Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
My Life in the Music Business
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Narrated by:
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Miles A. Copeland III
About this listen
My real story starts with a disaster, an unmitigated, pull-the-rug-from-under-you, clean-out-the-bank-account disaster. But had it not happened, The Police would never have risen to become the biggest rock band in the world; Jools Holland would not have ended up on TV; The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, R.E.M., and many other music stars might never have made it either. It’s strange how a fluke, a disaster, an unlikely event can lead to incredible results. But that is in essence what happened to me....
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back tells the extraordinary story of a maverick manager, promoter, label owner, and all-round legend of the music industry. It opens in the Middle East, where Miles grew up with his father, a CIA agent who was stationed in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. It then shifts to London in the late 60s and the beginnings of a career managing bands like Wishbone Ash and Curved Air - only for Miles’s life and work to be turned upside down by a disastrous European tour.
From the ashes of near bankruptcy, Miles entered the world of punk, sharing a building with Malcolm McLaren and Sniffin’ Glue, before shifting gears again as manager of The Police, featuring his brother, Stewart, on drums. Then, after founding IRS Records, he launched the careers of some of the most potent musical acts of the new wave scene and beyond, from Squeeze and The Go-Go’s to The Bangles and R.E.M.
The story comes full circle as Miles finds himself advising the Pentagon on how to win over hearts and minds in the Middle East and introducing Arabic music to the United States. ‘Never let the truth get in the way of a good story’, his father would tell him. In the end, though, the truth is what counts - and it’s all here.
Designer: Paul Palmer-Edwards
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All These Things That I've Done
- My Insane, Improbable Rock Life
- By: Matt Pinfield, Mitchell Cohen
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Matt Pinfield is the ultimate music fan. He's the guy who knows every song, artist, and musical riff ever recorded, down to the most obscure band's B-side single on its vinyl-only EP import. As a child, music helped Pinfield make sense of the world. Later he would approach his music idols after concerts and explain why he loved their music. As an adult, rock music inspired his career, fueled relationships, and, at times, became a life raft.
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great listen
- By nilda v. on 08-28-20
By: Matt Pinfield, and others
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Skydog
- The Duane Allman Story
- By: Randy Poe, Billy F. Gibbons - foreword
- Narrated by: Arthur Flavell
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Revised and expanded, with a new afterword by the author, this is the definitive biography of Duane Allman, one of the most revered guitarists of his generation. Skydog reveals the complete story of the legendary guitarist: his childhood and musical awakening; his struggling first bands; his hard-won mastery of the slide guitar; his emergence as a successful session musician; his creation of the Allman Brothers Band; his tragic death at age 24; and his thriving musical legacy.
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duane was the best great story
- By OBIE on 08-08-23
By: Randy Poe, and others
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The Never-Ending Present
- The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip
- By: Michael Barclay
- Narrated by: George Stroumboulopoulos
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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From our talent-rich neighbor to the north comes this biography of one of the most successful Canadian rock bands, The Tragically Hip, which announced a year-long tour after sharing the news of lead singer Gord Downie’s inoperable cancer. Now available to US listeners, The Never-Ending Present details what led up to the memorable night when music fans all over the world watched Downie’s heroic final performance.
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Hometown Heroes
- By Tommy Garou on 12-13-18
By: Michael Barclay
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Down the Highway
- The Life of Bob Dylan
- By: Howard Sounes
- Narrated by: Peter Markinker
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Down the Highway is an essential biography for Bob Dylan fans and all music enthusiasts, delivering the full, fascinating story of the life and work of this great artist. Author Howard Sounes interviewed more than 250 key people in Dylan’s circle, and gained access to previously unseen documents, to create a fresh and compelling book that takes the reader on a journey from Dylan’s childhood in a Minnesota mining town, through his rise to fame in the 1960s, to his current status as the senior figure in popular music.
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I'm a little late to the party
- By BrassHat on 06-05-17
By: Howard Sounes
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Respect Yourself
- Stax Records and the Soul Explosion
- By: Robert Gordon
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of Stax Records unfolds like a Greek tragedy. A white brother and sister build a record company that becomes a monument to racial harmony in 1960’s segregated south Memphis. Their success is startling, and Stax soon defines an international sound. Then, after losses both business and personal, the siblings part, and the brother allies with a visionary African-American partner. Under integrated leadership, Stax explodes as a national player until, Icarus-like, they fall from great heights to a tragic demise.
