VIA PRESS RELEASE | TOTAL CHAOS: The Story of The Stooges/As Told By Iggy Pop (Third Man Books) is fast proving to be one of the most acclaimed rock ‘n’ roll books of the year. The first time the story of this seminal band has been told entirely in Pop’s own words, TOTAL CHAOS has quickly drawn unanimous critical applause around the world in the weeks since its November release. TOTAL CHAOS: The Story of The Stooges/As Told By Iggy Pop is available now at bookstores and online retailers including the official Third Man Store.
Named one of Rough Trade’s “Books of the Year 2016,” and number one on Amazon for New Releases in both Punk and Lifestyle Photography categories, TOTAL CHAOS is “fantastic,” declared Esquire, “a must-read for both diehard fans and anyone who wants to learn first-hand from Pop what it was like from the inside looking out in one of the seminal bands of the post-’60s era.” Dangerous Minds had similar praise noting “TOTAL CHAOS is phenomenal… a must-have for all fans of the group.” “Remarkable,” raved MOJO, “(Pop’s) recall of specifics is extraordinary, running to his first stage dive, first arrest for public lewdness, and the first time his pants disintegrated on-stage.”
“An incredible and deeply honest account,” wrote New Noise, “(Pop) pulls no punches and makes no excuses for any of his behavior or his decisions.” The “definitive Stooges book,” hailed NOISEY, “a complete oral history, plus stacks of unseen artifacts.” TOTAL CHAOS is “both definitive and unique,” applauded L.A. Weekly. “Definitive because Jeff Gold, noted rock music memorabilia collector, along with Johan Kugelberg, have gathered items such as posters, recording contracts, letters, reviews and oh so many images, both familiar and rare. Unique because they took many of these pieces to Iggy himself and had him hold forth on each one for a first-hand account of his experiences from as far back as his teenage years.” Perhaps world-renowned chef, TV personality, and best-selling author Anthony Bourdain sums it up best: “This book is everything. Definitive.”
Bursting at the seams with a treasure trove of rare and unseen images, TOTAL CHAOS both shows and tells the still amazing story of the one and only Stooges. Pop spent two days with author Jeff Gold and historian Johan Kugelberg at his Miami home, looking over their extensive memorabilia collections while sharing the legendary tale of The Stooges in typical no-holds-barred fashion. His candid recollections are unflinching and unforgettable, chronicling the band’s extraordinary highs and lows as they redefined and recreated rock ‘n’ roll in their own explosive and outlandish image.
Three decades later, The Stooges returned, their volatile power undiminished on stage and on record. In 2010, the band’s anarchic sound and vision were rightfully inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, noting, “The Stooges have not only directly or indirectly influenced every punk-rock band, but they have also had an impact on the edgier groups of the grunge and indie-rock eras. You can hear echoes of the Stooges’ dissonance and attitude in everything from Sonic Youth to Nirvana. In short, they’ve helped insure that a large corner of the rock world remains energized, unkempt and off-limits to sellout.”
In addition to Kugelberg, TOTAL CHAOS sees Gold joined by a number of high profile collaborators, including editor/contributor Jon Savage. Also contributing are an array of Iggy’s famous friends and fans including Jack White, Ben Blackwell, Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, Joan Jett, Johnny Marr, and many others.
Pop and Gold celebrated TOTAL CHAOS for a series of in-store appearances, including a book launch and conversation at New York City’s famed Rizzoli Bookstore. The event received wide-ranging national coverage, including a major news feature in Rolling Stone.
Later this month Third Man will unveil an extremely Limited Edition of TOTAL CHAOS, signed by Iggy Pop and also including an exclusive 7” of his pre-Stooges group, The Prime Movers, as well as three classic posters. TOTAL CHAOS Limited Edition will first be offered to Third Man Records Vault Gold and Third Man Records Vault Platinum subscribers; remaining copies will then go on sale via the Third Man Store.
James Newell Osterberg Jr., known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He was the founder and vocalist of influential proto-punk band The Stooges, who reunited in 2003, and in 2010 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pop’s music has encompassed a number of styles over the course of his career, from garage and punk rock to forays into jazz and blues. Pop’s best known songs include “Lust for Life,” “The Passenger,” “Real Wild Child (Wild One),” “China Girl,” “Nightclubbing,” and the Stooges classics “Search and Destroy” and “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” In March 2016, Pop released his highest charting album ever, POST POP DEPRESSION, a collaboration with Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal).
Jeff Gold is a music historian, author, former record label executive, and GRAMMY® Award winner. He has been profiled by Rolling Stone as one of the five “top collectors of high-end music memorabilia.” As Executive Vice President/General Manager of Warner Bros. Records and a VP at A&M Records, Gold worked with Iggy Pop, Prince, R.E.M., The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Police, and Cat Stevens. A four-time GRAMMY® Award- nominated Art Director, he won the 1990 “Best Album Package” GRAMMY® for Suzanne Vega’s DAYS OF OPEN HAND. Gold has consulted for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Experience Music Project, and appeared as an expert on PBS’ HISTORY DETECTIVES.
Gold and colleague Laura Woolley also appraised The Bob Dylan Archive, now housed at the University of Tulsa. His discovery of previously undocumented tapes has led to major label releases including Bob Dylan in Concert at Brandeis University 1963. Gold’s 2012 book 101 ESSENTIAL ROCK RECORDS: THE GOLDEN AGE OF VINYL, FROM THE BEATLES TO THE SEX PISTOLS was one of eight books chosen by Rolling Stone as “the year’s best reading material.” The owner of popular music collectibles website Record Mecca, Gold writes about topics of interest to collectors on its blog.
Founded by Jack White in 2001, Third Man Records continues to build an extraordinary roster of diverse musicians, bands, and songwriters, with recent highlights including MIDWEST FARMER’S DAUGHTER, the acclaimed 2016 debut album from Nashville singer-songwriter Margo Price. Third Man Books was inaugurated in 2014 with a mandate to further explore the music of language by publishing books ranging from contemporary poetry and literary fiction to biography, music and photography books, and even poetry chapbooks.
