Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)

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Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)

by Bill German

3.54 · rating details · 70 ratings · 26 reviews

"German is party to all sort of Stones' doings, many of which are enjoyable, quite a few of which are scandalous. Great rock 'n' roll Babylon stuff."
- Booklist (Starred Review)

"The epic tale of an obsessive teenager who launched a Rolling Stones fanzine and spent the next two decades capturing the band’s whirlwind metamorphosis from behind the scenes….First-rate, firsthan...more"German is party to all sort of Stones' doings, many of which are enjoyable, quite a few of which are scandalous. Great rock 'n' roll Babylon stuff."
- Booklist (Starred Review)

"The epic tale of an obsessive teenager who launched a Rolling Stones fanzine and spent the next two decades capturing the band’s whirlwind metamorphosis from behind the scenes….First-rate, firsthand account of the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band, and a disenchanted chronicle of its increasingly crass commercialization."
- Kirkus Reviews

As a teenager, Bill German knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life: chronicle the career and adventures of his favorite rock band, the Rolling Stones. And in 1978, on his sixteenth birthday, he set out to make his dream a reality. Feverishly typed in his Brooklyn bedroom, and surreptitiously printed in his high school’s mimeograph room German’s Stones-only newsletter, Beggars Banquet, was born. His teachers discouraged it, his parents dismissed it as a phase, and his disco-loving classmates preferred the Bee Gees, but, for German, this primitive, pre-Internet fanzine was a labor of love. And a fateful encounter with his idols on the streets of New York soon proved his efforts weren’t in vain.

Impressed with Beggars Banquet, the Stones gave the ’zine instant cred on the rock scene by singing its praises–and by inviting German to hang with the band. At first a fish out of water in the company of rock royalty, German found himself spilling orange juice on a priceless rug in Mick Jagger’s house and getting pegged as a narc by pals of Keith Richards and Ron Wood. But before long he became a familiar fixture in the inner sanctum, not just reporting Stones stories but living them. He was a player in the Mick-versus-Keith feud and was an eyewitness to Keith’s midlife crisis and Ron’s overindulgences. He even had a reluctant role in covering up Mick’s peccadilloes. “In the span of a few months,” German recalls, “I’d gone from wanting to know everything about my favorite rock stars to knowing too much.”

In this warts-and-all book, which includes many never-before-seen photographs, German takes us to the Stones’ homes, recording sessions, and concerts around the world. He charts the band’s rocky path from the unthinkable depths of a near breakup to the obscenely lucrative heights of their blockbuster tours. And ultimately, German reveals why his childhood dream come true became a passion he finally had to part with.

Under Their Thumb is an up-close and extremely personal dispatch from the amazing, exclusive world of the Rolling Stones, by someone who was lucky enough to live it–and sober enough to remember it all.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published February 24th 2009 by Villard (first published January 1st 2009)

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Jan 05, 2010

Betsy rated it

Shelves: music, memoir, 2010-read-in

"Under Their Thumb" catalogs the dangerously magnetic pull that celebrity and desire to follow a pipe dream can have on a young person's life.

Bill German forgoes food, comfortable living conditions, companionship, sex, medical care, family, NYU journalism school--for the chance to hang with the stones. For 15 years, he gets dogged, mocked, evaded, and given crap combed-through minutiae by the band's assistants and salaried member, Ron Wood, that he "may" use in h...more

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Apr 03, 2010

Jenny rated it

So far the only thing I like about this book are the pictures of a young Keith Richards.

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And I've finished. This book should have been fun to read. I mean, the title makes me think that Bill German was IN with the Stones and was going to tell me some great stories that would make me even more sad that I work for Corporate America. Instead, I got a whiny dude making me feel like reading was a chore. Not cool, Bill German. I started do...moreSo far the only thing I like about this book are the pictures of a young Keith Richards.

