight the phone rings ,where in the duck are you come up stairs now .
I arrive in the Penthouse suite PG sitting on the throne chair in his dressing gown the band all our of it, laying on the floor a glass table covered in sugar or floor like substance a few females in attendance .
Peter Grant says to me where have you been and shoves a piece of paper under my nose ,why in the duck didn't you tell me,you could have ducking saved us a lot of ducking trouble .
The telex read Martin Goldsmith of North London arrested at Heathrow for smuggling cocaine sown into knitted hats imported from Peru
That's not me I replied ,you are MG said PG but it's not me I shouted back
By this time the band were missing themselves with laughter .
The story was a man named Martin Goldsmith was the drug smuggler caught at Heathrow but it wasn't me Grant and his cronies decided to have a joke at my expense .
What could i do but go to bed whilst LZ had a laugh at my expense
Was it worth it if course I lived to tell the tale and made lots of money on merc H sales .
December 10, 2023
I was curious to read this. I knew little of Led Zep, other than memories of working with two quite different DJs who were always asked to 'Play Stairway to 'eaven', to which both would usually respond with something that I can't repeat here...
I struggled with the first few chapters - I found the 'gangland' scenarios difficult and very different from the music scenes that I am familiar with. I didn't expect to be keeping the book on my library shelves, but I will do so - the latter 3/4 of the book is much more readable and the last few chapters are much more upbeat.
Another aspect which made the start of the narrative seem shaky was that in places it didn't seem to flow - Many sentences were staccato and seemed to be little more than a recital of events or facts and held little attraction to the reader to continue but, again, the author appears to warm to his subject and I reached the point where I was happy to continue past my usual 'serving'.
I'm not sure there is a lot here for Led Zep fans - there isn't too much about the band members themselves - but for anyone interested in how things worked in the 1970s and into the 1980s and the huge difference that Grant seems to have made to the way musicians were treated it is well worth persevering with
I struggled with the first few chapters - I found the 'gangland' scenarios difficult and very different from the music scenes that I am familiar with. I didn't expect to be keeping the book on my library shelves, but I will do so - the latter 3/4 of the book is much more readable and the last few chapters are much more upbeat.
Another aspect which made the start of the narrative seem shaky was that in places it didn't seem to flow - Many sentences were staccato and seemed to be little more than a recital of events or facts and held little attraction to the reader to continue but, again, the author appears to warm to his subject and I reached the point where I was happy to continue past my usual 'serving'.
I'm not sure there is a lot here for Led Zep fans - there isn't too much about the band members themselves - but for anyone interested in how things worked in the 1970s and into the 1980s and the huge difference that Grant seems to have made to the way musicians were treated it is well worth persevering with
December 29, 2023
Recommended by a friend, this was an entertaining enough read that I normally wouldn't have bothered with. I'm not a big Led Zepplin fan, although when I was younger I strived to be, but their music was too hard core for me. I could appreciate the playing, but I always found it difficult to get into. Zepplin didn't really write accessible stuff, it seemed to me they were always trying to make music that others would find hard to play. This book features quite a lot of insights into the band and the main players, but it's Peter Grant the focus is on. As a manager, his reputation preceded him and I felt the book struggled to get past that reputation too. Who wants to read about Grant's softer side, his loyalty, his business acumen? Come on, tell us about how he beat up another hippy or intimidated another promoter, and the author is happy enough to deliver. Resultantly, I left the book without much deeper an impression of Grant than I already had. Clearly he was a bruiser, a boozer, a protector of the band and smarter than your average bear. But without the band, he fades very quickly into the background and you get to learn very little about that period of his life. Still, it was an easy enough read and, if you like the band, you'll like this book.
February 25, 2020
Bring It On Home: Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin, and Beyond – The Story of Rock's Greatest Manager by Mark Blake (Da Capo Press 2018) (780.92) (3423). This is the tale of Peter Grant, an outsized and uproarious British bear of a man who just happened to be the manager of an elite rock band and traveling circus known as Led Zeppelin during the band's heyday in the 1960's and 1970's.
Peter Grant protected the members of his band at all costs and was an enabler of the worst kind. Protecting these guys was not easy, for this band – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham – for years created the template of rock-tour debauchery that wanna-be bands follow to this day. These were the guys – particularly Page, Bonham, and joined by their swashbuckling manager Peter Grant - who put the “X” in excess.
Previous books about Led Zeppelin paint a much darker and more cruel picture of Peter Grant than the one shown here. Even the kinder and gentler Peter Grant could be terrifying.
He was a relic of his time. My rating: 7/10, finished 2/24/20 (3423).