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Great narration
- By A. K. Moore on 10-29-14
By: Robert Gordon
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Me, the Mob, and the Music
- One Helluva Ride with Tommy James and the Shondells
- By: Tommy James, Martin Fitzpatrick
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Everyone knows the hits: "Mony Mony," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Crimson and Clover," "Crystal Blue Persuasion." They are nuggets of rock and pop history. However, few know the unlikely story of how these hits came to be. Tommy James had been performing in rock bands in the Michigan area since the age of 12. Prompted to record a few songs by a local disc jockey in 1964, Tommy chose an obscurity titled "Hanky Panky," which became a minor local hit that came and went.
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What a ride - excellent story, well told
- By Dave on 03-25-10
By: Tommy James, and others
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My Life in Dire Straits
- The Inside Story of One of the Biggest Bands in Rock History
- By: John Illsley
- Narrated by: John Illsley
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the most successful music acts of all time, Dire Straits filled stadiums around the world. Their albums sold hundreds of millions of copies and their music - classics like “Sultans of Swing”, “Romeo and Juliet", “Money for Nothing”, and “Brothers in Arms” - is still played on every continent today. There was, quite simply, no bigger band on the planet throughout the '80s. In this powerful and entertaining memoir, founding member John Illsley gives the inside track on the most successful rock band of their time.
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Big fan of the band.
- By Curtis Carpenter on 11-15-24
By: John Illsley
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I Want My MTV
- The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution
- By: Craig Marks, Rob Tannenbaum
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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It was a pretty radical idea - a channel for teenagers, showing nothing but music videos. It was such a radical idea that almost no one thought it would actually succeed, much less become a force in the worlds of music, television, film, fashion, sports, and even politics. But it did work. MTV became more than anyone had ever imagined. I Want My MTV tells the story of the first decade of MTV, the golden era when MTV's programming was all videos, all the time, and kids watched religiously to see their favorite bands, learn about new music, and have something to talk about at parties.
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The Most Entertaining Book of the Year
- By David on 10-24-12
By: Craig Marks, and others
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Alice in Chains
- The Untold Story
- By: David de Sola
- Narrated by: Sebastian York
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Alice in Chains was the first of grunge's big four - ahead of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden - to get a gold record and achieve national recognition. With the charismatic Layne Staley behind the microphone, they became one of the most influential and successful bands to come out of the Seattle music scene. But as the band got bigger, so did its problems.
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Disappointing!!!!
- By Rob on 12-23-16
By: David de Sola
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Never a Dull Moment
- 1971 - the Year That Rock Exploded
- By: David Hepworth
- Narrated by: David Hepworth
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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On New Year's Eve, 1970, Paul McCartney told his lawyers to issue the writ at the High Court in London, effectively ending The Beatles. You might say this was the last day of the pop era. The following day, which was a Friday, was 1971. You might say this was the first day of the rock era. And within the remaining 364 days of this monumental year, the world would hear Don McLean's "American Pie", The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar", The Who's "Baba O'Riley", Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", and more.
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A blast from the past
- By Amazon Customer on 07-30-16
By: David Hepworth
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Let’s Go Crazy
- Prince and the Making of Purple Rain
- By: Alan Light
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Purple Rain is a song, an album, and a film - each one a commercial success and cultural milestone. How did this semiautobiographical musical masterpiece that blurred R&B, pop, dance, and rock sounds come to alter the recording landscape and become an enduring touchstone for successive generations of fans?
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A Must-Read For Any PRINCE Fan
- By Bryan K. Chavez on 05-06-16
By: Alan Light
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Michael Jackson, Inc.
- The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Billion-Dollar Empire
- By: Zack O'Malley Greenburg
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Michael Jackson, Inc. reveals the incredible rise, fall, and rise again of Michael Jackson's fortune - driven by the unmatched perfectionism of the King of Pop. Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg uncovers never-before-told stories from interviews with more than 100 people, including music industry veterans Berry Gordy, John Branca, and Walter Yetnikoff; artists 50 Cent, Sheryl Crow, and Jon Bon Jovi; and members of the Jackson family.
