Clelia's (aka Cleo) life story IS an adventure, no doubt about that. She writes with a beautiful sense of “having been there”, and she evokes her insights and experience, through her own words, and through the words of others. Those others are the people who shared the experience of working with her as colleagues or bosses; and we also meet her personal friends in life; along the way. Clelia's friends are friends for life, and her warmth with regard to them is beautifully conveyed on every page.
Beginning her life in Orange, we experience growing up with her Italian family, the ups and downs, the meals, the dress making, and all is evoked with a visual imagery that makes us feel we are there with her.
She tells of her life inside the music industry, first as a secretary, then promoted to writer, working for the Sydney office of Go-Set, the seminal pop-rock newspaper. The story she tells is personal, and intimate as we learn of her feelings and insights, and the people, with many a “hoot” along the way. We meet many of her magazine writer colleagues, and also learn of her encounters with Australian and international musicians along the way.
From here, the tale ventures into her experiences of working for WEA, a large record label and distribution hub. Her stories capture the same intimacies of her life in Go-Set, and continues the journey we are on, with her. We learn some insights into what goes on behind the scenes of international tours, most are good, and some are difficult.
This work is a pleasure to read, with further adventures of travels in Europe; to performances at Tamworth Country Music Festival as a country singer with number one country albums to her name. To her long relationship with Garry Adams, and all the things that made up their lives.
Her writing is always personal, emotional, her feelings always there for us to witness. This book is a must read, as it is an insight into life as an Australian in the Australian entertainment industry, not just the pop world, but the Country music industry as well.
To top t off, we are treated to a few pages from Clelia's recipe book, an insight into her tastes for cooking. There''s lots of quotes from people and projects she has been involved with over the years, as well as reviews of her albums, and a lovely chapter that could easily read that life begins at 50. Altogether now, hip hip hooray for Cleo!!
David M Kent, Master of Arts in Communication. Thesis topic: The Place of Go-Set in Rock and Pop Music Culture in Australia 1966 - 1974. University of Canberra.