Talking To Myself (2021) Book Review

In September, singer and songwriter Chris Jagger released his new album, Mixing Up The Medicine. That disc contains a track titled “Talking To Myself,” which is about writing his memoirs. On the day of that album’s release, his autobiography, Talking To Myself, was also released. This book recounts not only his experiences in music, but also in theatre and journalism, as well as documenting his travels. It is full of wonderful anecdotes. And, yes, if you’re wondering, there is a good amount about The Rolling Stones here. In fact, in the book’s preface he mentions Mick Jagger: “Having a famous brother might land you in trouble, so you have to roll a little with the punches, realize it’s okay to be ‘normal’ and not resent others’ success” (p. 11). And certainly there is no sense of any such resentment in these pages, though at times he does mention money woes. Chris Jagger started writing this book back in 2006, and at the same time he was keeping a diary, and those diary entries are sprinkled throughout the narrative, an interesting way of keeping us in the present while digging into the past. Some of those diary entries are about his own band’s gigs.

The book begins with childhood, and there are lots of interesting stories and anecdotes about his youth and his family, with Chris Jagger sometimes connecting those tales to moments from later in life. For example, when he talks about watching sports and collecting trading cards, he writes: “While at Hulme Grammar School in Oldham, Lancashire, Dad had played football opposite Walter Winterbottom, who later became the England manager – so if we wanted tickets for England at Wembley, it wasn’t a problem. Sometimes, we watched from the Royal Box, but I never imagined that many years later I would watch Mick on stage from the same vantage point” (pages 39-40). As I mentioned, he does offer plenty of memories and stories about The Rolling Stones, including his thoughts on the inspiration for the song “Satisfaction.” Regarding a paperback titled The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard, Jagger writes: “Along the way, Packard touches on the notion of built-in obsolescence – and the cynicism of it was quite shocking to a young lad such as I. No doubt my brother took it all in too, and perhaps it has some echoes in the song ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,’ still the Stones’ most seminal song and a critique of the consumer society” (p. 55). Fellow music collectors will also appreciate his memories on early record purchases by him and his brother, songs that would certainly have an impact on their careers. Also interesting is that when Mick started getting involved in music, he didn’t rehearse at home. Chris Jagger writes, “I guess my brother was pretty secretive about it as I can’t remember him even singing much at home” (p. 57). He mentions that he was fifteen years old when he first saw the Rolling Stones perform, and goes into some description of the venue and the show, which of course is all quite interesting, this being a very early performance by the band. I love his personal account of the Stones’ early days. And it turns out the very first thing Chris Jagger ever wrote for publication was a story about the band, this when he was sixteen. But perhaps the funniest anecdote from the early years is that Chris Jagger was goaded into entering a Mick Jagger look-alike contest, which he then won. As he writes, “It would have been lame if I hadn’t” (p. 90).

In addition to memories about the Rolling Stones, Chris Jagger offers anecdotes about other musicians, such as Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix. He even sold clothes he helped design to Jimi Hendrix, outfits that Hendrix then wore on album covers. That’s so wild! This book includes several photos, and there is one photo of Chris Jagger fitting a jacket for Hendrix. There are also anecdotes about the beginning of the Hard Rock Café, which I didn’t know started before I was born. I also didn’t know it started in England. I guess I never really looked into it. When I was a kid, I just assumed it started in Los Angeles. Interestingly, Chris Jagger was the first artist to play at the Hard Rock Café. And of course he offers tales about his own musical career, including an early recording session with a group called 117, the tapes of which have sadly been lost. I hope someone one day comes across those tapes and releases them.

In addition to music, Chris Jagger has had some colorful and unusual experiences in theatre, which he recounts in this book. One of the most interesting stories is that he was cast in a touring production of Hair that opened in Tel Aviv and was performed in Hebrew. He also did a Noel Coward play with Pierce Brosnan. Even crazier is the fact that he and Keith Moon acted in a scene in the Joan Collins movie The Bitch, a scene which was then cut from the film. Does the Blu-ray contain deleted scenes? If so, I think it might be worth picking up a copy. By the way, Chris Jagger’s thoughts on musicals made me laugh: “I was a musician and I liked serious plays, but I found musicals were usually watered-down mush. They required your voice to have as high a range as possible and to hit notes dreamed up by the composer in his bath” (p. 303).

Yet, as interesting as his stories of music and theatre are, perhaps the most fascinating and engaging section of this book regards his travels. Chris Jagger clearly isn’t someone who chooses the normal destinations, mind you. There are lots of great anecdotes, not just about the places and methods of travel, but of the people he met along the way. And many of his journeys just aren’t possible anymore, so this book also offers a walk through history. At one point he writes, of a Baluchistan tribesman: “If I came to his village alone, he said, I would be killed instantly; but if I came as his guest, then I would be treated like a king. Such are their fierce traditions” (p. 153). His travels have the fearlessness of youth, and what’s remarkable is the amount of detail he is able to recall. The entire book is enjoyable, with a friendly, conversational tone. But his stories of his travels are likely what will stick with me most vividly.

Talking To Myself was published on September 10, 2021 through BMG.