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Meow! My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols
In 1965, Ann Moses was like most other teenaged girls—wholesome, innocent, still a virgin. The only difference between Ann and every other eighteen-year-old in the United States was that she was the editor of Tiger Beat, the hottest teen magazine in the country. Ann traveled the world, interviewing the Monkees, Paul Revere and The Raiders, David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, the Bee Gees and the Osmonds. She schmoozed with the rich and famous in Hollywood, Hawaii and London, visited Elvis on the set of one of his movies, and joined the hottest rock stars in the recording studio. As a correspondent for the London-based New Musical Express, Ann covered America’s “British Invasion” from these shores. She jetted to San Francisco with Jefferson Airplane, and photographed the Rolling Stones and the Who. She made dinner for Harry Nilsson, rode in Bobby Sherman’s Rolls Royce, and had her heart broken by a superstar—a story she’s kept to herself until now. In Meow! My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols, Ann Moses is breaking her silence—about that heartbreaking rock-star romance, as well as what it was like to spend every day with the stars we all loved as kids, besides. She’ll squeal on Bobby Sherman (was he really that nice?), David Cassidy (was he really that snotty?), and the Monkees (which of them was a big meanie?). She’ll tell you everything she couldn’t tell you in the pages of Tiger Beat, back when it was her job to fuel your fantasy about your fave raves.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
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March 5, 2018
When Ann scored herself a job at Tiger Beat Magazine she, like it’s readers, was just a teen herself. Within a few short years she would go from a part time editorial assistant to editor in chief of the ever growing tween magazine. If you’re picturing her stuck at some desk… think again. Ann spent the majority of her time outside the office. You may have found her traveling on tour buses with Tiger Beat faves like Paul Revere and the Raiders, Dino, Desi & Billy and The Standells, or hanging out on tv and film sets like Where the Action Is, The Monkees and The Flying Nun. Ann would also have the opportunity to see groups like The Mamas & The Papas, Jefferson Airplane and The Bee Gees in the recording studio and could always be found backstage or in the front row for concerts such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Monterey Pop Festival.
Ann worked hard to create personal pieces she knew the readers would love and had a blast doing so. She had exclusive onset access to The Monkees and spent hours with the boys for material for her monthly Monkee column. As she says in her memoir “It rarely occurred to me back then, that I was living the dreams of the girls I was writing for: Hanging out with cute teen idol rock stars until the wee hours, having the very kind of chaste fun I was forced to write about. Well, mostly chaste”. When Ann met Maurice Gibb from the Bee Gees sparks flew and she soon found herself staying at the Gibb residence in England. There, the pair began to fall in love, though not everyone was happy about that (I'm looking at you Lulu!).
While Ann managed to keep her own inner fangirl in check while working she was not always immune. When she got chosen to be one of the lucky few to sit at Elvis’s feet during his comeback tv special she was ecstatic & even more so when she watched and discovered her face superimposed over his when he sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The King never did personal interviews, but that didn’t stop Ann from getting onset of one of his films and meeting the man himself!
Not only does Ann share her memories with Tiger Beats teen idols, she also gives an insightful look at the behind the scenes running of the magazine which I found incredibly interesting.
I recently discussed Ann's groovy life on my podcast Muses and Stuff. Click the link or look us up on iTunes.
Ann worked hard to create personal pieces she knew the readers would love and had a blast doing so. She had exclusive onset access to The Monkees and spent hours with the boys for material for her monthly Monkee column. As she says in her memoir “It rarely occurred to me back then, that I was living the dreams of the girls I was writing for: Hanging out with cute teen idol rock stars until the wee hours, having the very kind of chaste fun I was forced to write about. Well, mostly chaste”. When Ann met Maurice Gibb from the Bee Gees sparks flew and she soon found herself staying at the Gibb residence in England. There, the pair began to fall in love, though not everyone was happy about that (I'm looking at you Lulu!).
While Ann managed to keep her own inner fangirl in check while working she was not always immune. When she got chosen to be one of the lucky few to sit at Elvis’s feet during his comeback tv special she was ecstatic & even more so when she watched and discovered her face superimposed over his when he sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The King never did personal interviews, but that didn’t stop Ann from getting onset of one of his films and meeting the man himself!
Not only does Ann share her memories with Tiger Beats teen idols, she also gives an insightful look at the behind the scenes running of the magazine which I found incredibly interesting.
I recently discussed Ann's groovy life on my podcast Muses and Stuff. Click the link or look us up on iTunes.
Read
September 19, 2018What a lovely book. If you were a child of the sixties as I was you desperately waited until Tiger Beat magazine came out to read about your favourite groups.
This book tells you about groups /singers of that era. I was interested to learn things I either forgotten or didn’t know about my fav group The Monkees. ( still a huge fan, fifty years on)!!
Read it if you’re nostalgic about that time or just for a lovely read.
This book tells you about groups /singers of that era. I was interested to learn things I either forgotten or didn’t know about my fav group The Monkees. ( still a huge fan, fifty years on)!!
Read it if you’re nostalgic about that time or just for a lovely read.
May 29, 2017
I was sent an Advanced Readers Copy of Ann Moses’ memoir, Meow! My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols, in exchange for an honest review.
When I was eleven years old, in 1966, my family bought our first portable, black and white television set, that spent most of its time tucked in a closet. I was given one half hour per week that I was allowed to watch, and my choice was The Monkees. Because that half hour per week was not sufficient exposure, I did my best to acquire a magazine, called Monkee Spectacular every month, and devoured every word and picture in it. If I couldn’t afford its fifty cent cover price (11 year old funds being somewhat iffy), I would read it in the grocery store, while my mother shopped.
