Thursday, April 08, 2010

A Sixties Reprobate Makes Tech Publishing History


It's comforting to know that not all Sixties survivors are brain damaged wrecks. Sam Cutler, the former tour manager for the Stones and the Dead has successfully re-invented himself in the 21st century, his elephantine memory intact.

I hope this doesn't all sound like a press release: Sam's highly entertaining rock 'n' roll memoirs, You Can't Always Get What You Want has just made tech/publishing history: it's the first book to be simultaneously released with its multimedia iPhone app, which contains the 'full Cutler-narrated audiobook synchronized with the text, video links to two interviews, and more than 30 photos (some exclusive to the app).'

Sam featured in the Albert and David Maysles directed Gimme Shelter 'snuff' documentary, which unwittingly recorded the murder of a fan by a Hells Angel at the disastrous Altamont concert.

Tech buffs, take note: the iPhone app (the multimedia elements were developed by Expanded Books/Apps, and Ironic Apps, a firm run by former Rolling Stones business manager Ron Schneider) includes clips of the concert, which Cutler lucidly reminisced about in his book. (Incidentally, it was originally published in Australia through Random House and has now been republished by ECW Press, a Toronto based publisher for the American market).

Sam Cutler, a Brit who currently resides in Australia will be doing a mammoth book tour, commencing on April 13 in the States including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and will be in London in May. Flags will be raised, especially as he will take part in a Webcast that will be streamed live to iPhones on April 25. 'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!'

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