At age sixteen, Bill German began publishing a Rolling Stones fanzine out of his bedroom in Brooklyn. And when he presented an issue to the band on a street in New York, he obviously made an impression: before he knew it, the Stones had hired him to document their career, inviting him into the studio and to their private jam sessions. He traveled the world with them, stayed at their homes, and, for almost two decades, witnessed their wild parties and nasty feuds. Yet through it all, he never lost his identity as that “nice boy from Brooklyn.”

“Under Their Thumb” is a fish-out-of-water tale about a fan who wanted to know everything about his favorite rock group—and suddenly learned too much.

Bill German majored in journalism at New York University until he dropped out to follow the Stones. He co-authored “The Works” with guitarist Ron Wood and has written about the group for Rolling Stone and Spin. He lives in New York City.

To purchase a copy of the updated edition of “Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It)” visit Backbeat Books’ website http://backbeatbooks.com/books/9781493065080


Listen to a playlist of the music discussed in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1FVOegv3Opn3nLgADQkFRd?si=e5b146e6b7a84675

Visit Bill German’s website: https://billgerman.com

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