Cook's Tours: Tales of a Tour Manager

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Throughout his 44 years in the entertainment industry, Malcolm Cook met and worked with some of the biggest names in show business -- Eden Kane, Cilla Black, Billy Fury, Tom Jones, Gene Pitney, Del Shannon, Gerry & The Pacemakers, P.J. Proby, the Kinks, Glen Campbell, Roger Whittaker, Rudolf Nureyev, Alvin Stardust, Bad Manners, Canned Heat, the Ronettes, Kris Kristofferson, Tammy Wynette . . . the list goes on and on. In this humorous, fast-paced biographical account, Cook lifts the lid on what it takes to keep a show on the road and artists and audiences happy. It's all here: transport problems, unscrupulous promoters, run-ins with East German police, hassles with the Mafia, tea with the Duke of Norfolk, the wind-ups, the laughter, the heartbreak and the tears. Along the way, the author also includes vignettes of some of the prime movers and shakers of British showbiz including Brian Epstein, Arthur Howes, Hal Carter and Michael Levy to round off this unique insight into what really goes on behind the scenes.

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A regular contributor to The Beat in the past, Malcolm Cook often linked current events with recollections from his life as tour manager to the biggest names in pop music, always promising/threatening to publish his complete memoirs one day. That day has now arrived and 'Cook's Tours' details a fascinating journey from the early 60s into the New Millennium, looking behind the scenes on package tours, I had enjoyed from the front stalls. Working with a variety of artists, from Eden Kane and Gerry & The Pacemakers, to Motown's premier acts, Gene Pitney, Glen Campbell, and even Rudolph Nureyev, Cook experienced life at all levels, from dodgy B&Bs, roadside cafes, and uninsured bangers to luxury limousines, five-star hotels and restaurants worldwide. Every act has a different tale to tell, and each one is told in a manner that conveys the pleasure he derived from his life. Each chapter details an artist, or genre, often confirming the likeable character behind the mike was genuine, but also features a number who were very different. Interspersed throughout the memories, Cook recalls many of the sexual encounters he experienced along the way, and other perks of the job! A thoroughly enjoyable read, exactly how I imagined the finished publication would be. Well done, Malcolm

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