Gradually, my access to the television improved a bit, and when I was 13, I fell in love with Paul Revere and the Raiders, on their second program, Happening ’68, and It’s Happening. I moved on to reading Tiger Beat, which was mostly written by Ann Moses. I wanted to be her, or at least be her little sister. I imagined how glamorous her life was, as she got to hang out with these amazing and gorgeous superstars that I adored. As time went by, the stars that were featured in the magazine changed, and often, I would follow along and admire the newcomers. I enjoyed Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy before outgrowing that phase of my life.
Nearly fifty years later, Ann Moses has written a memoir about that early period of her life, and what it was really like to work with all of the teen idols of the late sixties and early seventies. Most of the young stars she worked with were pleasant boys and young men. There was more drinking and drugs than was ever portrayed in the magazine articles, and some of them had girlfriends or wives, which were only rarely mentioned. The focus of the magazine was what would interest a starry-eyed eleven year old, so chaste kisses and walks on the beach were the way romances with the stars were portrayed. Many of the young stars knew the value of the publicity she offered, but some of them resented the intrusion into their private time. She also tells what it was like to be a young woman working in a time when it was expected that her ideas and her needs would always take second place to the men who were her bosses. Eventually this, plus the expectations of her family caused her to step away from the magazine. She is only harsh towards a couple of people that she worked with, including Michael Parks, a young actor and singer who treated her badly, and Gloria Staver, her counterpart at 16 Magazine, based in New York, who was many years older and obviously felt very threatened by Ann and Tiger Beat, based in Los Angeles with daily access to the young stars.
As a former teenybopper and member of Tiger Beat’s target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this book which took me back to that time, and filled in the details of what life was like for the young woman who shared her exciting experiences with the readers. I am still the target audience for this book, which will be anybody who remembers the thrill of reading about their “faves” once every month! Today’s audience will have a hard time imagining how limited our access to our favorite stars really was. It was a far more innocent time, making it possible to believe that the teen idols were really these amazing young gods. This book gently debunks that idea, but with affection and respect.
When I was eleven years old, in 1966, my family bought our first portable, black and white television set, that spent most of its time tucked in a closet. I was given one half hour per week that I was allowed to watch, and my choice was The Monkees. Because that half hour per week was not sufficient exposure, I did my best to acquire a magazine, called Monkee Spectacular every month, and devoured every word and picture in it. If I couldn’t afford its fifty cent cover price (11 year old funds being somewhat iffy), I would read it in the grocery store, while my mother shopped.
Gradually, my access to the television improved a bit, and when I was 13, I fell in love with Paul Revere and the Raiders, on their second program, Happening ’68, and It’s Happening. I moved on to reading Tiger Beat, which was mostly written by Ann Moses. I wanted to be her, or at least be her little sister. I imagined how glamorous her life was, as she got to hang out with these amazing and gorgeous superstars that I adored. As time went by, the stars that were featured in the magazine changed, and often, I would follow along and admire the newcomers. I enjoyed Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy before outgrowing that phase of my life.
Nearly fifty years later, Ann Moses has written a memoir about that early period of her life, and what it was really like to work with all of the teen idols of the late sixties and early seventies. Most of the young stars she worked with were pleasant boys and young men. There was more drinking and drugs than was ever portrayed in the magazine articles, and some of them had girlfriends or wives, which were only rarely mentioned. The focus of the magazine was what would interest a starry-eyed eleven year old, so chaste kisses and walks on the beach were the way romances with the stars were portrayed. Many of the young stars knew the value of the publicity she offered, but some of them resented the intrusion into their private time. She also tells what it was like to be a young woman working in a time when it was expected that her ideas and her needs would always take second place to the men who were her bosses. Eventually this, plus the expectations of her family caused her to step away from the magazine. She is only harsh towards a couple of people that she worked with, including Michael Parks, a young actor and singer who treated her badly, and Gloria Staver, her counterpart at 16 Magazine, based in New York, who was many years older and obviously felt very threatened by Ann and Tiger Beat, based in Los Angeles with daily access to the young stars.
As a former teenybopper and member of Tiger Beat’s target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this book which took me back to that time, and filled in the details of what life was like for the young woman who shared her exciting experiences with the readers. I am still the target audience for this book, which will be anybody who remembers the thrill of reading about their “faves” once every month! Today’s audience will have a hard time imagining how limited our access to our favorite stars really was. It was a far more innocent time, making it possible to believe that the teen idols were really these amazing young gods. This book gently debunks that idea, but with affection and respect.
September 24, 2017
A dishy, frank, but fair look at popular culture of the late 1960's and early '70's, told by the former editor of Tiger Beat magazine, who was a young adult herself at the time. Moses was just out of community college when she began working for the magazine and soon was on film and TV sets interviewing THE MONKEES and many others of that era. She talks about her personal life, especially her romance with Maurice Gibb, and describes which celebrities treated her fairly and which were crass jerks (she wasn't a groupie by any means and tried to be professional). She has plenty of photos included in a section midway through the book. Those of us who grew up watching WHERE THE ACTION IS, American Bandstand, The Partridge Family, and other TV shows of that time period will really relate to her memoir, because she writes more about the people she encountered than she does herself.
