Glamour is one of the most tantalizing and bewitching aspects of contemporary culture - but also one of the most elusive.The aura of celebrity; the style of the fashion world; the vanity of the rich and beautiful; and the publicity-driven rites of cafeacute; society are all imbued with its irresistible magnetism. But what exactly is glamour? Where does it come from? How old is it? And can anyone quite capture its magic?Stephen Gundle answers all these questions and more in this first ever history of the phenomenon; from Paris in the tumultuous final decades of the eighteenth century through to Hollywood; New York; and Monte Carlo in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; from Napoleon to Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe; from Beau Brummell to Gianni Versace.Throughout; the book captures the excitement and sex appeal of glamour while exposing its mechanisms and exploring its sleazy and sometimes tragic underside. As Gundle shows; while glamour is exciting and magnetic; its promise is ultimately an illusion that can only ever be partially fulfilled.
#397736 in eBooks 2012-11-29 2012-11-29File Name: B00AMCZ4V6
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well told story about a label that came andwent too fastBy JustMikeI was hooked on this book from the first chapter. I remember Casablanca record label as a child and had many of the albums by Kiss and Donna Summer. There was something very distinctive about a Casablanca record; aside from the elaborate logo and the signature album cover art. I cant think of a label that had such instantaneous and simultaneous success that crashed and burned just as quickly. Either way; they had some of the best acts of the time..The Casablanca story is ably told by Larry Harris; Neil Bogarts cousin who had a front row seat to much of the action and figured in the management of the company and some of their biggest acts; i.e. KISS. Its a shame that we dont have those artists or that kind of label around today. The book doesnt give us a really upclose examinations of thee inner workings of the record business; but it would not be the same today. It is remarkable how such a small operation became such a mega label with huge sales but was always on thebrink of financial collapse. Its a roller coaster of a ride to read this book and the end is sad to an extent; probabky because much of thebook mirrors my teenage years and I could pinpoint mioments in my life to pivotal moments in thebook.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Page turner about the celebrated 1970s record companyBy Charles - Music LoverFull disclosure: I think Neil Bogart was a genius. He was one of the key players that defined the late 1970s cultural landscape. He was like the Wizard of Oz who created a world out of smoke and mirrors. And when the party ended; he started over. If he was not felled by cancer in 1982 (at age 39); he would have continued to define the times. I would have loved to read his autobiography. And what remained? The body of musical works released on Casablanca Records still rocks.So; given my fascination with the man; the music; and the company; I was predisposed to love this book. And it is engaging reading. Larry Harris was a distant relation to Bogart and he joined the company at its inception and stayed through mid-1979; when the wheels started to come off the cart. What a ride it was; though. This was the label that broke out and made stars of Kiss; Donna Summer; Giorgio Moroder; and the Village People. For the acts that did not reach superstar status on the label (D. C. Larue; Pattie Brooks; Rare Gems Odyssey; Love and Kisses); they created music that stands up to this day. And the company revived the recording careers of Cher and the Captain and Tennille. "Do That To Me One More Time" was number one on the charts the day Neil Bogart left the label.The straws that broke the camels back (no pun intended) were Polygram buying a controlling interest in the company and the commercial failures of the Kiss solo albums that led people to peer behind the smoke and mirrors. For a company with such a commanding presence on the charts; Harris claims it was never profitable. Myths are hard to sustain over time; especially in a dollars and cents world; and the party couldnt last forever. But what a party it was.13 of 13 people found the following review helpful. Rocking The CasbahBy Tim BroughIf you were into popular music in the seventies; you knew Casablanca. Started in 1973 by Neil Bogart; Casablanca became the house of Disco and the home of KISS. They also became synonymous with the drug fueled excesses of the seventies and the triumph of image over substance; despite the fact that the label delivered some of the best music of the decade. Hell; Casablanca was the seventies for many in the music world. Head Honcho Neil Bogart was a talent finder extraordinaire and a showman on a level with PT Barnum. No claim was too exaggerated and no gesture was too grandiose. It was once said that he would spend five dollars to show one dollar in profit; and when Casablanca ultimately fell under its own weight; a certain magic of the music industry evaporated with it. Author Larry Harris worked at Buddah/Kama Sutra Records in the summer of 1971; and in 1973 joined his cousin Neil Bogart in founding Casablanca Records. He saw firsthand the carnival of wilding that was Casablanca; and its his first hand story that fuels "And Party Every Day."While there are plenty of anecdotal stories about Casablancas biggest stars; like initial signing Kiss and superstars Donna Summer and The Village People; the bulk of "And Party Every Day" focuses on how a young Neil Bogart took his idea for an artist driven record company and built his empire from the ground up. Larry starts the story with a reminiscence of being at Woodstock and realizing hes found his place in the world; then joining Neil in his dream. Along the way the two of them make millions of dollars; spend even more; give the world Kiss; Parliament; Angel and cover the globe with Disco.But theres also the seamier side of egos; drugs; industry politics and manipulations. The decision to release the four solo albums by the members of Kiss and ship over a million copies of each that started the beginning of the end of Casablanca and the behind the scenes battles that caused it. The fudging of figures and the turf wars. Greed; excess and flamboyance. The world of Casablanca Records and Filmworks was both magic and the crazy tale of the man behind the curtain; and Harris does a terrific job in making it readable. Casablanca not only was a record and entertainment company; it was a universe unto itself. "And Party Every Day" takes you on a time machine when music people not only made and sold the music; they sold the dream along with it. It makes me miss the dream; miss the people that built it; makes me wish they were my friends. And I wasnt even there.