It was high time I caught up with Gudinski, by Stuart Coupe, published in 2015, and subtitled “The Godfather of Australian Rock’n’Roll”.
At the time, Michael Gudinski was still alive (he died in 2021) and presiding over what remained of his Mushroom empire. At one time that empire included record labels, music publishing, tour promotion, live music venues, and artist management.
He was also dead set against having a book written about him, until reluctantly giving his approval to Coupe. This is important because if he had withheld his blessing, none of Gudinski’s family, friends, colleagues, or rivals would likely have dared talk to the writer.
As it is, just about everyone did, to some degree, including the man himself. Which is just as well, because it really is an interesting story that sheds light on a particular era of the Australian music industry. Importantly, Gudinski’s story doesn’t define the era and the book is frank about the things he didn’t get, opportunities he missed, and trends he didn’t see coming or chose to ignore.
This is very much one man’s story, albeit a man who wielded enormous influence over the lives of many others.
Coupe knows how to open a story. After a short preface in which he describes his relationship with Gudinski – Stuart has himself been a band manager, label founder, promoter, and publicist, as well as a veteran rock journalist and author of several related books – Coupe throws us straight into a 2014 scenario where Gudinski has organised an Australian tour by The Rolling Stones that looks like it’s going to be cancelled and cost him millions of dollars.
It’s high drama and how Gudinski resolves this crisis tells us a great deal about how he operates. By the end of that prologue, we’re thoroughly drawn into his world and his mindset. Then we can go back to his beginnings, the back story of how he built his empire.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and devoured it in a couple of settings. Admittedly, I’m a sucker for Australian music history and Gudinski features a supporting cast that’s a who’s who of not just rock and pop performers from the 1960s to the 2010s, but most of the key players behind the scenes.
One of the strengths of the book is how many people go on the record about their dealings with Gundinski: business partners, employees, rivals – some of them having played all three roles at one time or another. Many have what can only be called a love-hate relationship with him.
What everyone agrees on, including the man himself, is that Michael Gudinski was one of a kind: mercurial, passionate, committed to his friends and ruthless to his opponents.
It’s a clever subtitle for the book, too, as “godfather” conjures up an image of both a caring substitute parent and the powerful head of a sinister organisation. Both descriptions fit.
Highly recommended.