May 5, 2019
This was like going back to my preteen years--1966 to 1968 and reading all about my "fave" musical stars in "Tiger Beat" magazine. I read those Tiger Beat magazines back in the day and this is the story of Ann Moses, and how she became an editor of Tiger Beat, and lots of stories of those teen idols. I still have a magazine that is all about Davy Jones, with her as an editor. She tells about her interviews with the Monkees, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Dino Desi and Billy, and Herman's Hermits to name a few. Back then she was able to spend an entire days with them and go on tour and she took many pictures which were all used in the magazine, and she was paid for what she loved to do!
December 31, 2017
Great history on pop stars
Ann Moses had the job most teenagers who kill for, interviewing the stars of the day. She dealt with heartbreak and joy. I wish the book had been longer
Ann Moses had the job most teenagers who kill for, interviewing the stars of the day. She dealt with heartbreak and joy. I wish the book had been longer
May 31, 2020
Boy, that was far out and outasite, and did it ever take me back!
More complete review to come.
More complete review to come.
April 10, 2021
If names like Jack Wild or Sajid Khan mean anything to you, Meow! is probably a book you will enjoy. Ann Moses was the young editor of Tiger Beat magazine in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Her book tells about how that teen idol magazine differed from journalism, but the real appeal is her stories about the "faves" she worked with, sometimes on a daily basis: The Monkees, Paul Revere and the Raiders, David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, The Cowsills, The Osmonds, Elvis Presley, Kurt Russell, and many more. I'll leave out the details, but the people who come across as nice guys are Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Donny Osmond, and Bobby Sherman, but Moses doesn't shy away from revealing details about the arrogance of Michael Nesmith, Lulu, and Michael Parks. At the heart of Moses's story is her ill-fated first romance with Maurice Gibb of The Bee Gees. For those interested in a peek behind the scenes of how teen idols were created and perpetuated, as well as some perspective on fame, Meow! is a quick, entertaining read.
October 2, 2020
Absolutely loved this book! If you were ever part of the teen idol scene in the sixties and seventies, this is the book for you. Ann's stories are so relatable to those of us who swooned over our favorites that adorned the pages of Tiger Beat. Her story about Maurice Gibb absolutely broke my heart and I will never hear "Never My Love" by the Association the same way again. Even if you didn't come into Tiger Beat until the David Cassidy/Donny Osmond era like I did, you will love this book. A definite must read for anyone who waited patiently every month in the amazing time of the sixties and seventies for the new copy of Tiger Beat to arrive in your favorite store or mailbox!
October 21, 2017
What a fun read. After reading "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Eric Larson, I was ready for something light-hearted, even though some of the people she writes about surprised me. All my faves when I was a teenager! What really surprised me was Maurice Gibb, Michael Nesmith, and David Cassidy. Michael Parks was no surprise. No wonder his show only lasted one year...and where is he now? Nowhere! I'm sure people don't even remember that moron. Boy, what a bunch of a losers. I'm so glad to read Bobby Sherman is as cool as I thought he would be. He was my #1. His groovy pic on the cover still makes my heart go pitter-patter. 😄 What a dreamboat. It's too bad she never got to get to The Beatles. They're the only ones she didn't get to know. If you were a teenager in the '60s and into the happening scene, this book is for you. Loved it!
April 4, 2022
Dear Younger Self,
Remember when you went to the newsstand at the drugstore with your parents? Looking at all that cheap newsprint, something jumped out at you. The faces! The pop art colors! The headlines with lots of exclamation points! Wait! Is David Cassidy looking at me?! Why, yes he is. And for that you can thank one woman: Ann Moses.
Aptly titled, ‘Meow! My Groovy Life With Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols’ (Q Coding, LLC, 2017) author Ann Moses recounts the life moments she led as the editor of Tiger Beat magazine. This is a highly personal and fascinating glimpse into an era of innocent admiration, yet laced with the stark reality of Moses’ unique, coveted position.
As a teenager growing up in Anaheim, California, Moses had a chance encounter with ‘Uncle Walt’ at Disneyland while working at the Sunkist orange juice kiosk. His encouraging response to her mentioning she had written for the park’s newsletter set her off on her journalistic career.
Volunteering as an usher at the Melodyland Theater in 1965, she had the gumption to approach a gentleman at the side of the stage, stating she was “on assignment” to write about the group that was performing: The Dave Clark Five. The man was their tour manager Rick Picone. He graciously arranged the meeting and Moses got her interview published in her junior college newspaper.
She gained steam writing for ‘Rhythm ‘N’ News’ covering gigs in south Los Angeles (considered unsafe by most for a teenager). However, an off-chance remark from a fellow writer about Tiger Beat (and a connection with former Beatles press officer Derek Taylor) quickly propelled her into the office of the upstart to ‘16’ magazine and the beginning of her mind-blowing journey into the world of teen idoldom.
Throwing aside ‘respected journalism,’ Moses adapted the jargon and lifestyle that appealed to the young, aspiring teens who read Tiger Beat: as noted by her “everyone was presented as single and free.” And using descriptors like ‘groovy’ ‘heavenly’ and ‘fab’ were de rigueur. And as many exclamation points as possible!!
By the summer of 1966, Moses had been cast headfirst into a world of music, photography assignments and close encounters with Jefferson Airplane and The Rolling Stones. Her travels had also led her into the world of Paul Revere and The Raiders, then one of the biggest pop groups in the US, helped by their exposure on TV’s ‘Where The Action Is.’ Moses’ exclusivity to the band and her first-person encounters didn’t help to win her friends with ‘16’’s Gloria Stavers, the matriarch who could power play herself onto the band’s tour bus. Moses was angry and intimidated by Stavers, but recognized she could turn the tables with help from her pop idol peers at any given time.