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And I've finished. This book should have been fun to read. I mean, the title makes me think that Bill German was IN with the Stones and was going to tell me some great stories that would make me even more sad that I work for Corporate America. Instead, I got a whiny dude making me feel like reading was a chore. Not cool, Bill German. I started doggy-earing (is that a word?) the pages that got a big eye roll from me. You should see my book.

So Bill German loved the Stones, started a fanzine while he was in high school (Beggars Banquet) to report on his favorite band, and tried really hard to get an in with said favorite band. And he found one! This guy did what most people fantasize about and got to know his favorite band on the planet. He hung out with them, toured with them, plain old talked with them. This book should have been fun to read. It was not. Bill German wants to make sure that readers know that he was hanging out with the Stones. For 349 pages. Example? "I was invited directly." Or "Jo (one of the wives) invited me directly." I get it. You were in with these guys. I don't know why you felt the need to prove it for 349 pages. It made me question your in-ness (is that a word?).

Moving on. The title is Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with The Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It). Um, this makes me think that you were living the rock star life with them, having many near death experiences becuase you put to much crap up your nose. You deceived me, Bill German. You never put crap up your nose, there were no (yes, NONE) stories about the ridiculous things some of the biggest rock stars on the planet did...of course you lived to tell about it. At no time was your life compromised. Lame.

Also, the writing is awful. Bill German dreamed of being a journalist (also mentioned 314 times, and I began to imagine him saying it hoity-toity, like JUHnuhlist, in italics), a writer. Unfortunately he sucks at writing. He tries very hard. Which is probably why Mick Jagger never ever liked the dude, even though he hung on them for over 15 years. So 1 star because this book made me think that Mick Jagger and I have the same taste in people and that made me feel cool. But I digress. Examples of sentences in this book: "I thought I'd kill two Stones with one Bird." This is in reference to German meeting up with two Stones one night to talk with them for info for Beggars Banquet. Lame. Also: "Whether other strings were attached, I'd soon find out." This is a comment on a paragraph directly above, where German is discussing the All Access pass he'd received for one of the Stones tours. There was a string so you could wear it around your neck (DUH). And yes he pointed that out for the reader, obviously so he could add his cheese ball follow up sentence. Come on, Bill German.

So. Dude made reading about the Stones a total bore. I laughed out loud for all the wrong reasons. Sadface.
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May 04, 2009

Kid rated it

Are you curious about the Stones post umm 1978? No?!

Well. . .are you interested in what a pain in the ass it was for a dude to run a fanzine called Beggars Banquet for 15 years during the Stones' creative nadir?

I didn't think I would be. But I'll give it to this dude - he kept me turning pages. . .

He hung out a lot with Woody. . .so much that they had an inside joke pertaining to bananas. Just eating them. Nothing prurient. So that's an inside joke that's no...more

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Apr 04, 2010

Ben rated it

German's decade plus of obsessive dedication the Stones, devoid of much fiscal sense or career ambition (vastly overrated characteristics anyway) makes for a compelling read for anyone who ever alienated friends and neighbors playing Get Yer Ya-Yas out too loud and too late.

His tone is nicely devoid of the self-aggrandizing that often characterizes such memoirs. The book mostly avoids prurient cheap thrills and focuses on the music. German went apeshit for the sound of the Stones at ...more

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Apr 03, 2009

Eric rated it

Recommends it for: readers of How Soon is Never

Recommended to Eric by: the author's agent

I'm no afficionado on the Stones and I still found every page of this memoir worthwhile. German stays the course of twenty-plus years on the Stones' trail and tells some great stories about the band, but also about the crazy crowds that followed them. There is an underlying theme about the commercialization of rock-n-roll music that is predictable from a fan who knew them (personally and well) way before they filled arenas, but Bill German's treatment of their selling out is personal; I could re...more

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Mar 11, 2009

Peter rated it

Shelves: rock-music, non-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 17, 2009

