Wrestling with ElephantsHow do you get from the poverty of London's East End to the glitz and glamour of the Oscars? From doing stand-up comedy at strip joint to writing hit songs for the likes of Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand and Tom Jones? From Hackney to Hollywood? Wrestling With Elephants is the real-life adventure of a working-class London boy who wanted to write songs. Born to humble beginnings in the 1930s, over the last 40 years Don Black has written hundreds of lyrics for some of the most enduring hits of screen and stage - classics such as The Italian Job, Diamonds Are Forever, Born Free and Sunset Boulevard. With frank and entertaining tales of Black's experiences as one of 007's regular songwriters, the trials and triumphs of musicals such as Tell Me On A Sunday and Bombay Dreams, and featuring fascinating accounts of his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Jackon, Elaine Paige, John Barry, Denise Van Outen and many more, Wrestling With Elephants chronicles the astonishing life of the first British songwriter ever to win an Oscar. |
Contents
Barry Black And Born Free | |
Hand In Hand With Brian Epstein The Trials Of An Agent | |
Hollywood Bullshit And Getting Close To Michael Jackson | |
Jule Styne And The Demolition Of A Musical | |
Meeting Lloyd Webber And The Birth Of Tell Me On A Sunday | |
Farewell To A Friend And On To Aspects | |
Sunsets Sunrise | |
Salaam Bombay Working With Rahman | |
The Making Of A Lyricist | |
Don Blacks Ten Golden Rules Of LyricWriting | |
Blowing The Bloody Doors | |
Premature Ejaculation And A Killer | |
The Battles Of Billy And A New James Bond | |
Don Black Musicals | |
Don Black Filmography | |
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American Andrew Lloyd Webber asked audience Aznavour Barmitzvah Boy became Betsy Billy Bombay Dreams Born Free Broadway called career Clive composer Crawford Diamonds Are Forever dinner director Don and Shirley Don Black Don’s drink Elaine Paige Elmer Bernstein Epstein famous favourite feel film girl golden gun Goodbye Hackney Hampton Henry Mancini Hollywood James Bond Jewish John Barry Jones Jule Styne knew Lerner lives London look Love Changes Everything lyricist Matt Monro Matt’s melody Michael Ball movie musical theatre night Norma Oscar Phantom play producer Rahman record remembers Rosenthal says Don Sinatra sing singer someone songwriter stage star stayed story success Sunday Sunset Boulevard talk Tell There’s thing thou shalt thought Thunderball Tim Rice told Tomorrow never dies tune turned walked wanted What’s wonderful words write wrote