Moses became feature editor as Tiger Beat’s boss Chuck Laufer handed her more assignments, a handsome salary and a car. She was out and about, meeting people and when The Monkees hit the TV airwaves in September 1966, Laufer’s relationship with Screen Gems gave Moses access unlike any other writer or photographer. While she became close to Peter Tork, Davy Jones and to a lesser extent Micky Dolenz, she hit a roadblock with Mike Nesmith’s abrasive personality (which she didn't recover from for nearly a year).
Another group that Moses had access to on tour was The Standells. While they were the support act to the Raiders in November 1966, Moses found herself drawn to the band’s lead singer and drummer, Dick Dodd. A former Disney Mouseketeer, his background in show business kept him “un-Hollywood,” as Moses wrote. She also found herself with a major crush on her hands. With this dilemma, she decided to move into her own apartment and later, when she and Dodd slept together, she was left somewhat disappointed and confused. Dodd never called her again. However, a new love was on the horizon.
After attending the Monterey Pop Festival, she details her good fortune in becoming the Hollywood correspondent for UK’s ‘New Musical Express,’ and in July 1967 she flew into the orbit of The Bee Gees. What followed was a whirlwind romance with Maurice Gibb, that at the time seemed destined to be true love. He and Moses set out - first in England and then when she returned home - on a courtship that spoke of intense attraction through shared interests, especially music.
However in the brief weeks that encompassed her life with Gibb, she was blindsided with the news that he had married pop singer Lulu. While he kept his word to attend her twenty-first birthday party, the gathering was the last time she was with him. She later learned that he was in fact not with Lulu (a ploy Moses suspected was instigated by manager Robert Stigwood to keep a clean, freewheeling image alive), although the singers did marry in 1969 (and divorced a few years after that).
Moses’ complete devastation swung her back into covering the pop music scene (and marriage to a high school sweetheart). She continued with various outings (the taping of Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback special and a subsequent, tho unexpected, conversation with The King on the set of ‘Change of Habit’), but her life at Tiger Beat was going through tumultuous changes.
She continued into the early 70s with (then) up-and-coming teen idols Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy and more personally, The Osmonds (who she stayed in touch with when she later moved to Utah). But in 1972, just as the magazine’s offices were moving to a bigger and better space, she discovered a bombshell: while she made good salary for the times, she was making half of what a sister publication’s editor was making. Floored, she marched out. And while she was coaxed into finishing out publication dates, she left Tiger Beat in May of 1972.
Moses quickly sums up her later years - divorce, second marriage, adoption of two children and a jaw-dropping spoiler from her former co-workers that I won’t mention here. All in all, ‘Meow!’ has the tasty ingredients that pull you into a time warp, reported and lived by a sharp, insightful lady given incredibly fortunate circumstances and access that could only have happened in that era.
I give this book 4 out of 4 beetles!
https://beatles-freak.com
Remember when you went to the newsstand at the drugstore with your parents? Looking at all that cheap newsprint, something jumped out at you. The faces! The pop art colors! The headlines with lots of exclamation points! Wait! Is David Cassidy looking at me?! Why, yes he is. And for that you can thank one woman: Ann Moses.
Aptly titled, ‘Meow! My Groovy Life With Tiger Beat’s Teen Idols’ (Q Coding, LLC, 2017) author Ann Moses recounts the life moments she led as the editor of Tiger Beat magazine. This is a highly personal and fascinating glimpse into an era of innocent admiration, yet laced with the stark reality of Moses’ unique, coveted position.
As a teenager growing up in Anaheim, California, Moses had a chance encounter with ‘Uncle Walt’ at Disneyland while working at the Sunkist orange juice kiosk. His encouraging response to her mentioning she had written for the park’s newsletter set her off on her journalistic career.
Volunteering as an usher at the Melodyland Theater in 1965, she had the gumption to approach a gentleman at the side of the stage, stating she was “on assignment” to write about the group that was performing: The Dave Clark Five. The man was their tour manager Rick Picone. He graciously arranged the meeting and Moses got her interview published in her junior college newspaper.
She gained steam writing for ‘Rhythm ‘N’ News’ covering gigs in south Los Angeles (considered unsafe by most for a teenager). However, an off-chance remark from a fellow writer about Tiger Beat (and a connection with former Beatles press officer Derek Taylor) quickly propelled her into the office of the upstart to ‘16’ magazine and the beginning of her mind-blowing journey into the world of teen idoldom.
Throwing aside ‘respected journalism,’ Moses adapted the jargon and lifestyle that appealed to the young, aspiring teens who read Tiger Beat: as noted by her “everyone was presented as single and free.” And using descriptors like ‘groovy’ ‘heavenly’ and ‘fab’ were de rigueur. And as many exclamation points as possible!!
By the summer of 1966, Moses had been cast headfirst into a world of music, photography assignments and close encounters with Jefferson Airplane and The Rolling Stones. Her travels had also led her into the world of Paul Revere and The Raiders, then one of the biggest pop groups in the US, helped by their exposure on TV’s ‘Where The Action Is.’ Moses’ exclusivity to the band and her first-person encounters didn’t help to win her friends with ‘16’’s Gloria Stavers, the matriarch who could power play herself onto the band’s tour bus. Moses was angry and intimidated by Stavers, but recognized she could turn the tables with help from her pop idol peers at any given time.
Moses became feature editor as Tiger Beat’s boss Chuck Laufer handed her more assignments, a handsome salary and a car. She was out and about, meeting people and when The Monkees hit the TV airwaves in September 1966, Laufer’s relationship with Screen Gems gave Moses access unlike any other writer or photographer. While she became close to Peter Tork, Davy Jones and to a lesser extent Micky Dolenz, she hit a roadblock with Mike Nesmith’s abrasive personality (which she didn't recover from for nearly a year).
