Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

My Life in the Music Business

By: Miles A. Copeland III

Narrated by: Miles A. Copeland III

My real story starts with a disaster, an unmitigated, pull-the-rug-from-under-you, clean-out-the-bank-account disaster. But had it not happened, The Police would never have risen to become the biggest rock band in the world; Jools Holland would not have ended up on TV; The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, R.E.M., and many other music stars might never have made it either. It’s strange how a fluke, a disaster, an unlikely event can lead to incredible results. But that is in essence what happened to me....

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back tells the extraordinary story of a maverick manager, promoter, label owner, and all-round legend of the music industry. It opens in the Middle East, where Miles grew up with his father, a CIA agent who was stationed in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon. It then shifts to London in the late 60s and the beginnings of a career managing bands like Wishbone Ash and Curved Air - only for Miles’s life and work to be turned upside down by a disastrous European tour.

From the ashes of near bankruptcy, Miles entered the world of punk, sharing a building with Malcolm McLaren and Sniffin’ Glue, before shifting gears again as manager of The Police, featuring his brother, Stewart, on drums. Then, after founding IRS Records, he launched the careers of some of the most potent musical acts of the new wave scene and beyond, from Squeeze and The Go-Go’s to The Bangles and R.E.M.

The story comes full circle as Miles finds himself advising the Pentagon on how to win over hearts and minds in the Middle East and introducing Arabic music to the United States. ‘Never let the truth get in the way of a good story’, his father would tell him. In the end, though, the truth is what counts - and it’s all here.

Designer: Paul Palmer-Edwards

©2021 Miles A. Copeland III (P)2021 Audible, Inc.

Great Story about the music business!

As a music fan this is a honest insight of the music industry! I really enjoyed listening to this biography!

Thinking Outside The Box & Winning!

As a band member & the chief booker this is gold.Met Stuart & forgot to let him how much I admired the Copeland brothers management style almost as much as The Police for their guerrilla marketing.So many bands think it's just about having a cool video or t-shirt which it is to a point & that there's no need to pound the pavement but on the contrary for me it's still about meeting the mgr. or owner in person to seal a deal,looking them in the eye,shaking their hand & getting their trust to give a band a shot with little or no risk to them.I only play bass in & book stripped down 3 piece groupss to keep overhead low & profitability high (to at least afford the best players).This book is an inspiration to this gig hustler out here in the wild west coast.Btw I'm on Spotify under Jack Peck "Compendium".Hey man,what can I say, I'm in marketing & promotion 😉!

Miles lays out over 50 years of the music industry!

Miles Copeland is a Kingpin of the music business. Wishbone Ash, Police, Sting, Bangles, are just some of the artists he created. This guy is one of the most engaging, powerful, passionate public speakers I have heard and his lifetime of experience is extraordinary. I think you will enjoy listening to all of his escapades over the last 50 years in the different phases of the music industry and all of the Innovations that he created from scratch. He is not a musician and does not play an instrument, he’s a businessman that can think outside of the box. He calls the typical record label executives “rules followers“ which makes me smile because I know he means they are inside the box where nothing new happens. I highly recommend this book. Having it narrated by the author is the best way to deliver all these real life stories.

Really fun if you like New Wave

I liked this book on a number of levels. 1st, I was a big fan of the music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I could relate to both the stories and the bands. 2nd, while Miles narration isn’t perfect, the fact he narrated it gave it an authenticity it might not have had. Lastly, it was simply fun. Who doesn’t like the story of an underdog making it in the larger corporate world. As with many a listen, I was sad when it was over.

Music biz reality

What a great historical reality review of a career! And a reality of how he influenced the world with music the mainstream didnt care about until it had to.