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Peter Asher: A Life in Music
Spanning more than fifty years of modern music history, Peter A Life in Music highlights every turn in Peter Asher's amazing career. Over a dozen years of research has gone into telling his story, with numerous interviews conducted with Asher, along with first-hand observations of him at work in various recording studios around Los Angeles. The author also had access to Asher's archives, which offered rare photographs and other career memorabilia to help illustrate this biography.
Over one hundred artists, friends, and colleagues agreed to be interviewed, and they help to provide insight into Asher's personality and working methodology. Included are singers Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Marianne Faithfull, Carole King, Kenny Loggins, Graham Nash, Aaron Neville, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, JD Souther, and James Taylor; producers Lou Adler, Mike Curb, Richard Perry, Al Schmitt, and Sir George Martin; musicians Hal Blaine, Andrew Gold, Danny Kortchmar, Paul Shaffer, and Waddy Wachtel; and actors Kevin Kline and Robin Williams. Many of these participants also provided previously unseen photographs.
Asher was also one of the first producers to list the musicians that played on his sessions, realizing how important they were to the success of each project. These mini-portraits not only contribute to the telling of his story, they ultimately give the reader a history lesson on the last fifty years of popular music. Of course, Asher's life and work did not occur in a vacuum, and David Jacks places his progress in context with what was occurring in the culture that surrounded him, from the pervasive doldrums that America was experiencing right before the Beatles (and Peter and Gordon) exploded upon its shores to the civil rights tensions that surrounded the interracial tour Dick Clark sent through the Southern US in 1965, to the end of the 1960s and the public's need for a soothing confessional tone in their music after a decade of turmoil, which artists like James Taylor provided.
Asher has also had a unique insider's view into the changing world of the music business—from the mid-1960s explosion of British artists to the 1970s corporate takeovers of independent labels, from the MTV era of the mid-1980s to the modern era of 360 degree deals and digital streaming. He is practically alone in his success as a hit-making artist, a hit-making producer, and a manager for hit-making talent. His ability to produce projects with such a broad range—rock, pop, folk, country, rhythm and blues, jazz, dance, Latin, classical, comedy, and Broadway and movie soundtracks—is almost unheard of. And in a business rife with shady characters, his intelligence, honesty, and business sense has earned the respect of all he's worked with. Still producing exciting work in the entertainment industry, Peter Asher has quite a story to tell.
Over one hundred artists, friends, and colleagues agreed to be interviewed, and they help to provide insight into Asher's personality and working methodology. Included are singers Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Marianne Faithfull, Carole King, Kenny Loggins, Graham Nash, Aaron Neville, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, JD Souther, and James Taylor; producers Lou Adler, Mike Curb, Richard Perry, Al Schmitt, and Sir George Martin; musicians Hal Blaine, Andrew Gold, Danny Kortchmar, Paul Shaffer, and Waddy Wachtel; and actors Kevin Kline and Robin Williams. Many of these participants also provided previously unseen photographs.
Asher was also one of the first producers to list the musicians that played on his sessions, realizing how important they were to the success of each project. These mini-portraits not only contribute to the telling of his story, they ultimately give the reader a history lesson on the last fifty years of popular music. Of course, Asher's life and work did not occur in a vacuum, and David Jacks places his progress in context with what was occurring in the culture that surrounded him, from the pervasive doldrums that America was experiencing right before the Beatles (and Peter and Gordon) exploded upon its shores to the civil rights tensions that surrounded the interracial tour Dick Clark sent through the Southern US in 1965, to the end of the 1960s and the public's need for a soothing confessional tone in their music after a decade of turmoil, which artists like James Taylor provided.
Asher has also had a unique insider's view into the changing world of the music business—from the mid-1960s explosion of British artists to the 1970s corporate takeovers of independent labels, from the MTV era of the mid-1980s to the modern era of 360 degree deals and digital streaming. He is practically alone in his success as a hit-making artist, a hit-making producer, and a manager for hit-making talent. His ability to produce projects with such a broad range—rock, pop, folk, country, rhythm and blues, jazz, dance, Latin, classical, comedy, and Broadway and movie soundtracks—is almost unheard of. And in a business rife with shady characters, his intelligence, honesty, and business sense has earned the respect of all he's worked with. Still producing exciting work in the entertainment industry, Peter Asher has quite a story to tell.