Another group that Moses had access to on tour was The Standells. While they were the support act to the Raiders in November 1966, Moses found herself drawn to the band’s lead singer and drummer, Dick Dodd. A former Disney Mouseketeer, his background in show business kept him “un-Hollywood,” as Moses wrote. She also found herself with a major crush on her hands. With this dilemma, she decided to move into her own apartment and later, when she and Dodd slept together, she was left somewhat disappointed and confused. Dodd never called her again. However, a new love was on the horizon.
After attending the Monterey Pop Festival, she details her good fortune in becoming the Hollywood correspondent for UK’s ‘New Musical Express,’ and in July 1967 she flew into the orbit of The Bee Gees. What followed was a whirlwind romance with Maurice Gibb, that at the time seemed destined to be true love. He and Moses set out - first in England and then when she returned home - on a courtship that spoke of intense attraction through shared interests, especially music.
However in the brief weeks that encompassed her life with Gibb, she was blindsided with the news that he had married pop singer Lulu. While he kept his word to attend her twenty-first birthday party, the gathering was the last time she was with him. She later learned that he was in fact not with Lulu (a ploy Moses suspected was instigated by manager Robert Stigwood to keep a clean, freewheeling image alive), although the singers did marry in 1969 (and divorced a few years after that).
Moses’ complete devastation swung her back into covering the pop music scene (and marriage to a high school sweetheart). She continued with various outings (the taping of Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback special and a subsequent, tho unexpected, conversation with The King on the set of ‘Change of Habit’), but her life at Tiger Beat was going through tumultuous changes.
She continued into the early 70s with (then) up-and-coming teen idols Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy and more personally, The Osmonds (who she stayed in touch with when she later moved to Utah). But in 1972, just as the magazine’s offices were moving to a bigger and better space, she discovered a bombshell: while she made good salary for the times, she was making half of what a sister publication’s editor was making. Floored, she marched out. And while she was coaxed into finishing out publication dates, she left Tiger Beat in May of 1972.
Moses quickly sums up her later years - divorce, second marriage, adoption of two children and a jaw-dropping spoiler from her former co-workers that I won’t mention here. All in all, ‘Meow!’ has the tasty ingredients that pull you into a time warp, reported and lived by a sharp, insightful lady given incredibly fortunate circumstances and access that could only have happened in that era.
I give this book 4 out of 4 beetles!
https://beatles-freak.com
May 1, 2022
I love this book, filled with great inside celebrity stories and packed with ten times as many details as you find in a typical memoir. It's simply a must-read for anyone into 1960s and 1970s pop culture.
Her story about dating Maurice Gibb is almost worth reading the book alone. She also describes her time with Elvis, The Monkees, Donny Osmond, Bobby Sherman, and many others where she gives a lot of specifics, including getting propositioned by some. It's natural that an 18-year-old perky upbeat girl would get the interest of famous stars and she says she only slept with two people before she was married. Add to all this that she had started her career at Disneyland, met Walt, and her brother was friends with Steve Martin.
Then there are the ones that were total jerks, like Michael Naismith, Michael Parks, Lulu, and most of all David Cassidy. Ann Moses doesn't hold back.
However, the journalist and educator in me wouldn't allow this five-star book to pass without pointing out some pretty big flaws. The book is 280 pages but 55 of those are photos, which is great except you get to the end of the book and realize she has not told enough details about many of the famous people she met, wraps up her leaving Tiger Beat in just a few paragraphs, barely mentions the husband who she says mistreated her, and skips the entire last 45 years of her life! Namely, this should have been a much longer book. How can a woman spend the day with The Carpenters or go to the Jackson 5's house, then only write a short paragraph about each?
Much of what's here is based on her articles for publications, but she never reprints any of them. It would have helped to have seen the actual stories from Tiger Beat. And at no point does she explain why the stars were so open to her--did the magazine pay them for inside access? Her bosses thought she was sleeping with the celebrities, calling her a nasty name behind her back, but she says she wasn't and at no point is it clear why she was given access that no one else received.
The author also includes things that are completely unimportant, such as describing a dress she wore to an interview (usually a miniskirt) or telling something she cooked. It struck me as odd that she didn't include any details about what she talked about with dozens of big names that are dropped and was inside the homes of stars no one else gets to visit, but she thinks it's important that we know when she was embarrassed by making a little inconsequential stumble.
Another issue is the ever-changing timeline in the book. Moses skips from 1968 to 1971 to present day, before in the next paragraph going backwards, and often repeats herself in order to cover the territory. It seems a bit unorganized, which is surprising considering she had a co-author.
I did learn one major thing from the book--the reason she was so successful from age 16 to 23 was that she said "yes" to pretty much everything. Even Maurice Gibb, when explaining why he fell for her, said because she never said no to him. So if you want to be successful with powerful people that want to use you for their own goals, constantly say yes and never say no. When she did finally say no, at the advice of her first husband, she quits Tiger Beat despite their doubling her salary and it was a major mistake, no matter how she tries to spin it in the end.
So, Ann Moses, please write a sequel. She does direct us to her website at the end of the book where some of what's missing in the book gets posted, but I want to know much more about all those celebrity encounters as well as what she has done the past five decades!
Her story about dating Maurice Gibb is almost worth reading the book alone. She also describes her time with Elvis, The Monkees, Donny Osmond, Bobby Sherman, and many others where she gives a lot of specifics, including getting propositioned by some. It's natural that an 18-year-old perky upbeat girl would get the interest of famous stars and she says she only slept with two people before she was married. Add to all this that she had started her career at Disneyland, met Walt, and her brother was friends with Steve Martin.
