I’M INTO SOMETHING GOOD by Harvey Lisberg with Charlie Thomas

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Harvey Lisberg

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Harvey Brian Lisberg – star maker & impresario

NEW sellers***

GG / 06 . . . Son of Man (about the evolution of Hotlegs into 10cc)

Feb 9, 2023 | , , ,

GG / 06 . . . Son of Man (about the evolution of Hotlegs into 10cc)

  • Q: Eric?
  • A: Yeah!
  • Q: How did you actually form the band?
  • A: Well . . .
  • . . . the B-side we were knocking off [Oh! Darling] turned into something good [Donna – the proposed B-side to Waterfall].  Donna was 10cc’s first single reaching No, 2 in the U.K. in 1972.

On hearing Donna, Jonathan King (founder of U.K. Records) released it as 10CC’s first single declaring it a smash, his prophecy fulfilled when it peaked at No.2 in the U.K. charts in September ’72:

Godley and Creme . . . Cry (1985)

Feb 9, 2023 | , , ,

Godley and Creme . . . Cry (1985) was an international hit with faces morphing into each other using simple soft-edged wipe transitions.

This visual effect was later refined using digital coding in Michael Jackson’s Black or White (1991) by ‘Thriller‘ director, John Landis, an old school friend of the late Andrew Gold, co-founder with Graham Gouldman of Wax, who I managed from 1983 to 1990’s.

Neanderthal Man was released by Hotlegs,

Feb 9, 2023 | , , ,

Neanderthal Man was released by Hotlegs, the pre-cursor to 10cc (but without Graham Gouldman) and reached #22 in U.S. and No. 2 in U.K. (kept off the top spot by Elvis Presley‘s ‘The Wonder Of You‘).

Elton John . . . Neanderthal Man (Stewart, Godley, Creme).  Always a fan of innovative music Elton recorded covers of new sounds and Neanderthal Man (Hotlegs) is on Reg Dwight’s Piano Goes Pop:

In 1973, Elton John founded The Rocket Record Company named not after Neanderthal Man, but his signature hit Rocket Man.  In 1974 he signed Neil Sedaka and released his comeback album Sedaka’s Back to a receptive U.S. audience with original recordings from Solitaire (1972) and The Tra-La Days Are Over (1973) both engineered and recorded by Eric Stewart at Strawberry Studios with the nascent 10cc as session musicians on tracks like That’s When The Music Takes Me . . . and Love Will Keep Us Together . . .

. . . whose subverted title, inspired Joy Division‘s iconic hit Love Will Tear Us Apart, recorded at Strawberry Studios in 1980.  This mash-up using Captain & Tennille‘s cover version of Love Will Keep Us Together (U.S. #1 in 1975), demonstrates why some people think the inspiration wasn’t just limited to the title, but maybe the whole song?

NEW MEMOIR by Harvey Lisberg with Charlie Thomas:

Mar 1, 2023 | , ,

I’m Into Something Good: My Life Managing 10cc, Herman’s Hermits & many more!

Checkout – omnibuspress.com

When 22-year-old accountant Harvey Lisberg heard the Beatles’ ‘Please Please Me’, he had an epiphany: he could be Manchester’s answer to Brian Epstein. He had a musical ear, a knack for numbers and a gambler’s instinct for taking a punt. Within a year he had taken local group, Herman’s Hermits, to number one with ‘I’m Into Something Good’. Soon, Hermania was a global phenomenon. Harvey had found his vocation.

In this uproarious, frank and moving autobiography, he reveals the excesses of life on the road with Herman’s Hermits; the frustration of championing unknowns Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber; the highs and lows of managing the brilliant 10cc; the utter madness of looking after snooker bad boys Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins and Jimmy ‘Whirlwind’ White and much, much more.

Many other artists benefitted from Harvey’s guidance during this time, including Tony Christie, Barclay James Harvest, Sad Café and the Chameleons.

I’m Into Something Good is his account of a life that started in Salford and ended up in Palm Springs; a life in which he travelled the world, met heroes and villains, fulfilled his dreams, spent a fortune on good living, family and friends, and never took himself or his achievements too seriously.

‘Harvey came along and turned us into stars. He believed in us when no one else cared.’ Peter Noone, Herman’s Hermits

‘Harvey was one of the very first to recognise potential in Andrew and myself. He spotted ‘Joseph’ as a winner way before it became one.’ Sir Tim Rice

‘He virtually invented modern management. In terms of the UK’s music history, there really is no one like Harvey.’ Tony Wilson

‘A really good read.’ Lol Creme

Publication Date: 30.03.23
ISBN: 9781913172886
Extent: 304 pages
Format: Hardback

***Please note, if out of stock at our warehouse, this title can be purchased at all good high street and online booksellers***

Peter Noone featuring David Bowie – Oh! You Pretty Things

Feb 9, 2023 | , , ,

Peter Noone featuring David Bowie – Oh! You Pretty Things

The single was written by David Bowie who featured on piano on the record and on Top Of The Pops he was prettily fitted out in a dress and a hat with flowers and it got to No. 12 in the U.K. in June 1971.

 

In December 1971, some six months later, Bowie released his own version for his Hunky Dory album but the endorsement of a major star (Peter Noone) and the approval of a big record company executive (Mickie Most) had been a turning point in Bowie’s career who previously had been struggling for years to go mainstream.