- GenresMusic
656 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2022
15 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 11, 2022
Not bad. This book confirmed my already high opinion of Asher as tasteful, generous, charming, and talented. What I learned was his incredible work ethic, sophistication, and encyclopedic knowledge of music. He deserves all the accolades he has received.
October 10, 2024
There's a lot of interesting information here, and I found it interesting. It's not really a biography, but more the story of a career, and while I'm not looking for salacious details, I do think significant events in Asher's personal life, e.g., a parent's suicide, a divorce, an adult life lived largely far from the country where he was born and where his birth family largely resides, might well have had an impact on him as a creative person. And, while I'm happy to hear that Asher seems pretty much universally liked and respected, he remains a bit of a cipher in these pages.
But if you're interested in the era, and the music he's been part of, well worth reading
But if you're interested in the era, and the music he's been part of, well worth reading
September 28, 2025
Wow. Peter Asher is impressive, as is the author David Jacks. Comprehensive and extensive biography of his life in music. Everybody in music knows his name. Midas touch.
August 31, 2024
If you are a fan of the music of James Taylor or Linda Ronstadt, this book is for you. Peter Asher produced the best albums of both artists while managing their careers for many years. Asher’s storied career is covered in well researched detail by author David Jacks from Asher’s years as part of the hit duo Peter and Gordon to his ascendancy as a top Grammy winning producer. Of the many secrets to Asher’s success is the knack of hiring young creative talents and nurturing their careers. Asher’s steady support helped Taylor through his early years of addiction as well as Ronstadt through her determination to forge her career through unexpected paths.
If there’s any misgivings about the book, it’s that the author’s thoroughness in covering almost every work Asher produced means time spent on some records and artists that don’t seem to warrant the effort. Though there are no doubt some undiscovered gems waiting to be discovered such as Randy Newman’s “Faust.” And it’s to Asher’s credit (or maybe the author’s prejudice) that none of his artists have a bad word to say about working with him, lending a “love fest” sameness to the book. Not for everyone, but “Peter Asher” is a welcome addition to our understanding of an era in rock history.
If there’s any misgivings about the book, it’s that the author’s thoroughness in covering almost every work Asher produced means time spent on some records and artists that don’t seem to warrant the effort. Though there are no doubt some undiscovered gems waiting to be discovered such as Randy Newman’s “Faust.” And it’s to Asher’s credit (or maybe the author’s prejudice) that none of his artists have a bad word to say about working with him, lending a “love fest” sameness to the book. Not for everyone, but “Peter Asher” is a welcome addition to our understanding of an era in rock history.
July 13, 2023
I have been seeing this book as an advertisement on my Kindle. I knew about his music with Peter and Gordon and his involvement with The Beatles and Apple Records but had no clue about how prolific his career as a producer and a manager was until now. James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt were by far his most popular musicians he produced and managed. But there are many more, just google his name! He even won producer of the year a few times!
His involvement with The Beatles was Paul McCartney wrote Pete and Gordon’s first hit, A World Without Love, and Peter’s sister is Jane Asher, an actress who dated Paul McCartney. Paul even stayed at the Asher house while he was with The Beatles, so Peter and Paul became good friends and often, Peter was the first-one to hear a new song written by Lennon and McCartney. Peter’s mother was a music teacher and one of students in 1948 was George Martin.
Although I did enjoy this book, I felt it was a bit too much detail for the artists and songs he represented.
His involvement with The Beatles was Paul McCartney wrote Pete and Gordon’s first hit, A World Without Love, and Peter’s sister is Jane Asher, an actress who dated Paul McCartney. Paul even stayed at the Asher house while he was with The Beatles, so Peter and Paul became good friends and often, Peter was the first-one to hear a new song written by Lennon and McCartney. Peter’s mother was a music teacher and one of students in 1948 was George Martin.
Although I did enjoy this book, I felt it was a bit too much detail for the artists and songs he represented.
June 29, 2023
Five stars for thoroughness, four stars for length. An incredibly detailed account of Peter's life & career. For every song or album discussed, the author has interviewed singers, musicians, engineers, producers, etc, for their memories. It seemed excessive at times. The almost 400-page length almost discouraged me from reading it - I enjoyed it - but would've enjoyed it even more if it had been shorter :)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews