Tuesday, 13th October 2015
Fabulist Icons Book
Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen's old guitar tech Mike Rogers will release a new book later this month.
The book is titled "Fabulist Icons: Wake Me Up When We Get There, a fragment of rock 'n' roll life by Mike Rogers".
Mike became Phil's guitar tech in mid 1982 during the recording of the Pyromania album. Malvin Mortimer once told the story of how he and Mike joined the band on the same day. Mike was originally going for the job of Steve's tech but they soon switched.
Along with the Terror Twins Mike and Malvin also sang backing vocals on the Mink Deville song 'Italian Shoes' released in 1985.
The photo below shows him with the band and Mutt Lange on Willesden Green in London during game of football. This was taken not far from Battery Studios where the band were recording. A similar photo can be seen on the top right of the book cover. Mike is bottom left. Also shown is Mutt Lange (bottom right) and Robert Allen (between Sav and Phil). The photos of the band and Mutt in a back garden by a clothes line seen in 'Animal Instinct' were taken on the same day.
The book tells Mike's story in music and working with Def Leppard up to the end of the 'Hysteria' album recording in 1986.
Read quotes about the book below from Mike and the official press release. Visit the book website to find out more and to order a copy.
Phil is of course about to release his own book titled Adrenalized: Life, Def Leppard And Beyond in late October.
Side Note - I had always thought the guy in that photo might be engineer Nigel Green. Until a couple of weeks ago when Rick Allen posted an old Pyromania tour photo on Facebook which shows Mike with his arm around Phil revealing it might be Mike (who was his tech at the time).
London 1982
Fabulist Icons - Mike Rogers Quotes
"So let’s say it: these were great people. Def Leppard produced some of rock music's most memorable anthems whilst they faced desperate odds, shoulder to shoulder, and could still find a laugh in what, to some, would have been a barren and hopeless landscape."
"Yes, we all knew Mutt’s continued involvement would add to the momentum, and there were signs that Def Leppard fans would look at the odds of ‘Hysteria’ being a monster follow-up to ‘Pyromania’. The fact that it was more than a monster follow up is born-out by history."
"I saw and felt every curve, swerve and swipe of bad fortune with Def Leppard, and had my own life turned upside down in the process. But, all these years on, the entire episode is as clear and emotive now as it was then. During the time it took to write ‘Fabulist Icons’ there were many occasions when I had to walk away from the computer, too upset to carry on. I’m pleased I did carry on though, as, to me, the band with whom I worked and played so hard over those years are truly deserving of the title ‘Fabulist Icons’."
Fabulist Icons - Press Release
"Fabulist Icons is a book written by Mike Rogers, the band's technician from the Pyromania tour until the Monsters of Rock tour 1986. It's written from his perspective and features numerous previously unseen photos of the band during those early years of writing and recording Hysteria, including many from Una Williams Photography. Mike was more than the band's technician though. When Rick came out of hospital after losing his arm, Mike was there. He was also confidante to the Terror Twins in their heyday, and looked after their model girlfriends Lorelei Shellist and Valerie Mazzonelli's poodle whilst in Paris. He also ferried Def Leppard master tapes to and from Mutt Lange at Battery Studios in North London.
The book is152 pages full colour, 10" square. We will be going to print by end of October 2015.
Price is €35/$40/£26 and does not include postage and packaging (P+P)
This prices is based on the purchase of one book being sent by standard post in a "pizza box' style, cardboard casing when combined with the weight of the book will weight approx 1kg (2.2 pounds) from the country of origin, Ireland. There is a price option (€35) for the book alone (DOES NOT include postage and packaging (P+P)) if you wish to make you own postal arrangements.
If you wish to order more than one, have it sent by express or registered post or have the booked signed by the author, Mike Rogers and/or photographer Una Williams please let me know so that we can personalise your price. Please contact howard@fabulisticons.com
Please allow 5-7 working days for US, Canada and Australia and 2-3 working days for delivery to Ireland, EU and UK. We do our utmost to make sure that the product arrives to you in the best condition however, we cannot accept responsibility for the condition of goods in transit."
- Book Info at - fabulisticons.com
- Def Leppard - Pyromania Tour 1983
- Def Leppard - 2015 Tour News
- Previous News - 30th September 2015