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A Hart Life
The long awaited biography of former Deep Purple and Rainbow tour manager Colin Hart finally dropped onto my doorstep the other day. Although very much looking forward to it, I was however slightly nervous as to the content.
After all, despite his many years of service, the parting of the ways between Colin and DP probably wasn’t handled all that well in the end, and it would be easy for this biography to descend into a bitter tale of regret.
My fears, thankfully, were in vain. This is an affectionate reflection on a 30 year + love affair, that despite it’s final outcome stands as frankly the best book yet written about Deep Purple and Rainbow.
As with the best of biographies it’s as if Colin is with you, just chatting away. But without the regular looks over your shoulder to check on his band of merry travellers.
Just buy it, eh?! You know it makes sense.
For those of you who use English, you can buy the book on the link to the right, Wymer UK. Head there now and you should hopefully get the book in time for Christmas. Happy reading 🙂
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Just wondering…. What happend between Colin and Purple when he “left the band”? I thought they left eachother on good terms?
December 10th, 2011 at 21:03Thanks for the short review, I was really looking forward to this book.
December 10th, 2011 at 22:03A few might just want to read it, especially those who both leap to conclusions and believe everything else they have read from less reliable sources concerning the stuff most seem to be stuck on. For them, it’s surely a case of reading and weeping.
http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_book_display.cfm?id=100035
December 10th, 2011 at 22:34@ 1
Indeed one of the puzzling and dare I say depressing stories in Colin’s book.
1 He feels, in retroperspect or maybe earlier, underpayed by the Purps. Or should I say Bruce Payne?
2 His ambition to join managementranks were flushed down the toilet by Bruce appearantly.
3 Colin was in hospital and noone of the band visited him?!
4 He fell out of contact with both Bruce and Gillan?
Funny to read that Steve practices so much, it even annoyed Gillan and Bruce that much they did not want to share cabs together?! : )
Maybe I misread, I ve been reading zig zagging through the book and stayed up very late reading the book.
To my surprise I saw several pic´s by Marc Brans)Former Deep Purple fanclub man from Belgium.
Wasn´t it through Diep Peurpel I understood Colin was not always that kind and honest when the fc tried to approach the band.
I noticed an egotistical reflex on my behalve.
Hey, I have great pic´s as well!!!
Can I email Colin for the next print maybe…..
December 11th, 2011 at 00:34See 1 above, what happened between the parties?
December 11th, 2011 at 10:50You can find another review on the musicstreetjournal:
http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_book_display.cfm?id=100035
December 11th, 2011 at 11:29Got mine about a month ago.I finished the Iommi “Iron Man” a few weeks ago and am about 50 pages from finishing Glenn’s autobiography and then onto Colin’s tome. Thanks for the positive review, can’t wait to get on with it.
December 11th, 2011 at 13:35I have stated before that this is a great book. My fave part is when John Bonham crashes Ritchie’s high class party!… Hilarious!
December 11th, 2011 at 18:42Just started reading it however I am looking forward to it a little more following the review.
December 11th, 2011 at 21:24I have the impression on one hand Colin describes things quite clear.
But on the other hand it might just cratch the surface of things happened?
Although he writes about positive AND negative moments with Bruce he gets served the biggest portion of discontempt, IMO.
I must admit I read Roger’s words after the book!!!
Roger is suggesting he does not subscribe to C’s views completely but leaves it open what he means.
I don’t think Bonham’s intrusion was that funny.
Why laugh about a hooligan destroying a subtle mood wished for by the host?
On the other hand, the book dishes up a lot of Blackmore’s bad moments.
A lot of pranks I could live and forgive about but with but the treatment of Jurgen, THAT’S SAD!!!
It’s about time Roger releases his diaries.
Although every outing is very subjective I welcome more sides of the story.
Ofcourse we can wait till hell freezes over waiting on TMIB’s words.; (
Maybe Candice can do something about it?
December 12th, 2011 at 09:06Or will that be after he dies?
Ordered this one and Glenn Hughes today, it will be great X-mas reading!
December 12th, 2011 at 19:48the worst part is that this book, as the Gillan’s one or many others, is not translated in my language…
December 12th, 2011 at 20:41@ 12
Maybe it’s about time to learn the language of your favourite band? : )
December 12th, 2011 at 21:53@ 1
December 13th, 2011 at 06:41Colin decided to not wash dirty laundry in his book -which I think is another sign of his great character- and we should respect that and not dig for the nasty details. They were of course there and his departure was far from peaceful, but he doesn’t want that to become public. So, please accept that and give him credit for being so discreet in his book.
@10 Have you no sense of humor!?… Blackmore forever the prankster having Bonham screw his party up!?! If Ritchie was a guest at someone else’s party an witnessed Bonham doing that to another person he would have pissed himself laughing! I thought it was refreshing to see the tables turned on RB. It made him look as vulnerable/human as any of us.
