Love and Fury : The Life, Death and Legacy of Joe Meek

A GUARDIAN MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 Joe Meek. Wayward genius; the British Phil Spector, the first producer to treat the recording studio as an instrument; head of one of the earliest independent record labels; creator of some of the most incredibly influential pop music ever, including 'Telstar', the first American number one single by a British band; and a man tormented by mental health issues and financial battles. He was all these and more, as author Darryl W. Bullock reveals through numerous original interviews with friends and colleagues in his compelling biography of the legendary producer. Love and Fury takes readers on a guided tour of Meek's fabled Holloway Road studio, examines the recordings issued during his lifetime, looks at the wealth of unreleased material he left behind - the legendary Tea Chest tapes, rumoured to include recordings by David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Ray Davies of the Kinks and others - and examines that events which ultimately led to murder and suicide.