Dave Berry - All There is to Know: Stories from My Rock and Roll Scrapbook

by Dave Berry, Mike Firth, Joe Cocker (Contributor)

Bio of Dave Berry

148 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1884

Reviews

[Josh Iden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dave Berry recorded some absolutely perfect beat-pop tracks in the sixties for Decca, signed by the guy who passed on the Beatles. I’m talking, if I asked AI to make me a song with my ideal tones and arrangements, I might get Little Things. His first session was produced by Mickie Most. His first publicist was a 19-year old Andrew Loog Oldham. His session guitarists were Jimmy Page and Big Jim Sullivan. He toured with and was friends with the Rolling Stones, the Who, Jimi Hendrix, the Everly Brothers, the Ronettes, had a song personally written for him by Ray Davies, his backing band went on to be Joe Cocker’s band. His roommate was Wayne Fontana. Most people know him as the original performer of "The Crying Game". I don’t know, I guess I could go on. The point is, he’s got a great story to tell. And someday I hope someone tells it. Everything I just told you is mentioned in briefest passing in the book. I’d give it a 1 but the pictures and newspaper clippings are spectacular -- culled from a scrapbook his aunties kept. Most anyone who makes it this far will have already read the liner notes for the 2CD This Strange Effect: The Decca Sessions 1963-1966. You can stop there. The only thing you’ll get here is stuff about his wife (it was him or Phil Everly) and the story of how he got into antiquing: inspired by a bandmate who bought things in one town to sell in another as a means of supporting himself on the road. Which is definitely smarter than the guy I knew who'd load up on cartons of cigarettes passing reservations on tour and sell the individual packs outside venues for a profit. Lower upside but I admire the hustle.