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Great new rock book - going behind the scenes of some of the greatest records ever made by some of music's most legenday bands at Rockfield studios. ROCK LEGENDS AT ROCKFIELD features Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Queen, Robert Plant, Rush, etc

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Monday, September 17, 2007

ROCK LEGENDS at Rockfield -- book signings

For anyone interested here's a list of book signings which I'll be doing for ROCK LEGENDS AT ROCKFIELD over the next few weeks.

Monmouth Bookshop 22nd Sep 11-1pm
Abergavenny Bookshop 22nd Sep 2.30-4pm

Waterstones Swansea 24th Sep 3-4pm
WHS Swansea 24th Sep 1-2pm

Galloway 27th Sep 1.30-2.30pm
Waterstones Aberystwyth 27th Sep 12-1pm
WHS Aberystwyth 27th Sep 3-4pm

Waterstones Cardiff 28th Sep 12-2pm

Borders Cardiff 6th Oct 4-6pm

Borders Llantrisant 13th Oct TBC
Borders Fforestfach 13th Oct 12-2pm
Waterstones Hereford 20th Oct 12-2pm

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Rock Legends at Rockfield -- on the BBC



BBC NEWS ONLINE (Rock legends at Rockfield by Jeff Collins)

Robert Plant back at Rockfield, where his career took a new path
The story of how a Welsh farm became a not-so-quiet corner of rock'n'roll has been told in a history of a Monmouthshire recording studios.
Rockfield was started by brothers Charles and Kingsley Ward in 1965.

Over four decades it has produced hits from artists such as Queen, Motorhead, Oasis, Stereophonics and the former Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant.

"I'm amazed no-one had written about it before," said the book's author, journalist Jeff Collins.

Robert Plant returned to Rockfield last year on the 25th anniversary of his first solo album and was interviewed by Collins for the book.

The 59-year-old told Collins he was "re-born both personally and professionally" at the studios after the break-up of Led Zeppelin, following the death of drummer John Bonham.

He said: "After all that wild stuff, and momentum, this was an absolute dream, because it was pastoral, funny, and it had a history, the place itself¿ was a bit more passive than any kind I'd ever been in."


Motorhead front man, Lemmy, left, is interviewed by Jeff Collins

This week it was announced Led Zeppelin are to reform - with Bonham's son playing drums - for a one-night-only charity gig at London's O2 arena.

Collins, 40, said: "When I was growing up, I couldn't believe all this fantastic music was being recorded just a few miles up the road, and in Wales.

"I'm amazed no-one had written about it before."

The Ward brothers were signed to a music label in the mid-60s and created their first studio on the family farm when they became fed up with the travelling to London for recording sessions in the days before the M4 motorway opened.

One of the first artists to raise the studios profile among aspiring musicians was Cardiff-born Dave Edmunds with his 1971 hit, I Hear You Knocking'.

Collins tracked down a number of the stars who used the studios during their career, as well as some of the producers and engineers.

Among stories told in Rock Legends At Rockfield is the recording of Queen's masterpiece A Night at the Opera, part of which was recorded at Rockfield in 1975 and is reputed to be one of the most expensive albums of all time.


Queen's operatic Bohemian Rhapsody became a rock classic

Roadie Peter Hince, known as Ratty, claims in the book that record label executives were sweating as the costs of classic tracks, including operatic Bohemian Rhapsody, mounted.

He said: "If it hadn't sold as many millions as it eventually did...EMI might have had second thoughts."

The album topped the charts in Britain and reached number four in America.

Freddie Mercury wrote his piano part for Bohemian Rhapsody in a former feed store at the farm while the rest of the band played Frisbee in a nearby field.

Mercury's six-minute epic may have gone into rock legend, but the record executives who were paying the bills needed to see a return on the investment, according to Hince.

He said: "Overall it was a pretty hectic time. There was a lot of pressure, so you got a feeling it was a real "make or break" time for the band.

"At the time, A Night At The Opera was one of the most expensive albums ever made. The cost in terms of studio time was phenomenal.

"If it hadn't sold as many millions as it eventually did...EMI might have had second thoughts after spending all that money and might have dropped Queen."


(Jeff will appear live on BBC Radio Wales talking about ROCK LEGENDS AT ROCKFIELD with Alan Thompson from 9pm tomorrow night Tuesday.)

ROCK LEGENDS AT ROCKFIELD has been delayed by 4-5 days and will now be published on Sept 20-21.

The official book launch will take place in Monmouth in the Nag's Head pub on Friday 21st Sept from 6pm.

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Saturday, September 01, 2007

ROCK LEGENDS AT ROCKFIELD -- In Amazon top ten



ROCK LEGENDS AT ROCKFIELD by Jeff Collins
Out Sept 15th

WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK

Rick Legends is now in the top five of www.amazon.co.uk future music releases.

The bestselling new & future releases in Rock & Pop.


1. Suburban 100
by Paul Weller (Author)
Publication Date: 6 Sep 2007
Available for pre-order
RRP: £17.99
Price: £10.79
You Save: £7.20 (40%)

2. Eric Clapton: The Autobiography
by Eric Clapton (Author)
Publication Date: 9 Oct 2007
Available for pre-order
RRP: £20.00
Price: £12.00
You Save: £8.00 (40%)

3. Cliff: An Intimate Portrait of a Living Legend
by Tim Ewbank & Stafford Hildred (Author)
Publication Date: 6 Sep 2007
In stock
RRP: £18.99
Price: £9.49
You Save: £9.50 (50%)

4. Stand and Deliver: The Autobiography
by Adam Ant (Author)
Publication Date: 7 Sep 2007
In stock
RRP: £7.99
Price: £3.99
You Save: £4.00 (50%)
8 used & new from £3.50

5. Rock Legends at Rockfield
by Jeff Collins (Author)
Publication Date: 15 Sep 2007
Available for pre-order
Price: £13.99

6. Memories, Dreams and Reflections
by Marianne Faithfull (Author)
Publication Date: 1 Oct 2007
Available for pre-order
RRP: £17.99
Price: £10.19
You Save: £7.80 (43%)

7. Gospel Side of Elvis
by Joe Moscheo (Author)
Publication Date: 20 Sep 2007
Available for pre-order
RRP: £12.99
Price: £5.85
You Save: £7.14 (55%)
10 used & new from £5.85

8. Elvis: The Biography
by Jerry Hopkins (Author)
Publication Date: 10 Sep 2007
In stock
RRP: £14.99
Price: £10.49
You Save: £4.50 (30%)
19 used & new from £7.00

9. Ronnie: The Autobiography
by Ronnie Wood (Author)
Publication Date: 12 Oct 2007
Available for pre-order
RRP: £20.00
Price: £10.00
You Save: £10.00 (50%)

10. Heaven And Hell: My Life In The Eagles, 1974-2001
by Don Felder (Author)
Publication Date: 11 Oct 2007
Available for pre-order
RRP: £18.99
Price: £11.39
You Save: £7.60 (40%)

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