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Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures With The Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, And More
‘Mark is one of the most indomitable yet gentle spirits I’ve ever met. He will always be one of my favorite artists I’ve ever worked with. And someday when I grow up, I want to be just like him.’ – Alice Cooper ‘This book is a puzzle. The outside frame pieces are about me, but the picture wouldn’t be complete without the perspectives of all the people telling you about me.’ – Mark Volman Mark Volman has led a storied life, and many of those stories are contained in Happy Forever . A true son of Southern California, he has gone from topping the charts with The Turtles (‘Happy Together’) to underground cred with Frank Zappa and beyond. As Flo & Eddie, Mark and his longtime singing partner Howard Kaylan were the not-so-secret ingredient on many other artist’s records, taking Bruce Springsteen into the Top 10 for the very first time and helping T. Rex dominate the British charts. Then came The Ramones, U2, Blondie, Duran Duran, and so many more; the list of credits is long and varied. Happy Forever covers all of that, along with subsequent forays into animation, a stint as a radio personality in Los Angeles and New York, and a midlife return to academia, which led Mark to create and run innovative college programs in LA and Nashville. But this is not the world according to Mark Volman, and it is not your average musical autobiography. Alongside his own comments, this uniquely insightful book contains contributions from more than one hundred of Mark’s peers, friends, and lovers who share their thoughts on the man himself and on topics that span the social and cultural landscape of past half-century. Happy Forever ’s cast list reads like a who’s who of popular music, featuring members of The Doors, The Monkees, The Byrds, The E Street Band, and many more; producers Tony Visconti, Bob Ezrin, and Hal Willner; voice actors from The Simpsons and the Firesign Theatre; and key figures from the worlds of radio, animation, and academia. The book also includes previously unseen photographs and forewords by Alice Cooper and Chris Hillman.
368 pages, Paperback
Published June 20, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 9, 2023
Diverting dive into the 60s, 70s, 80’s and classic Rock scene through the lenses of many who participated in that era with Volman and told primarily from an assortment of voices (rock luminaries and journeymen, relatives, friends) with his input and reaction to their viewpoints. Participants were interviewed by John Cody (Concludes with a short Outro) with a Foreword by Volman. This book includes a very helpful cast of characters (including ex-wives & children), some photographs, and full Discography. Alternate POVs add tension and calls into question each other’s memories of events from time to time but the details of becoming the Turtles, his time with Frank Zappa, and as the solo Flo & Eddie, as well as his singular friendship/partnership with Howard Kaylan rises to the top. The variety of voices are both entertaining and enlightening and Volman lets many negative things about himself stand without negating a contrary viewpoint, taking responsibility for his personal foibles and mistakes. The creation of the music was most compelling to me, along with the look at the underbelly of the music business, and the zany antics that Mark and Howard are renown for in addition to their consummate blending of vocal harmonies and the respect industry insiders continue to profess. Volman’s memoir also covers the drug culture, the excesses on the road, and his eventual impressive return to school and his teaching professorship in Music. Humorous and honest, my only real criticism is that many of the entries could have been edited for redundancy and extra verbiage without changing the context. For Baby Boomers, early Rock n’ Roll lovers, and any one who likes an historical musical perspective. Readalikes could be Sly Stone’s new memoir, Thank You, Ronnie Spector’s Be My Baby, or Dave Grohl’s The Storyteller. Or through interviews like Marc Myers’ Rock Concert or Anatomy of a Song.
July 19, 2023
It's instructive (and inevitable) to compare this to Howard Kaylan's memoir, Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles Flo and Eddie and Frank Zappa, etc.. As Volman and Kaylan have been career-long creative and financial partners, Kaylan's book inevitably covers most of Volman's career, too, in at least cursory detail. But Shell Shocked actually avoids discussing Volman personally at any great length, despite his importance to Kaylan's story- likely the result of the same respect and boundaries that have allowed their friendship and artistic partnership to survive for 60-odd years. So this book isn't at all redundant in that regard, and it contrasts greatly in its approach, too: Shell Shocked is a more conventional memoir, using Kaylan's contemporary journals to organize its story of his life and career chronologically. Happy Forever is a mosaic portrait of Volman and his milieu, constructed out of the testimony of dozens of people who have known and worked with him, organized thematically (in rough chronological order), with Volman's auctorial presence being limited to brief interjections or comments on the testimony of others.
