Simon Napier-Bell
Encyclopedia
Simon Napier-Bell has undertaken many jobs in the music industry, including bandboy, manager, producer, songwriter, journalist and author and gourmet. But he is best known as manager, and at different times has managed artists as diverse as The Yardbirds
, John's Children
, Marc Bolan
, Japan
, London
, Asia
, Ultravox
, Boney M
, Sinitta, Wham!
, Blue Mercedes
, Alsou
and Candi Staton
.
, and to a state primary school at Perivale
. Then to both a grammar school (Harrow County, later attended by Michael Portillo
) and to an independent secondary school (Bryanston
in Dorset
). At Bryanston he formed the school’s first jazz band
, much frowned on by the authorities. When he left school at the age of seventeen it was with the idea of becoming a professional musician, preferably in America
. A year later, unable to get a visa for the States, he emigrated to Canada
but after working as a musician
for two years he decided he wanted to do something different. He spent a year hitch-hiking across America.
he worked as an assistant film editor. With a thorough knowledge of music, he soon progressed to being a music editor and landed the job of working with Burt Bacharach
on What’s New Pussycat, re-editing the score Burt had written for it. Later, he also scored, wrote and edited music for Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush, a film directed by Clive Donner
.
In 1966, Dusty Springfield
approached Napier-Bell and Vicki Wickham to write an English lyric to an Italian song she’d heard at the Sanremo Festival. The result was "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" which became Dusty’s first number one.
, who booked all the acts for the TV show Ready Steady Go, persuaded him to move into music management. He started by putting together an act himself; Nicky Scott & Diane Ferraz; a boy from London
and a girl from the West Indies. The inter-racial mix was a first for the British music business.
On the back of the publicity Napier-Bell generated for Scott and Ferraz, The Yardbirds
asked him if he would manage them. They were looking for a replacement for their original manager, the eccentric Russian, Giorgio Gomelsky
. With the group’s bassist, Paul Samwell-Smith
, Napier-Bell then co-produced the Yardbirds’ first studio album—Roger the Engineer
. He then oversaw the entry of Jimmy Page
into the group and produced the group’s next single, "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago", considered one of the most avant garde rock records of the time.
Napier-Bell went on to manage John's Children
, who were known more for their ability to shock than for their music and who were thrown off a major tour of Germany for upstaging The Who
with an act that included running round the audience throwing feathers in the air and whipping each other with chains.
Napier-Bell then teamed up with ex-comedian Ray Singer to produce records for various artists including the Scaffold
(a group which included Paul McCartney
's brother, Mike McGear), Peter Sarstedt
, Forever More (which went on to change itself into The Average White Band
) and lesser known acts, Plus and Brut. He also spent a year in Australia
where he worked for Albert Productions
and produced acts such as Alison McCallum
, Bobbi Marchini and John Paul Young
(who later credited Napier-Bell with having discovered him).
Following this, Napier-Bell worked in Spain
and South America
for two years, managing one of Spain’s biggest stars, Júnior, with whom he co-wrote several Spanish hits, in particular the biggest selling Spanish language single of the seventies, "Perdóname".
In 1976, Napier-Bell came back to London and returned to management with two new groups, London
, a group in the then current punk vein, and Japan
, an art-rock group. London
was a short lived project (two national tours, two singles, a 4 track EP and an album for MCA Records) but Japan involved him for the next seven years. Napier-Bell persevered with them through five lean years to eventually help make them one of the most influential groups of the early eighties, both musically and fashion-wise.
He then teamed up with manager Jazz Summers and together they took on the management of Wham!
. The group had already had three hit singles in the UK
but wanted to terminate their contract with the record company, Innervision. Napier-Bell and Summers led them through four months of legal complications (during which they were unable to record), and finally settled the case by signing a new contact with CBS.
Napier-Bell spent eighteen months travelling backwards and forwards to China
negotiating for Wham!
to become the first ever Western pop artist to play in communist China. They eventually played a concert there in April 1985 at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing
.
At the end of 1985, Wham!
ended its relationship with Napier-Bell and Summers when George Michael
left Wham!
for a solo career. Napier-Bell went on to manage the duo Blue Mercedes
, who had one worldwide hit, "I Want To Be Your Property" (1987), which stayed at #1 in the US dance charts for 14 weeks. Napier-Bell also arranged for the defunct pop group Boney M. to reform and had all their old tracks remixed by Stock Aitken Waterman
. The result was an album that stayed at number one in the French charts for four months but sold little elsewhere.
Following this, Napier-Bell teamed up with another manager, 'Sir' Harry Cowell
, and they took on the management of two once major groups looking to revive their careers – Asia
and Ultravox
. Asia
fared better than Ultravox
but eventually Napier-Bell gave up on both of them and spent three years writing a book, Black Vinyl White Powder'.'
Napier-Bell then chose to go back to management, this time working in Russia, first managing Alsou
, a girl singer, then Smash!!
, a boy duo with Wham!
similarities. In both cases, big success in Russia was not followed up with success in the rest of the world.
broke up, Napier-Bell wrote his first book, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, about his experiences in the music business in the 1960s. When he ceased managing Asia and Ultravox he wrote another book, Black Vinyl White Powder, about the British music business which was received with favourable reviews. In March 2005, he published another book, I’m Coming To Take You To Lunch, the story of how he took Wham!
to China
.
He now lives mainly in Thailand
from where he travels the world doing consultancy and giving talks on the music business. According to rumour he is busy writing a new book the contents of which are a closely guarded secret.
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
, John's Children
John's Children
John's Children were a 1960s pop art/mod rock band from Leatherhead, England that briefly featured future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. John's Children were known for their outrageous live performances and were booted off a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they upstaged the headliners...
, Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
, Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
, London
London (band)
London were a four piece punk band formed in London in 1976 and were best known for their wild stage act. The original line-up was Riff Regan , Steve Voice , Jon Moss and Dave Wight . They were managed by Simon Napier-Bell and recorded two singles, a 4 track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
, Boney M
Boney M
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
, Sinitta, Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
, Blue Mercedes
Blue Mercedes
Blue Mercedes were a pop music duo from London, England, comprising David Titlow and Duncan Millar. Titlow was known for wearing purple shorts onstage with the words "Funk Ass" printed on them, whilst Millar played a large portable synth with double keyboards — they dubbed their musical style...
, Alsou
Alsou
- Early life :Alsou was born in Bugulma, Tatarstan. Her father, Ralif Rafilovich Safin is a Russian oligarch, a former LUKoil executive and a current member of the Federal Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament. He is also the owner of the FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi football team and was...
and Candi Staton
Candi Staton
Candi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
.
Early years
He went to both an independent prep school, Durston House in EalingEaling
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
, and to a state primary school at Perivale
Perivale
Perivale is a small suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, west of Charing Cross, central London. Landmarks in the suburb include the A40, a large road that connects Central London with the M40 motorway, and the large Art Deco Hoover Building, as well as St Mary's Church , the River Brent and...
. Then to both a grammar school (Harrow County, later attended by Michael Portillo
Michael Portillo
Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo is a British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative Party politician and Cabinet Minister...
) and to an independent secondary school (Bryanston
Bryanston School
Bryanston School is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Blandford, north Dorset, England, near the village of Bryanston. It was founded in 1928...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
). At Bryanston he formed the school’s first jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
, much frowned on by the authorities. When he left school at the age of seventeen it was with the idea of becoming a professional musician, preferably in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A year later, unable to get a visa for the States, he emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
but after working as a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
for two years he decided he wanted to do something different. He spent a year hitch-hiking across America.
