The roots of punk in the rubble of rock - by a man who was part of it all; By 1970, the hippie dream of the 60s was dead - the sound track to revolution had become a multi-million dollar industry, and 'rock' had lost its 'roll'. Glitter tried to save music's soul, but was too inherently commercial to be cutting edge for long. Then in 1974, a rescue movement arrived on the streets of New York City. Within two years it had spread West to California, and then East to London. Punk was born. Three chords, black jeans, a pair of shades and a lot of attitude accompanied music that had a hard edge to match the facts of life on its home ground, New York's East Village. This is a first hand account of this little documented era - of life alongside Patti Smith, the Velvet Underground, David Bowie and the New York Dolls, of the gigs at CBGBs hitting the mainstream as Warhol and his glittering crew descended - to its worldwide explosion, with Malcom McLaren showing the originators how things really should be done...

Author Biography

Gary Lachman, as Gary Valentine, was a founder member of Blondie and wrote the group's early hits. In 2006 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is also the author of Turn Off Your Mind, a history of the occult counterculture of the 60s.