Carolyn Alfieri rated it

I'm a sucker for rock and roll legends. Especially if the legend includes sex, drugs, groupies and death. Since this is the Rolling Stones Bill is writing about, I was not disappointed.
Long interesting story short, when Bill was a lad, he started a fanzine for his favorite band, the Rolling Stones. The planets aligned and Bill found himself face to face with his idols, giving Ron Wood a copy of "Beggar's Banquet". Before he knows it, he is the editor of the official Stone's news...more

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Sep 16, 2010

Lydia rated it

This was interesting not only for what you learn about the Stones and their grand ascent to the top of commercialized music. But also for the kind of sad story of a young man blinded by his near adoration of the Stones to the point that it takes over his life. He seesaws between somewhat influential and barely hanging on, but he never seems to question that. "Mixed up" in the subtitle says it well. It is fascinating to read how this one-day-leads-to-the-next life went on for so long. I...more

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Dec 17, 2009

Clark rated it

I love the Stones as much as the next guy, but Bill German’s single-minded quest to chronicle their every waking moment via his “Beggars Banquet” fanzine reeks of the desperate maneuverings of a stalker with nothing much on his plate besides staking out hotels, studios, and nightclubs for a quick and fleeting glimpse of his heroes. He even dropped out of college to follow his muse but stopped short of shaving his head, climbing a tower, and shooting at pedestrians.

But that’s not to ...more

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Jan 26, 2009

Vince rated it

Shelves: reviews

This review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)

Nonfiction. By Bill German. Villard Books, $25. Grade: B

Book in a nutshell: Bill German lived out the ultimate fanboy fantasy. In 1978, he started Beggars Banquet, a Rolling Stones music zine. This started an 18-year journey in which German befriended his idols and Beggars Banquet became the ...moreThis review originally appeared in the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)

Nonfiction. By Bill German. Villard Books, $25. Grade: B

Book in a nutshell: Bill German lived out the ultimate fanboy fantasy. In 1978, he started Beggars Banquet, a Rolling Stones music zine. This started an 18-year journey in which German befriended his idols and Beggars Banquet became the official Stones’ newsletter.
German chronicles this unlikely rocket ride in his new book, which reads like an “Almost Famous” for the Stones set. As a teenager he becomes cozy with guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Woods (with whom he co-authored an art book), elicits dirty looks and tongue lashings from Mick Jagger and quits NYU to follow the Stones on tour.
But though he penetrates the inner sanctum, German maintains an outsider’s perspective, writing with a style that captures the band members with their guards down, for better and worse (Mick, for one, comes across as a tool), yet through it all maintains an endearing adoration for his heroes.
German’s style is also very readable, and though the narrative has a few gaps and fails to deliver a cohesive raison d’être in the final chapter, this is a true page-turner—especially for bona fide music geeks.

Best tidbit: For all the offstage dirt German uncovers, he never loses sight of the onstage magic that drew him to the Stones in the first place. Perhaps the book’s most touching moment is a London concert in tribute to deceased Stones’ co-founder Ian Stewart. The Stones reunite in a small club along with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend and rock out a set of classic blues—an event German calls his all-time favorite Stones show.

Pros: The most interesting characters are the band’s loyal road companions, including a drug dealer-turned-schoolteacher, a fearsome bodyguard who distributes free tickets to sick children on the sly and even a patriarchal Holocaust survivor who parties harder than Keith Richards.

Cons: Though obviously a labor of love, it never answers the “So what?” question. What happened to German after he shut down Beggars Banquet? How did this experience impact the rest of his life? Why publish his memoirs now?

Final words: The book reads as though German were sitting next to you at the bar and recounting these tales—which is how all good stories of rock ’n’ roll and misspent youth should be told.
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Jan 16, 2012

Linda Lauren rated it

OMG...I'm finished, and I disliked the book and the author intensely. He makes flip fun of people in this juvenile attempt at writing. The ultimate groupie with his Rolling Stones fanzine (Beggar's Banquet) he is like a Peter Pan who never grew up.

