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When We Were the Boys
Coming of Age on Rod Stewart's Out of Order Tour
by Stevie Salas
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Pub Date Sep 16 2014 | Archive Date Oct 07 2014
Rowman & Littlefield | Taylor Trade
Description
This
book is a backstage pass to the ups, downs, and all-out craziness of
growing up rock—deep discussions with Rod Stewart, jamming with legends
like Mick Jagger and Simon LeBon of Duran Duran, gaining groupies, and
striking out solo. Stevie Salas was one of many boys coming of age in
the 1980s—when the American dream was music superstardom. As lead
guitarist for a San Diego band, Salas played backyard parties and school
dances, and even scored the music for cult classic Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. When he auditioned for Rod Stewart—where he was the youngest band member by a decade—Salas’s career truly hit a turning point.
Salas
pulls no punches to describe the initial skepticism and hazing he faced
as the youngest member of Stewart’s band, the night he stood up for
himself on the tour plane, and the pivotal heart-to-heart talk with
Stewart that helped turn around the Out of Order Tour. Yet they became a
band of brothers and formed a camaraderie they share to this day. When We Were the Boys
revolves around the year Salas began as a musical prodigy and finished
as a seasoned rock and roll veteran—more mature as a man and musician.
Stevie Salas has worked with artists from Rod Stewart to Mick Jagger to Justin Timberlake. He served as the musical director for American Idol, is executive producer and co-host of Arbor Live!, and executive producer and narrator of RUMBLE: Indians Who Rocked the World,
a documentary on Native Americans in pop and rock music. As an artist
with an Apache heritage, Salas has also received the Native American
Lifetime Achievement Award. His solo albums have sold several million copies. He lives in Austin, Texas.
A Note From the Publisher
You are viewing unedited page proofs. Quote only from finished book. Contact publicity@rowman.com for more info.
Advance Praise
Just
when things were getting dull, Stevie Salas pops his head above the
parapet, waving his (very personal, I must say) take on the life
full-throttle. It’s rock ’n’ roll taken to a place called EXTREME. Those
with an aversion to sex & drugs, read at your own risk.— Simon Le Bon, singer, songwriter, Duran Duran
Stevie
Salas gave me my first break. He busted my ass, but he showed me that
music isn’t about perfection; it’s about feeling—about finding the
groove of the song. Stevie taught me that music is a work in progress,
and he proves that in When We Were the Boys.
If not for Stevie, I could possibly be delivering a pizza to your house
tonight. For that, and many other reasons, I’ll love the guy forever.
— Taylor Hawkins, Foo Fighters
Stevie, Stevie, Stevie. I have to thank you for taking me back to one of the best times in my life with When We Were the Boys.
I was in the band when you arrived, and you definitely brought a
different energy to the band. It was a tough time to beat but an even
tougher band to beat. We were on fire. Great job my brother!
— Jimmy Roberts, saxophonist, The Rod Stewart Band
Stevie
Salas has been my rock 'n' roll buddy for the past twenty-five years.
He's achieved the greatest thing in our game: he lived a life worth
living, and then was able to remember it all long enough to write it
down!
— Silm Jim Phantom, The Stray Cats
Stevie Salas is the ultimate insider, and When We Were the Boys
is your backstage pass. This book is a vibrant, unfiltered collection
of stories from a rookie guitarist earning his stripes with rock
legends—from hazing to Hooters girls, and everything in between.
— Spike Feresten, Emmy Award–winning writer, producer, and comedian whose work includes Seinfeld
Rock
’n’ roll pirate Stevie Salas spins a captivating yarn about his days
aboard the great ship Rock Star. A fast and fun read, full of brass,
balls, and bollocks, much like the man himself.
— Sass Jordan, multi-platinum recording artist
We
met Stevie shortly after he left the Rod Stewart Band. Jeff Healey was a
funny cat when it came to guitar players. He would interact with very
few during our live shows, but he really dug Stevie’s playing from day
one and would have him sit in whenever possible. This led to a great
friendship and writing partnership—as well as some killer good times.
— Tom Stephen, manager/drummer, The Jeff Healey Band
Stevie’s expertise and diverse musical abilities were invaluable when we worked with the contestants from American Idol. Now, after reading When We Were the Boys, I think that most of his ‘diverse musical abilities’ came on the fly!
— Stirling McIlwaine, music business manager
Stevie’s
one of the busiest people in the biz, but at the end of each day, he’s
just a kid who’s a massive fan of music. It's great to be able to have
this book by one of the most sought-after guys in music—and read about
ALL of the things he was up to.
— Mike Halloran, legendary alt-rock radio DJ
I loved When We Were the Boys.
It shows how hard work, perseverance, talent, and a healthy ego got
Stevie Salas from a teenage guitar-playing surfer in Oceanside,
California, to touring the world with Rod Stewart. The craziness of
being on a major rock ’n’ roll tour is all here: the private jets, the
trashed hotel rooms, the limousines that Stewart occasionally stole, the
booze, the drugs, and the women—lots and lots of women. This book is
well-written and contains great photos. You won’t want to put it down!
— Jim McInnes, legendary San Diego radio DJ
This
book isn’t a front row seat—it’s an unlimited access backstage pass to
the world of rock ’n’ roll. Two masters of their crafts, Stevie Salas
and Bob Yehling, pool their talents to put you onstage with Stevie in
what could be described as one of the most amazing true ‘rock ’n’ roll
fantasies’ ever. A great, great read.
— Ken Kebow, Emmy Award–winning producer/director
It’s funny but when I met Stevie Salas it was like meeting myself in my younger career.
Having two Scorpios working together meant Fire without the Fear.
He stepped in loud, dreaming, with his volume turned up.
Speaking through his guitar and givin’ up the funk.
You see, music speaks the truth, it never lies,
it’s like one big soul with nothin’ to hide.
I named him Stevie-No-Wonder just because you never knew what he was gonna say.
I will always be his big brother living a simple life of Plug & Play.
Thanks, little brother, for always staying true to the passion that you possess.
Music & love is that thang that we ‘Self-Express.’
Stay funky, my friend!
— Bootsy Collins
Marketing Plan
National print and online campaign
Author events
Radio tour
National print and online campaign
Author events
Radio tour
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781589799882 |
PRICE | $17.95 (USD) |