3.002: Are there any books about the KLF available?
A few, but not enough:
Firstly the book that the KLF wrote in the summer of 1988, and self-published in Feb 89, crediting it to the Timelords:
'The Manual - How to have a number one the easy way' - The Timelords (KLF Publications KLF 009B) ISBN 0-86359-616-9 (The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu reveal their zenarchistic method used in making the unthinkable happen)
This lays out a detailed plan for now to have a novelty pop No. 1. starting from a position of no money and no talent; it also serves as an excellent guide to the music industry and the rules of pop, and as a description of the fun that the KLF had being the Timelords, also in there are pieces about some of the KLF collaborators. The book is now deleted, and almost never seen in shops, but an ASCII version is available in the ftp archive.
Will Pop Eat Itself? (Pop Music In The Soundbite Era) - Jeremy J. Beadle (Faber and Faber, London, 1993) IBSN 0-571-16241-X
'explores the advent of post-modernism in pop, suggesting parallels between pop today and high art earlier this century.' A history of the sampler in pop music. Along the way is a great chapter all about the JAMs, including a very good analysis of the lyrical content of 'All You Need Is Love', 'Downtown' and 'Justified And Ancient (Stand By The JAMs)'. The chapter serves as a sort of incomplete history of the JAMs/KLF, although Beadle is less impressed with them once they stop blatant sampling. The JAMs also pop up in other chapters.
RECOMMENDED.
'Justified And Ancient History'/'History Rewritten'
Two small 'biozines' put together by teenage KLF fan Pete Robinson. The first is a history of the KLF 'from pressing 500 copies of their debut single to selling more singles than any other band'. The writing is no more than a brief summary of all their exploits, but it also contains lots of interesting material including a photo of Trancentral, an exclusive questionnaire filled in by Drummond, and the Pure Trance labels. It has sold more than a 1000 copies! The second is smaller, and about the post-KLF career of Drummond and Cauty up to and including the K Foundation's alternative award ceremony. It includes highlights from their press pack, and reprints most of the K.F advertisements.
They are available by mail order for 2.30 and 1.00 UKP respectively, plus postage of 0.50 UKP in the UK, 0.65 [Europe] 1.20 [Oz & Far East] 1.50 [Rest Of The World] for each one (so if you order more than one use your judgement for what the postage should be). UK bank cheques to P. Robinson. Non-UK I dunno. From Pete Robinson, 57 Maple Drive, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3UR, UK.
'Bad Wisdom (The lighthouse at the top of the world)' - Bill Drummond
and Mark Manning (Penguin, London, 1996 ISBN: 0-14- 026118-4)
From the back sleeve: "Bill Drummond and Mark Manning were involved with two
of pop's most esoteric creations: Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction and
The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu. Having exhausted (and been exhausted by)
the young man's religion of rock 'n' roll, Drummond and Manning undertake an
epic journey to the North Pole to sacrifice an icon of Elvis Presley. Two
very different accounts of the journey clash and mesh in Bad Wisdom as the
Zenarctic pilgrims venture forth into the frozen wastes at the top of the
world." The book is not primarily about the KLF, but Drummond does write in
detail about some aspects of the band, such as how it all fell apart. It is
widely available. See 4.010 for more.
RECOMMENDED
Also Julian Cope's autobiography, 'Head On' (Head Heritage 0-9526719-0-5) and Holly Johnson's autobiography 'A Bone in my Flute' (1994 hardback ISBN: 0-7126-6145-X. 1995 Arrow Books paperback ISBN 0-09-939341-7) feature some details about Drummond's carreer in the early 80's Liverpool scene.
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