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The King Lives...Life,Legacy and Love
- By Amazon Customer on 06-22-17
What listeners say about Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- D. Smith
- 08-22-21
Really fun if you like New Wave
I liked this book on a number of levels. 1st, I was a big fan of the music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I could relate to both the stories and the bands. 2nd, while Miles narration isn’t perfect, the fact he narrated it gave it an authenticity it might not have had. Lastly, it was simply fun. Who doesn’t like the story of an underdog making it in the larger corporate world. As with many a listen, I was sad when it was over.
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- Jack on bass
- 03-13-22
Thinking Outside The Box & Winning!
As a band member & the chief booker this is gold.Met Stuart & forgot to let him how much I admired the Copeland brothers management style almost as much as The Police for their guerrilla marketing.So many bands think it's just about having a cool video or t-shirt which it is to a point & that there's no need to pound the pavement but on the contrary for me it's still about meeting the mgr. or owner in person to seal a deal,looking them in the eye,shaking their hand & getting their trust to give a band a shot with little or no risk to them.I only play bass in & book stripped down 3 piece groupss to keep overhead low & profitability high (to at least afford the best players).This book is an inspiration to this gig hustler out here in the wild west coast.Btw I'm on Spotify under Jack Peck "Compendium".Hey man,what can I say, I'm in marketing & promotion 😉!
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- Dave
- 07-31-21
Miles lays out over 50 years of the music industry!
Miles Copeland is a Kingpin of the music business. Wishbone Ash, Police, Sting, Bangles, are just some of the artists he created. This guy is one of the most engaging, powerful, passionate public speakers I have heard and his lifetime of experience is extraordinary. I think you will enjoy listening to all of his escapades over the last 50 years in the different phases of the music industry and all of the Innovations that he created from scratch. He is not a musician and does not play an instrument, he’s a businessman that can think outside of the box. He calls the typical record label executives “rules followers“ which makes me smile because I know he means they are inside the box where nothing new happens. I highly recommend this book. Having it narrated by the author is the best way to deliver all these real life stories.
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- Rock Fan
- 09-17-21
If you like Punk and New Wave you will like this book
I almost did not buy This book based on a review of someone who said that Miles Copeland was a Trump supporter. It is not true and actually Miles makes fun of trump on a couple of occasions in his book. The part about the role of Miles Copeland and IRS record in the late 70’s and 80’s music is fascinating. His views on Geopolotics a little less. The first part about his father is also very interesting and I encourage you to listen to his brother podcast “My father the spy” to know more. Finally his love for artists, Arab music and anything a little different is admirable.
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- dan toren
- 07-17-23
Great book
Great book thanks for the music and the legacy//! You are an inspiration!!! Your truly. Dan
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- E. Cass
- 06-02-24
Such an interesting life
Thoroughly enjoyable look at a pioneer of the music industry. Great stories about a lot of famous people.
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- breadfunk
- 09-26-22
great memoir...but the narrator....
this was one of the most engaging, funny and wide ranging exposes of the post punk period...and onward... in music that I have ever read.
My only beef is that Miles should have been directed/produced better. It is ironic actually. The narration, at times, sounds like he doesn't even know what he wrote. Somebody should have been in his ear saying "maybe do that line again."
But other than that, fans of the Police, Squeeze, The Go Gos, and myriad other name brand bands will eat this up. A fantastic audiobook for the music lover.
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- AmazonUser
- 09-14-23
Read it, don't listen to it
Terrific story but I almost couldn't get through due to it being, without a doubt, the most horribly produced audiobook I've ever listened too (and there isn't a close second). It's as if Miles Copeland said "ok, I'll do it but I'm only going to go through it once and if it stinks, too bad". Well guess what...it stinks...badly. His constant mispronouncing of his own written word and names is disrespectful to the listener. Mark Knopp??ler WayLAWN?? Jennings. Really? Also, the numerous excerpts clearly added after the fact are so obvious and so different in sound quality that it's constantly disconcerting. There's more but that's enough. Download the book and read it. It's a terrific story but if you listen to it, it'll drive you nuts and really diminishes the value of an interesting book.
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- Andy McIntire
- 12-13-23
Like Stewart...great stories, great storyteller
I didn't know about Stewart's brothers, Miles or Ian, but I saw the Copeland name with Stewart on the cover and thought, "Why not?". Turned out to be an unexpected treasure trove, and I'm glad to have heard it from Miles, himself.
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- RRobinR
- 08-30-21
always interesting to peek behind the curtain
compelling, intriguing and answers a great many questions. I've listened to many performer's books and now to hear from the management side really brings many subjects full circle. quite the interesting book.
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