December 13th, 2011 at 17:31@ 15
On the contrary but……..
1
Humour is very personal.
And one can experience things as funny at a certain moment while being apalled at another moment.
One can also find something very funny and later on get bored stiffless later on when a joke is being repeated too much.
For example : Colin says in the book he got bored with a certain joke by Blackmore.
2.
I never said I m a fan of Ritchie’s kind of humour.
Two wrongs don’t make a right IMHO.
Let’s conclude I forgot that humour IS personal and CAN vary, ok.
Maybe I overreacted.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:22I m just not that fond of people being very drunk thinking that their sense of humour -Because of their twisted perception at that very moment-is appropriate.
Scott W @15,
You are up against a person (Priest) whom can’t handle ANYTHING that is aimed at his hero that isn’t worship. I don’t recall once where he objected to ANY of Ritchie’s well-known pranks on his own band members. Many of which even while SOBER. Yet, as soon as there is one exposed to have gotten the One-Up on his hero, he is beside himself with disgust end resentment. Just another example of that Tunnel vision aspect some have here. I haven’t read nor gotten the book, but reading this here regarding the prank on TMIB was very entertaining. I think I’ll go get drunk and crash somebody’s party in honor of Bonzo….
Cheers
December 14th, 2011 at 17:13@16 Too each their own. BTW, In case you think i dislike Blackmore, nothing could be further from the truth. He has been my favorite musician for many years now.
December 14th, 2011 at 18:59And, if only i am allowed my opinion here without someone ALWAYS replying back as if to say their view is more valid, this great informative DP site known as ‘The Highway Star” would be a much more pleasant site/forum. I am sure others here agree. No reply necessary.
Excuse me.
December 14th, 2011 at 21:44I forgot this is not a forum.
Regarding the so called Bonham party gate crash, well we know how long the likes of the former & Keith Moon lasted. Both wonderful drummers, but me thinks a little immature in their so called trashing of motel rooms etc! Somehow, Townshend & Blackmore have survived that era & who knows really what else went on at that time of their lives! Still, the karma of life can sort out the ones who are out of control it seems, whilst the others get on with creating music & living their lives a little longer!
December 20th, 2011 at 23:25Regarding Bonham & Zeppelin, I watched the entire 02 concert the other night online. Great to see & reasonably good quality also.
I suppose it is the fact that I haven’t heard anyone else on drums with Zeppelin before this gig, & this gig does get you thinking!
Jason Bonham did a decent job, under all sorts of emotions no doubt & with only the one concert to get it right, that in itself was an achievement! Zeppelin as superb as they are, were at times a little rough around the edges in concert, more to do with Page I think.
A pity they didn’t do at least a dozen or so gigs & record the last 2 perhaps. Then it may have been a bit tighter in places.
Whoops, this is a Purple forum, but I did mention one (previous) member briefly, to get me off the hook hopefully!
@ 20
We sort of had the opportunity to imagine it buy hearing them do, solo or together, Led Zeppelin tracks live.
My first memory of that will always be the tracks with Cozy on Robert’s first soloalbum.
Cozy went to other, more rockier pastures with Schenker, and old Zepp fans like got a hard one to swallow with the 2nd one on which mainly Phil Collins was to be heard.
I do recal Robert saying in an interview that he asked Robert Blunt, the guitarplayer,who played real Page like if it was efforless, to learn to how NOT play guitar on this album.
Later on, after a lot of spitting and stabbing at both Purple and Coverdale and his own Zepp heritage, he gradually moved back into old territory around 1993.
Fate Of Nations was and is a great album for Zepp lovers and the tour gave us a lot of Zepp tracks.
The irony that he used 2 guitarplayers!
But the rythymsection was wonderful, the guitarist could held their own and yes…….the drummer gave us another moment to compare drummers : )
I went to the gig in both Amsterdam and The Hague.
Unfortunately in The Paradiso, sitting on the balcony above the stage, I was too busy with a certain woman and lots of booze.
Shame on me.
And she sucked as well : (
December 23rd, 2011 at 00:46After reading “A Hart Life” , the following questions and comments arise:
Why wasn’t the manuscript run by a professional editor. An otherwise interesting book is marred by too many sloppy grammar errors.
Blackmore comes across as a bullying coward who backs down when faced with someone who is ready and able to make him pay for his abusive behaviour. Why have no stories surfaced of anyone kicking his ass? It seems unlikely that such an event has not occurred – or maybe he has just been lucky all these years. Blackmore clearly hides behind his musical genius to get away with his abusive behaviour.
Hart certainly comes across as naive if he expected Payne to make a place for him at Thames Talent. The writing must have been spray painted on every underpass in sight in plenty of time for Hart to see where he stood.
Hart has a lot of respect for JLT’s professionalism – which I fully share. JLT was an inappropriate choice for DP, but his obvious effort to deliver deserve respect.
February 17th, 2012 at 02:47