The author wants our sympathy and understanding while being condescending as he whines about his life through old TV references that are either unrecognizable or so out-dated they are embarrassing. There are too many rock books that are bet...more

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Sep 22, 2009

Carol Kowalski rated it

Insider, funny, and all-heart. Bill German heard his sister's Rolling Stones records when he was 15, and there was no turning back. His coming-of-age and young manhood years were then consumed by the up-to-the-minute fanzine he wrote, published, and distributed to RS fans through the 1980s and into the 1990s. His access to the Stones, smart prose style, and self-deprecating sense of humor make this one of my favorite music books on a very short list.

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Feb 27, 2010

Pat rated it

Entertaining to some extent, but you really have to love the Rolling Stones and I've never been that much of a fan. The author spent a lot of time with them as the group started to split a bit, and he was privy to a lot of their inner workings. But, as I said, you've got to really like the Stones.

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Nov 02, 2010

Bartholomew rated it

An amusing and engrossing account of the author's adventures as the founder of the fanzine 'Beggars Banquet' and his involvment with the Rolling Stones. Should be of strong interest to both Rolling Stones fans and those interested in the corporatization and degeneration of popular music.

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May 17, 2009

Ann Stevens rated it

The author obviously did not like Mick Jagger. But the book gives great insight into how the 'rock music' industry and how ticket prices are so expensive because of how the Rolling Stones 're-marketed' themselves.

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Oct 21, 2009

Tim Stewart rated it

Loved it in the way it takes you back to simple days; days when you loved something so much you would just live it. Author seems like the best guy to take you behind the scenes of a band this big.

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Oct 24, 2011

Jesus Bautista rated it

this is a great book. It describes everything about the personalities of all the rolling stones. It also shows the trouble you had to go through to be a part of their group of friends.

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Jul 12, 2010

Irene rated it

OK, I love to read anything about the Stones and I did enjoy this book. But, I felt sorry for German and the fact that he devoted his life to stalking the band.

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Jan 09, 2011

Lawrence rated it

Recommends it for: Rolling Stones fans

Shelves: music, biography

what happens when a fan goes from 'wanting to know everything to knowing too much". a pretty accurate portrayal based on my experiences and observations.

· see review

Nov 29, 2008

Robin marked it as to-read

Love the Stones and so this looks interesting. (Bill, rec'd ARC on this yet?)

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Jun 21, 2009

Hannah Jo Parker rated it

I ended up skimming this book after reading the first 50 pages or so. It made me terribly uncomfortable because I couldn't get past the feeling that the author was inflating very small events and interactions with the Rolling Stones into much bigger deals than they really were. His entire self worth and livelihood are so caught up in the band and their acknowledgement of him that it made me terribly sad.

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May 28, 2010

Sharon rated it

Great story. I would love to hang with Keith Richards for a day.

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Mar 16, 2009

Joy rated it

If you like the Stones, you will like this book

· see review

Dec 29, 2010

Jim G rated it

good inside book on the Stones

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Apr 28, 2009

John rated it

shows the passion one has to have to create a Zine and spend years publishing it. also, of course the insider's look at the Stones--Keith & Woody cool guys, Mick all over the map from nice guy to aloof--

· see review

Dec 28, 2010

Peggy Sturman rated it

This was a very entertaining read. I recommend to anyone, espeically if you are a Stones fan. Bill German was a Stones fan, who founded a fanzine that ended up becoming the official Rolling Stones newsletter. He ended up working for them for many years. Not only are the Stones stories he share interesting, his journey is really worth the read!

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Jan 23, 2012

Jtfreeman rated it

Shelves: music

Jan 21, 2012

Rodney Ulyate marked it as to-read

Jan 01, 2012

Phil Melton rated it

Dec 29, 2011

Michael Russell rated it

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Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)

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