Songwriter
When he returned to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
he worked as an assistant film editor. With a thorough knowledge of music, he soon progressed to being a music editor and landed the job of working with Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
on What’s New Pussycat, re-editing the score Burt had written for it. Later, he also scored, wrote and edited music for Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush, a film directed by Clive Donner
Clive Donner
Clive Stanley Donner was a British film director who was a defining part of the British New Wave, directing films such as The Caretaker, Nothing But the Best, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and What's New Pussycat?...
.
In 1966, Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
approached Napier-Bell and Vicki Wickham to write an English lyric to an Italian song she’d heard at the Sanremo Festival. The result was "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" which became Dusty’s first number one.
Manager
His friend Vicki WickhamVicki Wickham
Vicki Heather Wickham is an English talent manager, entertainment producer, and songwriter.-Career:She is most known for producing the 60s British television show Ready Steady Go!, and managing well known pop/soul acts Labelle and Dusty Springfield....
, who booked all the acts for the TV show Ready Steady Go, persuaded him to move into music management. He started by putting together an act himself; Nicky Scott & Diane Ferraz; a boy from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and a girl from the West Indies. The inter-racial mix was a first for the British music business.
On the back of the publicity Napier-Bell generated for Scott and Ferraz, The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
asked him if he would manage them. They were looking for a replacement for their original manager, the eccentric Russian, Giorgio Gomelsky
Giorgio Gomelsky
Giorgio Gomelsky is a filmmaker, impresario, music manager, songwriter and record producer. He owned the Crawdaddy Club where The Rolling Stones were house band, and he was involved with their early management. He hired The Yardbirds as a replacement and managed them. He was also their...
. With the group’s bassist, Paul Samwell-Smith
Paul Samwell-Smith
Paul Samwell-Smith is best known as a founding member and bassist of the 1960s English band, The Yardbirds, a group that spawned such noteworthy musicians as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page...
, Napier-Bell then co-produced the Yardbirds’ first studio album—Roger the Engineer
Roger the Engineer
Roger the Engineer is an album by the English blues rock band The Yardbirds, released in 1966. It was produced by bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and Simon Napier-Bell. It was the only Yardbirds album with all original material...
. He then oversaw the entry of Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
into the group and produced the group’s next single, "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago", considered one of the most avant garde rock records of the time.
Napier-Bell went on to manage John's Children
John's Children
John's Children were a 1960s pop art/mod rock band from Leatherhead, England that briefly featured future T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan. John's Children were known for their outrageous live performances and were booted off a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they upstaged the headliners...
, who were known more for their ability to shock than for their music and who were thrown off a major tour of Germany for upstaging The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
with an act that included running round the audience throwing feathers in the air and whipping each other with chains.
Napier-Bell then teamed up with ex-comedian Ray Singer to produce records for various artists including the Scaffold
The Scaffold
The Scaffold were a comedy, poetry and music trio from Liverpool, England, consisting of Mike McGear , Roger McGough and John Gorman.-Career:...
(a group which included Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's brother, Mike McGear), Peter Sarstedt
Peter Sarstedt
Peter Eardley Sarstedt is an Anglo-Indian singer-songwriter.-Career:Sarstedt was born in India and attended Victoria Boys' School in Kurseong, in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. His family relocated to England in 1954...
, Forever More (which went on to change itself into The Average White Band
The Average White Band
Average White Band is a Scottish funk and R&B band, who had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million selling song, "Pick Up the Pieces". The band name was initially proposed by Bonnie Bramlett...
) and lesser known acts, Plus and Brut. He also spent a year in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where he worked for Albert Productions
Albert Productions
Albert Productions, a division of music publishing and recording company Albert Music, is one of Australia's longest established independent Australian record label to specialise in rock and roll music. The label was founded in 1964 by Ted Albert, whose family owned and operated the Australian...
and produced acts such as Alison McCallum
Alison McCallum
Alison McCallum is an Australian rock singer who had a string of singles in her home country in the late 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
, Bobbi Marchini and John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
(who later credited Napier-Bell with having discovered him).
Following this, Napier-Bell worked in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
for two years, managing one of Spain’s biggest stars, Júnior, with whom he co-wrote several Spanish hits, in particular the biggest selling Spanish language single of the seventies, "Perdóname".
In 1976, Napier-Bell came back to London and returned to management with two new groups, London
London (band)
London were a four piece punk band formed in London in 1976 and were best known for their wild stage act. The original line-up was Riff Regan , Steve Voice , Jon Moss and Dave Wight . They were managed by Simon Napier-Bell and recorded two singles, a 4 track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977...
, a group in the then current punk vein, and Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
, an art-rock group. London
London (band)
London were a four piece punk band formed in London in 1976 and were best known for their wild stage act. The original line-up was Riff Regan , Steve Voice , Jon Moss and Dave Wight . They were managed by Simon Napier-Bell and recorded two singles, a 4 track EP and an album for MCA Records in 1977...
was a short lived project (two national tours, two singles, a 4 track EP and an album for MCA Records) but Japan involved him for the next seven years. Napier-Bell persevered with them through five lean years to eventually help make them one of the most influential groups of the early eighties, both musically and fashion-wise.
He then teamed up with manager Jazz Summers and together they took on the management of Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
. The group had already had three hit singles in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
but wanted to terminate their contract with the record company, Innervision. Napier-Bell and Summers led them through four months of legal complications (during which they were unable to record), and finally settled the case by signing a new contact with CBS.
Napier-Bell spent eighteen months travelling backwards and forwards to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
negotiating for Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
to become the first ever Western pop artist to play in communist China. They eventually played a concert there in April 1985 at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
At the end of 1985, Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
ended its relationship with Napier-Bell and Summers when George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
left Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
for a solo career. Napier-Bell went on to manage the duo Blue Mercedes
Blue Mercedes
Blue Mercedes were a pop music duo from London, England, comprising David Titlow and Duncan Millar. Titlow was known for wearing purple shorts onstage with the words "Funk Ass" printed on them, whilst Millar played a large portable synth with double keyboards — they dubbed their musical style...
, who had one worldwide hit, "I Want To Be Your Property" (1987), which stayed at #1 in the US dance charts for 14 weeks. Napier-Bell also arranged for the defunct pop group Boney M. to reform and had all their old tracks remixed by Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
. The result was an album that stayed at number one in the French charts for four months but sold little elsewhere.
Following this, Napier-Bell teamed up with another manager, 'Sir' Harry Cowell
Harry Cowell
Sir' Harry Cowell is a British musician and record producer - he is no relation to Simon Cowell. He is married and lives in West London....
, and they took on the management of two once major groups looking to revive their careers – Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
and Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
. Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
fared better than Ultravox
Ultravox
Ultravox is a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements....
but eventually Napier-Bell gave up on both of them and spent three years writing a book, Black Vinyl White Powder'.'
Napier-Bell then chose to go back to management, this time working in Russia, first managing Alsou
Alsou
- Early life :Alsou was born in Bugulma, Tatarstan. Her father, Ralif Rafilovich Safin is a Russian oligarch, a former LUKoil executive and a current member of the Federal Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament. He is also the owner of the FC Zhemchuzhina-Sochi football team and was...
, a girl singer, then Smash!!
Smash!!
Smash!! was a Russian pop duo founded in 2001 and consisting of Sergey Lazarev and Vlad Topalov. They sang mainly in English, and released their music in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. They were most popular among teenagers in Russia and Southeast Asia...
, a boy duo with Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
similarities. In both cases, big success in Russia was not followed up with success in the rest of the world.
Author
When JapanJapan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
broke up, Napier-Bell wrote his first book, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, about his experiences in the music business in the 1960s. When he ceased managing Asia and Ultravox he wrote another book, Black Vinyl White Powder, about the British music business which was received with favourable reviews. In March 2005, he published another book, I’m Coming To Take You To Lunch, the story of how he took Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
He now lives mainly in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
from where he travels the world doing consultancy and giving talks on the music business. According to rumour he is busy writing a new book the contents of which are a closely guarded secret.