Description
This is the in-depth story of twenty golden years of the recording industry, revealing vivid insight into the founding and inner workings of Virgin in its fledgling years.
The 1970s was a golden era for music recording and it set the standards for more or less all that followed. These were the times when the skills, upon which so much of the modern recording world is now based, were honed.
Having worked at the forefront of studio engineering from early in his career, a chance reply to Philip’s advert selling surplus equipment in Exchange & Mart led to a life-changing role to develop the now legendary Manor Studios for Virgin. The Manor created a stage to perform on, and the whole environment provided a sense of worth. It was all about uplifting musicians and supporting their morale in a way that would bring out their creativity.
Philip’s career right at the very heart of the Virgin Empire has taken a fascinating path, recounted here in intricate detail, including the stories of building The Town House and The Pink Museum studios, music production for many varied artists, touring with Mike Oldfield and getting arrested in Wyoming.
Richard Branson read an advanced draft and commented: “I absolutely loved your book – devoured every single word of it. For me it was fascinating seeing the early days of Virgin and the studios through someone else’s lens. Your memory I certainly envy! And your writing skills! I laughed out loud on many occasions (your trip to Germany was hilarious).”
FIRST EDITION, 376 pages, hardback
A free sample containing the first chapter, list of photos and index is available to download: Sample Autobiography - Philip Newell (PDF, 760kB)
