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Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles,The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved
Chris O'Dell wasn't famous. She wasn't even almost famous. But she was there.She was in the studio when the Beatles recorded The White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be, and when Paul recorded "Hey Jude," she sang in the chorus.She was at Ringo's kitchen table when George Harrison said, "You know, Ringo, I'm in love with your wife," and Ringo replied, "...more
Audio CD, 0 pages
Published
November 16th 2009
by Tantor Media Inc
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Miss O'Dell is not a literary genius but she does chronicle an era that many of us had either grown up in or had watched our siblings and older friends explore.
Though I did nt get to Woodstock (I was in Florence) upon my return the following week I heard some of the amazing stories.
Miss O'Dell tells the stories of what was actually happening at Apple records and on various recording studio outings.
The pages are filled with ' Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll . Her writing style is s...more
Though I did nt get to Woodstock (I was in Florence) upon my return the following week I heard some of the amazing stories.
Miss O'Dell tells the stories of what was actually happening at Apple records and on various recording studio outings.
The pages are filled with ' Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll . Her writing style is s...more
I stayed up late a few nights in the row finishing this. Gave a really interesting insider look without feeling like she was telling every sordid detail. As a Beatles fan, I especially enjoyed hearing about her relationships with the various band members and their wives. I also was really shocked (well, not that shocked) to hear what big babies some of the rock stars she toured with are.
Don't mistake her as just another groupie though - she earned her place as an Apple employee,...more
Don't mistake her as just another groupie though - she earned her place as an Apple employee,...more
It is always fascinating to me to read the memoir of an ordinary person who traveled in the inner circles of the greatest musical groups of our time, particularly when that person admittedly had no particular talent or skills of any kind, but was simply in the right place at the right time. Chris O'Dell met a guy in a bar who worked for Apple Records, and she followed him to London where she hung out at his office doing simple office tasks and trying to make herself useful till she finally got ...more
Mike Hickey
added it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in 60's rock & addiction recovery
Recommended to Mike by:
Neil Scott
Chris O'Dell's new book MISS O'DELL is like having a backstage all-access pass to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. At the ripe old age of 20, she manages to not only land employment at Apple Records and work for the Beatles but to actually become intimate friends with them, their wives, and their world. Her charmed life then takes her on a magical mystery tour with the Stones, Dylan, CSNY, Queen, Zeppelin, and Echo and the Bunnymen (you'll just have to read the book). As a genuine lover of 60's a...more
Again, wishing I could give 1/2 stars because this would be a 3.5.
Chris O’Dell moved to London in the late 60s and wormed her way into a job at Apple. She became friends with George, Paul, and Ringo and even ended up singing in the chorus on “Hey Jude.” She also became best friends with Pattie Harrison, and for a while lived with George as Pattie’s assistant. From there she toured with the Rolling Stones and hobnobbed with other rock luminaries, living the life of sex, excess drug...more
Chris O’Dell moved to London in the late 60s and wormed her way into a job at Apple. She became friends with George, Paul, and Ringo and even ended up singing in the chorus on “Hey Jude.” She also became best friends with Pattie Harrison, and for a while lived with George as Pattie’s assistant. From there she toured with the Rolling Stones and hobnobbed with other rock luminaries, living the life of sex, excess drug...more
Being an ENORMOUS Beatle fan who has read almost every biography, seen every discography/anthology, heard every interview, etc....This was a nice change of perspective. Granted, the point of view may have been a little skewed. It was nice to see the more human side of the Beatles, from a fan's perspective as opposed to the larger than life personas that surround them. I would totally read this book again, because it makes me feel intimately closer with the Beatles! An time that I wasn't even ali...more
Finished reading it and returned it to the library. The very next day, found a copy at a thrift store. It's fate!
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Love. this. So much.
Not only do I adore her casual way of telling a story, but the stories themselves fill me with so much envy that it's a little hard to breathe. It's not difficult to get pulled into the stories, and if you're as big a fan of the musicians she discusses as I am, you can see and hear what she saw and heard.
Her desce...more
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Love. this. So much.
Not only do I adore her casual way of telling a story, but the stories themselves fill me with so much envy that it's a little hard to breathe. It's not difficult to get pulled into the stories, and if you're as big a fan of the musicians she discusses as I am, you can see and hear what she saw and heard.
Her desce...more
Chris was just 20 when by chance she met Derek Taylor who worked for the Beatles just
as they were starting Apple. He invited her to come to England, sure there would be a place for her. She hung out and became friends, lovers and worked with members of the Beatles, the Stones, Leon Russell and others. These are the lives and loves, friendships and betrayals, affairs and break-ups told by the woman who George Harrison wrote a song about, "Miss O'Dell."
as they were starting Apple. He invited her to come to England, sure there would be a place for her. She hung out and became friends, lovers and worked with members of the Beatles, the Stones, Leon Russell and others. These are the lives and loves, friendships and betrayals, affairs and break-ups told by the woman who George Harrison wrote a song about, "Miss O'Dell."
Wow, what can I say. Chris O'Dell shared the depth of her soul with the world in this book, a journey through a part of her life with the most famous people in the world and in turn, we can all walk away with seeing those who have contributed the most to music with different eyes. There is pain, humanity, love, understanding, forgiveness, and friendship that transcends money and fame and speaks right to the heart. I couldn't put the book down.
This books begins with the author's move to London in her early twenties to work for the Beatles and follows her life as an insider in the world of Rock and Roll. Name-dropping definitely abounds in this bio, but I ate it up! I'm a little jealous of Miss O'Dell's friendships with George Harrison and Mick Jagger. She manages tours for loads of amazing bands, while also picking up their serious party habits. Whoa, this crowd loved their cocaine! If you're into reading semi-gossipy fluff abou...more
Just stumbled across this one at the library; I hadn't heard of it or her. Starting in 1968, she was an intimate with the Beatles, and managed on tours by The Rolling Stones, Dylan, CSNY, and many more. This is in a way a kiss and tell book, but she paints sympathetic and realistic portraits of those she dealt with. Silly and gossipy, it's still a fun read if you care at all about the people she's talking about.
Don't think of Chris O'Dell as a groupie, she moved to England back in the day to work at Apple. She worked with not only wth the Beatles, she worked with the Stones, Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Eric Clapton. She went on to be one of the first female road managers in the business. Her stories abut her friendships with each of the bands and thir families are both hiliarious and endearing.
O'Dell has an interesting tale to tell and she tells it clearly and quickly. The tone is kind, honest, and appreciative. She doesn't dish a bunch of dirt or dwell on evils and excesses, but manages to make the Beatles and the Stones be people, for the most part. On the other hand, there isn't a lot of emotion or analysis, which I suppose is better than a bad attempt at it. An excellent beach reach.
All I can say is WOW! The best way to describe Chris O'Dell is that she's the Forrest Gump of the Rock music scene. She was there for EVERYTHING! A must read for all Beatles fans (and Stones fans). No, I wouldn't want to have had her life, but seeing the rock scene from her perspective was amazing, and I'm glad she was so willing to share it!
It is amazing how life can just come at you. Chis O'Dell was drug out to a dinner that changed her life forever. She quit her job, jumped on a plane and entered into a world of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. She was a unique insider that has another look into the Beatles behind the scenes as well as Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones.
So I also gave Les Miserables 5 starts. Are they on par? Obviously not. The each got 5 stars for different reasons, and because I truly loved both.
I totally dug this book;) It is just a cool insider (yet still outsider) view into a life I am ultimately jealous of (minus the drug addiction and what not). This chick basically by pure luck ended up an insider into some of the biggest deals of entertainment during some of the best times to be there.
If you like the Beatle...more
I totally dug this book;) It is just a cool insider (yet still outsider) view into a life I am ultimately jealous of (minus the drug addiction and what not). This chick basically by pure luck ended up an insider into some of the biggest deals of entertainment during some of the best times to be there.
If you like the Beatle...more
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Miss O'Dell is not a literary genius but she does chronicle an era that many of us had either grown up in or had watched our siblings and older friends explore.
Though I did nt get to Woodstock (I was in Florence) upon my return the following week I heard some of the amazing stories.
Miss O'Dell tells the stories of what was actually happening at Apple records and on various recording studio outings.
The pages are filled with ' Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll . Her writing style is similar to a "...more
Though I did nt get to Woodstock (I was in Florence) upon my return the following week I heard some of the amazing stories.
Miss O'Dell tells the stories of what was actually happening at Apple records and on various recording studio outings.
The pages are filled with ' Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll . Her writing style is similar to a "...more
This was a fantastic read! I wasn't too sure about it when I first bought it- I liked the idea behind it, but not the fact that it was set 30 years ago... but I ended up loving all the new things I got to learn from that time period in music history. It's one of the only bio books I've ever been able to get through (one of the subjects I'm pickiest about, that's for sure)
I listened to the audio version. This was interesting and entertaining,but I felt she was holding back a lot. The bits about George Harrison and his wife Pattie were enlightening. Until I read Clapton's book and this one,I always thought George worshipped Pattie...apparently not.
I wanted more. An incredible story about being in the right place at the right time. Fascinating insight into some amazing legends. The stories were told with candor yet balanced with respect for privacy. She made me feel the glamour and the pain.
I am such a sucker for rock and roll biographies. This one is a nice take on the backstage lifestyle from someone who was there through rock history's most famous moments. Chris O"Dell tells a very intriguing story and it makes you feel like you were there.
Kind of a fun read. Wish I'd read this before playing the Beatle Triva game. Insight into the fab four & many more from the perspective of someone who was in the trenches but still having a good time. I'm on sort of a rock & roll kick.
Chris O'Dell went to work at Apple Corps when she was 20, met the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan & Eric Clapton. She became one of the first female road managers and had a lot of fun, except for the alcoholism.
this self-righteous woman is quite full of herself and a total mooch through the years of spending time with her rock 'n roll friends. she's just so unlikeable....
Suzie
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Suzie by:
anne gave it to me for christmas
a really fun romp through the rock and roll, sex and drugs era of the 1970's by someone who managed to become an insider..totally enjoyed the ride!
Loved it! Of course, I like all things Beatle, but this was an insiders' view of the Apple era and of several other superstar groups. Chris' tale has the ring of truth. We all knew these things were going on, but the real story is still amazing.
Continuing my reading of pop culture in the 60's.....really interesting insight into the Beatles off stage life! Loved the book!
This book was a fun read. I am a Beatlemaniac and any behind the scenes info on them is great for me.
Needleroozer
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
folks who want the dirt on the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan
Shelves:
life-stories,
found
Sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll!
I read this book when I lived in Denver for a minute. Thank you, Denver Public Library.
I am very excited that this is the first book I ever helped anyone else find via the What's the Name of That Book??? group. Someone described this book, and I recognized it and actually remembered enough of the title to find it on my shelves. Yippee! I'm going to put it on my found shelf for that very reason.
Here's the link to the thread
...more
I read this book when I lived in Denver for a minute. Thank you, Denver Public Library.
I am very excited that this is the first book I ever helped anyone else find via the What's the Name of That Book??? group. Someone described this book, and I recognized it and actually remembered enough of the title to find it on my shelves. Yippee! I'm going to put it on my found shelf for that very reason.
Here's the link to the thread
...more
Fun and informative read, I'm a huge Beatle fan and learned a surprising amount of new information.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: Girl from US starts in music biz w/ Beatles [s] | 3 | 15 | Jan 27, 2012 06:06am |