This approach has pros and cons. An obvious pro is that no one individual is going to remember every salient detail, and the collation of interview excerpts allows for a much broader, fuller picture of Volman's life and times than does a single, linear narrative. John Cody, the interviewer/editor, did a genuinely impressive amount of work, interviewing a very broad array of subjects. The interviewees' opinions and differing perspectives add interest and flavor to the book. It never gets bogged down or dull. Mark Volman has led a genuinely interesting life, from class clown to pop star to respected academic and pillar of his community, and it's interesting to read about.
The biggest con is that one doesn't quite so much of direct sense of Volman as a person or author- you see him refracted through a million little lenses, but the man himself doesn't speak to you at length. Another con is that, as this is a collage of interview excerpts, you kind of need to be familiar with Volman's career, at least in outline, to have the context necessary to understand all the commentary; the book does not consistently provide this context. This is a book that seeks to give an impression of what Mark Volman is like to be around, rather than a book that seeks to document his professional life in exacting detail. Also, a niggle: there's no index- frustrating in such a heterogeneous book.
This book's biggest limitation is, really, that despite its ambitious structure, it still fundamentally is what it is, and what it is is a pop musician's light memoir targeted at an audience of fans who want a comfortable diversion. Genuinely controversial matters are glossed over or pushed safely into the past, and unhappy periods are never dwelt on in detail. There're some dissenting remarks among the interviewees (Turtles guitarist Jim Tucker, especially, really did not like Mark Volman), but they're few and far between, and their comments are usually allowed to pass without direct engagement; most interview subjects are friends and admirers, and Volman is consistently portrayed as a loveable goofball and talented entertainer. The book is more entertaining than it is enlightening; there's more adulation than analysis, and it's richer in flavor than in detail. And that's all fine. It'd be unrealistic to expect it to be different. It is what it is. I enjoyed it.
As an aside, I will note that, shortly before this book was published, Mark Volman made public his diagnosis of dementia. Though he was diagnosed a few years before the book came out, the matter is not mentioned or dealt with in the text- probably just because it's still so recent.
This approach has pros and cons. An obvious pro is that no one individual is going to remember every salient detail, and the collation of interview excerpts allows for a much broader, fuller picture of Volman's life and times than does a single, linear narrative. John Cody, the interviewer/editor, did a genuinely impressive amount of work, interviewing a very broad array of subjects. The interviewees' opinions and differing perspectives add interest and flavor to the book. It never gets bogged down or dull. Mark Volman has led a genuinely interesting life, from class clown to pop star to respected academic and pillar of his community, and it's interesting to read about.
The biggest con is that one doesn't quite so much of direct sense of Volman as a person or author- you see him refracted through a million little lenses, but the man himself doesn't speak to you at length. Another con is that, as this is a collage of interview excerpts, you kind of need to be familiar with Volman's career, at least in outline, to have the context necessary to understand all the commentary; the book does not consistently provide this context. This is a book that seeks to give an impression of what Mark Volman is like to be around, rather than a book that seeks to document his professional life in exacting detail. Also, a niggle: there's no index- frustrating in such a heterogeneous book.
This book's biggest limitation is, really, that despite its ambitious structure, it still fundamentally is what it is, and what it is is a pop musician's light memoir targeted at an audience of fans who want a comfortable diversion. Genuinely controversial matters are glossed over or pushed safely into the past, and unhappy periods are never dwelt on in detail. There're some dissenting remarks among the interviewees (Turtles guitarist Jim Tucker, especially, really did not like Mark Volman), but they're few and far between, and their comments are usually allowed to pass without direct engagement; most interview subjects are friends and admirers, and Volman is consistently portrayed as a loveable goofball and talented entertainer. The book is more entertaining than it is enlightening; there's more adulation than analysis, and it's richer in flavor than in detail. And that's all fine. It'd be unrealistic to expect it to be different. It is what it is. I enjoyed it.
As an aside, I will note that, shortly before this book was published, Mark Volman made public his diagnosis of dementia. Though he was diagnosed a few years before the book came out, the matter is not mentioned or dealt with in the text- probably just because it's still so recent.
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July 21, 2023I will start this book with a confession about the band The Turtles. Back in the 1960’s when they were releasing songs, two of my favorite songs of all time, Happy Together and She’s Rather Be With Me, were recorded by this band. I played those songs constantly, over and over until I am sure my mother told me to shut my little record player off or play something else.
To me they were the best of the best, so it was a total joy to read the story of one of the members of the band, Mark Volman. The fact that he also contributed to the book was most reassuring as well, because in June of this year he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.
But one of the great things about the book, is the fact that dozens of other people are his voice in the book, telling of their experiences and assessments of knowing Mark and the band. The book though while looking at life before, during and after being part of the Turtles, shows the heart and soul of the man, and what he meant to the world of music and those around him.