October 17, 2020
If you grew up in the 70s, and like me, were a fan of Led Zeppelin, and, like me, read Stephen Davis' Hammer of the Gods, you will probably be intrigued to find out more about the life of one of rock's more interesting managers. There's lots to digest here. One might marvel at a different time, long before the #MeToo moment, when Peter Grant and his retinue were able to get away with the misogyny, brutality and underhandedness with which they operated. It seemed like he had a bit of a reckoning long after his relationship with what was once the world's most successful band ended. It's a bit of a sad story at its heart, and one might even feel a little bit of sympathy toward the man when done. The three stars in this rating is because of the clumsiness that the author sometimes slips into at times.
January 27, 2019
The story of a complex larger than life ( literally and figuratively ) man who was best known as manager of Led Zeppelin is crafted remarkably well by Mark Blake.
From Grant's mystery shrouded childhood through his passing Blake weaves a tail essentially made up of two men: one is a towering figure using intimidation and handlers to get the most money he can for Led Zeppelin and the other being a sensitive, funny, and perfect English gentleman.
The book is filled with quotes from many people who were interviewed by Blake and the puzzle of Grant comes together perfectly in this book.
A must read for Led Zeppelin fans or anyone who wanted to know more about this powerful and often misunderstood man.
From Grant's mystery shrouded childhood through his passing Blake weaves a tail essentially made up of two men: one is a towering figure using intimidation and handlers to get the most money he can for Led Zeppelin and the other being a sensitive, funny, and perfect English gentleman.
The book is filled with quotes from many people who were interviewed by Blake and the puzzle of Grant comes together perfectly in this book.
A must read for Led Zeppelin fans or anyone who wanted to know more about this powerful and often misunderstood man.
June 13, 2019
A raucous read about the man behind the biggest band of all time.
Peter Grant is a larger than life character that was loved and feared in equal measure.
His earlier life is, for me, the most interesting period of his life.
Rising from post World War 2 poverty, through the early UK rock n roll scene in soho before guiding Led Zeppelin on the way to super stardom and being caught up in a world of cash, drugs & rock n roll.
Given modern sensibilities, some of the book makes uncomfortable reading but it’s a very honest story about a remarkable man in remarkable times.
Highly recommend.
Peter Grant is a larger than life character that was loved and feared in equal measure.
His earlier life is, for me, the most interesting period of his life.
Rising from post World War 2 poverty, through the early UK rock n roll scene in soho before guiding Led Zeppelin on the way to super stardom and being caught up in a world of cash, drugs & rock n roll.
Given modern sensibilities, some of the book makes uncomfortable reading but it’s a very honest story about a remarkable man in remarkable times.
Highly recommend.
January 26, 2022
I loved this book. It takes you inside the life of rock music manager Peter Grant. From his early beginnings as a wrestler and working his way up the entertainment ladder, to managing Led Zeppelin and Bad Company to worldwide fame. Author Mark Blake weaves an amazing story together with first hand eyewitnesses and especially the artists and collogues he worked with. He was a secretive guy, but a very hard worker. He would have given his life for Led Zeppelin. I loved this book and will likely read it again.
July 5, 2024
When the subject of a biography is so intertwined with the band he is managing, this book loses its focus at times and becomes a de facto biography of Led Zeppelin and Peter Grant becomes lost in a haze of minor characters from Atlantic Records, Swan Song Records, lawyers, road crew, security and other ne'er-do-wells.
The book is most engaged with Peter Grant towards the end when he is no longer managing LZ and he is most present then.
However, the book is entertaining and full of anecdotes and insights into one of the most important rock managers and the music scene in the 70s
The book is most engaged with Peter Grant towards the end when he is no longer managing LZ and he is most present then.
However, the book is entertaining and full of anecdotes and insights into one of the most important rock managers and the music scene in the 70s
July 23, 2025
I'm a Led Zeppelin fan who met a certain Peter Grant at his office at Swansong in London. He was an imposing man who used his size to his great advantage. The man you see and the other man beneath the outer layer are two different personalities. I met a very different man to the 'legends' he had that way of being charming and a Great White Shark temperament, thankfully when he realised I was a fan and not a client he was Mr Charm. He offered me a photo of Jimmy Page that sat on his desk and after a few moments of pleasantries he said to me with a smile 'Now fuck off!
January 3, 2019
Despite access to Peter Grant's son and daughter, its really another revamp of the early days of Grant and the stories of Led Zeppelin's excess. Given his unique access I would have liked to hear more about what happened after Zeppelin other than Grant appeared to go to lunch with Ed Bicknell a lot!
I f you've not read any other biographies of Grant this is as good a read as any of the others..
I f you've not read any other biographies of Grant this is as good a read as any of the others..
January 16, 2019
I enjoyed this, mostly for the stories of the rock gods it contained. The stories were sometimes a little difficult to follow. The author would throw out a bunch of names, then the next paragraph would be about something or somebody completely different, then on to the next thing that happened.
Overall, a sometimes touching, sometimes ugly view of a man I only knew from reputation and the movie.
Overall, a sometimes touching, sometimes ugly view of a man I only knew from reputation and the movie.
February 11, 2019
Excellent book. Peter Grant was a fascinating man, and he loved his boys...Plant, Page, Jones and Bonham. He called Bonham "the best mate I ever had" and he adored Jimmy Page. His management skills revolutionized the music industry. His darker impulses were exacerbated by a cocaine habit but he passionately loved those he was close to. People seemed to love and hate the man in equal measure.
October 3, 2020
Purchase Bring It On Home here for just $10!
A well written and researched book. It fills in a lot of the story behind Led Zeppelin, how it all began, how it went off the rails and where Peter Grant fit into it all. Superb book, recommend to ALL music fans without question!
Alicia - The Book Grocer
A well written and researched book. It fills in a lot of the story behind Led Zeppelin, how it all began, how it went off the rails and where Peter Grant fit into it all. Superb book, recommend to ALL music fans without question!
Alicia - The Book Grocer
December 15, 2020
So-So Bio of led zep's Legendary Manager, Peter Grant
Like so many others I loved led Zeppelin's music and read the occasional story about their intimidating manager Peter Grant beating on people, etc. This book puts some of those stories in a less brutal context and goes on to extoll his extraordinary loyalty and devotion to the band. Still, it's a rather pedestrian read and probably best for threat IS fanatic.
Like so many others I loved led Zeppelin's music and read the occasional story about their intimidating manager Peter Grant beating on people, etc. This book puts some of those stories in a less brutal context and goes on to extoll his extraordinary loyalty and devotion to the band. Still, it's a rather pedestrian read and probably best for threat IS fanatic.
October 3, 2021
Inside & Out Of A Great Band Manager
Peter Grant's story from beginning to end with just enough insider details to let readers know what happened behind closed doors wasn't always true, nor as bad as the wildly exaggerated as some would have us believe. A colorful man who lived an interesting life chock full of good intentions and menace when needed, there'll never be another man like him.
Peter Grant's story from beginning to end with just enough insider details to let readers know what happened behind closed doors wasn't always true, nor as bad as the wildly exaggerated as some would have us believe. A colorful man who lived an interesting life chock full of good intentions and menace when needed, there'll never be another man like him.
March 21, 2024
Dat je bij het lezen van dit boek vaak denkt: 'dit kan toch niet echt gebeurt zijn?'. En dat je dan ineens bedenkt: Peter Grant was wel echt, dus het is gebeurd. Wat een verhaal van een manager die eigenlijk leefde voor zijn band.
"I cannot describe that feeling at eight o'clock when the houselights went down, and you felt the rush from the audience, and the band hadn't even walked out. That rush was fantastic. And I always felt so proud."
"I cannot describe that feeling at eight o'clock when the houselights went down, and you felt the rush from the audience, and the band hadn't even walked out. That rush was fantastic. And I always felt so proud."
July 2, 2019
En fascinerende bok om en stor manager og hvordan han påvirket Led Zeppelin, med flere, sin karriere. Spennende å høre alt som skjer på bakrommet og hvor mye "rydding" som måtte gjøres i fotsporene til ett band som levde livet til det fulle på godt og vondt. Hva skulle band på 60/70/80 tallet gjort uten slike multikunstnere.
August 6, 2019
Bit of a slow start and I only really got invested in it about a third of the way through, but I'm also not a big nonfiction reader so who knows. Was a bit meandering in the first half but second half was much tighter. Lots of great stories, and a very well written ending. Overall I really liked it and do recommend to fans of music, particularly rock, and especially fans of Led Zeppelin.
January 26, 2020
As ever with Mark Blake's book this is a very well told and engrossing look at the life of Led Zeppelin's legendary manager.
It doesn't add too much to Chris Welch's earlier effort in terms of content though.
It can also be viewed as a cautionary tale about drug abuse if you want to read it that way. Grant lost control of events, as he lost control to cocaine.
It doesn't add too much to Chris Welch's earlier effort in terms of content though.
It can also be viewed as a cautionary tale about drug abuse if you want to read it that way. Grant lost control of events, as he lost control to cocaine.
April 11, 2020
Here is the stories of the smashed hotel rooms, the groupies, the drug use, the tours and the all night parties that comprised the band Led Zeppelin in their heyday. Told through the lens of its manager Peter Grant, a central figure regarding the band and a central figure, the book would argue, in rock music. As a fan, I found the story fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews