Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33347 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A groupie is to a rock band as Mary Magdalene was to Jesus, asserts L.A. rock author Des Barres (I'm with the Band) in this eager, self-congratulatory attempt to rehabilitate the term groupie through two dozen fun and well-documented examples of rock muses since the 1960s. Des Barres steers her interviewees to underscore their important role in making their rock star boyfriends look good and play well, such as Tura Satana, given the dubious title Miss Japan Beautiful, who met awkward young Elvis Presley on the burlesque circuit in the mid-'50s and taught him his shimmying moves. Des Barres recalls her groupie rivals back in the day, including Patti D'Arbanville, Bebe Buell, Lori Lightning and Catherine James. Cynthia Plaster Caster, the Rodin of Rock, shares her descriptions of her plaster replicas of rock stars' penises (including that of Jimmy Hendrix), while Dee Dee Keel spills tales of her oral exploits for British rockers with deplorable bathing habits, and male groupie Pleather relays Courtney Love's shaky self-esteem. In the end, it's all about the music, or as Pleasant Gehman sums it up blithely in this breathlessly gossipy scrapbook: Being a groupie is like worshipping at the church of rock and roll—and you are the high priestess.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Des Barres' popular first book, I'm with the Band (1988), cemented her reputation as a pioneering groupie. Here she interviews 24 other women, including Gail Zappa, Bebe Buell, and Cherry Vanilla, similarly enamored of rock musicians, although the give-and-take between Des Barres and her interviewees often reads more like old friends trading war stories. And there are certainly plenty of stories to go around, with juicy details on the sexual habits of Jimmy Page, Cat Stevens, and Mick Jagger; for the younger set, there are some eye-opening revelations about the likes of Kurt Cobain and J. D. Fortune. Des Barres can sometimes throw a wet blanket on the proceedings with her rather heavy-handed and oft-repeated explication of groupies as "muses" (whatever). And there are a few queasy moments, as when a mother and daughter trade raunchy anecdotes. For the most part, though, these women, especially Cynthia Plaster Caster and Cassandra Peterson (who later became famous as the horror-film maven Elvira), share their unabashed enjoyment of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll in spirited fashion. Wilkinson, Joanne
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Absorbing reading . . . intriguingly informative." —Library Journal

"The same kind of down-and-dirty details that made Des Barres's previous work so raunchily entertaining. Nasty fun from a bunch of sex kittens who've been there, done them." —Kirkus Reviews

"The authoritative tome on groupiedom, from the rock’n’roll past through the hairspray ’80s and into the modern era. . . . The juiciest book I’ve read all year, and I don’t foresee anything surpassing it." —Playgirl

"An audacious beach read—and informative." —Chicago Sun-Times

Customer Reviews

A tad boring and self serving tale
I think I would be less jaded if I bought this book used. It was not worth the full price. Some stories are interesting (like Cynthia Plaster Caster), but most are boring and seem self serving and self congratulatory. The author cannot help but insert herself, in all the stories (which I thought she already wrote a book about her own groupie days and ways, before?).
The book is ok, and some spots are interesting and entertaining - but overall - I would not recommend it to my friends. Not worth the price I paid. It made me wish I would have spent my money on better reading material for rock related subjects.

Let's Not
The Pamela Des Barres in "Let's Spend the Night Together" does not seem like the same easygoing, free spirit, Miss Pamela, in "I'm With the Band". In fact, reading this book made me wonder why I ever liked "I'm With Band", so I went back and re-read it. I mean, I have no problem with juicy gossip, whether it's about someone famous or someone at work. Thing is, "I'm With the Band" was more than just kiss and tell. Pamela Des Barres proved to be a humorous and gifted writer whose chatty and confessional tone made her seem more like a best girlfriend than just some chick who slept with really famous rock legends. I would've been just as interested if Jimmy Page and Mick Jagger had been Jim the electrician or Mike the CPA. Sadly, "Let's Spend the Night Together" lacks the warm humanity of it's far superior predecessor. Hell, in some instances, it's downright dehumanizing. Pamela Des Barres seems so desparate to validate the groupie lifestyle (and perhaps fill an entire book) that she seems to have checked her discrimination at the door. For every Tura Satana, Cassandra "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" Peterson and Pleasant Gehman, there's "Sweet" Connie Hamzy, Keith Moon and a banana. There's also much waxing philosophical about the groupie-as-muse, from Mary Magdalen to Constanze Mozart, great cultural and historical tradition, yadda, yadda, yadda and so forth. Which may be so, but in the context of this particular book it often comes off as defensive and methinks-she-doth-protest-too-much (see "Sweet" Connie, Keith Moon and banana above). Take my advice: Save your money and spend an evening drinking margaritas and dishing with your friends instead.

It's the real thing
Pamela desBarres is a true insider on the rock & roll scene. These women in the book also are. Their honesty and candor is refreshing and highly entertaining.