Along with Howard Kaylan, Volman also helped found the band. Before The Turtles, the pair were part of The Crossfires, a sort of garage-style band that played small gigs. They did release a couple of records that garnered minimal attention, but it was when The Turtles were created, that one hit after another rode up the charts. Coincidentally, we find out in the book that the song Happy Together, had been turned down by several prominent 60’s bands, but the Turtles turned it into a #1 smash, their only #1 hit incidentally, though other tunes were regularly in the Top Ten charts. Mark Volman many have said, was the main man in the band. He wielded his tambourine like a weapon and with his wild hair, horn-rimmed glasses, zany antics and stage persona, he seemed to be the focus of fans.
The book has anecdotes about him from such a wide range of music legends. There is Mickey Dolenz, Tommy James, Ray Manzarek, Paul Williams, Alice Cooper, Mark Lindsay, and many more. Mark and Howard were associated with Frank Zappa, T-Rex, and were forced to become Flo and Eddie because of legal issues with using the name The Turtles. Mark’s children also give great insight to the life of their father, and there are even quips from former wives.
In words and quotes, the life and times of Mark Volman comes to the forefront, making fans appreciate him all the more, sending his status and contributions to 60’s, 70’s and music beyond those years, all the more important, this book a fitting tribute through the observations from others in the music trade.
To me they were the best of the best, so it was a total joy to read the story of one of the members of the band, Mark Volman. The fact that he also contributed to the book was most reassuring as well, because in June of this year he was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.
But one of the great things about the book, is the fact that dozens of other people are his voice in the book, telling of their experiences and assessments of knowing Mark and the band. The book though while looking at life before, during and after being part of the Turtles, shows the heart and soul of the man, and what he meant to the world of music and those around him.
Along with Howard Kaylan, Volman also helped found the band. Before The Turtles, the pair were part of The Crossfires, a sort of garage-style band that played small gigs. They did release a couple of records that garnered minimal attention, but it was when The Turtles were created, that one hit after another rode up the charts. Coincidentally, we find out in the book that the song Happy Together, had been turned down by several prominent 60’s bands, but the Turtles turned it into a #1 smash, their only #1 hit incidentally, though other tunes were regularly in the Top Ten charts. Mark Volman many have said, was the main man in the band. He wielded his tambourine like a weapon and with his wild hair, horn-rimmed glasses, zany antics and stage persona, he seemed to be the focus of fans.
The book has anecdotes about him from such a wide range of music legends. There is Mickey Dolenz, Tommy James, Ray Manzarek, Paul Williams, Alice Cooper, Mark Lindsay, and many more. Mark and Howard were associated with Frank Zappa, T-Rex, and were forced to become Flo and Eddie because of legal issues with using the name The Turtles. Mark’s children also give great insight to the life of their father, and there are even quips from former wives.
In words and quotes, the life and times of Mark Volman comes to the forefront, making fans appreciate him all the more, sending his status and contributions to 60’s, 70’s and music beyond those years, all the more important, this book a fitting tribute through the observations from others in the music trade.
January 20, 2025
THE BEST ROCK memoirs are often not by the biggest stars (e.g., Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen) but by those who instead were off to the side a little--Al Kooper's Backstage Passes and Ian McLagan's All the Rage, for example. Happy Forever is another such case.
Mark Volman was not a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame kind of performer, but he was certainly busy--first as founding member of the Turtles, who had several hit singles, including the still-beloved song alluded to in his title, then as the "Flo" of Flo & Eddie with fellow ex-Turtle Howard Kaylan, singing leads for the early-seventies Mothers of Invention and backing vocals for such luminaries as Marc Bolan and Bruce Springsteen. He knew loads of people and saw the whole dazzling late-sixties L.A. pop scene up close.
The book is not exactly written by him, though. Not that he had a ghost writer--instead, co-author John Cody has put together a kind of oral biography of Volman, compiling quotations from interviews he conducted with Volman's family, friends, collaborators, and so on. In other words, it is a great deal like Jean Stein's Edie.
This could have gone wrong in a great many ways, but the reminiscences of Volman's wide range of associates are so vivid and Cody is so astute an arranger of his mosaic of quotations that the book is a brisk and continually entertaining read (even, remarkably, when Volman becomes an academic).
Curiosity about the Turtles or even Frank Zappa is probably relatively slight compared to curiosity about Jim Morrison, Joni Mitchell, or his Bobness, but Cody constructs through these Volman-vignettes an evocative picture of the pop music business at a particularly interesting moment.
