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List Price: $26.00 | | Publisher: Touchstone
Salesrank: 3296
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| Media: Hardcover |
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Editorial Review:
CHRIS O'DELL WASN'T FAMOUS. SHE WASN'T EVEN ALMOST FAMOUS. BUT SHE WAS THERE.
She was in the studio when the Beatles recorded The White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be, and when Paul recorded "Hey Jude," she sang in the chorus.
She was at Ringo's kitchen table when George Harrison said, "You know, Ringo, I'm in love with your wife." And Ringo replied, "Better you than someone we don't know."
She typed the lyrics to George Harrison's All Things Must Pass. She lived with George and Pattie Boyd at Friar Park, developed a crush on Eric Clapton, and unwittingly got involved in the famous love story between Eric and Pattie.
She's the subject of Leon Russell's "Pisces Apple Lady," a song he wrote to woo her. Other rock legends with whom she was intimate include Ringo, Mick Jagger, and Bob Dylan.
She worked with the Rolling Stones as their personal assistant on their infamous 1972 tour and did a drug run for Keith Richards.
She's "the woman down the hall" in Joni Mitchell's song "Coyote" about a love triangle on Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour. She's the "mystery woman" pictured on the back of the Rolling Stones album Exile on Main Street. She's the "Miss O'Dell" of George Harrison's song about her.
Miss O'Dell is the remarkable story of an ordinary woman who lived the dream of millions -- to be part of rock royalty's trusted inner circle. Illustrated with private photographs and jam-packed with intimate anecdotes, Miss O'Dell is a backstage pass to some of the most momentous events in rock history.
Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved Reviews:
A lesson in the behavior that leads to trust 
2009-11-28 - One thing to take away from this book is a look at why Chris was trusted. For one: as she says in her own words, she knew when to be honest and tell them what she thought,and when not to. It's amazing she had close access to the inner circles of so many of the major (and historically impactful) bands and musicians. Not just one, not just two... One after another after another! There is an inherant kindness, a down-to-earth no-nonsense charm, and even after all these years, she's really not bashing anyone (except perhaps for Clapton). Even with the people she didn't like, she explains how she dealt with them in such a way that she was able to still stay within the circle and not shake things up.
What A Great Book
2009-11-28 - What A Great Book, I'm not much on reading, love music more, but I found I could not put this book down, great stories about working at Apple in the end of Apple, knowing George Ringo, John & Paul, and the Stones too, and having a song about you aint too bad. I would read a part 2 if she did one
Great job Chris Rock On.
NOT INTERESTING ENOUGH 
2009-11-27 - I found this book to have a slow start, it didn't capture my interest in wanting to read more like some books do. Chris O'Dell writes about her career and friendships made in the music business. Although I don't question what really happened during her career in the music business, but what I do question is conversations Miss O'Dell writes about going as far back to the 60's. There is no way that anyone would remember for the most part what was said word by word that far back unless she had a tape recorder with her the whole time and I really doubt that. It's an okay book, but there are more interesting books out there about the music business.
Absolutely fascinating!
2009-11-24 - The meat of this story takes place well before my generation, but I was interested to read it because the 60s sounded like such a fascinating time to be a young adult (not to mention all the great music). Chris O'Dell by mere chance gets a phone call on to come out on a day she'd rather stay in...fortunately for her, she drags herself out and meets Derek Taylor an exec at Apple records during the height of Beatles fame (John and Yoko are a new couple, the white album is being recorded). In a surreal short amount of time she turns that chance meeting into a life in the inner sanctum of the who's who in 60s & 70s rock and roll.
At age 20 she sells her prized record collection, leaves her life in America and hops on a plane to London where she has no place to live, doesn't know anybody (other than casually, Derek Taylor) and is determined to make herself indispensable (or just land a job, really) at Apple Records. It was such a fun read and so amusing to read her encounters with people before they were famous (like a young, unknown James Taylor) as well as the whimsical daydreaming that she is best friends with Pattie Harrison which turned into a reality.
Of course, the glam life doesn't come without the usual trappings of the rock and roll lifestyle, but it was a wild and fun read and Miss O'Dell turned out decidedly well compared to many tragic icons (and their friends and family) of that time. If you are into the music scene of the 60s & 70s, this is a great and fascinating read.
Not very in depth, but an interesting read for a certain generation
2009-11-23 - Any fan of the Beatles or to a lesser degree, the Stones, Dylan, or Clapton, would get something out of this book. In some cases it was more than I wanted to know but it's never prurient in its indiscretions. To me it never comes across why she's so popular with the rock stars, maybe she's just cute and likeable, but she got around and she used a lot of drugs as did many of the musicians she writes about. It's amazing there weren't a lot more drug deaths than there were. Read it as an addendum to Boyd or Clapton's books. It's not profound or philosophical but it is an engaging and light read.