Then there are the ones that were total jerks, like Michael Naismith, Michael Parks, Lulu, and most of all David Cassidy. Ann Moses doesn't hold back.
However, the journalist and educator in me wouldn't allow this five-star book to pass without pointing out some pretty big flaws. The book is 280 pages but 55 of those are photos, which is great except you get to the end of the book and realize she has not told enough details about many of the famous people she met, wraps up her leaving Tiger Beat in just a few paragraphs, barely mentions the husband who she says mistreated her, and skips the entire last 45 years of her life! Namely, this should have been a much longer book. How can a woman spend the day with The Carpenters or go to the Jackson 5's house, then only write a short paragraph about each?
Much of what's here is based on her articles for publications, but she never reprints any of them. It would have helped to have seen the actual stories from Tiger Beat. And at no point does she explain why the stars were so open to her--did the magazine pay them for inside access? Her bosses thought she was sleeping with the celebrities, calling her a nasty name behind her back, but she says she wasn't and at no point is it clear why she was given access that no one else received.
The author also includes things that are completely unimportant, such as describing a dress she wore to an interview (usually a miniskirt) or telling something she cooked. It struck me as odd that she didn't include any details about what she talked about with dozens of big names that are dropped and was inside the homes of stars no one else gets to visit, but she thinks it's important that we know when she was embarrassed by making a little inconsequential stumble.
Another issue is the ever-changing timeline in the book. Moses skips from 1968 to 1971 to present day, before in the next paragraph going backwards, and often repeats herself in order to cover the territory. It seems a bit unorganized, which is surprising considering she had a co-author.
I did learn one major thing from the book--the reason she was so successful from age 16 to 23 was that she said "yes" to pretty much everything. Even Maurice Gibb, when explaining why he fell for her, said because she never said no to him. So if you want to be successful with powerful people that want to use you for their own goals, constantly say yes and never say no. When she did finally say no, at the advice of her first husband, she quits Tiger Beat despite their doubling her salary and it was a major mistake, no matter how she tries to spin it in the end.
So, Ann Moses, please write a sequel. She does direct us to her website at the end of the book where some of what's missing in the book gets posted, but I want to know much more about all those celebrity encounters as well as what she has done the past five decades!
April 1, 2021
I'd spotted this listed long ago, but could not find it in the stores or online for years...until a friend told me it was available again...and how to order it directly from from the co-author.
It came quickly as promised...and complete with an autograph and picture from Ann Moses...so ordering it online that way was a good experience.
The book itself left me with a few mixed feelings.
I enjoyed reading about the the time Ann Moses spent covering the hot 60s and early 70s "faves"...and the sort of flashback it all represented to my childhood years.
The book was written in the breezy style we all got used to at "Tiger Beat" I remembered from my years as a pre-teen reading such stuff. That was fun.
Learning more about Moses' life, especially her love affair with a former teen "fave", was interesting as it was something that I knew nothing about back in the day.
I felt the book collapsed a bit after that and Moses' excuses for leaving writing about the "teen idols".
I didn't see that as a strike for independence or the rights of women, although part of it stemmed from how we were all treated during the 1970s as many of us entered the world of work...but I believe it also happened as much because of her deep insecurities and those of her then-husband at the time.
I'm happy to learn that she now seems to have found more lasting happiness in more recent years with her current husband and their kids.
Mostly fun and light read for early spring. Worth seeking out and reading yourself if you enjoyed reading Moses' writing at "Tiger Beat" back in the day.
It came quickly as promised...and complete with an autograph and picture from Ann Moses...so ordering it online that way was a good experience.
The book itself left me with a few mixed feelings.
I enjoyed reading about the the time Ann Moses spent covering the hot 60s and early 70s "faves"...and the sort of flashback it all represented to my childhood years.
The book was written in the breezy style we all got used to at "Tiger Beat" I remembered from my years as a pre-teen reading such stuff. That was fun.
Learning more about Moses' life, especially her love affair with a former teen "fave", was interesting as it was something that I knew nothing about back in the day.
I felt the book collapsed a bit after that and Moses' excuses for leaving writing about the "teen idols".
I didn't see that as a strike for independence or the rights of women, although part of it stemmed from how we were all treated during the 1970s as many of us entered the world of work...but I believe it also happened as much because of her deep insecurities and those of her then-husband at the time.
I'm happy to learn that she now seems to have found more lasting happiness in more recent years with her current husband and their kids.
Mostly fun and light read for early spring. Worth seeking out and reading yourself if you enjoyed reading Moses' writing at "Tiger Beat" back in the day.
March 21, 2020
Reading this book was a lot like reading teen fan magazines as a kid--it was a fun read, but there was no lingering satisfaction after finishing. It was sort of shallow, although not as shallow as a teen fan mag. Although, as I remember, Tiger Beat had a lot more pages and longer stories than 16. That was a real plus with me, since I liked to read. It was also nothing short of obsessed with Bobby Sherman and then David Cassidy* at the time. Personally, I was much more interested in reading about the Mod Squad, Room 222 and groups like the Cowsills. (According to this book, the Cowsills never caught on in Tiger Beat for some reason. If I remember correctly, they were a hit in "16", however.)
Ann Moses was a California girl who got the manager of the Dave Clark 5 to let her interview the group for five minutes for her school paper. It ended up being 35 minutes, and that set off her career as a writer and photographer of musical groups and pop stars. She had just finished her second year of college when she got a job at Tiger Beat, and ended up being editor-and-chief before quitting in her twenties. She mostly talks about the stars and musicians she liked in this memoir, although there are a few people she outs as being not particularly nice--Mike Nesmith, Michael Parks and Lulu.
Marriage to Lulu would be the phony excuse Maurice Gibbs used to dump Ms. Moses after they started dating. While some readers felt her personal life should have received less attention in this book, I personally thought it probably would have been better as a full-blown memoir of her life, as opposed to being mostly about Tiger Beat stuff. Seriously, teen fan magazines in the '60s and '70s were so shallow that one obviously can't escape that shallowness decades later when writing about all that went on to get a mag out every month.
Ann Moses was a California girl who got the manager of the Dave Clark 5 to let her interview the group for five minutes for her school paper. It ended up being 35 minutes, and that set off her career as a writer and photographer of musical groups and pop stars. She had just finished her second year of college when she got a job at Tiger Beat, and ended up being editor-and-chief before quitting in her twenties. She mostly talks about the stars and musicians she liked in this memoir, although there are a few people she outs as being not particularly nice--Mike Nesmith, Michael Parks and Lulu.
Marriage to Lulu would be the phony excuse Maurice Gibbs used to dump Ms. Moses after they started dating. While some readers felt her personal life should have received less attention in this book, I personally thought it probably would have been better as a full-blown memoir of her life, as opposed to being mostly about Tiger Beat stuff. Seriously, teen fan magazines in the '60s and '70s were so shallow that one obviously can't escape that shallowness decades later when writing about all that went on to get a mag out every month.
September 22, 2020
Wonderful trip down memory lane. While I was younger than Ann during the 60’s and 70’s, I was her target audience of naive pre-teen girls loving every issue of Tiger Beat—my favorite magazine for years. So strange to actually remember the issues she discusses in the book. And yes, I was one of those thousands of young fans who entered the Partridge Family Contest to win a guest spot on the show and meet my teen idol, David Cassidy. No, I didn’t win, but it was fun to read about the contestant who did. I remember the puppy giveaway as well. Wow. 50 years ago.
Ann skillfully draws the reader into her world and the reality of the time period. Loved listening to her voice through reading her experiences. Fascinating—so enjoyable. A fun read for anyone who experienced the teen idols and life in the 60’s and 70’s. Her experiences working as a professional editor and writer as such a young woman is remarkable. Loved reading about her close knit family life and warm, loving relationship with her own mother. A different time period indeed! Very much enjoyed the book.
Ann skillfully draws the reader into her world and the reality of the time period. Loved listening to her voice through reading her experiences. Fascinating—so enjoyable. A fun read for anyone who experienced the teen idols and life in the 60’s and 70’s. Her experiences working as a professional editor and writer as such a young woman is remarkable. Loved reading about her close knit family life and warm, loving relationship with her own mother. A different time period indeed! Very much enjoyed the book.
August 19, 2024
I received it in the mail yesterday and haven't been able to put it down until now. I finished it! I'm very particular with five stars if you look at my profile. The book really has to mesmerize and touch me. This book got five stars not from the spectacular writing because it was written in a rather elementary fashion. I'm a little older than I was back in the '60s. ( I'm 65) so a little more mature writing would have been good, but I gave it five stars because it grabbed me by the throat and dragged me back to my youth/childhood. I bought Tiger Beat magazine every single month. I would save my allowance all month and buy it. I was one of those fans who sent in a peace medallion to Bobby Sherman because I was so crazy about him and was entertained by Tiger Beat's many articles on him as well as Davy Jones and the Monkees. This book is such a nice combination of Ann's personal memories and commentary on stars she interviewed or attempted to interview. I was very interested in both.
Thank you Ann for such a blast from the past!
Thank you Ann for such a blast from the past!
February 2, 2018
This is a fun read for anyone who is old enough to remember the era. I enjoyed reading Ann Moses' reflections on producing innocent articles about less-than-innocent pop stars. And I appreciate the title of the book as a nod to the sometimes breathless headlines of the past. Her experience also illustrates working conditions pre-Women's Liberation. She rose to editor-in-chief of a national publication at an incredibly young age, only to discover a man in a comparable position was being paid double her salary. And many years later she was informed the male owners of the company always referred to her with a sexist term behind her back. The book brought back memories that were buried for years and I enjoyed recalling them.
January 28, 2022
The book gives an interesting insight into a time when the only source of information on popular was teen magazines and music journals .Anne worked for Tiger Beat and wrote articles for Enlgish music papers such as NME .Tiger Beat wrote articles that would interest teen girls and did not deal with heavier subjects such as any misdemeanours stars may have got up to, this led to unparalleled access for Anne to many bands including The Monkees , the Partridge Family and others .She also deals with her relationship with Maurice Gibb and others. Anne also dedicates two chapters to Elvis Presley , which are worth reading for any Elvis fans who wondered about the blonde journalist interviewed in Elvis That's The Way It Is .Recommended read for anyone interested in 1960's pop .
January 24, 2018
Starting as a reporter in high school and ultimately graduating to editor-in-chief of Tiger Beat magazine, Ann Moses enjoyed the ultimate insider’s view of the magical musical and cultural era known as “the sixties.” Her amazing library of personal stories and fab photos of her hanging out with many of the biggest stars in popular music--as friends no less--will have any music fan wishing they could have grown up being Ann Moses. She tells her stories well, in simple, but honest prose that conveys both humor and pathos. Throughout all the ups and downs, her voice retains a sense of that classic Tiger Beat sunny outlook on life.
March 31, 2019
Mediocre writing at best. I was a teen who read Tiger Beat from '66-69, and I remember well Ann's columns and pictorials. The book covered her "affair" with Maurice Gibb far too much, as it just wasn't all that interesting. He was certainly not, in my humble opinion, a real "looker" or much of an idol on his own. Barry was obviously the attractive Gibb! Anyway, it's an easy read, but only covers very few of the teen stars with more than a sentence or two, and covering her following Elvis was a pure bore, since as a young girl he was way past being interesting to me in the late sixties. It has a wee bit of nostalgic value, but otherwise just isn't much of a book at all.
March 28, 2021
Oh my goodness, this book took me back to when I was twelve years old and I wanted more than anything to be in L.A. with all my music "faves" like Davy Jones, Mark Lindsay and Desi Arnaz Jr. Annie Moses was there, interviewing them for Tiger Beat magazine, and I thought she was the coolest person in the world. Her memoir is more of a trip down memory lane than a revelation, but it does confirm that those magazine stories I cherished were true and not just the product of publicists. Annie was really on set or in the studio with these performers regularly conducting interviews. Her enthusiasm was evident then and comes across now in her memoir. She was the first person to inspire me to want to be a journalist, and I still think she was just about the luckiest girl in the world!
May 8, 2018
a teenage memory
Growing up in the 70s I lived for my teenage magazines every month. I used my allowance to get every copy the moment it came out. Reliving the stories in her book made me think back to my own teenage years and crushes. I wish I had kept my copies of Tiger Beat but I used every poster for my room. Thank you Ann for bringing your stories to life for the rest of us who only bbq wished we were there. You got to live out our dreams! I'm glad your life became your own teenage dream. You deserve it!
Growing up in the 70s I lived for my teenage magazines every month. I used my allowance to get every copy the moment it came out. Reliving the stories in her book made me think back to my own teenage years and crushes. I wish I had kept my copies of Tiger Beat but I used every poster for my room. Thank you Ann for bringing your stories to life for the rest of us who only bbq wished we were there. You got to live out our dreams! I'm glad your life became your own teenage dream. You deserve it!
May 27, 2021
If you enjoyed Pop Stars and Teen Idols from the late 60's-early 70's, you will certainly enjoy Ann's book. As Editor for the famed Tiger Beat magazine, Ann had an inside look at many of these celebrities of the day. Sharing her experiences and thoughts, you feel as if you are there with her during her interviews and photo sessions. She gives honest and personal reactions to those who were open to her and to those who were a bit less friendly. I would recommend this book, even if it wasn't a time of fandom for you, just for the inside peek at the phenomenon of this time period.
June 20, 2017
I loved this book. I read it in a day and a half ( it is a quick read) I grew up reading tiger beat and loved the articles and posters that they had. Ann was the editor from 1966 to 1972 so she was long gone from the magazine by the time I got interested in it but I still knew who she was. I loved hearing the stories that she told about the Monkees, the Osmonds, Bobby Sherman ect... . All in all it was a fun and engaging read.
May 1, 2023
Meh
Probably better for those that grew up in the 60s as it seemed more geared for them. I was the 70s and yes I would save my allowance to get my magazine and I remember how excited I was when my older sister got me a subscription for my birthday! Anyhow, the chapters kept going back and forth between her personal life and then jump to a chapter on a "star". I just wanted more from this big part of my childhood and it didn't deliver.
Probably better for those that grew up in the 60s as it seemed more geared for them. I was the 70s and yes I would save my allowance to get my magazine and I remember how excited I was when my older sister got me a subscription for my birthday! Anyhow, the chapters kept going back and forth between her personal life and then jump to a chapter on a "star". I just wanted more from this big part of my childhood and it didn't deliver.
July 28, 2017
Such a fun return to my pre-teen and early teen years. How fondly I remember reading those copies of Tiger Beat magazine and all of those innocent crushes on Bobby Sherman, Mark Lindsay, The Monkees and others. Highly recommended for all of you teenyboppers out there who grew up in the late 60s and early 70s.
November 14, 2017
Like most women my age, I've read a teen magazine or two in my day. Unlike many of my peers I was never really a teen idol fan, though. When I read the teen mags I daydreamed less about the 'faves' and more about being the journalist who write about them. So this book was right up my alley. I thoroughly enjoyed this dishy read.
May 5, 2020
Tiger Beat
I remembered Ann Moses when I was a teenager buying Tiger Beat. I had pictures of Kurt Russell, Mickey Dolenz,Osmonds and the Cowsills. I still love these heartthrobs and always will. I always thought Ann Moses was so pretty and wanted to look like her and meet my heroes. Thanks again for a trip back to my childhood. Great Book to buy.
I remembered Ann Moses when I was a teenager buying Tiger Beat. I had pictures of Kurt Russell, Mickey Dolenz,Osmonds and the Cowsills. I still love these heartthrobs and always will. I always thought Ann Moses was so pretty and wanted to look like her and meet my heroes. Thanks again for a trip back to my childhood. Great Book to buy.
January 4, 2022
I enjoyed it being what it was. An interesting observation and insight by someone who was there. But it seemed very idyllic in many ways. I grew up listening and watching many of these people so fun to get a bit of a behind the scenes. But she still seems to write how she did when she was a Tiger Beat reporter.
September 27, 2023
There is such a thing as being in the right place and right time. This is not something that would ever happen in more current times, an under-21 year old editor traveling around and hanging out with America’s pop-culture of the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s. While this was at least 10 years before my time, she met some amazing people and had very interesting stories.
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