Mark Volman was not a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame kind of performer, but he was certainly busy--first as founding member of the Turtles, who had several hit singles, including the still-beloved song alluded to in his title, then as the "Flo" of Flo & Eddie with fellow ex-Turtle Howard Kaylan, singing leads for the early-seventies Mothers of Invention and backing vocals for such luminaries as Marc Bolan and Bruce Springsteen. He knew loads of people and saw the whole dazzling late-sixties L.A. pop scene up close.
The book is not exactly written by him, though. Not that he had a ghost writer--instead, co-author John Cody has put together a kind of oral biography of Volman, compiling quotations from interviews he conducted with Volman's family, friends, collaborators, and so on. In other words, it is a great deal like Jean Stein's Edie.
This could have gone wrong in a great many ways, but the reminiscences of Volman's wide range of associates are so vivid and Cody is so astute an arranger of his mosaic of quotations that the book is a brisk and continually entertaining read (even, remarkably, when Volman becomes an academic).
Curiosity about the Turtles or even Frank Zappa is probably relatively slight compared to curiosity about Jim Morrison, Joni Mitchell, or his Bobness, but Cody constructs through these Volman-vignettes an evocative picture of the pop music business at a particularly interesting moment.
August 1, 2025
This book is basically built on interviews done with different people that's been around Mark Volman during different phases of his life. Initially I didn't think this would work but it works surprisingly well (at least for a while). But it would have been nice to hear Marks own words instead of people repeatedly saying the same nice things about him which tends to get a bit annoying. But he has lived an interesting and diverse life and the book is worth reading!
October 20, 2025
Not as informative as I would have liked (nothing about the copyright case establishing payment for usage of Turtles songs as samples on other records, for example, and that was a precedent setting lawsuit), but entertaining. Volman died the same day that my book order arrived in the mail, so the reading was bittersweet. R.I.P.
December 25, 2023
Lots of interesting anecdotes and stories about The Turtles and Flo and Eddie, but the format (nearly all the material is from others), is a little tiresome. I would have liked to hear more of Mark Volman's voice in the text as he is a very talented and interesting man.
July 26, 2023
Didn't think I could love this man more than I already did, but after reading this book, I do! Great insight into his life, work, and the entertainment business.
August 26, 2023
Very enjoyable trip down memory lane, despite the subject not contributing much. His friends and family appear to have great memories of a memorable life.
October 18, 2023
More of an oral biography than a memoir. Fun to read about a group and person I really didn't know much about.
March 7, 2024
Nice career history of Volman, told from multiple people. Since I was not super fan, it was a bit too long and I skipped over some parts.
September 9, 2025
An oral history of the recently departed lovable clown of rock'n'roll by those that knew him
November 6, 2025
For true 60s rock and roll aficionados.
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December 30, 2025good story
May 14, 2024
I know this will be one of my favorite book this year. I could not put it down once I started it. Written not in prose but in notes and comments from friends of Mark Volman and occasional comments from Mark on what his friends are saying. The Turtles were one of my favorite groups growing up in the 1960's. So as I have been reading the book their music has been playing in my head with each song mentioned. There are many comments from almost every popular band in the mid sixties who knew Mark. And the music from each of them came to me as I read also. It was like talking to old friends on each page. This is an excellent history of the music industry in the 1960's.
November 18, 2025
Kinda ok. I was looking forward to a good auto bio - loved Howard Kaylan’s. This ain’t it.
The listed co-writer contacted a ton of Mark’s friends, family, band members, band workers, & a whole bunch a guys cuz they were in 60s band, & created an “oral history” of Mark. Mark may write a paragraph or 2 each chapter, but I was expecting to hear Mark’s voice. The Turtles were one of my fave bands, saw Flo & Eddie with The Mothers in ‘71, the Zappa-less Mothers in ‘73, Flo & Eddie countless time, including later as The Turtles. LOTs of good stories throughout. But a lot of straining, near the end there’s a lot of guys slamming Howard, & the very end goes deep into Mark’s parents! Maybe one day he’ll write a book….
The listed co-writer contacted a ton of Mark’s friends, family, band members, band workers, & a whole bunch a guys cuz they were in 60s band, & created an “oral history” of Mark. Mark may write a paragraph or 2 each chapter, but I was expecting to hear Mark’s voice. The Turtles were one of my fave bands, saw Flo & Eddie with The Mothers in ‘71, the Zappa-less Mothers in ‘73, Flo & Eddie countless time, including later as The Turtles. LOTs of good stories throughout. But a lot of straining, near the end there’s a lot of guys slamming Howard, & the very end goes deep into Mark’s parents! Maybe one day he’ll write a book….
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews